Solent marinas and heading west...just how busy is it?

Yarmouth Is busy and rafting 3 and 4 deep. They also have a rally due in tomorrow. Still there's plenty of large crabs on the wall to go around
 
Space in Brixham on the marina events pontoon and some spaces in the marina as well.
 

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Devon and Cornwall is busier than usual. Friends have gone way for the week and returned early as it was no fun in our usual hideaways.
 
Newtown Creek looked rammed when we sailed past on Tuesday with lots choosing to anchor outside. Weymouth had spaces on Tue and Wed nights though you need to book. A few spaces in Brixham on first come first served basis. Webcam for Lyme Regis looked like the little harbour was very busy with day boats so decided to skip our normal stop and go straight across Lyme Bay. Lots of heavy gun fire whilst crossing the bay and HMS Scott mooching about in the haze. Didn't see her but she was transmitting on AIS so gave a wide berth. They sounded like big guns.
It wasn't as bad as it looked, it can look busy from outside, we thought the same as you but went in and found plenty of room to anchor.
 
We have just got back from 6 weeks cruising west from the Solent to the Scillies, in general trying to book a Marina was a none starter however we never failed to get either a harbour authority mooring or pontoon or find Anchorages that had space

we did spend a couple of nights in Brixham Marina and in Falmouth (Pendenis) just turning up on spec and knew that there were moorings or places to anchor if required

even in the Scillies we were able to get moorings in both St Mary‘s and New Grimbsy

few comments on each of the places we visited

Studland / Swanage moorings and anchorage had space
Brixham Marina did have space when we arrived the Harbour Authority pontoon had space and Anchorage also was not full
Dartmouth Harbour authority Pontoons had space and Dittisham moorings were available as well as plenty of Anchoring
Salcombe Moorings available as long as you arrived at a sensible time and plenty of spaces to Anchor
Yelm Moorings and Pontoon space available as long as you raft, Anchorage at the river entrance fine
Fowey Moorings avaliable
Falmouth Moorings avaliable
Helford Moorings and Anchorage both had space
Scillies Moorings available in St Mary’s and New Grimsby as long as you arrived at reasonable time otherwise Anchorages avaliable

in total we were away 40 nights and only used a marina for 3 nights but never found a problem either getting a mooring or anchoring

Mike
 
Thanks for the responses guys. We had a couple of nights at anchor in Studland, two nights in Weymouth in the Cove, and two in Lymington Yacht Haven, who were very good about us staying an extra night when the weather turned crazy on Friday.

To be honest it seemed far easier to get a berth for the night compared to a restaurant or pub booking!
 
If stranded in Lymington and not able to take a curry through choice or lack of space then a trip to cook up by m&S is best choice or try one of the pubs slightly out of town if no space at mayflower. At all costs avoid the pub on front where food is dire.
 
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