I.O.W. festival marina recomondations

[proty]

Anyone have any experience with taking their boat to a marina in the I.O.W for the festival?

if so any recommendation for their preferred one?

Thinking of going over, staying aboard taxiing to the festival. don't fancy tenting it so a marina with good showers, toilets etc is a plus!

Ideas?

Thanks

 

[l'escargot]

Anyone have any experience with taking their boat to a marina in the I.O.W for the festival?

if so any recommendation for their preferred one?

Thinking of going over, staying aboard taxiing to the festival. don't fancy tenting it so a marina with good showers, toilets etc is a plus!

Ideas?

Thanks

East Cowes is the most convenient and regular price. Island Harbour is nearer but charge silly money for the weekend. Not a marina, there are the Folly pontoons - no water or electric though and water taxi or dinghy ashore with showers in the pub.

 

[Nick_H]

The first few years you could berth in Island Harbour at normal rates, and walk along the river to a second entrance to the site. We did it a couple of times and it worked really well. As I understand it though, they now charge very high prices in the marina for that weekend, and you have to walk up to the main road and along to get in, which is a much longer route.

It's still the best place to be though if you don't mind the cost.

 

[thecommander]

East Cowes would be my recommendation. Friendly atmosphere and great facilities.

 

[dragoon]

The last 2 times I went we stopped at West Cowes - the water taxi is just as easy and you're in town when you wake up. Island Harbour is unreasonably expensive that weekend.

 

[thecommander]

In my opinion watching on the river from your boat is very overrated. We travelled down last year and the river was overcrowded with ribs, sports boats and mid sized cruisers. The sound from the stage wasn't great (although I am a sound geek).

Another option to consider would be using a visitor buoy (very reasonably priced) in Newtown Creek then tendering up to Shalfleet and getting a taxi from The New Inn pub to the festival site. Only about 6 miles. Little bit of an adventure aswell.

 

[l'escargot]

In my opinion watching on the river from your boat is very overrated. We travelled down last year and the river was overcrowded with ribs, sports boats and mid sized cruisers. The sound from the stage wasn't great (although I am a sound geek).

Another option to consider would be using a visitor buoy (very reasonably priced) in Newtown Creek then tendering up to Shalfleet and getting a taxi from The New Inn pub to the festival site. Only about 6 miles. Little bit of an adventure aswell.

I wouldn't bother with the river, the stage and speakers are deliberately angled away from it and the trees planted to obscure the view grow year by year.

For Newtown you would need to take the tides into account as Shalfleet Quay isn't accessible all states of the tide and the taxi would be about £30 round trip...

 

[burgundyben]

We've been in West Cowes over the festival weekend by chance, aside from a few people wandering about looking like they need a good wash you'd hardly know it was on.

 

[thecommander]

The festival gets worse every year in terms of the lineup. Bestival is a much better IMO.

 

[sharppractice]

Island Harbour for the past three years. Stayed in East Cowes before .Taking into account ferry fares, time and lost drunk kids (youngest 19 at the time ) much easier to stay near...

 

[KevB]

The folly pontoons. Stayed there for at least the last four years. £13 a night. It's about 20minute walk up to the entrance of the festival

 

[KevB]

The festival gets worse every year in terms of the lineup. Bestival is a much better IMO.

The bestival is full of pissed kids, not my idea of fun.

Another island festival worth going to is the rhythmtree, totally chilled.

 

[kmboxers]

The folly pontoons. Stayed there for at least the last four years. £13 a night. It's about 20minute walk up to the entrance of the festival

Agree with this, we did last year and have booked again for this year at the Folly.

 

[proty]

Thanks for the replies,

I've got a 23ft cuddy with no cooking or showering facilities, so east cowes looks a good bet, at least I can shower etc. the boat would only be for sleeping in, just thought it would make a nice change from dealing with a cramped camp-site and a cold, damp tent.

Island harbour looks close but, is it accessed through a lock?

not sure I fancy that!!

anyone else going? Not massively keen on Queen but stereophonics and faithless are good-uns!!!

 

[Adrian]

Island Harbour for the past three years. Stayed in East Cowes before .Taking into account ferry fares, time and lost drunk kids (youngest 19 at the time ) much easier to stay near...

Agree, we've done it a few times, if you are going to stay there get tickets with camping, not much more, you can then enter the site at the top of the lane which is for campers only rather than walking all the way round.

 

[oGaryo]

We stay at East Cowes each year

 

[KevB]

Agree, we've done it a few times, if you are going to stay there get tickets with camping, not much more, you can then enter the site at the top of the lane which is for campers only rather than walking all the way round.

I think they've only made that entrance campers only once but you're right, get camping tickets just in case. And re the folly pontoons, there are showers and toilets there which remarkably there's not generally too much of a queue.

Yes, we are going this year. Still waiting for Saturday headliner. Guns 'n' Roses maybe, who I've seen at Milton keynes bowl a million years ago and were brilliant