moving to the south of england

I've been in the Solent all my boating life and as i live ten mins drive from the Hamble i like the place.

If you want no other boats around you and are happy to do everything on your boat then there are better places. But if you want a bit of life...good places to eat..places to visit..good marina facilities and more chandlerys than you will ever need the Solent is a great place.

I used to teach sailing in the Solent and channel for many years and i do believe that its just such a good place to learn all boat skills.

The only downside is that you really do need to be able to handle your boat in tight marinas with often some strong currents.

From April to October i can get on the water for a weekend for 3 out of 4 weeks i find. It's also almost always very calm and flat in the solent..yes there are some rough days when wind of tide can rip it up but nothing compared to outside of it.

So to sum up...if you can only get on the water at weekends i think the Solent is perfect...if you want some life on an evening again it's perfect and there are just so many places to go and visit.
 
That works if the boat is your holiday destination I suppose. But if like myself and what I am suggesting to Roy, if you live near your boat then those (shore based amenities) become irrelevant because the boat is there to get you out on the water and away from it all. I suppose the definition here boils down to is your boat a second home or is it a boat. Mine is a boat. If I am on it, I am not in port, end of.
 
longjohnsilver said:
We have kept Eos on the Dart for about 9years now. I have a trot mooring. That has up sides and downsides. The positives are the price, about £1800 for the year for a 48’ boat, the location, fabulous 360 views, and security. The downsides are getting back onto the mooring can be quite a faff, especially in strong winds and tides, and for many, I guess the lack of walk ashore and power and water can be a problem. However we have very large water tanks and solar panels keep the batteries in tip top condition.

I love it there and will be reluctant to give it up. If you want to move the boat to Dartmouth there are 3 marinas to choose from, although they are all quite expensive, or you can put your name down for a Dart Nav berth, either a trot mooring or an island pontoon berth, which does have power and water. The waiting lists can be long, although if you’re prepared to move about, Dart Nav can sometimes find you a temporary berth for a year at a time. It’s certainly worth asking about if you want to make the move.

We live just outside Exeter and it about a 40 minute drive down to Kingswear, where you can either park in the marina car park, or slightly less convenient, find an on road space further away. Living in Devon is great, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be in the UK.

Ahah, have just re read your post, seem you already know Dartmouth! Oh well, there’s always the Exe!
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it was 20 yrs ago
 
I did the M3/M27 thing to and from the Solent most weekends for many years, whilst living conveniently for work and family commitments and an hour and a half away from the boat.

I have often wondered if I would have used my boats more or less if I had moved to live within walking distance.
 
benjenbav said:
I did the M3/M27 thing to and from the Solent most weekends for many years, whilst living conveniently for work and family commitments and an hour and a half away from the boat.

I have often wondered if I would have used my boats more or less if I had moved to live within walking distance.
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I cant speak for anyone else but having the boat so close means I use it more. It does not change the perception of getting away, just makes it more convenient. But then again, we dont go to the boat to sit in it, we take it out for the weekend.
 
Hi Roy
Stewart here, I brought your Colvic Suncruiser which looks at bit different now. Originally from the West Midlands and used to spend all summer in Salcombe boating with Family. Always wanted to live by the sea. Moved to London then to Essex – Leigh on Sea to be precise. Best thing I ever did, one of the driest places in England. Temperature is always at least 3-4 degrees warmer than the Midlands with extended boating season. I go boating at least 2-3 times a week between Mach / April till November. Boat is 4 mins away from my house and 3mins away from my office. Can commute into London in 40mins for work. Go wake boarding at lunch time! Can do jobs on boat before and after work. Feels like a holiday every weekend. The only downside in Essex is the tides and the mud but you get used to it, organising your life round tides. Leigh on sea is voted the happiest place to live in England. Joined the local motor boat club and made loads of friends. Family still really look forward to a few weeks in Salcombe every year I experience the same all spring, summer and autumn.
Do it.
Best Stewart
 
