Moving from Poole to Point Hamble...

[Ballistix]

Hi all, we are currently at Cobbs Quay on the dry stack and thinking of moving to Point Hamble dry stack (both MDL).

We love Poole, but we live in North Oxfordshire and it's 2.5 hours, the last hour being a complete pig. It's quite tough doing it in a day and with a heavy heart I'm starting to think that having the boat on the Hamble is just much simpler...(1.25 hours away).

We love Poole and we have a 7 year old, Studland and Swanage and as often as we can Lulworth is great. But the travel is killing us. We also love Cobbs Quay, it's well run, we've made new friends and although going 10 knots in the harbour is a pain to get out once you do it's great.

I've done a bit around Hamble and found it full of wash, busy and a bit annoying..however the drive is a big issue for us...given I have to drive both ways normally. So, are we going to find enough to do there, we like anchoring up and going on the dinghy to beaches and fun place with our son...can anyone shed any light on the IOW and what it has to offer beaches and great places to go? I'm a bit worried about it...

T

 

[Whitelighter]

IOW is great for family boating. You have the bays at the West end (alum and one other), Yarmouth is good and then you have Newtown Creek which is a lovely spot to drop anchor.

The other way, you have Osbourne bay which is great in the summer or you have Bembridge which is a lovely little port. Further east (about 75 mins on the plane from Hamble) is Chichester harbour which has the excellent East head and a couple of MDL marinas where you can use your free nights berthing.

Dont sweat it, you'll love it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[[2068]]

75mins???

We did West Pole to the entrance to the Hamble in about 50mins on Sunday.
And that was in a Sealine /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Fab pup-photos in the other thread. She looks very happy on the water.

Note that you can't actually land at Osbourne Bay, although it is very pretty.
Yarmouth has a small beach, plus the town.
Also, in the right conditions, don't forget the South side of the IOW. Sandown Bay is huge, and Whitecliff Bay is cosy caravan.

dv.

 

[Nick_H]

It's a good move, that drive to Poole from the end of the M27 is horrible. There's a reason that there are more boats in the Solent than anywhere else. Yes it gets crowded, but so does Poole, and there's far more to do in the Solent.

 

[Ballistix]

Thanks guys...keep it coming...I've had a private message about the Dry Stack at PH and it is worrying, small holding pontoon, dusty environment...and a few other things...the 75 mins was for me by road to Southampton rather than two and a half hours to Poole in the car. However, I take the point about it being 50 minutes in the boat from Poole to the Solent area...

T

 

[RogerRat]

[ QUOTE ]
However, I take the point about it being 50 minutes in the boat from Poole to the Solent area...

[/ QUOTE ]

Think you've misunderstood the reply from S28. He is berthed at Sparkes in Chichester harbour and the exit mark is called, 'West Pole'. On Sunday he went by boat, a Sealine S28 to the Hamble in 50 minutes which is a comfortable run on the plane, you could do it quicker in the right conditions.

I would suggest the you try the move for a season and see how you get on. There are plenty of nice locations to visit but the entrance to Southampton and Cowes gets pretty choppy in smaller day boats when there's plenty of traffic and a sea breeze on summer afternoons.

I believe Port Hamble is quite expensive in comparison but as both sites are run by MDL, I would imagine that they would be happy to let you have a try out.

Good luck.

 

[Ballistix]

Hi, oh OK, I see. I'm sure they'll let us try it out, the thing is, that they have a queue to get on to the dry stack at Poole so I won't be able to go back, there is no harm in asking though for sure.

Regards,
T

 

[Whitelighter]

You could also consider dry berthing at Sparkes. No more time driving really, and a bit more relaxed out in Chi.

Just so long as you can put up with the rabble on A pontoon /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Ballistix]

The thing about MDL is that you get a lot of fringe benefits, 15 days berthing etc...so it has it's advantages. I like them too. So far the dry stack environment is really worrying me at HP.

 

[nicho]

I have a feeling that Universal Marina on the upper Hamble are to open a dry stack, though I'm not sure of the timetable. Might be worth a call. It's undergone major changes of late and is pretty good these days.

 

[Whitelighter]

Sparkes is MDL - thats why I suggested it.

 

[ribrage]

Leave Poole and go to the Hamble.......... are you MAD /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

You'll be back before the end of the season !

 

[Ballistix]

Thanks Rib, that's just the sort of encouragement I need...but the car trip really is bad for us..Sparkes I need to look at, does it have a stack?!

Cheers

 

[[2068]]

Nope, it has a car park /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Seriously, the dry boat sailing area is lumpy tarmac that you can walk/trip around for maintenance. The boats are either on trailers or cradles. You get lifted into the visitors berth area, which is narrow, but cosy.

I did dry boat sailing for a couple of seasons at the start, but it got to the point that I was asking for so many lifts, that when I enquired casually about the length of the waiting list for a permanent berth, the (then) owner said "Would Tuesday on F pontoon be alright?"

dv.

 

[Ballistix]

Looks great, but I'd prefer a dry stack, unfortunately. However that whole area doesn't look too far from Hamble so a nice bit of exploring maybe?

 

[Whitelighter]

Why?

I was at Sparkes for a couple of seasons on dry boating and it works wel. Plus if you need to do any jobs on the boat it is at ground level, not twenty feet up and inaccesible.

 

[Ballistix]

Oh maybe I misunderstood, what does dry boating mean then? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Whitelighter]

OK, rather than having a vertical stack, they have an area on the break water and behind the offices where boats are stored on cradles or their trailers, depending on what you have (cradles are supplied by the marina).

When you want to go out, you have to ask them to launch the boat for which they require at least one hours notice. When you arrive, you boat is on the water on one of two visitors ponttons which are both about 150ft long. From here you can load up as long as it takes you, get fuel if you require it etc etc etc. When you come back after a day out, you simply tie the boat up to the pontoon and if you have finished for the weekend you just leave your 'take me out' card visible and the staff will take the boat out and put it back on your cradle/trailer. If you are out again tomorrow, you can display you 'leave me in' card and they will leave the boat on the mooring.

All very relaxed.

 

[[2068]]

Like I said, the boat sits on a cradle or trailer in a tarmac area.

You phone up, they crane it in to the water at the visitors berth.

Think of it as a very flat stack.

dv.

 

[Ballistix]

Oh, that sounds perfect, and they don't get [--word removed--] about going in and out then great, I don't care if it's on a stack or not, sounds better this way so I can walk up to the boat and work on it...

Going to take a look. How long does it take to get out to the solent from there, speed limit etc?