So wots so great about the Solent then???

[photodog]

Okay,, ive done a couple of weeks in the Solent, and I have to say, I was distinctly Unimpressed.

I mean, its crowded,, their seems to be a unusually high number of numpties, (Stinkies and Raggies BTW) the people are Stressed, its VICOUSLY expensive, Forget getting a table in Cowes if you happen to have a biker mate along,
Theirs a great stinking big chimney poring noxious fumes out over head, your likely to either get run down by some humungous ship, or run aground on a shallow bit, the supposed pretty bit at Newtown is PACKED out, and a mooring their is like a Gzillion pounds / meter.

Every second boat is either full of Bankers on a jolly or students who are likely to behave in a manner totally unpredictable, Their are loads of fishermen who yell at you for getting to close, you cant go more than about 5 miles in a straight line, You dont get proper waves (Solent Chop my Ar***) ..... need I say more?

So,, other than the fact its convenient, Wats the big deal??? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[BrendanS]

It's convenient to people that live in south of UK, and it has lots to offer. Also has good access to boating on South West, Continent, and some rather pretty islands. If you don't like it, don't visit it again. Simple really

 

[[2068]]

Yup, terrible place, best stick to Plymouth.

Sounds like you did all the wrong things.

Suggestions for next time:
- Anchoring round the back of hurst castle spit for lunch
- Swimming in Alum Bay
- Newtown Creek in Winter
- Priory Bay & beach
- Bembridge Harbour
- Beaulieau River
- Forget West Cowes, try The Folly on a Saturday
- Chi Harbour / East Head in Winter

dv.

 

[l'escargot]

....and when the season is over (which is actually quite short) and the tossers in their Dubarry's, charter boats and floating mobile homes have gone back to their marinas, it becomes a nice and interesting sailing area again. Try it midweek out of season and you will find it a different place.

This is Newtown and the Solent beyond on a Sunday afternoon in January:

one mobo in Newtown and one raggie heading east, probably neither even aware of each other being there.

 

[Epirb23]

Good question but I will offer a totally biased opinion on Chichester Harbour.It is beautiful as is Poole(had boats in both).This Sunday just gone I took my Dad out on his small mobo to go fishing somewhere between Itchenor and Dell Quay and it was as quiet as a mouse,relatively.Saw similar minded peeps and we all waved to each other.If you were one,hi!
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Becky]

From a photographic pont of view, loads of boats to choose from. Except this year when things have been a bit quiet. Something to do with the weather perhaps.

Also the proximity to large urban areas means it is handy for lots of people. All this is obvious. The main thing is that the Solent is relatively protected, so if you have rented a yacht for a week/weekend, you can pretty much be sure that you can sail somewhere if the weather is bad. Goes for owners too, of course.

And the Solent harbours are pretty. Crowded admittedly, but no worse than some of the French marinas we have been in this year.

And for 'crowded', consider St Peter Port on a fine summer weekend. We were so jammed in we couldn't get out till Monday last year. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[ChrisE]

Well, I'm sorry that you didn't like your Solent experience. All of what you say is true and during the summer it does get extremely crowded.

The behaviour of the boaties however, is no better or worse than I've seen in The West Country, France, The Caribbean, and, yes, even the East Coast has it's share. You name it there have always been a few *characters*, the numbers of peeps in the Solent means that there are numerically more but as a percentage I'm not so sure.

And I'd challenge anyone to find an area, in the UK, where you can sail most days (I've been out in a steady F9), find a different pub at the end of the day's sail and have such a varied place to sail in and to/from. It's never going to compare with proper passage making or coastal sailing but then it's not supposed to.

Still, if you don't enjoy the place you don't have to come back but I'd urge you to think again before dismissing the place.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

I agree with you learned friend, and the other postive comments, but there again I would, wooden eye.

However, it the original poster and others publicly say why they find it so bad, at least there is some chance of limiting the number of visitors who spoil it for the rest of us.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd challenge anyone to find an area, in the UK, where you can sail most days

[/ QUOTE ]

The Clyde. Far prettier than the Solent and lots more protected water. And some really quiet bits if you want to find them at the top of the lochs.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

12 months of the year?

 

[ChrisE]

Granted that it might be quieter but you missed off the midges....

 

[StugeronSteve]

August Bank Holiday, Saturday morning on the Beaulieu River. 0800 and just before the mist lifted.
[image]

[/image]

 

[benjenbav]

I agree that the Solent can be too crowded so I generally arrange (via the Power Users' Forum) for everybody to keep away when I want to use it. Here are a couple of examples:

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ChrisE]

Keyhaven on August Bank Holiday Monday

 

[StugeronSteve]

Or just call ahead and they clear the channel for you.
[image]

[/image] Needles Channel, Bank Holiday Monday 1630.

 

[Guest]

Unfortunately a marvelous boating area has become too commercial .. in the obvious places ... as you found. But the Solent also has some locations that old-hands and those in the know use and enjoy.

Solent has developed because its relatively sheltered ... destinations are relatively short distance ... it has excellent jump-off to cross E. Channel.

As others have said - out of season ... mid-week etc. - it can be deserted ... yes there is an old joke that Bank Holidays you can walk across the boats to IoW ... but it still doesn't mean that all the good places are chock-a-block. Newport is still a favourite with me ... as is Priory bay etc.

If more would decide that Solent is not so good - it would improve for those left behind !! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I have moved my boat from Solent to Baltic ... where boats are few and far between ... but I still like Solent - I would still if in UK more have a boat there ...

Horses for Courses ....

 

[smth448]

Not sailed on the Solent very much but certainly at weekends the entrance to the Hamble reminds me of the M25 on a Monday morning. I cannot understand why people do it. From reading other threads there seems to be open warfare between Mobos and Sailors, and cruisers and racers. Too much stress. I think its a bit like one of those experiments they do with rats where they put them in overcrowded conditions and watch them turn on each other.
Just don't tell the Solent people that other places exist where everybody gets on well as they might just move!
Queuing up to go into the Hamble on a Sunday evening is a recipe for confrontation as obviously different boats handle better at diferent speed. 5 knots is a good top speed for a small sailing cruiser to motor at whereas it is on the limit of steerage way for a large Mobo.
Take the Solent sailors' advice and stay away.

 

[CliveSmith]

I like the Solent. Plenty going in if you visit in the summer. Newtown creek is great and there's not many placed finer than Bembridge to anchor for lunch and watch the world go by.

Go early or late in the year and you can have the place almost to yourself. We've taken the Wayfarer down in February and seen only 3 or 4 boats out on the water all day.

Perhaps not the best time of year for a long lazy lunch at anchor, it's best to keep moving in the cold, but at least the days are short and the punishment doesn't last too long. A sail to the Foilly enables one to enjoy a hot lunch and to warm up ready for the return journey.

Alternatively, go mid week in the summer. Still a few boats about, but the pace seems far less hectic and the "wrong" sorts are all in the City doing megadeals.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

[ QUOTE ]
12 months of the year?

[/ QUOTE ]

Why not, especially for boats that live in a marina higher up the Clyde? Of course there are inclement days in winter when you wouldn't want to, but you get them in the Solent in winter as well.

From somewhere like Largs or Kip sailing is possible any month of the year. Of course it's cooler and wetter than that overcrowded bit down south, but northerners are made of tough stuff!

 

[oceanfroggie]

It's the centre of the known boating universe /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I know this because it says so in every book I've ever read on boating and training manuals /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I go down to the boat to get away from stress and crowds - so a good question, in fact a very good question.