swatkins said:
Hi Roy
Stewart here, I brought your Colvic Suncruiser which looks at bit different now. Originally from the West Midlands and used to spend all summer in Salcombe boating with Family. Always wanted to live by the sea. Moved to London then to Essex – Leigh on Sea to be precise. Best thing I ever did, one of the driest places in England. Temperature is always at least 3-4 degrees warmer than the Midlands with extended boating season. I go boating at least 2-3 times a week between Mach / April till November. Boat is 4 mins away from my house and 3mins away from my office. Can commute into London in 40mins for work. Go wake boarding at lunch time! Can do jobs on boat before and after work. Feels like a holiday every weekend. The only downside in Essex is the tides and the mud but you get used to it, organising your life round tides. Leigh on sea is voted the happiest place to live in England. Joined the local motor boat club and made loads of friends. Family still really look forward to a few weeks in Salcombe every year I experience the same all spring, summer and autumn.
Do it.
Best Stewart
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Yes :encouragement: Exactly how I feel having moved to Conwy. Everyday is still a holiday 5 years on. You dont have to move South for that.
 
Bigplumbs said:
Would the south have you :)
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It's the other way round. I landed at Heathrow 20 years ago with £297 in my pocket and a head filled with dreams. It took me two weeks to realise the South was a dump and either I move North or go home. North it was. :encouragement:
 
BruceK said:
It's the other way round. I landed at Heathrow 20 years ago with £297 in my pocket and a head filled with dreams. It took me two weeks to realise the South was a dump and either I move North or go home. North it was. :encouragement:
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£297 could you not have made the round £300
 
Bigplumbs said:
£297 could you not have made the round £300
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It was a round figure before the exchange rate. I was in geology but after the collapse of gold values in 97 the mining service industries were the first to crumple as daughter mining companies to the big gold players also went into sustained free fall. After retraining myself from Sat tech to compute my reserves were shot and the UK was ripe as back then your own IT industry was stagnant and under developed being first adopters. I found a good job within those two weeks and never looked back. :encouragement: So if you see this immigrant bobbing on the water
a) I didn't steal the boat
b) if I'm waving, wave back :D
 
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We moved the boat from the Menai to Portsmouth Harbour in 2010. Our plan was to move house also but an elderly unwell parent close by prevented that. Maybe next year. I agree with everything that has been said about the benefits of S Coast v the North UK. Average temperature seem 3 degrees better and less rain but what has not been emphasised enough is the much longer season in the south. The season start is about 1 month sooner in the spring and the season end about 6 week later compared to Wales. Yes the Solent can be overcrowded at times but it is a terrific place to base a boat for many destinations uk and the continent and if the weather is hostile there are always lots of places within a couple of hours. There are more harbours, marinas safe anchorages etc in the Solent than the whole of the Menai and around Anglesey apart from Chichester Harbour and Poole which are enormous within and less than 20 miles away.
The only thing you may miss is the proliferation of wildlife such as dolphins, porpoises and seals that abound in Wales but are relatively rare on the S Coast.
 
C08 said:
We moved the boat from the Menai to Portsmouth Harbour in 2010. Our plan was to move house also but an elderly unwell parent close by prevented that. Maybe next year. I agree with everything that has been said about the benefits of S Coast v the North UK. Average temperature seem 3 degrees better and less rain but what has not been emphasised enough is the much longer season in the south. The season start is about 1 month sooner in the spring and the season end about 6 week later compared to Wales. Yes the Solent can be overcrowded at times but it is a terrific place to base a boat for many destinations uk and the continent and if the weather is hostile there are always lots of places within a couple of hours. There are more harbours, marinas safe anchorages etc in the Solent than the whole of the Menai and around Anglesey apart from Chichester Harbour and Poole which are enormous within and less than 20 miles away.
The only thing you may miss is the proliferation of wildlife such as dolphins, porpoises and seals that abound in Wales but are relatively rare on the S Coast.
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There are Plenty of Seagulls to shit all over your boat though
 
BruceK said:
It's the other way round. I landed at Heathrow 20 years ago with £297 in my pocket and a head filled with dreams. It took me two weeks to realise the South was a dump and either I move North or go home. North it was. :encouragement:
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Bruce we have had a whip round at The NWCC and got your £300 and kwackers has offered to give you a lift to Heathrow
 
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