Solent: where would you launch a trailer sailer?

Ru88ell

Ru88ell

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I have a chance to spend a few days on my 19' trailer sailer at the end of this month - and as my eldest son is in a squash tournament in Lee on Solent the decision has been made. However, this trip will be my first launch of the boat and I have to admit to a few 'pre-match nerves'.

There do look to be a few ramps in the area. Which ones would you recommend? We are likely to want to stay around Gosport or Hamble.
 
Lymington has two very good slipways. One near the old model yacht pond on the Bath Road and the other at the Town Quay. There is a good one too at Keyhaven. Others need payments to various marinas.

Chas
 
Lee on Solent has the hovercraft ramp, but not much fun if the wind is blowing onto it.

As I recall there's a ramp at Hardway, on the Gosport side of Portsmouth harbour. Dunno if it is public, though.

Certainly one at Swanwick, just down from the Hamble road bridge.
 
There is a ramp at Haslar Creek 50° 47.465'N 001° 07.324'W and in this Google Earth photograph, you can clearly see it in use.

It is fairly steep but as you will be in the area, it is only about 2/3 miles from Lee-on-Solent. I have launched my 4-metre Avon RIB from here.

You would have to step the mast south-east of the bridge.
 
Mercury Marina on the Hamble. Friendly staff, large wide ramp with launching at most states of tide, pontoon with water to moor when launched and very little cross current making recovery fairly easy. Secure storage for car and trailer.

You have to pay at the marina office, but I dont remember it being excessive, and you get use of showers etc included.
 
How about Harbour masters slip at Warsash.
Plenty of room and a big public car park.
You may have to pay Harbour master a fee for the day or days.
 
For convenient but sheltered location I'd second the public slip at Hardway.
Priory road next to Hardway sailing club. its in the boatlaunch link already given

Needs a bit of rise of tide I believe to be usable.

There is some car parking adjacent and I believe they have recently relaxed the time restrictions some what. There is a carpark a few hundred yards up the road opposite (Green Lane) as well as and some roadside parking.

There is a public jetty more or less next to the slip too although IIRC it does dry

There is a small chandlers nearby.

If you do decide to sail in and out of Portsmouth harbour be aware of the rules for using the small boat channel on the Western side of the entrance.

See http://www.qhmportsmouth.com/leisure-directions?action=view&id=7

Also watch out for the ferry crossing from Gosport to Portsmouth.
 
CharlesSwallow said:
Lymington has two very good slipways. One near the old model yacht pond on the Bath Road and the other at the Town Quay. There is a good one too at Keyhaven. Others need payments to various marinas.

Chas
Click to expand...
You are right, there are two. There is a small charge for launching and then usual car par charges as well, so not entirely free.

Also the old model yacht pond is actually an outdoor swimming bath from the Victorian era, (in front of the best sailing club in the area!), and will be back in use after Easter, AFAIK.
 
The public slip at Hardway that Vic mentions should be ok. I have used it to recover my Seawych 19 foot bilge keeler when I had it.

Obviously tide times will dictate when you can use it - I am not sure how many hours either side of HT that access is possible, but if you are talking about the end of the month (Sat 26th ?) you are looking at a late afternoon tide.

As Vic says, plenty of parking, but just recently (no doubt due to the cut in Council Funding, all parking (including that on the slipway) is subject to charge. As well as the adjacent public pontoon, Hardway Sailing club, literally next door, accept visiting yachtsmen and will provide safer mooring on their pontoon compared to the public one. Their website.........http://www.hardwaysailingclub.co.uk/
 
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If you haven't visited the area, why not go the few miles further and launch at Itchenor. It has a great area for launching, not just a little slip, and a car park just up from the launch area. You need to pay dues from the harbour office (you pass them from the car park), but it is a great place to sail for a few days, visiting all the little villages within a large sheltered harbour. It really isn't that much further along the coast.

Dave
 
On the TSA Google Group site there is a writeup for the Mercury Boatyard at Hamble.

There are some overhead cables and the slip is only usable HW plus or minus 2 hours.

To be recommended a slipway should have the following features:

OK for large trailers and boats up to 25 feet,
launch possible at HW plus and minus 3 hours,
Goldilocks steepness (not too steep but not too shallow),
adequate traction,
space at sides for the boat to be guided with rope,
constant gradient below water,
sufficient space for rigging and manuevering,
no hidden problems (such as dropping off the end of the slipway),
reasonable protection from wash and exposure to wind and waves,
not excessively busy with smaller trailers,
secure parking for car and trailer,
nearby jetty for loading and fitting outboard and rudder etc.
convenient cold water tap for washing and flushing,
petrol available within 2 miles.

so it should have all of those except the tidal access.

If you find somewhere better I would be interested to know then I could add it to the list.

Boatlaunch is good but I get the impression it's been set up by folk launching big ribs to dive from so they aren't always good for trail sailors.

HTH.
 
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