Seem Shoreham's Lady Bee Marina is being improved

IMG_4607.jpgIMG_4608.jpgA lovely old place, with lots of character (a rare quality on the S.Coast) is being destroyed and turned into yet another property development.

I hope the old boy who runs the place and the aladdin's cave of a chandlers (named Graham I think?) is ok.

It will never be popular with the yuppies in their plastic bermudans anyway, they will be scared of the shallow entrance, the exciting lock and out-of-town location.
 
Gary Fox said:
View attachment 109511View attachment 109512A lovely old place, with lots of character (a rare quality on the S.Coast) is being destroyed and turned into yet another property development.

I hope the old boy who runs the place and the aladdin's cave of a chandlers (named Graham I think?) is ok.

It will never be popular with the yuppies in their plastic bermudans anyway, they will be scared of the shallow entrance, the exciting lock and out-of-town location.
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Is the owl still on the locks? The one the Segulls sit on?

W.
 
I keep thinking that a trip to Shoreham would open up cruising from the solent east of selsey and be interesting and full of character compared to say Brighton but everyone I speak to sounds dubious, a bit like Newhaven! worth a look? how is the lock in practice?
 
I haven't used them for years, but long lines were required in the main lock. The majority of the SYC racing fleet are moored the other side and seem to cope.

As I understand it, backed up by google earth, a floating pontoon has been installed in the smaller lock to make life easier to the point of it being trivial.

The lock keepers are still a friendly bunch.

I can enter the port at low water (1.55m draft) and wait in the basin until there is enough water to lock in or to head up river. The entrance is constantly being dredged, by which I mean Forth Bridge style of constantly, so do mind the dredger!

Shoreham is a better port of refuge than either Newhaven or Brighton IMHO.
 
chubby said:
I keep thinking that a trip to Shoreham would open up cruising from the solent east of selsey and be interesting and full of character compared to say Brighton but everyone I speak to sounds dubious, a bit like Newhaven! worth a look? how is the lock in practice?
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Absolutely agree with Iliade ^^ on the port of refuge point. Good call.
Once you are in the entrance, it all calms down. Once you're through the lock, it's a millpond.

The entrance is dredged to 2m. The lock has a powerful flow, see my piccy, you need to be well tied up. Yes the small lock has a floating pontoon to tie up on. The lock keeper is still friendly as of 2020..

It's a commercial port, and the HM or lock keeper always answers the VHF.

I like the place obviously, lots of charm, if you are hopping down the S.Coast it's a blissful change from concrete J.G.Ballard dystopias like Sovereign Harbour..
 
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Iliade said:
I haven't used them for years, but long lines were required in the main lock. The majority of the SYC racing fleet are moored the other side and seem to cope.

As I understand it, backed up by google earth, a floating pontoon has been installed in the smaller lock to make life easier to the point of it being trivial.

The lock keepers are still a friendly bunch.

I can enter the port at low water (1.55m draft) and wait in the basin until there is enough water to lock in or to head up river. The entrance is constantly being dredged, by which I mean Forth Bridge style of constantly, so do mind the dredger!

Shoreham is a better port of refuge than either Newhaven or Brighton IMHO.
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Better than Brighton certainly but not sure about Newhaven.

People rarely mention Littlehampton which used to be my favourite stop off between Brighton and Selsey.
 
RupertW said:
Better than Brighton certainly but not sure about Newhaven.

People rarely mention Littlehampton which used to be my favourite stop off between Brighton and Selsey.
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Newhaven, physically, is an all-tide refuge, but the marina is tight and shallow, and reputedly full of wind-cats these days. The couple who run it are lovely.
 
Gary Fox said:
Newhaven, physically, is an all-tide refuge, but the marina is tight and shallow, and reputedly full of wind-cats these days. The couple who run it are lovely.
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I’ve had boats there on and off since from 81 to 2017, but because the marina is shallow it’s also a very good refuge as the boat just sinks into very soft mud. But it used to be dredged so in 2006 I could get my fin keel in and out at all tide stages except in springs, but when I returned in 2010 there was no chance except 3 hours either side of HW. Not much maintenance done to the marina either but don’t know the new people who took over in 2017.
 
Newhaven offing also considerably rougher than Shoreham's due, I think, to the 1nm or so off shelf. By port of refuge I mean somewhere you can get in when it is scary out there.

Littlehampton is full of character but very tidal and the river ebb tide is one of the fastest of English navigable rivers (5kt.)
Harbour Entry - Littlehampton Harbour shows less character than the last time I was there, but much more convenient I suspect.
 
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I lived for a couple of years in those posh flats on the west part of the river, opposite the ballast wharf.

Loved watching them working from my windows - some the 180 turns were pretty impressive too.

The sailing club up that end was always pretty well thought of.

W
 
PilotWolf said:
I lived for a couple of years in those posh flats on the west part of the river, opposite the ballast wharf.

Loved watching them working from my windows - some the 180 turns were pretty impressive too.

The sailing club up that end was always pretty well thought of.

W
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"The sailing club up that end" is the Southwick premises of Sussex Yacht Club which has been there for 128 years.
Lady Bee has never been the same since Pussy Sweet handed it over.
 
My home port. I’ve got one of the new moorings and will hopefully be on them soon.
locking in and out is easy thought the small lock, floating pontoon helpful staff. I do it regularly single handed. The big lock is more interesting but that’s only used when it’s really busy and that means lots of helping hands.
Graham Barnes owns the old fashioned chandlers and gas sales, he also manages the moorings for the port.
although not the prettiest as it is a commercial port and has its charms.

any questions about the place, let me know?
 
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