Gosport harbour

in fact i started my sailing life there with my four yun kids in a boat just like yours,camping and launching is easy(you said you can do that)your main task will be chosing a sunny hot nice weekend in which to play

Agree with everything you say about Poole as a place to learn - definitely better than Portsmouth. However, still restrictive in a small fast powerboat. Nowhere to really open it up, but lots of places to potter and go ashore in the "wilds". Bit short on public slipways, but a number of boatyards with launching facilities. Poole Harbour Commissioners produce a good guide to the harbour and facilities.
 
Yes, always a trade off. Lots of shorebased stuff in both places if boating bit goes sour with weather etc.

Dowside to Poole for Londoners is the slow drive at busy times from Southampton westwards. Not too much of a problem for us residents as we are usually going the other way feeling sorry for those in the queues!
 
cant you blast the way to the river and ski areas any more than,or to stud land on a good day?been a few years since i was a mobo and in the poole area !
 
Yes, you can in the Wareham Channel, but it is over in a few minutes. All the lower harbour has a speed limit.

Going outside the harbour is fine, but often rather fraught with traffic if the weather is nice and not somewhere for a novice!
 
Welcome to the forum. As you have already experienced, you will get a mix of great advice and humour on here.

I would also suggest you start in Chichester rather than Portsmouth harbour. Or if you still live in London, there are a couple of reservoirs (dams) near Heathrow where sports boats and skiing are encouraged. You will get the hang of your new boat without the added hassle of tides and currents. You will not need any license or radio, but you might need third party insurance.

When you are ready you can then get off to the south coast and start exploring, where you will need a VHF, and a license to use it. No license to use your boat though, just a good understanding of the rules of the waterways. Strictly you don't need a chart plotter, but you will need a chart instead, so you can understand the tides/currents/depth etc.

Your boat looks great, and I hope you have a fantastic time on her.
 
Bav 34 said..........

"Final thought ... there is a one mile exclusion zone for powerboats around any yacht to cut down on wash.

Honestly:cool:"

Bav.................shut up!:D
 
Bav 34 said..........

"Final thought ... there is a one mile exclusion zone for powerboats around any yacht to cut down on wash.

Honestly:cool:"

Bav.................shut up!:D

You moboer's are SO rude!

I'm going to huff back over to PBO where I can learn how to convert our Dyson into an effective means of propulsion whilst it charges the batteries and navigates for me ... all at zero pollution :)

(quite enjoyed it over here on the whizzy side ... sniff) :(
 
. . . . 2. My plan is to launch at lifeboat lane, next to Gosport & Fareham inshore rescue service on the south bank. Would this be a suitable location for me to launch with a 320d bmw estate car? . . . . . .

Welcome to the forums.

Your best launch site is:

50° 47.467'N 001° 7.324'W

Google Earth has a blue car on the slipway. :)

Not sure you are allowed to launch at the Gosport Inshore Rescue location and then you will have parking problems whereas the Haslar marina site does have a car park. ;)
 
You moboer's are SO rude!

I'm going to huff back over to PBO where I can learn how to convert our Dyson into an effective means of propulsion whilst it charges the batteries and navigates for me ... all at zero pollution :)

(quite enjoyed it over here on the whizzy side ... sniff) :(

MOBOER!!!!!:( How dare you sir!!!! I have 50 years before the mast I will have you know!! Or is that behind it???

Oh well anyway, let me know how you get on with the Dyson project, sounds like it might be a goer!:D
 
The GAFIRS slipway is free to use and parking is £4 a day. I use it all the time and it is very good. Can be used at all states of tide except either side of low on a big spring 0.6 or lower. I keep my boat in the angling club next door.
 
Hi all.

Sorry for the lengthy delay in reply, but I try very hard not to be using a computer after work hours and would far rather be tinkering on the boat.

Many thanks for all the advice! I've got loads of info now to sift through. I'm sold on not going to portsmouth harbour now, and will try rib's suggestion of perhaps exploring Poole harbour instead.

Yes, the little one is my son, he's 16months now and will most certainly be getting a life jacket! He also will not be accompanying me on any high-speed runs out of the harbour - well not for the next few years at least.

For now, I am busy rebuilding the trailer for the boat as its in a pretty bad state, and would like everything to work like clockwork when it comes to launching in the sea. If anyone is interested in following my build thread, you can go here:
http://www.classicglastron.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=6269&p=40334#p40334

I get the joke now about keeping far away from yachts :) a bit slow on the uptake!

Hope to see some of you around on the water in the summer, I'll surely be back around here asking loads of questions though :)
 
Thanks for coming back. I thought we'd scared you away :)

Good call on Poole, but although it may be stating the obvious ... buy a chart !

A lot of the bouyage consists of twigs :rolleyes: , OK ... withies, that can actually change sides as you use the channels i.e. port and starboard can suddenly change to starboard and port as you round a corner... to be confronted with a signpost pointing towards different channels.

Mix in the large lateral bouyage and you will often have green or red ... to port ... or starboard!

Confusing to the eye but not with a chart.

Also the tides there are MAAAD with times worked out on Low Water not High.

Let us all know how you get on.

Bav.
 

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