sailing on Beaulieu river

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gjgm

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We have a small 18 ft gaff rig, but confess to not alot of sailing experience. It seems there arent that many places to store and sail a trailer sailor around this area, but we have just been offered a place at Beaulieu., or rather, Bucklers Hard.
So-now be gentle in the reply ! - is river sailing rapidly going to get a bit dull/frustrating, and would a bit more open water be more suitable (not that we have found anywhere else). This is only for occasional use, as we normally are guzzling fuel in a mobo...and no desire to be racing, more pottering!
I guess it is only 30 mins down to the open water, in fact?
Anyway, would be good to hear from some experience.. is it a great place to be based or ...??
 
I've only ever taken a cruising yacht up and down there -would love to sail it, but it's tricky with the 37'er we now have. I'm quite envious of those in smaller vessels who are able to just potter up and down the river....

About the only thing that would concern me is that the obstacles are plentiful and the wind shifts a plenty with surrounding trees ...
 
Ru$$ell of this parish has used Bucklers hard and also has a place Chichester way that he uses. He might be worth a PM or try this thread he started last year:

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?265599-Solent-where-would-you-launch-a-trailer-sailer

I would have thourght that Chichester offers more options for short day sails, without having to go all out into the Solent.

IIRC there is a public hard and car park either side of the bridge at Bursledon and there are plently of small boats that sail up and down the river. There are also a lot of much larger craft as well, and somtimes it can be a bit M25 on a peak Saturday morning.

Forgot to say, if you don't want to tow up and down, but don't want to pay marina storage, you can leave your boat at Roddington Forge storage site for about £35/ month. Its secure and I keep a caravan there, but otherwise no connection, etc. Its about 15 minuties drive from Swanwick (even on a Saturday!).

http://www.roddingtonforge.co.uk/4.html
 
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fireball said:
I've only ever taken a cruising yacht up and down there -would love to sail it, but it's tricky with the 37'er we now have. I'm quite envious of those in smaller vessels who are able to just potter up and down the river....

About the only thing that would concern me is that the obstacles are plentiful and the wind shifts a plenty with surrounding trees ...
Click to expand...

as a dedicated shoalie I feel genuinely sorry for depth handicapped sailors restricted to hanging off hooks at the entrance to some of the most entrancing places to sail

to the OP - keep your little boat up the river - it will be different every time you go there

enjoy the windshifts, the sound of the birds in the trees and negotiating the obstacles

river and estaury sailing is beautiful and serene

someone somewhere should makes some films about how wonderful it is

Dylan
 
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Bucklers Hard is a great place to sail from. I have had a boat on the river for 25 years so I am biased. Up river is a nice sail and pub. Downriver is a nice sail and sailing club pub. Go nowhere and there is a nice pub! If you have a full day, sail out into the Solent which is fine for an 18 footer on a sensible day. Head over to Newtown Creek or Cowes. Oh what joy! Just make sure you return on the flood tide and not against it.

gjgm said:
We have a small 18 ft gaff rig, but confess to not alot of sailing experience. It seems there arent that many places to store and sail a trailer sailor around this area, but we have just been offered a place at Beaulieu., or rather, Bucklers Hard.
So-now be gentle in the reply ! - is river sailing rapidly going to get a bit dull/frustrating, and would a bit more open water be more suitable (not that we have found anywhere else). This is only for occasional use, as we normally are guzzling fuel in a mobo...and no desire to be racing, more pottering!
I guess it is only 30 mins down to the open water, in fact?
Anyway, would be good to hear from some experience.. is it a great place to be based or ...??
Click to expand...
 
Your quote seems to imply you consider my vessel depth handicapped ... ? She "only" draws 4' and I've taken her up a fair way beyond Bucklers Hard and in Poole, round the back of the islands ...
 
Ah well ... I don't ...
I prefer the slightly larger vessel that makes life onboard a bit more comfortable - I can get to the shallow places by use of the inflatable tender or inflatable canoe that we store onboard ... that's what we've used to get up to Beaulieu Village before :p
 
Sailed a Wayfarer dinghy out of Titchfield Haven for years in my youth and Bucklers Hard was a popular destination for a day sail. Always an interesting trip up and down the river but I dare say there are more moorings and traffic these days. Also lots of places to visit a short trip from the mouth of the Beaulieu River: Newtown Creek, Cowes and River Medina, Yarmouth and River Yar, Ashlett Creek, Wootton Creek, Titchfield Haven. We even got into Kings Quay Creek once. Study the tides and the Solent can be a lot of fun in a little boat like that.
 
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Try Buttlers for a year you will not get bored. You could also consider Calshot (very open waters) but plenty to explore.

The other place's are Key-haven and Christchurch. If you can find some where to park the boat.

A year in each would be a good way to go?
 
very sensible

onesea said:
Try Buttlers for a year you will not get bored. You could also consider Calshot (very open waters) but plenty to explore.

The other place's are Key-haven and Christchurch. If you can find some where to park the boat.

A year in each would be a good way to go?
Click to expand...

sounds like a sensible idea

the B is a lovely river

D
 
I have always thought it would be such fun visiting Kings Quay Creek if only someone would dredge it and put a few overnight pontoons in. Lovely spot, even with a few pontoons.

DJE said:
Sailed a Wayfarer dinghy out of Titchfield Haven for years in my youth and Bucklers Hard was a popular destination for a day sail. Always an interesting trip up and down the river but I dare say there are more moorings and traffic these days. Also lots of places to visit a short trip from the mouth of the Beaulieu River: Newtown Creek, Cowes and River Medina, Yarmouth and River Yar, Ashlett Creek, Wottoon Creek, Titchfield Haven. We even got into Kings Quay Creek once. Study the tides and the Solent can be a lot of fun in a little boat like that.
Click to expand...
 
PhillM said:
I see, I had read "London" as your location.
Click to expand...
Yes. But we have a mobo round at Hythe..
We also thought of calshot but they won't know for a month and B have come up with a place

We will go for the river then...thanks for the thoughts
 
You will love it! There's a lot of beauty along that stretch, lots of wildlife and birdies, and a whole lot of fun sailing to be had. By a long way the 'best bang for your buck' is always in small boats, in rivers and estuaries.

And the Beaulieu mud is nowhere near as smelly as Dylan's fav Humber haunts..... :eek:
 
dylanwinter said:
as a dedicated shoalie I feel genuinely sorry for depth handicapped sailors restricted to hanging off hooks at the entrance to some of the most entrancing places to sail

to the OP - keep your little boat up the river - it will be different every time you go there

enjoy the windshifts, the sound of the birds in the trees and negotiating the obstacles

river and estaury sailing is beautiful and serene

someone somewhere should makes some films about how wonderful it is

Dylan
Click to expand...

I'd agree with Dylan, one of the greatest pleasures in cruising is sailing up rivers. That's one thing I really miss in the E Med.
 
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