Keyhaven

[Iain C]

Never been there by sea (only bike from Lymmo). What's it like? Thinking about a stop off there next week, probably an overnighter, and visiting Hurst Castle etc...but unfortunately my pilot book is on the boat at the mo. It's another one of those "been past it many many times...really should go in one day" places!

Is there good shelter? Any visitors moorings where I can leave the boat securely and take the dink ashore? Sailing club with showers? I'm a fin keeler drawing about 1.5m but happy to sit in the mud if it's soft.

Thanks in advance!

 

[burgundyben]

LW springs you might struggle.

No visitor bouys, HM says pick up and empty one and vacate if resident returns. There is a pub and sailing club, not sure about showers.

 

[Kwik Decision]

Recommend you call the harbour master (or river officer, I think he might be called), phone number in the almanac, as you approach. He is extremely helpful, and will probably be able to direct you to a mooring - that's what he did for us a couple of years ago. I remember it well, as we were the 5th Sadler 29 in a row! Very peaceful spot, in contrast to much of the Solent!

 

[Angele]

The entrance is very shallow even when the tide is in. Ok, I draw an extra 0.6m than you, but I found the times I could get in/out are very restrictive. More depth once you are inside, but as a fin keeler you'll still be mooring close to the entrance. There is a small amount of swinging room to anchor before the mooring buoys start.

 

[DJE]

We draw 1.2m and had to wait outside for an hour at LW springs earlier this year. If you can find the leading marks you're a better man than I am but feel your way in from the race mark outside until you see the red and green bouys marking the channel around the corner. I've seen boats anchored just inside behind the shingle spit but we normally just pick up an empty bouy and the harbour master turns up to tell you if you you're Ok or to get you to move to another bouy. I remember sititng on the boat there watching terns teaching their young to fish by dropping sand eels in the water for them.

 

[onesea]

As others have said, but you can check with harbor master (as others have said hes a friendly chap) but on the top of the tide you could go in tie up at the quay for an hour or 2 then pick up mooring or anchor behind spit for the night....

I used to do this with my last boat but she only drew 2'6". I would suggest initial approach before 1/2 tide would not be wise with 1.5m although, If going to the quay 2 hours before HW should suffice (go gentle you might tickle the mud), others might know better.

Certainly I would be careful with a falling tide, when it drops it drops quite quick...

For the approach I agree the leading marks I never found. I used to go between the first buoys then aim for near the end of the spit, which I assumed continued at the same angle as it approached the water, so a few meters off was fine.

The buoy age has improved in recent years but once inside the spit keep your course E of S do not try and cut the corner towards the moored boats.
If I recall correct once you are at the moored boats they are in the deepest water until you get to short reach where the deepest water is between the two trots of boats either side.

 

[prv]

If you can find the leading marks you're a better man than I am

If you have an uncorrected chart you might be looking for them in the wrong place. They moved a couple of years ago.

(I don't know what they actually look like, I'm just going by the chart corrections.)

Pete

 

[Resolution]

Hope your (English ) Sabre has better luck than my (US) Sabre 42 in Keyhaven. A few years ago I was invited by a local to take one of the mooring buoys inside while we went to an event at Hurst castle. He knew my draft(2.1m) and had calculated times and tides. So he said.....
Following his directions exactly on a lovely sunny day we first touched, then stuck, and finally really dug into the mud. Right on the start line for the dinghy racing. Sixty very long minutes later with some help from the ferry we were hauled off near horizontal. Straight out to the deep water and have never been back again!

 

[Iain C]

Great, thanks guys. I'll give it a go and report back!

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Lots of stuff on Keyhaven and Hurst Spit here http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~imw/Hurst-Castle-Spit.htm- quite interesting I thought.

There's a low tide photograph amongst them here http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~imw/jpg-Hurst/11HCS-Hurst-Spit-CCO-Overview.jpg (I've linked to avoid the howls as it's a big photo). You can compare that to Bing maps or Google Earth which are a lot nearer high water. I love the place but then I grew up on the East coast mud flats of Burnham and Maldon.

KSC does have showers (or at least did some years ago) - there's also the much smaller but at least as friendly Hurst castle Sailing Club - don't know if they have showers or not. Both clubs are almost embarrassingly friendly and welcoming in my few experiences.

 

[Twister_Ken]

One of the IPC mags ran an article three or four months back about doing your own charting. One example was Keyhaven where, apparently, things are not where the Hydrographer thinks they are. If you can find that back copy it might be useful.

 

[alahol2]

A couple of GPS tracks into Keyhaven here... http://www.troppo.co.uk/tightwad/hurst.htm.
We normally anchor in the bight behind the spit, holding is good.

 

[DPH]

Currently anchored behind Hurst spit in F4-5

Can confirm holding is good and rain is wet.

Hurst castle is well worth looking around, not sure about Keyhaven. Nothing there apart from 1 pub and yacht club. Milford on sea is 15 minute walk if you want provisions. (Good butchers, green grocer and a co-op)

 

[Pete7]

River Warden is called Roy, nice chap. Shame about your draft or you could have gone up to the quay. 2 yacht clubs on the quay, nearest one has basic showers and very friendly. Nearest pub is the Gunn, Chilli was freshly home made. More up market means a bit of a trek to the nearest village, same with the nearest One Stop shop.