Pontoon UNDER Itchen Bridge

[Eric_Cartman]

Hello folks.

In all honesty I think the chances are slim but...

In a moment of sheer lunacy I was walking through Woolston the other day and passed by Itchen Bridge. I was admiring a couple of townhouses by the bridge when lo, what did I see? A T formation of pontoons for about 6 boats with walkway access completely empty!

As we're just deciding where to base our voyages from this season I'm trying to find out who owns them. My first lead suggested that they are all taken but I had to ask the group for any information or how I can find the owner???

We aren't in need of full marina facilities so all we're looking for is a pontoon on the Hamble/Itchen that doesn't dry.... Anybody seen a pig flying recently??

Any ideas my fellows?

James

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[boatless]

Isn't there a sailing club on the West side? Might be theirs (for all the dinghies?)

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[plombier]

If the pontoon is on the north bank on the So'ton Water side I think it's owned by SWAC (Southampton Water Activities Centre). Southern Sailing are also based there.

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[studgies]

not sure if they belong to the town houses, could well do, the flats I live in further up river have 20 moorings the most I have ever seen used is 5 or 6, I can never understand why the people with the moorings paid extra to have em and do not use em!! I mean we moved here and bought a bigger boat to justify having the mooring!! (good excuse huh??). We have had a couple of flyers through the door asking if we have a mooring we want to rent out, it is in our contracts that we are not allowed to but I am sure a couple of people do on an informal basis. No use for you though as they do dry out.

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[burgundyben]

I know exacltly the pontoon you mean, dont know who owns it, why not ask Southampton Harbour Master?

If you want a pontoon berth in the area but dont want to pay loads then try the Chandlery Barge at Swannick, go down the hill towards Moody's and turn left just before you go under the railway bridge. Its dead cheap, several forumites are there inc me.



<hr width=100% size=1>Sod the Healey - I think I'll buy an E-Type.

 

[milltech]

What's deal cheap actually? I'm looking for 47 feet of dead cheap but I don't really want to drop my exhaust stack everytime I come home.


<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[burgundyben]

I'm on a walk ashore pontoon and its 87 quid a month for 28 feet, I think its an old rate and they might want more form a new comer, have you bought a boat then?

<hr width=100% size=1>Sod the Healey - I think I'll buy an E-Type.

 

[milltech]

Subject to survey and sea trial.


<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[longjohnsilver]

Tell us more, wotcha getting. Presume it's a full displacement jobbie. Wood or grp? Or something more solid.

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[milltech]

I'm following my usual eccentric path..she's a 24 ton retired lifeboat, 2 x 72hp Gardner 5LW, 47 feet, cabin forward, 4 berth, shower, heads with holding tank, saloon/cabin aft with galley, wheelhouse in the middle, watertight engine room. Double diagonal honduras mahogany.

<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[longjohnsilver]

Well you should be able to go places in her. Hope she's in good order, will look forward to seeing her. Would love to have a boat with Gardners!

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[milltech]

It's a slight exaggeration to say I woudln't have one without, but if she was a displacement boat I'd go a long way to find one so equipped. Turned down loads of lifeboats with Fords, or, to be more exact, I made silly offers. Never look a gift horse and all that.

HOWEVER, this is THE best out-of-service lifeboat in the country. After she was sold by the RNLI in 1989 the first owner spent over £100k on her, and whilst all wood boats need contsant anual attention it does mean that the basic quality of the the original work is still very much in evidence. I believe the survey will find a problem with the exhaust which I hope can be temporarily fixed for this year, I also need to have the deck house painted and replace the deck paint with treadmaster, it'll look so much better. Hope to be on the water early May.


<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[burgundyben]

is that the boat you told me about at Southampton boat show 18 months ago?

sounds like you waited a long time to get it for the right price.

I have my eye on a boat with gardners, have told broker if price drops by 25% I'll go and have another look, been on the market for about a year, its 200k, I reckon it should be £125k, I can wait along time....



<hr width=100% size=1>Sod the Healey - I think I'll buy an E-Type.

 

[Wiggo]

Good man, John! Great to see you back afloat - any chance of getting SWMBO interested this time?

<hr width=100% size=1><-- insert witty sig file here -->

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fairlinetarga29.info>Buy my boat!</A>

 

[Scarron]

I think you'll find that the pontoon is owned by the flats/townhouses in "Northern Anchorage", I know someone who lives there and has one of the berths, in the past I have enquired about availability, but the residents association is apparently pretty funny about residents sub-letting their berths, hence they mostly lie empty - a crying shame really, like a lot of the other new pontoons up the Itchen.

Mind you its probably not the best place to be;- there's a hell of a rip under the bridge when the tide is running and its also very exposed to westerlys so I reckon you'd get pretty knocked about moored there. Probly be similar problems for Richard Rogers to solve when he's designing us our new marina and idyllic waterside lifestyle for us Woolston residents on the old 'Vospers' site.

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[milltech]

I think, "no chance", but to be frank if there had been a chance I would not have bought this boat. It's not exactly wife friendly, it is however "anorak" friendly, maybe I need an anorak for a mistress!


<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[milltech]

Yes the same one. The owner removed it from the market for a year. When I saw it come back at a lower price I had another go. I've looked at lots of other lifeboats in between, but really even though the money is not fantastic, when you've seen the best one the others won't do!


<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>