Port Solent question

[stephen_h]

Questions for Port Solent berth holders -
At present we are based in Chi marina and are looking at moving to
Port Solent. Our biggest problem with Chi is having to queue in the channel,
at busy times, to get through the lock.
Is this a problem at Port Solent?
Also any other good and bad points!

 

[fireball]

We're not PS berth holders - but have been in both quite a few times ...

We winter in Chi Marina because its the easiest for us. We've only queued when coming in last year - bit of a pain - it was because there were too many boats in the fairway - which the lock keeper kept topping up with boats trying to come out! FFS - just let us through rather than make us wait on the holding pontoon for 40 minutes!

Although Chi marina is quiet the lock queues would frustrate me in the summer!
Port Solent is a completely different kettle of fish - again, we've had to queue to go in - which isn't always easy as the approach channel is quite narrow and can get quite busy - you've also got Sunsail fleet to contend with ...
The marina itself is well kept and there is lots of choice of restaurants and you've got the cinema - so it's nice and easy to use the boat as a base if the weather isn't clement... however, along with that you've got the road noise ... the M27 passes just north of the marina and the noise is constant.

Other bits of a plus side are - you're closer to the central solent - so if you're into day sailing then Cowes is only 2.5 hours away (once you get out of the marina) and Yarmouth/Lymington are only a couple of hours on from that (assuming sail boat speeds!). Portsmouth Harbour is a large commercial harbour and whilst it can get busy, you don't get the huge standing waves that you will just outside Chi Harbour on a spring ebb and strong southerly wind - a recent trip back I moved our departure time forwards an hour and motor sailed the whole way just to give us a good chance of beating the wind/tide in ... otherwise we may have had to divert to Portsmouth Harbour to wait out the window.

 

[bobupanddown]

We have a boat in Port Solent. Queuing has not been a real issue to us except on a Sunday afternoon when occasionally we have to wait for one lock rotation. At other times we have gone straight in or within 10 to 15 mins. Outbound we have never had to wait. Facilities are very clean and modern and it is located within a few minutes of the M27. Some noise from the motorway and bars/restaurants etc.(certainly not as rural as Chichester)
Only real downside is that there are proposals in the pipeline to build a large number of new houses on the land where the boat yard/chandlers are now located. If this goes ahead there will be intolerable noise and dirt within the marina and I will be moving elsewhere.

 

[Twister_Ken]

For a similar price, you can get into any of the Gosport Marinas, and have 24 hour non-lock access. Yes, it's further to drive and mildly painful during rush hours, but OTOH there's no lock queuing, no Sunsail, no motorway and no donking down the harbour to get out to sea. Gosport marina has allegations of shipping wash levelled against it by some, but Haslar and Royal Clarence are OK.

 

[aitchem]

When I did a stint at Pall Europe, Portsmouth designing helichopter bitz.
I spent many an amusing evening watching Sunsail yots with six crew aboard getting their Jenneau jammed sideways in the Lock.
Then there was the odd man/wife team casually chugging in and with consumate ease chugging off again.
Nothing to do with th OP , but it was so funny.!

Howard

 

[Seajet]

When I did a stint at Pall Europe, Portsmouth designing helichopter bitz.
I spent many an amusing evening watching Sunsail yots with six crew aboard getting their Jenneau jammed sideways in the Lock.
Then there was the odd man/wife team casually chugging in and with consumate ease chugging off again.
Nothing to do with th OP , but it was so funny.!

Howard

Howard

sounds standard SS practice to me.

Stephen H,

I've been to PS quite often; sometimes had to wait a matter of hours to get out, and if without a working VHF you're in bother.

Also do check out the latest development plans, last I heard was they are doing away with the hoist & chandlery, & plan to eventually fill in the lot to build even more flats ?!

This is a huge shame as I liked the place a lot, the marina staff & Marine Superstore chandlery do their jobs brilliantly, though it's not what it was - the pub has been knobbled for a start...!

 

[Stemar]

As a denizen of Portsmouth Harbour on a swinging mooring, I don't do marinas, but if I did, I'd definitely go for one of the Gosport ones. No tidal restrictions, no Sunsail riccocheting off the residents, Morrisons & Iceland within walking distance and 5 minutes to the Solent.

Downsides:
1. It's Gosport. The wildlife on a Saturday night can scar the eyeballs! OTOH those hills behind PS are the council tip's landfill, and others have mentioned the development plans.
2. The A32. You really don't want to arrive between 4 & 6pm on a Friday. Leaving before 6pm on a Sunday can try the patience, but I usually make it from Hardway to NW London in 2-2 1/2 hours. If I leave it until 8pm, it's usually under 2 hours
3. Swell. A mate's in Haslar & when I'm on his boat, I know when a ferry goes past. It isn't enough to disturb my sleep, but it's more than I'd appreciate at the top of a mast. I can't speak for the other marinas. I'd suggest spending a weekend in the one you choose before booking your place to see what it's like.

 

[VicS]

We went to Port Solent once ... just once ... that was enough.

No problem with access etc more with the other users.. The party throwing stones down on us as we used the pontoon access. The foul mouthed yobs yelling obscenities at each other across the marina late into the night.

 

[Blueboatman]

The houses with their own docks from the garden are fine, quiet, far from the madding crowd of yobbos, the rest feels a bit low rent to me-which financially it most certainly isn't.
With Sunslap taking up so much of the available water just outside the lock, I am not sure it is that much less hassle than the Chichester lock in. Both have the wind up your chuff in a narrow channel when approaching too, sometimes.

 

[Seajet]

Chichester Marina is a lot calmer, with plenty of wildlife ( the nice sort ! ) and better serious marine facilities, and if avoiding the marina franchised places it's a short walk to what used to be the Black Horse pub, though I see it's changed now and I don't know what it's like.

However I was in the excellent C & B Engineering ( no connection ) having some stainless fabrication done, when I noticed a large pile of mangled mobo pulpit & pushpits, presumably caused by the jostling for the lock to open !

 

[stephen_h]

Thanks for the replies. We are a relatively light cat with single engine
so sitting in the channel with the wind up your chuff can be rather stressful!
This is why the queuing aspect is important.
While Gosport would be nice I don't think I could face that road too often!
We were looking at a resident mooring so should be quiet there.

 

[Seajet]

Stephen H,

I completely agree re. the road to Gosport, there must be better ways to waste one's life !

If looking at deep water moorings, a top tip I learned the hard way is to check the tidal access by dinghy; often the yacht is happily afloat but one can't get to & fro...

 

[ChiPete]

We're in Chi Marina. If you're a cat, you should surely have very little draft? We're a lift keel Beneteau drawing 0.8m - we only ever queue even on the busiest days when I've made a hash of the trip time. Even then, we might go and pick up a buoy and wait until the crowd has gone then go through the lock when no one else dares.

Chichester Marina is a haven from the (generally) madding crowd, there are certainly no yobbos and yelling. The Harbour itself is a beautiful retreat and has far too many fabulous nooks and crannies (especially for those with negligible draft who can take the ground) to ever make us berth nearer to the Solent.

Days when we do want to go West - overnight at East Head/Pilsey and make an early start - you'd want to do this on a fabulous sailing day anyway