Cowes Yacht Haven is rubbish

jellyellie

jellyellie

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 Jan 2008
Messages
645
www.jellyellie.com
I don't understand the attraction of Cowes Yacht Haven.

James and I have been to Cowes many many times, both East and West, and have stayed in Sheperds Wharf and the Yacht Haven multiple times each. East Cowes Marina is a complete joy.

We're never going back to the Yacht Haven. It's a complete ripoff and pretty restless place to be.

We found a spot, landed and tied up with no issues. Walking down the pontoon we were moored on we saw a broken cleat lying on the boards. It was obviously severely corroded. We picked it up and took it with us to the office - "Oh, another one, they always seem to break." the marina staff told us. Excellent. And that's what we've just tied our boat, our home, up to? Comforting. James, my partner, works in a marina with identical cleats and they've never had an issue with a single one.

So we tell them our length and pay... £27 for 37ft, in October?!?!?!?! What! So they're still on summer rates until November 1st. Funny kind of summer that is! Do they provide the weather for it, too? So we pay. We consoled ourselves that summer rates meant their extra summer facilities would still be open - illogically, no luck. So they have it both ways. We all gave the showers a miss; they're skanky.

After a drink in the Anchor - whose stumbling distance to the Yacht Haven is the only benefit to the marina - we return to the boat to relax. Well, you can't really relax in there, to be honest. James popped back to the chandlers in town, our guest was dozing in the saloon, so I sat watching the action from the cockpit.

...and action there was!!! I spotted one likely Sunsail charter boat coming into the berth next to us. Entire crew of 7 sitting along the side with the fenders out - they only had fenders out on one side. To cut a long story short, the helm was obviously totally incompetent, and had to shove it in full forward gear to prevent reversing into a pontoon and the stern of another Sunsail boat moored alongside it. Full forward gear heading straight towards us. I was ready and waiting to fend them off, whilst their crew started shouting "Get a fender!" - NO ****?!?! Bit late for a fender! If you've got the crew, task someone with a roving fender... especially if you know you're not brilliant with your boat handling and there's a fair wind blowing. So I shoved them away and they finally managed to get alongside, at which point one of their crew jumped off and nearly landed in the oggin, then tried to hold onto the boat with a line that wasn't round a cleat. Then they managed to drop a fender in the drink, and one guy rushed to save it with... you guessed it... a broken boathook.

So, I know this can happen in any marina... but Sunsail might as well be based at Cowes Yacht Haven, with the seemingly high proportion of their fleet in there. We were totally outnumbered. It was pretty frightening. And that wasn't a one-off - they're always in there when we go, and there are always 'incidents'.

Oh, and you can't get a decent sleep in there. So noisy, so much wash. Royal Clarence any day...
 
The Yacht Haven's OK - as you say - for a quick run ashore to the Anchor (and various clothes emporia if I'm accompanied by Mrs jhr :() but I'd always opt for East Cowes or, even better, the Folly if staying overnight.

The facilities at Shepherd's Wharf are better than the Haven and it's nicer and cheaper as well but the fundamental problem with anywhere much to the north of the chain ferry is that it's exposed to weather and wash. If the plans to build a new breakwater come to fruition, the weather will be less of an issue, but until they can get the Harbourmaster's RIB under control........... :D
 
Cowes Yacht Haven

If you ask to go in the south section of the Haven, it gets you away from the Sunsail mob. Sunsail seem to have their own area of the north section.

It is convenient for the town; if you use the ferry from East Cowes, the cost soon comes in favour of the Haven.

The showers leave something to be desired. The water pressure is very very high - both in the gents and ladies (so I am told). The cubicles are very small. Clothes get splashed.

Best showers - probably Birdham Pool. Furthest to walk - Royal Clarence.
 
jhr, I agree with you - Shepards Wharf if in Cowes, the Folly otherwise on Saturday nights!

Aries - we were in the South basin! Seemed to make no difference - Sunsail all over north and south. If you mean catching the Red Funnel ferry from East Cowes, then Shepards Wharf is much much closer than the Haven.

