Emsworth 3/4 tide moorings

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FairweatherDave

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I have got the chance to take a conservancy mooring at Emsworth, it will dry at LW springs but will be accessible at LW neaps. I am used to Itchenor hard which is fine all states of tide, but I know Emsworth is described as limited to 3 hours either side of HW. Does that mean I would be restricted using an inflatable dinghy from Emsworth to the mooring, ie would I be able to reach my boat all the time it was afloat. Or would I have to wade through mud? I can't visualise, though will probably do a trip over soon anyhow. Any other points to make about the Emsworth 3/4 moorings also appreciated. Cheers
Dave
 
These are the B3 moorings on the eastern side of the channel presumably?

I think you will find that ±3hours means ±3 hours even with an inflatable and that you will not want to wade through the mud outside that period.

But if you have the offer of a mooring, at least you have a mooring.

I have a C3 mooring elsewhere in the harbour but my dinghy access to the boat yard slip is even less than HW±3

Map of moorings and other details including details of launching at Emsworth on the Chichester harbour website
 
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Thanks for the reply. Yes it is a B3 mooring (and I have studied the Conservancy plans....I am guessing opposite Fowley Island). As you say at least I have the offer a mooring, I was hoping to get into Itchenor Reach but now I have a longer boat and no B3s became available. I was on a 3/4 tide mooring there for two years but never had an issue with access, she never seemed close to touching the bottom even when I expected she should have, and Itchenor hard of course is always ok for a tender (though the current can be strong). I was hoping a local might tell me you can access a very shallow narrow channel (stream) from Emsworth or the Marina there at LW neaps. I guess I ought to do some Day Skip theory but in the meantime all contributions welcome. Also the moorings are quite exposed compared to where I was at Itchenor. However I like the idea of a change of scenery in the meantime. (If anyone is wondering why 3 hrs either side of HW is an issue its just that I do a lot of family day sails)
 
FairweatherDave said:
Thanks for the reply. Yes it is a B3 mooring (and I have studied the Conservancy plans....I am guessing opposite Fowley Island). As you say at least I have the offer a mooring, I was hoping to get into Itchenor Reach but now I have a longer boat and no B3s became available. I was on a 3/4 tide mooring there for two years but never had an issue with access, she never seemed close to touching the bottom even when I expected she should have, and Itchenor hard of course is always ok for a tender (though the current can be strong). I was hoping a local might tell me you can access a very shallow narrow channel (stream) from Emsworth or the Marina there at LW neaps. I guess I ought to do some Day Skip theory but in the meantime all contributions welcome. Also the moorings are quite exposed compared to where I was at Itchenor. However I like the idea of a change of scenery in the meantime. (If anyone is wondering why 3 hrs either side of HW is an issue its just that I do a lot of family day sails)
Click to expand...

There is the old horse and cart causeway out to the old oyster beds by the Visitors pontoon, to the Wall of the Mill Pond, but I'd avoid using it if I were you.

Sid, the Chi Hbr Emsworth Boat Man does a chugger ferry service at weekends roughly April- Sept, so you could off load the family and kit, then secure the boat in peace.
If you have a folding trolley and an inflatable, you could get to the Town pontoon late on the tide or to the hard at the end of the High Street and wheel the inflatable up to the car park- or bring the car down to the hard.

Most tides you can get in or out of Emsworth Yacht Haven in a tender 4hrs* either side HW- worst scenario is you pull it to the top EYH entrance or to the slipway beside the old Tide Mill at the end of Slipper Road.
At really dead low water SWMBO & I have crossed from the sill area to the town shore on foot, but you can get wet and muddy.

