How busy is the Solent during Cowes week?

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Steve_R

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Ok, I expect Cowes and the Hamble will be full during Cowes week and the Solent waters will be full of racers, but how busy will overnight berthing at Lymington and Yarmouth be?

I have made the mistake of organising a charter to take some friends out next weekend (4th-6th Aug).

Will we be able to find a berth in the Western Solent or should we aim for Bembridge and Chichester?
 
My experience was that the Solent around Cowes was franetic, but to the East it was ok. Not sure about west end. However Chichester is also a good destination, other than the crazy racing dingy sailors there...
 
Everywhere is likely to be busy just because of the summer holidays but if you resort to Solent passage planning (get in by 14:00 and ring ahead wherever possible) then you should be OK at East or West ends. But I would give Cowes itself a miss.
 
Surprsing as it may seem, you are virtually guarenteed to get a berth in the Hamble, even during Cowes week The main marinas will have spaces because many of their customers will be away for their summer hols (or they will be in Cowes), and the Harbour Authority berths almost always have space available (walk ashore at Warsash and Hamble, or mid-stream pontoon off Warsash - all cheaper than the marinas, but no showers).

Hope this helps
 
In Cowes itself boats will be rafted up 6 deep on the OUTSIDE of the yacht haven and pretty much any other mooring will be pre-booked for the week. Yarmouth is always busy at the weekend in summer, and Cowes week is likely to have a knock-on effect. The Hamble might be pretty quiet as all the racing boats move over to Cowes for the week. I did my Coastal Skipper during Cowes Week, which spiced up the blind navigation exercise as our blind skipper tried to take us through a keelboat start line. And my night navigation was complicated by a background of fireworks off Cowes. Other than that it wasn't at all bad and as I remember we spent time on the visitor's moorings in the Beaulieu River, the Camber at Portsmouth, Poole, the Hamble, Swanwick and I can't remember where else. So not much of a problem really.
 
Generally east and west solent will be okay. but keep well clear of the racing and dont go near cowes and the squadron line. Normal rule applies regarding yarmouth - if you want to be sure of a berth either get there before lunch or book a pontoon berth, which you can do now. there another big entry for cowes week this year due to the fastnet starting on the last weekend.
 
Lymington and Yarmouth are generally busier because of displaced boats that can't get into Cowes. Surprisingly the Folly is generally quieter because people don't like fighting through the melee at Cowes to get there.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Lymington and Yarmouth are generally busier because of displaced boats that can't get into Cowes. Surprisingly the Folly is generally quieter because people don't like fighting through the melee at Cowes to get there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree about the Folly, you will have no problems getting a berth there and if you are in the Solent that week I would recomend berthing at the Folly and taking the dingy or water taxi down to Cowes and watching the racing from Cowes green for an afternoon.
There is an excellent live commentary and if its lively there is always lots of fun to see. There's an offshore rock that finishers close inshore seem to be drawn to as if attracted to by a magnet.
 
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