East Cowes have the best looking/cleanest/most modern toilets in the Solent, in my opinion.
 
Oh Dear....am on a club rally which is going to Cowes YH tomorrow. SWMBO and I have not been there for many years preferring Shepherds Wharf or the Folly. Also, believe we are berthed on the north side so don't look forward to being kept awake by noisy Sunsail crews. Perhpaps we are getting too old for the YH. Have a meal booked in Saffron the Indian restaurant in the High Street which should make the trip worthwhile!
 
So we tell them our length and pay... £27 for 37ft, in October?!?!?!?! What! So they're still on summer rates until November 1st. Funny kind of summer that is! Do they provide the weather for it, too?


That's strange, at Plymouth YH winter rates start 1st October.
 
COWES

Oh Yarh! rent a jolly old boasty thing and go to Cowes for some fun and booze. Only famous place in that solent place ain't it? Those Scumsail people really respect people withn experience and qualifications. We should be really OK, my great uncle claude had a dinghie which he let me sit in - often and oh yes, i have the money.

Isn't that how it is?
Chas on Kentrina's login so not necessarily her point of view
 
@jellyellie,

fully agree with you!

was there this week and you start asking your self the question what the heck is all the noise about this expensive yacht haven...

lucky plenty alternatives around :)

talking about sunsail... this friday; sunsail; man over board. coastguard; is the casualty wearing a life jacket? sunsail; no... (october seawater cold some strong winds, what do you want more...) well listening to channel 0 is a real joy! :)
 
Well I was at Cowes Yacht Haven out racing in a Sunsail yacht last weekend 2/4 oct. Didn't see any bad behaviour, nor any harbour collisions, but there is bound to be some congestion bringing 23 yachts into port in less than half an hour.

Our racing was capably run by the Royal Corinthian. For Saturday 3rd (30mph winds), life jackets were mandatory, no spinnakers..and eventually one reef became mandatory. Sunday in lighter winds, you could do what you liked, as many on here would advocate for their own general sailing. Personally I wore an LJ.

The racing was well run, and I did not see any outrageous behaviour on the water. Most of the sailors in our fleet were reasonably experienced, but they are mostly teams that only meet the night before. In our case our helmsman was on the Fastnet winning boat in 07 and with one exception, all our eight crew could be called 'experienced' to a greater or lesser degree.

I've no complaints about Sunsail. In five years of sailing this particular competition they have always delivered us a serviceable yacht (this fleet is now seven years old), their staff have been helpful, and they have been more than fair over minor damage issues and the odd lost winch handle.

Obviously I can't speak for other users behaviour, and its regrettable if they do misbehave, but you know they are going to be there at Cowes YH, so why not exercise your choices accordingly. I do agree the toilets/showers at Cowes Yacht Haven are a bit knackered, but the ones at Port Solent are now so over the top they would not look out of place in a five star hotel.

I had a good chat with some of the kids sailing the Little Brigs, and the dear old Jolie Brise, with a ruddy great chunk of her rail missing after a collision. As far as I could tell the atmosphere in our bit of the yacht haven was totally friendly amongst the Yotties old and young.

Tim
 
teenage Ms. Curmudgeon

Ellie, you are a bit young to be starting on this slippery slope. "Scumsail" snobbery is usually the preserve of old buffers who never fly a spinnaker and never leave the cockpit outside harbour; and moaning about the facilities at the yacht haven shows that you are a victim of "Marina leapfrog syndrome" whereby each marina round the solent takes it in turns to upgrade the facilities so that they are better than most people have at home. Port Solent even has piped Classic FM!
And nearly having a collision is like nearly being pregnant. The yacht haven even advertises itself as an events marina, by which I presume they mean that they specialise in hosting racing fleets.
So you takes your choice - pipe and slippers and a milky drink or a bit of ferry wash and some parking from the braille school of yachting.
The Pier View is the better choice for a pub imho.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

R
Brokers.
Replies
6
Views
491
Irish Rover
Irish Rover
S
Sailing to the USA. Do I need a special visa?
2 3
Replies
50
Views
2K
Roberto
Roberto

Share this page

Top