Moving to the south coast

Wavey

Wavey

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As man and boy I've spent best part of 40+ years on the non-tidal Thames, 20 years of which as a liveaboard which pretty much dictated where the boat had to be for ease of commuting to work. The back end of 2011 saw us trade up to a Broom 42cl, and earlier this year we moved off the boat and bought a little one bedroom home close to the junction of the M25 and M3. We now have the opportunity to put the boat where we like and where we would get most enjoyment out of it. Initially I'd thought to move it to Chatham for 2014 but given the somewhat restricted cruising grounds, having to battle with the M25 to get to it and ease of getting on the M3 given where we now live, I'm beginning to think the south coast would be a better bet, even though I'd probably be looking at a huge hike in mooring fees.

Not being overly familiar with the area and the considerable choice of marinas, the problem is where to start. So, as quite a few of the learned people on here have their boats based around the Solent, I'm hoping to get a few pointers so as to narrow down the list of options. Access at any state of the tide is really the only pre-requisite, other than that I'm open to suggestions. An idea of what I should expect to pay for a 13m boat would be useful so I know how much of a hit my bank account will take, although saving nearly a grand a year on the Thames river licence helps (I have also worked out my fuel bill will escalate exponentially too!). Do mooring fees vary much depending where you are as I always got the impression (rightly or wrongly) that you pay similar amount wherever you are in that neck of the woods.

Any help with this would be gratefully received. As I've just got my mooring renewal for the Thames offering a reasonable discount if paid by mid-January, it's concentrated the mind that I ought to make my mind up what exactly I'm doing in the next few weeks.

Thanks
Jim
 
Sounds like a good connundrem. On the Hamble, if yoiu moor upstream of the A27 Bridge at Burlesdon, the mooring costs reduce considerably (40%-50% I understand), due to height restrictions for at high tide. However, with your Broom, I dont believe that this will be a problem except in extremes. You could try The Cabin, Foulkes, RK Marine amongst others.
 
Deacons have got new berths for 2014. 13m will cost you a little over 7500 pa for a deep water walk ashore.
L
:)
 
There are numerous options, but if you put a point in the chart around Calshot (for marinas) the closer you are the more expensive it gets (approx)
Then joining a marina group like MDL or Premier gives you the option to marina hop without extra charges when cruising.
Then there is the IOW generally less expensive but you have the ferry to consider
So get down here and look around, above all pick somewhere you like and that ticks as many of the boxes for you.
If you narrow it down to an area or a few sites forumites can give you more specific pros and cons.
Happy hunting
 
I reckon there is probably a 50pct variance in mooring fees, with prime Hamble being at the top end. You could just phone MDL as an example and ask Hamble Point and Hythe. Then i suggest you decide how much pain you can tolerate !
After that, it really is a personal choice.. easy access to roads, bars, restaurants,supermarkets; places to walk;tip top facilties or are you more tolerant;countryside or town centre. And then is there availability?
Best thing to do is just drive round them and see whether you like the feel -though winter might be a bit empty.
Lymington too?
Not many people say they hate their marina, I guess, but some I like and visit, and others I dont.Still, clearly others do like the ones I dont !
So, I am not sure someones favourite marina helps you that much !
 
From my own experience, I doubt there would be much diference between the journey to the Solent and the Medway from your location on a Summers Friday afternoon / evening when it feels like the whole of London is heading down the M3 ! Infact if you started looking at places like Lymington and Poole, they would probably take longer!
 
Wavey said:
As man and boy I've spent best part of 40+ years on the non-tidal Thames, 20 years of which as a liveaboard which pretty much dictated where the boat had to be for ease of commuting to work. The back end of 2011 saw us trade up to a Broom 42cl, and earlier this year we moved off the boat and bought a little one bedroom home close to the junction of the M25 and M3. We now have the opportunity to put the boat where we like and where we would get most enjoyment out of it. Initially I'd thought to move it to Chatham for 2014 but given the somewhat restricted cruising grounds, having to battle with the M25 to get to it and ease of getting on the M3 given where we now live, I'm beginning to think the south coast would be a better bet, even though I'd probably be looking at a huge hike in mooring fees.