Hope this helps- come and check out the options
Several of our Club members keep their tenders in EYH, either afloat or at the head of A pontoon and their boats, including GK24's and other fin keelers on the Channel moorings
 
Thanks very much, with those names I'll go to Google Earth / maps etc. The Emsworth ferry only runs 2 hrs either side of HW according to what I have read on the Conservancy website (though I'm sure while there is water it'll run if it can).
Dave
 
VicS is right, much after 3hrs from HW it all gets very muddy and messy. You do not want to tangle with Emsworth mud, I can assure you! It is possible to make up and down the channel up to about 4 hours after High, and to get a dinghy in and out of the Marina as suggested, but you will find after Itchenor that this is REAL boating! After 4 hours there is effectively no chance and not so long ago someone ended up being rescued by Helicopter after getting stuck waist deep in the stuff.

I have the same problem on my mooring in Prinsted. Boat's afloat except at LWS, but cant get there more than around 4 hrs after HW. You just learn to work the tides, and sometimes have to sit on the bank on a fine sailing day until the water comes back. Its those days the cost of a Marina berth doesnt seem such a bad thing.... :)
 
I've got one, 2nd row back opposite the visitor pontoon. If I can get to the boat by tender, I can sail. I do only draw 1m though. A big improvement on the 1/2 tide I used to have further up which was less than HW+/-3.

Sid's ferry is great for transporting lots of stuff, but he only runs it HW+/-2hrs ish. Although, if he's around & can float he'll run it. Just call him up.

I keep my tender at the ESSC by the quay & launch from there HW+/-3.5 or more on a neap. I can launch from the service pontoon on the mill pond wall at HW+/-4.5 execept on a big spring. On a small neap the service pontoon is unlimitted. Be prepared to row tha last few m. There are conservancy dinghy chains for rent at the quay or at the service pontoon.
 
Thanks very much for the further replies, I have now got the picture good and proper and got the peace of mind I needed. The Moorings officer said what you said, Wooslehunter, ..."If I can get to the boat by tender, I can sail" but I needed to check out what that means a bit more.

Finally, come April and faffing about launching a 22ft centreboarder I know it will take me a couple of hours on the hard, raising the mast etc. Is there enough space at low tide to do that kind of thing and be out of people's way? I've only been to Emsworth once and visualise only little streets next to the water. (I'm not talking a Bank Holiday weekend launch).
 
PS Old Harry. I used to have to work the tides when I had a Wayfarer at the top of Mengham Rythe. The gamble of would the water be there at the bottom of the slipway was often fun (SWMBO would say tense:)). With Itchenor I could drop the family off at the hard and then say "Not sure if I'll be able to get onto the mooring though, might be gone for a while", (and mobile reception is poor there.) Thanks for your description of the Emsworth mud, I'll be able to use the helicopter story to instill some healthy respect for the stuff.
 
FairweatherDave said:
Finally, come April and faffing about launching a 22ft centreboarder I know it will take me a couple of hours on the hard, raising the mast etc. Is there enough space at low tide to do that kind of thing and be out of people's way? I've only been to Emsworth once and visualise only little streets next to the water. (I'm not talking a Bank Holiday weekend launch).
Click to expand...

There's a couple of places you can launch in Emsworth - in the main harbour by Slipper sailing club - it will be busy and there isn't much space - especially at high water!! At low water you can get right down on the beach, but I'd have a look at the clubs racing programme to see when they'll be racing as they launch all their dinghies from there ...
The other place is at the end of Warblington Road - there is a shingle beach there - it will be much quieter and you've got plenty of space to rig/launch and park the car up (free!) - but it'll take a bit more navigating to get to the marked channels out.

Plenty of other launch sites in the harbour - Itchenor you already know - no reason why you can't launch there and get SWMBO or ANOther to take the car round to Emsworth for recovery (unless you fancy a really long tender ride!!)
 
Northney

I have an A3 mooring in Emsworth and launch my tender from Northney Marina using their slipway. Cost is okay at approx £250 ish which is probably what I would have spent on car parking in Emsworth itself. That is if you can get a space there within reasonable walking distance. Then there is all the gear to cart about too.

