Newtown Creek - Surprised after 15 years

brianhumber

brianhumber

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Went to Newtown this weekend for the first time in 15 years. To my surprise it was still very peaceful and uncrowded, found a vacant visitors mooring in Clamerton lake, no sign of any harbourmaster and the weather had been sunny all day. Had meal on board and we had more bottles of wine than perhaps we should have.
Was disturbed in the night by high speed ribs passing very close by. My befuddled thoughts turned to drug or asylum seekers but when we left the SBS had several craft anchored between Newtown entrance and Cowes so must have been some exercises taking place.
After passing Cowes had another glorious beat back to Chi in the sun -did not seem to be many people out all weekend, the forecast wind and rain was about 12 hours late as it did not rain until after tea.
 
You're lucky, it rained down here, and blew, from dawn to dusk. Today, Monday, has been glorious sunshine. Tomorrow forecast rain morning but dry afternoon.
 
Also in Newtown on Saturday night - a rare pleasure to find it so uncrowded. I also wondered about the RIBS - midnight and 5 am if I remember rightly ......
 
When I hear people 'slagging off' the Solent I think that they must only go to Hamble, Cowes and Port Solent.

Newtown Creek is wonderful, run by the National Trust. I think it costs me £4 the anchor there with my NT card, and I certainly dont mind paying that.

Beautiful walks and even on a bank holiday weekend when its chocker, there is always room for one more boat to squeeze in. For some reason people always seam to be well behaved whilst there.

Nick
 
I can scrape in and out even at low water (5ftdraft) There are plenty of deep spots for anchoring, and even then its very soft mud.

Go for it!

Regds Nick
 
Whether you have to pay or not seems to be a lottery.

We have spent the whole night and half the next day there, and not been asked for a penny. Then last weekend, we stopped for an hour for lunch, and were relieved of a fiver within 30 seconds of picking up the buoy.

No complaints though - it is still a beautiful spot and should remain so, ad infinitum.
 
Whether you have to pay or not seems to be a lottery.

We have spent the whole night and half the next day there, and not been asked for a penny. Then last weekend, we stopped for an hour for lunch, and were relieved of a fiver within 30 seconds of picking up the buoy.

No complaints though - it is still a beautiful spot and should remain so, ad infinitum.
 
Also there on saturday, fighting a brand new outboard that refused to start ! lovely place and a rare treat to find it so peaceful after the start of the season /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
the SBS had several craft anchored between Newtown entrance and Cowes

[/ QUOTE ]

I can't say I'm impressed with their manners. We were on a run home to Hamble heading up towards Castle Point Buoy, aiming to pass on the inside, since the Cat was returning form Cowes and a Car Transporter heading down channel.

SBS Landing craft towing a big black rib was motoring noisily inshore of us, seemingly preparing to invade Lepe Beach, when I think they must have checked their charts and decided outside Castle Point Buoy was the best for them.

Certainly no colregs awareness from them though - they just drove right up onto our track and within 30 yards, squeezing us out into the main channel and then forcing us to gybe across his stern to regain our course.

Red Ensign gives way to White, I suppose. Was glad I hadn't dipped. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
We were anchored a couple of hundred yards North of you, just on the corner by the N Cardinal post. I was quite glad that we had an anchor light on as I think we were the RIBs' turning mark!
 
Certainly don't mind giving £5 to the NT to anchor in Newtown, lovely spot. What is a bit of a cheek though is the £5 demanded to anchor on the other side of the Solent, in the entrance to Beaulieu river. Although another lovely place to stop. There are lots of nice places to go in the Solent without suffering the the din of Cowes Yacht 'Haven'!

Whats it like anchoring up NE of Keyhaven or Alum or Totland bay, have always promised to give them a try. But usually dashing west to Poole or Weymouth!
 
Beaulieu River

Ah, but the Beaulieu River is the only privately owned tidal river in the UK, so at least the Management have some kind of moral right to extract money from you. I regard it as a worthwhile price to pay, to keep the area as unspoiled as it is.

Newtown is one of my favourite spots and even getting crowded doesn't seem to spoil things.

Here's a photo taken in Clamerkin Lake, about this time last year....

Dscn0380Newtown_April.sized.jpg
 
Stay away from Keyhaven

Keyhaven is a terrible place, shallow entrance, narrow channels, only available at certain states of the tide, no mooring buoys, very little anchoring places, miserable yacht club in the harbour which is a good mile from where you might just be lucky enough to anchor. Then to top it all you won't get to sleep because of the noise of the seabirds.








But then I might not want you in my bit of heaven, Rival Spirit is moored three buoys in.
 
Re: Stay away from Keyhaven

I went up into Keyhaven last year to take a look at the other Halberdier that is moored there, right near the top of tide.

Thought I had got myself into trouble as the depth sounder was showing 1st 5ft then 20ft then back to 5 ft and so on... got desperate to get out! Finally found somewhere to turn in and scuttled out!

Lovely place though, but I think I'll stick to anchoring outside in future...

Redgs Nick
 
Re: Beaulieu River

It just makes me laugh, the guy comes all the way down from Bucklers Hard, in his rib, collects a fiver then goes back.

You are right though, very peacefull.
 
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