Not being overly familiar with the area and the considerable choice of marinas, the problem is where to start. So, as quite a few of the learned people on here have their boats based around the Solent, I'm hoping to get a few pointers so as to narrow down the list of options. Access at any state of the tide is really the only pre-requisite, other than that I'm open to suggestions. An idea of what I should expect to pay for a 13m boat would be useful so I know how much of a hit my bank account will take, although saving nearly a grand a year on the Thames river licence helps (I have also worked out my fuel bill will escalate exponentially too!). Do mooring fees vary much depending where you are as I always got the impression (rightly or wrongly) that you pay similar amount wherever you are in that neck of the woods.

Any help with this would be gratefully received. As I've just got my mooring renewal for the Thames offering a reasonable discount if paid by mid-January, it's concentrated the mind that I ought to make my mind up what exactly I'm doing in the next few weeks.

Thanks
Jim
Click to expand...

Jim, I'd suggest having a look at Ocean Village, the cheapest berthing of all the MDL marinas in the solent, use it as a platform to stay at the more expensive MDL marinas at no extra cost. we tend to travel down Friday night, relax with a glass of wine that evening and motor to the Hamble (or wherever) Saturday morning spending the Saturday night in one of the other MDL marinas at no charge before going back to OV on a Sunday afternoon. Good route in from the M3/M27 and the marina facilities have just been upgraded and are now on par within anything the Hamble has to offer, a great marina in its own right being close to the centre of Soton and within easy reach of the Solent with a short 6knt run before being able to open up down Soton water. We actually prefer it to the Hamble as a home berth.

Another plus for you (and indeed anyone on this forum thinking of moving there) is to PM me and I'll introduce you under the friends and families scheme to get your (and mine) berthing reduced http://www.mdlmarinas.co.uk/club-outlook/iyf

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

cheers Gary

p.s. renewal this year for my 8.8m boat is £4.2k... not sure what yours wound be but I know the price hikes per metre above 10m loa
 
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Now for a view from the cheap seats on the Hamble. Foulkes yard just above the railway bridge is costing me just over £4k for fully wet walk ashore. Ok I can't get under the road bridge on top of a high Spring, so that's a few times each year I have to look out for. 5 mins from Jn 8 M27.

The Jolly Sailor and other Swanwick pubs a short walking distance or a dinghy ride. Friendliest yard on the river, and good security afforded by all the live aboards.

The £4k I save pays for most of our annual cruise.
 
Thanks for all your replies. Very useful info.

One thing that makes us different to your average boat owner is that between 1 April and 31 October we work every weekend and Bank Holiday with days off in the week instead. It does mean that usual weekend commuting rules and locking in and out of marinas will be much easier for us as we inevitably avoid the peak periods.

We're with MDL at the moment (Penton Hook Marina) so there doesn't appear to be any sort of deal available in swopping to another MDL on the south coast. Certainly going to another operator can offer an incentive in year one which will help to ease the pain a bit :). First year in any case is likely to be where you find your feet and visiting other marinas/moorings you might find something that ticks more boxes for the future.

As for bridges, our radar arch is on hydraulics (a must for the Thames) so it's simple to drop everything and reduce air draft to 3.3 metres. Not sure how that equates to bridge heights at high water or springs in the few areas you have to negotiate bridges.

Definitely have to draw up a short list of marinas to visit and get a feel for the places, although as has been mentioned, winter is not the ideal time but we would want the boat moved before the end of March so it has to be done.

Just out of interest, does the usual 60/40 split on diesel apply in the marinas on the coast?
 
60/40- well, you still have to sign that is your anticipated usage, but yes, most people will use that split.
 
We have been in Haslar, Gosport (Portsmouth) for 10 years or more and find it works really well as an alternative to the Hamble. Straight out into the Solent as fast as you can pull in the fenders.

They run a referral scheme which will get you £500 off your first years mooring fees.

