Sailing in Portsmouth Harbour

shatnersbassoon

shatnersbassoon

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Me: Wiltshire. Boat: Fareham
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Whats the northern part of Portsmouth harbour like for sailing outside of the marked channels, depth wise?

The charts show that most of it dries at low water, but high water might just about be ok for our little 20 ft bilge keeler. Draught is only about .8m

Just wondering if anyone has any practical experience of this area?

Cheers
Matt
 
Fareham and Hardway clubs have races in the harbour and boats much bigger and deeper boats than yours sail well outside the main channels at high tide. But beware of obstructions! The locals know where they are and avoid them. The worst ones are marked on the charts but it would be worth a look around at low tide to see what's sticking up out of the mud. There are bones of old boats broken piles and all manner of wreckage some of it a good metre or two above the general bed level. But otherwise a peaceful and interesting place to sail.
 
Your best solution is to sail/motor the area you want to sail in at a low spring tide and note all the obstructions etc and lay of each channel.

If you are going to sail in a certain area do it on a rising tide so that if you do get stuck you will very soon float off and can continue much the wiser.

4 yachts to my knowledge had to dry out on their sides last year - so embarressing to call the Coastguard in those circumstances.
 
A fairly pleasant sail up in Fareham Lake.
Do as advised above and check it all out at low springs.
Sensibly priced yard and moorings at Wicormarine compared to some places close to the Solent. 40 minutes to the harbour entrance which gives skipper and crew enough time to get shipshape and safely organised before you meet the world and his wife some bank holidays. :)
 
Last edited:
Scotty_Twister said:
A fairly pleasant sail up in Fareham Lake.
Do as advised above and check it all out at low springs.
Sensibly priced yard and moorings at Wicormarine compared to some places close to the Solent. 40 minutes to the harbour entrance which gives skipper and crew enough time to get shipshape and safely organised before you meet the world and his wife some bank holidays. :)
Click to expand...


Thanks for all the advice.

Wicormarine is where our mooring is. Boats been on the water there for a few weeks, but haven't had a chance to do any sailing since bringing it round from Langstone.
Boat is new to me and haven't sailed much for a few years, so I'm looking to ease back into it slowly before heading out to the solent! :D
 
I keep my boat in Gosport and often enjoy a sail up to Fareham, especially when you get a strong westerly breeze because the water is smooth and the boat sails very fast.

There's also the chance of scrounging a cup of tea and a biscuit from a fellow Twister owner at Wicomarine.
 
Northern Portsmouth Harbour

hi
I used to have a mooring at Hardway when I owned a Silhouette bilge keeler with a draught of something like 15 inchs.
We often used to sail up to Fareham Lake and Bomb Ketch and Spider Lake.
Also it's a really nice sail up to Porchester Castle via Portchester Lake.
We did try getting across the mud flats at high water on a couple of occasions but the echo sounder was showing close to the draft, about 20 or 30 yards from the channel markers and I bottled it!! and turned back.
It might be possible with local knowledge on a rising tide.
Good luck
 
I should watch out for that horrible coil of cable just to the east of wicormarine & some of the other rubbish lying around,why the owner dos'nt clear it up & add to the quality of the environment I don't really know :rolleyes:
 
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