The only time I had any difficulty getting to the boat was about two weeks ago when the sea in the Marina around the slipway had frozen. It's the only time I've used full throttle in a Marina but I had to to break up the ice. Upside of the snow was that I was able to load up the dingy by the car and slide it down the slipway like a tobogan. The dingy that is....

Syd is very helpful but he won't go out in a F5 or more. 'Elf 'n safety of course.
 
Thanks Fireball. I did think Itchenor to Emsworth a fun idea but suspect several catches as you point out. Also thought of Northney. I will be over to Emsworth for a recce I'm sure and would avoid dinghy racing crowds preparing naturally. I would expect to arrive at low water (no water) probably a weekday. I suppose I'm curious where others go for their annual hassle free launch and retrieve.
Dave
Thanks SeahOrse......I did wonder about raising the issue of Emsworth parking??? Sledging sounded fun!
 
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Sorry - we're members of a local club - so when we had a 22'er we launched & recovered there ... now we launch/recover wherever is cheapest - but as it is a 37'er we don't move it once they've recovered it ...!!

Other less hassle places would be in the yacht basin or over at prinstead - Thornham - but you'll be exchanging beer tokens for that ...
 
Parking

FairweatherDave said:
I did wonder about raising the issue of Emsworth parking???
Click to expand...

Parking at historic Emsworth is a real pain in my experience. If you are mega lucky there is a 'free?' car park of about 8 spaces next to the sailing club by the hard. Or phone the council for a long term ticket in their short term car park. What? But what happens if you are away longer than expected? You know, weather etc

It was just a hassle I was not prepared to tolerate.

Also, seaweed, at low water, blocked the inlet to my outboard. I didn't notice at first. The oil cap melted which, with no thread, popped off resulting in the contents of the oil sump depositing boiling hot oil all over me and the intereior of the dingy. Course, that could have happend anywhere. Ahh happy days.

Oh yes and sledging in a dingy is great fun. Should be part of Day Skipper
 
I keep my boat in Emsworth Pool on a C3 and once I can launch the dinghy in about a foot or two of water from the town Quay I can get to the boat and by the time I have finished getting ready can sail off. It does vary between +/-2 or 3 hours but I am in a particulalrly shallow bit.

I launch from the trailer at the start of the season from Northney Marina, costs about a tenner to use the slip and it has a great pontoon for SWMBO to walk down the side of the trailer with the lines in hand and not get wet at all. You could use the slip at EYH as well, it is quite accessible now the boatyard there has gone bust.

There is usually all day parking available in the car park with the entrance opposite the fire station. It is a 300 yard walk. The one near the quay (South St) is now time limited so you can't park all day except Sundays and Bank Holidays I think it is. You also have to beware of the occasional market in the South car park or food festival.

Regards
Neil
 
I keep my boat on a drying mooring by the side of Hayling Bridge (Chichester Harbour side) - just opposite Northney....

If you want a spot of uninterrupted time to sort out your launching, with free parking, I'd suggest you launch from the public slipway just across from me in front of the Ship pub... I used it last autumn on lift out - nice broad slip, plenty of manoeuvre room, and once all is done their sausage baggette and a pint of Pride slips down very nicely!! :D

Pick a mid week spring tide for preference - mornings are best... Fridays and weekends the carpark can be busy with the pub..
 
That's a great pub - and there is a wall just outside that you can tie up to at HW so you can go in for a pint ...

Hmm - I wonder what the depth is there ... might be able to get there with a shoal keel ...
 
The hard used to be used for loading coal, so the mud is an oily mess. Back in the days when Crab Searle ran the sailing school I lost a sandal in it. Anyone found it?

Rob.
 
Ship Inn Hard

Second vote for the hard by the Ship Inn, but just watch out for people blocking the entrance the with thier cars.

More than once I have stopped somebody mid pint asking them to move....

There is also a slip there, but you need to be quick using it as it gets quite busy.
 
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