Henry :)
 
£375 per metre at East Cowes Marina at the moment going up 2.5%next year they offer the same £500 off as Haslar if introduced by a berth holder.
Roy of Spotty Dog fame berth here as does Paul of the old spotty dog and DJ43 all commute from the mainland and don't seem to have any problems.
East Cowes Marina is part of the RYA active marina programme and we have some good social gatherings
Tim
 
oGaryo said:
Jim, I'd suggest having a look at Ocean Village, the cheapest berthing of all the MDL marinas in the solent,
Click to expand...

Are you sure Gary? I think you will find MDL Shamrock Quay is cheaper, but happy to be corrected.

There are a few marinas on the Itchen river, you have as suggested OV, SQ and non-MDL > Ocean Quay, Kemps Quay to name a few, some have restrictions etc but worth a look. Easy access to them all by road. The only downside, the scenery is not as good as the Hamble and other marinas on the Solent, but it does depend on what is important to you.
 
Haslar will be worth a look but I guess I'd prefer somewhere a bit more tucked away so to get the engine temps up before I'm tempted to open the taps :)

Hadn't thought about East Cowes but whilst there's a saving in mooring fees, the ferry costs and increased time in getting there and back could be an issue. Would probably be better as an overnight destination as a start.

Northerny and Sparkes I'll dig into a bit more.

My initial thinking is either somewhere on the Itchen or Hythe as the base for the first year and use the boat to visit other places/marinas that might be more appealing once I get more familiar with the area. Of course, first priority is to visit a few places and see first hand. Given I'm looking for a 14m berth I guess the chances of finding space will be greater in the larger marinas although I don't know how much people generally move from one mooring to another from year to year.

The boat is out of the water at the moment and winter works will be completed mid-March so that's when I'd want to move her (mooring fees due 1 April anyway). Looks like she'll be going by road as I have very limited days off around then and there's every chance the weather wouldn't be helpful either.

Thanks again for all your replies. I'm really looking forward to getting back on the salty stuff again. It's been far too long.

Edited to add: Is there a marina/mooring guide somewhere that gives info for the area? Reading some company's websites it's obvious they tell you the good bits but not always the downsides (obviously :) ) like limited access at low water etc.
 
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Scubadoo said:
Are you sure Gary? I think you will find MDL Shamrock Quay is cheaper, but happy to be corrected.

There are a few marinas on the Itchen river, you have as suggested OV, SQ and non-MDL > Ocean Quay, Kemps Quay to name a few, some have restrictions etc but worth a look. Easy access to them all by road. The only downside, the scenery is not as good as the Hamble and other marinas on the Solent, but it does depend on what is important to you.
Click to expand...


I think you may be correct, just looked at the day rates which appear to be the same but monthly at OV is slightly more expensive per metre so presumably, the annual berthing will be too
 
Wavey said:
Haslar will be worth a look but I guess I'd prefer somewhere a bit more tucked away so to get the engine temps up before I'm tempted to open the taps :)

Hadn't thought about East Cowes but whilst there's a saving in mooring fees, the ferry costs and increased time in getting there and back could be an issue. Would probably be better as an overnight destination as a start.

Northerny and Sparkes I'll dig into a bit more.

My initial thinking is either somewhere on the Itchen or Hythe as the base for the first year and use the boat to visit other places/marinas that might be more appealing once I get more familiar with the area. Of course, first priority is to visit a few places and see first hand. Given I'm looking for a 14m berth I guess the chances of finding space will be greater in the larger marinas although I don't know how much people generally move from one mooring to another from year to year.

The boat is out of the water at the moment and winter works will be completed mid-March so that's when I'd want to move her (mooring fees due 1 April anyway). Looks like she'll be going by road as I have very limited days off around then and there's every chance the weather wouldn't be helpful either.

Thanks again for all your replies. I'm really looking forward to getting back on the salty stuff again. It's been far too long.

Edited to add: Is there a marina/mooring guide somewhere that gives info for the area? Reading some company's websites it's obvious they tell you the good bits but not always the downsides (obviously :) ) like limited access at low water etc.
Click to expand...

this should get you started and I think the River Hamble Authority do a PDF download too: http://www.visitmyharbour.com/harbours/solent/

Obviously you could also purchase the Solent Pilot Guide too: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Solent-Cruising-Companion-Wiley-Nautical/dp/0470988282
 
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