new marina suggestions

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Powersalt

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Hi, I would appreciate some of your experienced advice on moving my sons first 21.7 from Brighton to a new marina location closer to chichester or Portsmouth where we hope to be able to use it more. Brighton is ok but all you can do in a little boat like this is sail around for a few hoyrs then come back in.
With a change of marina say in Chchester could we go out for a day sail...go somewhere? have lunch then sail back same day?.
The down side of the change will be cost I guess as Brighton is relativly cheap as marinas go.
 
Chichester Harbour has a number of marinas (probably more expensive than Brighton but probably cheaper than mid Solent). For a yacht that size he would then have options of sailing in the harbour or going out into Hayling Bay and to the Solent depending on weather, time etc.
Certainly more places to go that from Brighton and I know of others who have made the same transfer.
Also lots of clubs for socials and racing, not least Chichester Cruiser Racing Club (www.ccrc.co.uk )(apologies for plug!).
 
Chichester is a pleasant place to keep a small boat. The harbour is an ANOB, SSSI etc
http://www.conservancy.co.uk/
Pleasant for day sailing or even for a few days ... you'd not be the first to spend a whole holiday in the harbour!
Plus the whole of the Solent is within reach for a weekend.

Further westwards within the Solent the harbours are not so pleasant as places to actually sail but are more centrally located for weekend sailing around the area.

Poole and Weymouth are within easy reach of the Solent.

Not only Marina berths to consider. Lots and lots of moorings, which are of course much less expensive than the marinas.

Chichester Conservancy moorings start at a little over £300
 
Fareham?

I'd look for a mooring inside Portsmouth Harbour, anywhere from Port Solent to Fareham. Drying and half-tide shallow berths are cheap and easily accessed from the M27. Plenty of moorings being advertised in the press (eg. PBO).

You get the whole of the sheltered Harbour to use but more importantly for a 21ft boat is the more sheltered entrance to Portsmouth compared to crossing the chichester entrance bar. Once you come out of Portsmouth you are inside the sheltered part of the Solent and have Bembridge, Cowes, Southampton Water and all the rest within easier reach.
 
Yacht Yogi said:
I'd look for a mooring inside Portsmouth Harbour, anywhere from Port Solent to Fareham. Drying and half-tide shallow berths are cheap and easily accessed from the M27. Plenty of moorings being advertised in the press (eg. PBO).

You get the whole of the sheltered Harbour to use but more importantly for a 21ft boat is the more sheltered entrance to Portsmouth compared to crossing the chichester entrance bar. Once you come out of Portsmouth you are inside the sheltered part of the Solent and have Bembridge, Cowes, Southampton Water and all the rest within easier reach.
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Yes good point . I hadent thought of the chichester bar. Trouble is with Portsmouth it can get busy in the entrance ( and with only an outboard!!) also the drive to the locations can be very busy at times I believe
 
I wouldn't be put off by the bar at Chichester for a moment. It's not some monstrous place waiting to claim any unwitting sailor in craft of less than 40 feet.

It only cuts up nastily on the ebb when there are strong onshore winds, and most of the time is completely benign. The only other consideration that should be given is that it runs fast on a spring ebb, so entry can be slow or near impossible if you cannot better 5 knots.

I suppose if the rumours of dragons at the entrance keep people away and the numbers down though...
 
One thing to consider with Chi is that in a small boat with not too much power, you really want to exit on the ebb (or slack) and enter on the flood (or slack). Tides being tides, that means that for a one-tide cycle sail, you've got a max of about 12 hours between unmooring and mooring. Longer sails mean fighting the tide at one end of the day, or at both ends. Also, two of the marinas are locked, and there are times when entry and exit aren't possible.

That's fine and thousands do it happily, as long as you're aware that Chi is not quite come and go as you please.
 
Twister Ken has a point, but don't be put off; I have sailed a 22' from Chi' for 34 years, with an outboard you can still punch the weaker times of the tide.

A weekend will offer targets such as Bembridge, Portsmouth, Cowes ( various places there ) , Beaulieu, Southampton Water, Newtown Creek...

Don't be put off by the bar, just treat it with respect; 99% of the time you won't even notice it.

There are other cheaper marinas in Chichester such as Thornham, but I'd recommend Emsworth ( 01243 375500, I have no connection ), still a little cheaper and a lovely spot to be in; restricted by a sill, but no problem at all with a 21.7.

VicS is spot on re. moorings though, no need to spend a fortune on a marina unless you really want to.

Conservancy moorings often have no parking and nowhere to leave a tender; joining a club gets over that, and gets a half tide mooring as well for very little more if you choose wisely...:)
 
Chi Bar is not too bad, unless you're out in conditions which would not suit that boat anyway and THEN go aginst an Spring ebb with onshore winds. I seem to recall a CO32 foundering on the entry to Brighton marina and that's a very seaworthy boat. I've come out of Chichester Harbour in a good breeze with the tide behind me and boy does the land shoot past, but there's a good sized channel for a small boat and few obstructions in the briskest part.

Portsmouth Harbour entrance requires a motor so the slightly crowded conditions at busy times aren't too much of a problem - we're all motoring in the small boat channel. Once through, of course, there's plenty of room and good sailing can be had for a day within the harbour.

Rob.
 
Many thanks for all the information.
Looks like Northeny Marina or St Clarence then for starters.

Ooops Dave just phoned having come back from LBS. No deals available and marina charges circa £3400 pa ( for 21foot what the hell!!)
 
IT would be nice to have a big floating one mid Atlantic I am beginning to dread the 4200 mile delivery back to Southampton, I think it will be a motor! :-(
 
Powersalt said:
Many thanks for all the information.
Looks like Northeny Marina or St Clarence then for starters.

Ooops Dave just phoned having come back from LBS. No deals available and marina charges circa £3400 pa ( for 21foot what the hell!!)
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Emsworth will be just over £2k for that boat and is pretty much opposite Northney. Not full tide but there are waiting pontoons and a nice town quay nearby :)
 
You might even find you can get a mid stream berth on the Hamble quickly? I know a few years back there were smaller berths available through the various river sailing clubs and possibly even through the Harbour Master.
 
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