First Trip Out in the Solent

[No1_Moose]

mm, better reinforce the deck for my RR Phantom, erm!

Beaulieu river and Newtown Creek are the two nicest places in the solent imo. Don't bother with the Master Builder's though, it is awful. If you want to eat go up to the top of the river in the rib and tie up to the pontoon on the western side of the river (Baileys Hard). Walk through the woods, then along a path for about 500yds. Pass Redman, Whitely and Dixon's offices on the left and spend a few minutes admiring the model of their latest project in the window. Walk a bit further along and ye shall find the Montague Arms Hotel which is one of the few nice places to eat in the Solent. If you don't want to get the rib wet you could walk the whole way or probably best to get a taxi!
Eating in Newtown Creek requires similar combination of rib and walking through the countryside to get to the pub, I think the pub is called the "New Inn", it's the best on the IOW imo.

 

[rickp]

Yeah, the New Inn at Shalfleet. Definitely needs tide co-operation. Just been there once with Col and the water was a little lower than expected on our return - though Col was spot on, enough for the ribs /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Not dared repeat it on my own though - not sure I trust my tidal calcs for there!

Rick

 

[No1_Moose]

you can just tie up to the little quay at the end of the path, I don't think that dries. Certainly going up to the top requires some gung ho "It'll be ok when we get back, honest, I'm a YM" talk! We have taken the rib right up to Beaulieu a few times and only been caught out once when we turned the corner by the mill pond to see the rib perched nicely on top of the concrete ledge, lots of frantic heaving got it into a few inches of water and we hastily paddled off towards the marina with virtually no water underneath us for the first 1/2mile, a minute later and we would have to have left it there overnight.

 

[rickp]

Hmm - okay. That little quay in Newtown looked like it might dry to me, but I've not got charts to hand. I'll give it another go sometime.

Cheers,
Rick

 

[hlb]

My marina in Plymouth specialises in big boats. They have a big old pontoon which goes about half a mile out. I used to be berthed there once. Hence the reputation for having battle ship ropes. Apparently Easy Cruise have probems docking some places. Why not get in touch with Stelious. I can maybe sort out a meeting through Debs. She does that sort of thing. She's down in London at the moment, sorting out some little air lines. Not sure parking is her field though, but will ask.

 

[DPH]

Just for info you can get on the quay at Lymington if you're bigger then 40 foot between October and Easter.

 

[Hurricane]

If you are going up the river past Cowes to the Folly make sure that it is anything above low water.
Went up there once at low water and started stiring mud so returned to Cowes for lunch instead.
Been up to the Folly many times since but I now always make sure that there is plenty of water.

I recommend Yarmouth - you can get in this time of the year - you wont be able to later in the summer whereas you should be able to get into the Folly most of the year.
There's also a little extra challenge in Yarmouth - the harbourmaster will probably put a boat your size on the piles.
Sounds a bit risky if you havent done it before but the harbourmaster always helps in his little dory and Yarmouth is a beautiful little town.

 

[hlb]

Gad. It goes worser and worser, I'm used to the piles. Can he fit between or maybe have to wiggle a bit!!

 

[BrendanS]

Flip, the Donald Searle is on piles, way up the Hamble, and it goes on and off no probs. That's 23m and draught of 2.6m

http://www.ronatrust.com/LSP2006/index.php?id=3

Never had any probs when I've been onboard.

in Yarmouth there is the added advantage of having the harbour master boats handing you lines if you have problems.

At this time of year, all the places in Solent will be quiet anyway, so normal summer problems don't apply.

Still think taking brand new large boat to Newtown or Beaulieu over ambitious. I'd be heading for places easier to get into while getting to know boat.

 

[Keen_Ed]

Had a really excellent lunch and pint at the Red Lion, Freshwater a couple of weekends ago. Short walk - couple of miles - from Yarmouth.

Red Lion, Church Place, Freshwater, Isle of Wight, PO40 9BP

 

[nightjar]

Yarmouth is the best harbour in the western Solent; give the HM a call and I am sure they will find you a suitable berth. If you fancy a really nice evening meal then you can't beat the George Hotel. Its got a formal dining room which will be around £45 for dinner or they also do "cheaper" meals in the
conservatory. Food is very good unlike a lot of places in the solent. Lunch and pre dinner drinks in the RSYC are also a must with the best view in the solent.
Should you decide on Lymington for a stopover then Egans is a great place for dinner. Choice of RLYC or LTYC for lunch and beers. Also Harpers in the Yacht Haven do an excellent breakfast.
Have lots of fun and remember to bring your windscreen de icer !

