Solent Events ?

[2013PrincessV39]

Hi All,

As the excitement is growing in the family for our third proper motorboating season, and having made and corrected every beginners mistake in the book (exaggerating boat size at marinas and paying the price, anchor dragging and nearly scrapping the thing, shorting half the marina... Etc.) I was wondering if there are any unmissable MoBo events during July and August that I should start planning for?

Whether it's joining a weekend flotilla or rafting up for a bbq somewhere (not tried rafting up yet...) we would very much like to get involved and meet those of you out there who actually know what they are doing, or just pretending very well after the joys of the 4 day Day Skipper!

Thanks for your replies.

 

[volvopaul]

East Cowes Marina is the best place to meet up with boaters from here, there are also regulars in Cowes yacht haven too most weekends.
Yarmouth attracts a few some of us on a regular basis .

 

[benjenbav]

Various opportunities to see:

fireworks

Red Arrows

Old Gaffers



OGs being basically a foodie and real ale festival with some wooden boats and plenty of varnish to sniff. Tends to happen in Yarmouth. Unmissable. Outstanding video here:

 

[Bazzer]

Bournemouth Air Display from the sea is good if the weather is not bad, normally the end of August.

Newtown Creek is amazing to go and stay overnight, absolutely nothing there except buoys to moor on, so beautiful.

 

[2013PrincessV39]

Bournemouth Air Display from the sea is good if the weather is not bad, normally the end of August.

Newtown Creek is amazing to go and stay overnight, absolutely nothing there except buoys to moor on, so beautiful.

Unfortunately that was the site of the depth miscalculation and anchor drag incident

 

[benjenbav]

Unfortunately that was the site of the depth miscalculation and anchor drag incident

Time for a return visit then! My tip is get there early enough to bag a mooring buoy. Pay the nice lady/gentleman from the National Trust when they come round to collect and sit back and enjoy.

 

[2013PrincessV39]

Time for a return visit then! My tip is get there early enough to bag a mooring buoy. Pay the nice lady/gentleman from the National Trust when they come round to collect and sit back and enjoy.

May I ask, Do the mooring bouys provide adequate swinging room for a 43 footer?

 

[benjenbav]

May I ask, Do the mooring bouys provide adequate swinging room for a 43 footer?

Off the top of my head I don't know. Never been there in anything over 10 metres but don't recall ever feeling especially close to the neighbours.

Here's a pic which might or might not assist. We were on a buoy at the time:

View attachment 49139

 

[Firefly625]

May I ask, Do the mooring bouys provide adequate swinging room for a 43 footer?

hung off quite a number in a 48fter and never an issue

 

[benjenbav]

hung off quite a number in a 48fter and never an issue

If you take your new tug in there you'll have to be careful not to wash all the water out

 

[kanajobe48]

The one event which looks to be good is the qualifying of the Americas cup off Portsmouth, having watched Ben Ainsly practising in the solent it should be good!

 

[2013PrincessV39]

hung off quite a number in a 48fter and never an issue

In your case, were you on shafts, roughly when did you enter and what were the lowest depths you had to deal with? I assumed that as there are mooring buoys, it's not a drying area.

 

[powerskipper]

some marinas and dealer run cruise in companies, [ Ancaster I think] and some berth holders do there own ones too,There is a sealine cruising club run by Clive and Victoria who runs a Charter boat called Victoria,out of Swanwick Marina. we [ Mendez marine are running one, but not till sept this year.

 

[mm1]

Hi, we were based in Poole so we would check the Southampton VTS web site to check which cruise liners are in, book into O VIL & go out to see them depart. Quite a sight! And listen on VHF as they race to be first ready to leave(? sad I know but good honest fun) you can then race the red jet up & down Southampton water before returning to O V for dinner! ?
Regards

 

[sorabain]

I know you said July & August, but the JPM round the island race can be good to watch. I think that's on 27th June 2015.

I felt a bit sorry for them in 2014 as there was barely any wind and they were practically drifting around on the tide alone, but it made the whole thing quite eerie to watch (and happy to be in something with a motor, albeit only a RIB)