Solent marinas for a week or so in the summer

[potentillaCO32]

I'm planning to cruise from murky east coast waters to the solent this summer. It's been a while since i have been there on my own boat.

What is the latest recomendations on marinas to stay in. How much notice do they need and what sort of cost? 32 foot boat.
Thanks.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Literally dozens to choose from. If you avoid bank holidays, half term and Cowes week, availability should be pretty good. Smaller places with less availability such as Bucklers Hard might be more problematic than the largest sites.

Booking for Yarmouth isn't possible as a general rule, but except on the busiest of days, availability there is generally okay.

Suggest you have a look at your charts, pick a couple or three that you fancy the look of and just ring them up.

If your home Marina is either a Premier Marina site or an MDL site, you can use the visitor nights options to book in whenever you want.

 

[langstonelayabout]

A favourite of mine is Bucklers Hard, up the Beaulieu river. A lovely place but you need to book and pay a few days (or more) ahead. Your 32’ will probably cost you about £60 for the night, including water and electricity. Facilities are excellent.

 

[Concerto]

To be honest, you will just have to grin and bear the cost. Are you planning to stay in one place or move around? Do you need good connections to public transport? A bit more information would be better for the most suitable for you.

Being East Coast based, have you been to St Katherine's Dock in London? I went a couple of years ago and for my Fulmar it was £90 per night! Who said Solent berthing was expensive!

 

[Sticky Fingers]

We're based at Swanwick.

Our favourites, in no particular order:

Chichester Marina
East Cowes
Folly
Shepherds
Haslar
Universal
Bucklers Hard
Gunwharf
Lymington Town Quay
Yarmouth

 

[sailorman]

Literally dozens to choose from. If you avoid bank holidays, half term and Cowes week, availability should be pretty good. Smaller places with less availability such as Bucklers Hard might be more problematic than the largest sites.

Booking for Yarmouth isn't possible as a general rule, but except on the busiest of days, availability there is generally okay.

Suggest you have a look at your charts, pick a couple or three that you fancy the look of and just ring them up.

If your home Marina is either a Premier Marina site or an MDL site, you can use the visitor nights options to book in whenever you want.

some yrs ago we had a few days in the royal clarence on thetrans euro deal, it wasnt noticably expensive, but cloce by the pompy ferry service

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Yup. Haslar also next to the ferry stop.

 

[ashtead]

It really depends on what your are seeking at your chosen temp location. For shops it’s either one of 3 in Gosport ie Clarence Haslar premier. Take green ferry to gunwharf. Other shops at Southampton eg west Quay so ocean village marina
If looking for walks , space to walk dog then Bembridge or Lymington but I would book both. Yarmouth also has walks and I would check if u can book
At lymington I would choose yacht haven over Barton for walks but Berthon for proximity to town . Restaurants in Lym can get busy as can one at Yacht haven. but pubs in surrounding area short distance away. Clearly you might want to visit Cowes and East cowes marina is more peaceful in summer(avoids generally the charter boat types) but shepherds is ok.
Beaulieu as said but nowt there and pricey .
You should be able to buy secondhand on eBay a Solent pilot guide and while outdated gives useful pilotage plus hosteleries etc . Most marinas have good websites telling more in locality.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

At Yarmouth, they’d almost throw out a AWB to fit in any sort of mildly classic thing. They will fit you in by hook or by crook unless you turn up at 5pm on a Saturday, or the Friday of Taittinger regatta. Worst case is an outside buoy, or ring the RSYC for one of theirs for a night. Don’t forget to allow a night or 2 at anchor in Newtown. Though again, avoid a weekend, unless you like a midnight drama with someone who doesn’t understand their swinging circle

 

[wonkywinch]

At Yarmouth, they’d almost throw out a AWB to fit in any sort of mildly classic thing. They will fit you in by hook or by crook unless you turn up at 5pm on a Saturday, or the Friday of Taittinger regatta. Worst case is an outside buoy, or ring the RSYC for one of theirs for a night. Don’t forget to allow a night or 2 at anchor in Newtown. Though again, avoid a weekend, unless you like a midnight drama with someone who doesn’t understand their swinging circle

It's OK, those Newtown boats always have flashing disco lights illuminating the murky water and "appropriate sound signals", ie 160bpm dance music blaring out.

On the OPs topic, I may have a berth on the Hamble available from 14th May to 26th June. It's on an MDL walk ashore pontoon in a marina. I'd just need to square off the arrangement with the marina. PM me for more info. If anyone else interested, our boat is 38 feet, 11.5m but I don't think they will accept anything larger as it's inside the hammerhead.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Visitors to Yarmouth who diappove of our boat probably won’t see her, as she’s not in the marina there. Perhaps that increases the attraction for the OP.

 

[potentillaCO32]

Visitors to Yarmouth who diappove of our boat probably won’t see her, as she’s not in the marina there. Perhaps that increases the attraction for the OP.

Certainly not, i'll drop a bottle of something red and drinkable in your cockpit if I am passing and see her.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Certainly not, i'll drop a bottle of something red and drinkable in your cockpit if I am passing and see her.

FYI we are not vampires, I hope it’s a less sticky liquid You’re unlikely to need to though, you’d have to be quite intent to find us.