Solent Holiday

[FlyingSpud]

I have to move my newly acquired boat from Lymington to Hythe this weekend where it will have some work done on it. I’ve worked it I can have Monday out as well, so being an East Coast type I thought this would give me the chance to do a three day mini cruise around the Solent, which I do not know very well at all.
Given Friday night in Lymington, and Hythe by Monday afternoon, where would all you locals suggest spending Saturday and Sunday? I sort of thought Cowes and Yarmouth, If I am going somewhere like Cowes, where is the best place to park the boat?

 

[Iota]

If you want something quiet try Newtown Creek and dignhy up to the pub or pick a bouy up in the Beaulie River. Noisy the Folly up river from Cowes.

Courtesy is an iota but makes the world go round

 

[Spacewaist]

Cowes!?!?!?Yarmouth@!*!?!@? Arghhhh!!!!

Personally, Id get out of the Solent ASAP. Tide runs West from HW Portsmouth -1Hr. Namely circa 10.30. Leisurely start from Lymington, down to Poole on the tide and anchor in South Deep (Poole Harbour) Studland Bay or Chapmans Pool (other side of St Albans Head. If you prefer Marinas, the new Town Quay Marina is OK and off season rates now (so not too bad on the wallet). Plenty of reasonable restaurants in Poole. Up early on Sunday to catch the tide to the Solent - sd arrive in Newtown Creek in time for lunch. Thence direct to Hythe on the Flood but but leave promptly to avoid a night passage up Southampton Water which can be tricky for a first time visitor.

Alternatively, if the wind is in the West, up early and make for Chichester Harbour; anchor anywhere marked or go to Itchenor or Northerny. Lunch at Bembridge. Get back on the Ebb.

 

[tony_brighton]

Lymington-Yarmouth doesn't sound to challenging. Depends what you are looking for - if its quiet beauty then Newtown Creek (dinner at the Shalfleet Inn) and Beauleu (dinner at MasterBuilder restaurant).

Earlier suggestion for Poole is interesting and worth consideration but watch the weather window at this time of year.

Cowes is over-rated as a destination unless average pubs in a Victorian seaside town are your thing. Going up the Medina River to the Folly works well but most people would say the food has gone down hill.

 

[FlyingSpud]

Sounds a possibility, I need 1.75m so I'll have a look and see if this is on this weekend

 

[FlyingSpud]

I wondered about Poole, but thought with the weather and what have you it could be a bit miserable.
I was thinkinging of thrashing about in the Solent, not just going Lymington/Yarmouth (must take about 10 minutes), and looking for overnight stays.
Its interesting that the places we all assume you go to, get rated as S**t, so I won't go there, I'm not sure where Newton Creek is, but it seems to be on everyone's list and I'll find it on the charts (that I'm gonna have to buy on Friday)

 

[Twister_Ken]

Newtown Creek - about halfway along the northwest coast of the Island.

If you're interested in seeing boats of every sort from megayot to tore-outs, a trip up the Hamble river and back is always interesting.

 

[extravert]

The Solent is so small and the distances so short compared to the distances us non-Solenty types sail to get to other places I reckon you could do the lot in a weekend with a bit of wind and no lie-ins.

It's not the place I would choose to go to spend a weekend having already been there, but if you haven't been and you are going in that direction anyway, then it's well worth a visit. The reasons for this are...

1) The majority of yachty articles/posts/discussions/magazines/companies seems to have something to do with the Solent, so it's good to have been to see the places everyone always talks/writes about.

2) Once you have been and seen how crowded and expensive it is, then you appreciate your own area more when you get back (probably inviting lots of flaming here).

 

[tony_brighton]

Newtown Creek is a nature reserve with a few mooring buoys and some anchorage space. Gets v.full in summer but at this time of year should be ok. Reasonably priced on a buoy - about £10 for the night. No facilities and splendid isolation. Need to get the flubber out for a dinghy ride and walk to the pub. Narrow entrance a bit diffuclt to spot from the offing but you should be ok with that draft except at very low water springs on the approach. Once in the creek its soft mud so touching bottom is no problem.

 

[Iota]

Coming up to springs so you shouldn't have a problem in either location.

Courtesy is an iota but makes the world go round

 

[tony_brighton]

re: flaming - not at all. those of us who spend a fortune keeping our boats there do so for good reasons - but it doesn't mean we like the over-crowding and expense.

 

[FlyingSpud]

Thanks to everyone,its true, I wanted to have a look around becasue according to the mags it is the only place anyone sails
Still, if you see a Storm aground near newton creek over the weekend give me a toot

 

[Guest]

Isn\'t it strange ...

With all the choice in Solent .... its interesting that 1 or 2 favourites get named .....

OK for me as a BK drawing 1m and able to take ground its more choice, but even so .... there are a lot of possibilities ....

Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[Spacewaist]

How did you get on? Never did hear. nm

.

It rarely rains for longer than four hours........

 

[FlyingSpud]

Re: Not as planned

I should have said. It sort of went wrong really.
Took longer to get away from Lymington than expected, things to buy, fit, do etc etc. The forecast by this time was not too great, so I was a bit off the idea of going on a buoy and ended up despite all the warnings in Cowes. Given a forecast of strong easterlies I took the advice of someone in Lymington and went to East Cowes. Saw Kingfisher, which for a provincial like me was a kick (isn’t she small?).
Rapidly realised East Cowes is not the red-hot centre of the universe for things to do. Had an ordinary meal at a beefeater type place beside the Marina.
My SWMBO seems a bit different from most on this forum. She is the one who is never happy unless it’s a 6 or more and the boat is laying on it’s ear’ole, she also likes music and fun, so we walked through a depressing area and went across a chain ferry thing to West Cowes. Once there we went in a pub where we came across a (local character?) seemed to be George Michael from his Wham days from the waist down (trainers and shorts) and Compo off of the Last of the summer wine (wooly hat pulled down over his eyes) from the waist up.
On our way back SWMBO heard the sound of rock music from another pub and we ended up in a courtyard listening to quite a good band, can’t recall their name now. Just made the last chain ferry where the George Compo character was also a passenger.
Next day - rain and misery. Forecast f7, rain, cold and about as nasty as it could get, with things getting worse the next day. Decided at this stage that the gods had it in for us and no point trying to do much - may as well go to Hythe. Good thrash across the Solent though, wind over tide etc made for a rougher ride than I would have expected. Managed to miss the Bramble bank. Half way up Southampton water decided that we may as well have a look at Southampton so spent that night in Ocean Village. This was a mistake as it is just a building site, but got a reasonable meal from a restaurant by the marina, with the benefit of some live music.
Next day just went across to Hythe and spent the day getting her stripped down for the osmosis treatment.
One way and another I went all the places I had been told not to go. This was largely weather driven. So the plan is next summer when we get her back we are going to spend some time in the area. We have 6 months credit with MDL Chatham from our old boat so as I understand their Outlook club we can use some of their places as a free base for 15 days or something like that but try out the places you all advised.

At least we did not hit anything, nor sink anyone else.