Solent Boating

Quest

Quest

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Joined
20 Feb 2012
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420
Location
North Devon, boat in Plymouth
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To all you Solent based boaters out there:
Over the last week-end my brother and I took the opportunity to move our Prestige 34S Endeavour from Plymouth to Lymington Yacht Haven, ahead of a family holiday starting Saturday 27th June. It was an enjoyable passage and a lovely 24 hr adventure! From next week-end we will spend a week or so boating around the Solent and would like advice on the "must do's" for our week in your area:
Our plans currently include:
- Bucklers Hard
- Gunwharf Quays
- A few hours ashore at Cowes
- Explore the area from Poole to Weymouth (Lulworth Cove etc)
- hopefully a trip right around the Isle of Wight (conditions permitting)
- Is the round the island race day a good day to be out amongst the fun, or is it a day to keep ones distance from all the activity?
What else ought we consider as must do's whilst in this area please? We have a tender if this is required for any particular trip. Should you see us over the course of the next week, please feel free to make yourself known. Endeavour is a hard top sports cruiser with a blue canvas rear canopy and blue trim.
Thanks in anticipation of some local advice...
Andrew
 
During the week most places will be just fine, but Friday and Saturday nights madness sets in - Lymington, Cowes, Yarmouth, Bembridge all get very busy. Avoid the RTIR race start - the race proceeds west about, so the western Solent is not a good place to be motoring east on Saturday morning, but once the raggies are away the Solent is fine for several hours until they start returning from the eastern end of the Solent. I would give Cowes a big miss this Saturday evening, but Island Harbour up river from Cowes is normally OK, and idyllic.

Good places for a Saturday night are the Hamble, Southampton, Portsmouth. On RTIR (this) weekend Hamble will be busy in the evening, but normally plenty of empty berths for an overnight stay.

You might need an overdraft to stay over at Bucklers Hard, and only one not very good pub (IMHO).
 
Gunwharf very rolly from ferry wash. Suggest go to Haslar and take the Gosport ferry across if you want to see the shops or Historic Dockyard. Newtown creek is blissful apart from weekends. Yarmouth very pretty but also busy at weekends. I am sure many more suggestions will come
 
I guess depends on the kind of this you like doing.

From Yarmouth the walk to Freshwater, lunch or dinner at the Red Lion and the walk back along the other side of the creek not to be missed. Or the walk up Tennyson down.

Off The Rails at Yarmouth makes a super lunch.

Overnight in Keyhaven or Newtown Creek is lovely.

Bembridge is lovely too, fish and chips in Baywatch Cafe good, nice walk to Seaview or up Culver Down.

Osborne House in Cowes if that's your thing.

Salted Caramel ice cream in No 3 Cowes is to die for.

Visiting Yachtsman welcome in Royal Solent in Yarmouth, upstairs dining room better view than the George (which we thought disappointing this year).

The Tapas place on Lymington High Street good, as is the walk round the salt marsh.

White Hart Hamble does good food. Over night at Swanwick marina and a dinghy trip up to the Horse and Jockey pub on a spring tide is a great adventure (bet 50p you don't do it).
 
I'd avoid gunwarf quays a said above and berth in Haslar marina.

The places to visit are well covered above, I'd add a stop at Alum bay at the needles as great looking landscape.

And you see a boat called Romans8, give her a wide berth - her captain's a nutter.
 
Im doing much the same as you Andrew and planning to wander around the Solent during July, so the advice is interesting and helpful. As well as destinations I was wondering if there are any associated 'events' that might be fun to take in too. Ive already got some tickets for the opening day of the Americas cup World series to have a look around the race village, (although I know Im going to struggle to find a space for the boat anywhere close-by). If there are any suggestions for must-do events to add to our list let me know.
Rick
 
Not in July but 1st of Aug if you're still around you could book into bembridge for their family weekend and buy tickets to..

http://www.danceontheduver.co.uk/

I've not been to this event myself before but have booked mooring and tickets for this year.

Also, there is a great family friendly music festival, very chilled and relaxing. http://rhythmtree.co.uk. It's about 5 miles east of Yarmouth. They do day tickets or weekend with camping. We've gone and camped for the last couple of years and had a great time.
 
Last edited:
We love Bembridge - the Beach Hut cafe is a taxi ride away from the pontoons but well worth it for seafood on the beach.
We also like Port Solent if you fancy a trip up Portsmouth Harbour. Lovely overnight facilities, great restaurants and a few interesting shops...like a much less crowded version of Gunwharf. If you have kids, the playpark is fabulous, ours spend hours in there.
 
Thanks. We have friends with a boat in Christchurch who have been to the dance on the Duver in previous years and really enjoyed it. I will add it to the list. Rhythm tree looks interesting too, although our children are all now over 18 and dont have time to speak with us any more.... so family friendly not so important as it once was (what a relief!!) R
 
Hey!

That's unfair,
Nucleus is the the boat to avoid
He ploughs through the waves like he owns the Solent waters
Got all the gear - no idea
Two domes King
Great boats we have Sister Ships of the Solent waters
Good on you Nucleus 
 
In theory yes, but not sure I would try near low water, especially if your props are the low point.

About a dozen buoys for multiple use, more by day than by night I think. You have to pay for these, anchoring is free with a 'request for a donation,' but sometimes I understand the 'donation' part gets omitted from the request to pay. Avoid Saturday night, mostly OK on a Friday, although the visitor buoys might be full. Plenty of space other nights.

Oh yes, idyllic, but don't expect any shops. Many first timers find this bit out the hard way. There is a pub about a 1/2 mile walk from the landing at Shalfleet.
 
Quest said:
Questions - is Newtown Creek accessible at all states of the tide and am I right in thinking there are visitor bouys provided to pick up and moor to?
Thanks...
Click to expand...

Make sure you follow navigation channel by link up target on shore can be fast tide at entrance, it is very narrow.
 
romans8 said:
Hey!

That's unfair,
Nucleus is the the boat to avoid
He ploughs through the waves like he owns the Solent waters
Got all the gear - no idea
Two domes King
Great boats we have Sister Ships of the Solent waters
Good on you Nucleus 
Click to expand...

I wondered when you'd spot my insults :D

Have a good one catching up with Andrew. I'll be back to boating next weekend.
 
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