Solent Mooring Buoys?

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Bettyblue

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I am planning an extended trip to the Solent in August in a fin keel Beneteau 331 and would like to spend time between Chichester & Southampton for about 3 weeks. Can anyone suggest places where mooring buoys and good anchorages are available as I don't really want to spend about £20.00 per night for three weeks. Thanks.
 
The only relatively sheltered anchorages I can think of in that area are Osborne Bay on the IW and East Head just inside Chichester Harbour - both can get busy. The only mooring buoys I can think of are off Cowes, but they still cost.

You're talking Solent now, nowhere is cheap and in August demand exceeds supply
 
You should be able to pick up a spare mooring in Portsmouth Harbour for a night-pick it up & move if the owner returns. Alternatively try Gosport Boat Yard and or Hardway Sailing Club to see if they could rent you a mooring for a little while-it will still probably cost you and it might be quite a dinghy trip ashore.

Position may well be similar in @Chi Harbour (ie try the yacht clubs) to see if you can have a mooring at reasonable rates. Just inside the harbour entrance are some bouys belonging to Sparkes Marina I think that you may be able to pick up for an overnight. Also believe there may be some visitors buoys in Langstone Harbour.

Finally have a look at the Tightwad Sailor web site-good guide to getting value for money(!) sailing in the Solent http://www.troppo.co.uk/tightwad/tightwad.htm

Have fun!
 
As The Angry Snail has indicated East Head is the popular anchorage in Chichester. Off a nice sandy beach too.

Nearby is the less crowded anchorage to the east side of Pilsey Island but anywhere up the Thorney Channel above or below the moorings is peaceful.

There is another seldom used anchorage on the south side of the Itchenor reach below all the moorings.

There are visitors moorings at Itchenor and a little further up the channel on the south side is a pontoon with visitors spaces.

The harbour patrol will catch you for harbour dues and charge you for the visitors moorings so it would be sensible to check the charges to see if weekly rates are more attractive on the Website
 
yes they are there, but I'm not sure if they are available for visitors. They are of course west of Southampton, as are other places which should be of interest to the original poster. eg

Newtown Creek - you can anchor or pick up a buoy
Beaulieu river - you can anchor before reaching the buoys.
Hurst/Keyhaven - you can anchor inside Hurst Spit in shallow water, sheltered if the wind is in the west and not too strong.
 
The visitor's pontoon at Emsworth is more stable & sheltered than a mooring but is a longish dinghy ride from the town. Call "Emswsorth Mobile" on CH12, 2hrs either side of high water or ring the Emsworth harbour office & Sid, the harbour master runs a ferry that will take you to & from the pontoon.
 
You could try the visitors pontoon in the Hamble - £1.50 per metre per night (so £15.00 or £16.50 for you, depending on your LOA in metres). I know its only a bit less than your £20 'limit', but it is a very short dinghy ride to the nearest pub (Rising Sun) and not much further to the delights of Hamble village.
 
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