 

[Wiggo]

Watch out in Yarmouth - there ain't any piles at the mo - it's all being converted to walk ashore pontoons with water and leccy. That said, the long green pontoon is still there.

 

[mjf]

Do it all

To be frank with a strongish E'ly forecast I would stick to the bigger / easier to enter places Cowes / Lymington / Yarmouth.

Newtown can be tricky esp. at anchor in a strong E'ly and with tides approaching Springs navigation with 1.8m draft could be challenging without 'local' knowledge. Soft bottom helps.....

But as tcm says - this is a sea trial no? So why not head into Portsmouth Harbour to Puerto Solento, run up S'hampton water, up the Hamble over to Cowes and up the river to Folly Inn (you will touch bottom at LW if you use the walk ashore Folly pontoon) , then blat to Yarmouth and Lymington.

Thats a nice day out. (and you will be in SeaStart country throughout the adventure if Messrs Trader lets you down by not building the stern gear correctly!).

 

[Nick_H]

It almost dries, and at LWS you can't get a dinghy up to the little hard standing, unless you punt the last few hundred yards! Don't make the mistake of stopping at the next little jetty downriver, there is an inlet between the two, and its a two hour walk round it. To avoid the same walk to get home you could persuade someone to drop you back at the jetty in their dinghy, but then it is very difficult to find the hardstanding again in the pitch black when no one has a torch, 'cos all the inlets look the same and you could spend an hour or more whizzing round in the RIB and give up, and the people you are collecting could have to steal a boat from the hardstanding and row it back to the main boat anchored a mile away, and you'd then have to return in the morning. How do I know all this..?

 

[duncan]

what time do you plan on being able to depart and when do you need to be back?

given these, tide tables and weather forecasts plus all the local knowledge!) I am sure we can turn the above into a workable plan!

I too believe Saturday night at Yarmouth but would fit in - needles sightseening< poke into Newtown Creek to see what it all about and Sunday lunch in Cowes - maybe Folly depending on tides.

 

[Gludy]

I think with the tides, from memory we depart about noon on the Saturday and have to be back about 1pm on the Sunday afternoon. We do not have too much of a window to get over the cill at Emsworth.

 

[rickp]

Perhaps power overnight is needed if the Webasto heating isn't fitted yet? As for tides, Tome said:

[ QUOTE ]
See you draw 1.8m so would aim to be out 1230 Saturday and tied up by 1300ish Sunday. There's a tide gauge by the cill

[/ QUOTE ]

Rick

 

[andyball]

suggest you go & see a fort or two if you & crew like that sort of thing.. & chi harbour ( I know... you said Solent, but...) is pretty pleasant ( turn round at entrance to chi marina - or stop there for lunch ) also Bosham for a quick look if tide permits.

Perhaps a happy hour or so before heading out to sea?

If you fancy a beer Fri eve - I'm 'born n bred' in Emsworth ...guided tours a speciality.


Depending on wind ( ahem... Tracey) -let me know what time you're leaving Emsworth on Sat & we'll try to get some photos/video of the maiden voyage. Also a two-pronged attack on Fireball likely more effective - use those special anchors too & he'll have no hope /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Gludy]

Yes - someone pointed out that I really need a VII on the gauge to clear it OK - I assume that is 7 feet?

I prefer power overnight but would probably run the gene. It is going to be cold - she is a big boat inside and I would want to make tea, heat with reverse air con and even 16 amps cannot manage that.

My first preference is 32 amp shore power. if its 16 amp I use gene and go down to 16 amp overnight with just the heating on.

I know its going to a biting easterly, but I am hoping it will be a clear sky - should be......

 

[Gludy]

Andy
Leaving about noon to 12.30.

I will leave the berth about an hour before that for fuel.

There is so much info on this thread - i printed it out last night and am still going through it trying to decide.

Rick is off to Cowes, so it would be nice to meet him there at some point but it cannot take long to get there and should maybe have more of a run than that.

I have experienced crew aboard but we are all inexperienced with the boat.


For info my MMSI number is 235032578