Isle of Wight Anchorages?

The closer in you get in Osborne bay, the less tide there'll be...

You're visible on marine traffic..

If you fancied going past Osborne bay but didn't want the full cost of marina pontoons then Folly Inn pontoon up the river from Cowes is good value., especially if you use your own dinghy to head ashore...

Beaulieu River entrance is tide dependent as is Newtown Creek..
 
You could always try just to the west of Wooton Beacon (northerly cardinal mark) at the entrance to Wooton Creek which is between Ryde and Osbourne Bay. Depth seems good for you there and not too far out. You could also watch the IOW car ferries pop in and out to Fishbourne but don't stray into the marked channel as you may get squished.
 
Anchoring in Osbourne Bay in the remnants of an Easterly 30kts and expecting to the wind to go round wouldn't be my idea of fun when Cowes Yacht Haven is dead easy and just round the corner. Tide'll be with you by then too.
 
Cowes Yacht Haven ( used to be West Cowes Marina many moons ago) does, admittedly have the easiest visitors pontoon if they put you on the big outer pontoon.. It's the first big marina on the starboard side as you head into the river Medina.


Usually quite well lit at that point in the river.
 
Anchoring in Osbourne Bay in the remnants of an Easterly 30kts and expecting to the wind to go round wouldn't be my idea of fun when Cowes Yacht Haven is dead easy and just round the corner. Tide'll be with you by then too.
Agree.
Push on to Cowes, get up the river, and grab a berth on The Folly pontoons. Sort it all out in the morning.
 
Haha. There's a bloody great ship on starboard. In fact lots of bloody great ships. Tucking in out of the way. Agreed the Folly pontoon is probably best.
 
Concentrate on dogs and ferries now..

Fully Inn pontoons seem like a long way up the river but it's a nice place to wake up to.

Generally follow the deep water channel up the river and in the darkness all the mid River pontoons will be to your starboard side. Deepest water to the east (mid River) side of folly pontoons.

They're marked for Folly visitors... Sometimes rafted but mid week shouldn't be too bad.
 
Well done.. Looks like you're there... Apologies for the long trip up the river but I'm sure you'll appreciate it by the morning.

The Folly Inn has showers if needed. Also if you want to take a look around Cowes but don't fancy a motor to the marina then just take the water taxi from the Folly. By foot you can then check out the chain ferry, the marinas, the shops and walk out to Egypt point for a view of the Solent.
 
Great advice thanks! Plenty of room on the visitor pontoon. Likely to have breakfast at the Inn tomorrow morning. Feel like I deserve a full English after a 115 mile passage :)
 
It was nice to see you'd arrived safely... And we saw you take the small boat channel into Cowes instead of going around the breakwater..!

If you're wanting an anchorage though there's still the Beaulieu reach (watch the tide height at the bar on the entrance) and Newtown Creek...

I do remember a ybw forum barbeque a few years ago where only a couple of boats made it into the Beaulieu river before the tide dropped.. From memory the weather was bad and the boat with the actual oil drum barbeque didn't make it over the sand bar and ended up in Cowes... The boats that did make it had to cook without the barbeque.

If you have a day to sightsee via water then a slow motor up either the Hamble to the M27 bridge (if you want to see 1000s boats) or the Beaulieu River to Bucklers hard (very pretty) are worthwhile..
 
Thanks. Think I'll have a nose around Cowes today as I need a new bilge pump asap. Maybe anchor in Osbourne this evening perhaps. My crew is deserting me today so I'll be single handed from now until Plymouth. Likely stay in the Solent until another Easterly arrives and take advantage of some of the recommendations in this thread :)
 
I did post another thread but do you know any moorings in the Solent that would accommodate a 43ft 15t boat for 3 weeks? Plymouth offered me one for £250 but I could just as easily leave it around here.
 
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