South Coast Marinas

[trev]

Just read a 'where to go' thread on YM forum. Good info, but not enough! I'm considering a move to the Solent area next year (from Upper Thames) and it seems the Portsmouth area is the easiest by road from North London.
Can anyone give me an idea of tidal access and costs per metre (inc VAT) for Port Solent, Haslar, C&N etc ??
Used to sail (rag & stick) out of Itchenor, but not good for motor boat. Chichester is too limiting tide wise, and I believe Hamble, Lymington etc V expensive.
Advise gratefully received. Boat is 42 ft LOA.

Trev

 

[Guest]

www.premier-marinas.co.uk gives prices for Porto Solente, so called by others cos bit spanish ponciefied instead of usual s coast field with crumbly pontoons and bog. Quite a lively place, we were there for a couple of years, fairly quick by car A3, lots of back doubles thru hindhead with crap Lab govt delaying by pass for right-wing V bottomley voters. Theres a lock, creepy for sea types, easy for rivery types.

 

[peterg]

http://www.marinas.co.uk/ lists all the MDL marinas with their tarriffs but if you've been on the Thames, reckon on about 60-80% more for the South Coast

 

[markc]

Hi Trev

I travel from North London to Solent every weekend - used to be in Haslar in Gosport but moved 'cause too uncomfortable in marina. Now at Hythe Village Southampton. I find it about 20 mins quicker home than I did from Gosport (about 2 hours door to door now in medium traffic). As matts said , Port Solent quite nice but has lock - not a problem, but there are often major, major delays getting out and in on nice summer days. Hythe also has lock, but not as busy and has approx 3-4 hour freeflow every tide.

Other places to condsider are marinas on Hamble, and Ocean Village / Shamrock Quay. Shamrock Quay is next to new football ground and when I last visited on match day, marina full of footie fans. Don't know about journet times, but I suspect all much the same!

If you are planning on moving, try and sort out a berth before coming down - not many about at the moment.

M

 

[miket]

I have also migrated from Thames to S Coast.

All 3 marinas you refer to are 24hr access, with Port Solent only one with lock. Don't know about prices.

I am at Shamrock Quay (MDL). 24 hr access, about £4k pa for 11.4 mtrs and 40 minutes normal travel time from Basingstoke. Traffic not normally bad even in height of summer.
This is our 3rd summer at SQ and are now permanent. Some find it a little "scruffy" because only a few boutiques and 2 eating places, but all boaty services that you will ever need, raggie or stinkpot, and slightly cheaper than it's nieghbours.

Takes about 15 mins to derestricted Southampton Water.

We like it.

 

[zefender]

I berth at Port Solent. Cost (annual) is about £414 per metre.

The marina can be reached at all states of tide (access channel is dredged to about 2m) though there is a lock. This is on freeflow for about an hour at the top of the tide.

It's true that there can be lock delays on sunny peak season Saturday mornings. On these, they operate a number system when you call up on radio. On the worst such day this year (about 1030hrs) I had to wait about an hour for my turn. But in reality, it doesn't happen very often (so few boats seem to go out) and I just sit back, make a coffee and relax.

Its a big marina with 15 or so restaurants (which aren't great). To save the dreaded Hindhead crawl early on Sunday evenings, I just go the cinema at the marina and leave at about 1930. On Summer weekends, Portsmouth finest yoof seems to descend upon it but they now tend to go to the new 'mall' in Portsmouth. Good facilities though and good too for non-boating/reluctant friends and family. For the aspirantly fit, ther's also a new David Lloyd centre opened there where day passes can be bought (at a discount I think for bertholders)

I looked at C & N before taking Port Solent. I opted against because the building work seems to be taking an age to finish and because of the (modest 15 mins or so) extra distance to travel.

 

[jfm]

I don't know about costs except for the marina I'm in. Lymington Berthon is £6,100pa for 44 foot LOA inc VAT. I wd hesitate to use PS though, long speed limit plod up river then a lock with queues on Sunday evening. The 20min quicker car drive is better spent going to a different marina imho. I've always liked Haslar, right by the sea and good facilities on that green lightship (massive private shower rooms, big enuf for 2 or even a party). Is it a bit affect by wash from passing 10knot traffic I wonder?

You will need to check waitlists, some have them (eg 300 boats list at LYH, each of which has paid ££ just to be on the list!) but other waitlists can be jumped if you apply £££ and your boat is recent.

Coming from London IMHO it is best to avoid M3 when busy. That means Portsmouth via A3 or Soton/Lymington via A31 then M27 for the last bit. Trafficmaster very useful for the s Coast boat runs IMHO, it picks up all trouble on these roads so you know to take detour or not

 

[zefender]

Re: PS queues

Maybe its the effect I have on boats when I head up the channel but this season I've had to wait for more than 10 minutes and normally just motor through - the gates ready and open for me. I tend to arrive back at the lock normally about 1700 and I've been there at least every other weekend since May.

'fraid I can't really agree about the Haslar lightship - hardly opulent. Run by Sunsail, how could it be!

This is beginning to sound like I work for PS....but I don't.

Wait a minute .... why am I building custom for PS and thus creating room for rate hikes. On second thoughts, I recommend Hasler's.

 

[zefender]

Re: correction PS queues

Sorry ....that's only once had to wait more than 10 minutes ....

 

[Guest]

Re: correction PS queues

yes agreed - it used to be much much worse when sunsail boats (now outside PS lock) were stationed inside and all had to lock thru sunday evening. But luxury without a lock, I must say

 

[Chris_d]

Re: South Coast Marina Costs!!

I must admit I'm gob-smacked by some of the costs being mentioned here, £414 per metre pa !!.
Having considered the same move a few times but never having dared to enquire about rates, you can keep the south coast.
I believe a swinging mooring in Chichester harbour is about £300 for the season, which seems reasonable to me,although only ok for a small boat like mine, but the marinas sound like a rip off, are you all mad?
I currently pay £500 for a Thames garden mooring (any boat as long as it fits), I could go for a luxurious marina at £140 pm pa even the tidal sections aren't much more including the desirable St Kaths, but £414.... if you pay them to jump the queue... I need a drink and a sit down!

 

[byron]

Re: South Coast Marina Costs!!

I agree with you Chris., all that dosh to go boating on an open sewer and don't forget they have to pay again to stop overnight other Marinas on the Sewer.
Somewhere like Ramsgate, Dover or the Medway much cleaner and plenty of places to visit too. That sounds a much better bet to me.

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[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: South Coast Marina Costs!!

I'm at Universal on the Hamble and it costs about £380 per m plus electricity and thats about the cheapest on the Hamble and for that you dont even get any water hoses, the 'leccy's dodgy especially when my next door neighbour switches his aircon on, the pontoons have'nt been replaced since Noah had a berth, the car parks always full of charterers, there's no caff or chandlery, the bogs are freezing cold and the access road is used for 4x4 adventure treks during the week. Apart from that, its great
The problem is that the Solent's a great place to go boating (apart from the crowds) and relatively close to London so everybody wants to keep their boat there

 

[markc]

Re: South Coast Marina Costs!!

But Byron, apart from longer trips across the pond, where can you go from Ramsgate to either drop the hook overnite, or go to nice marina for exploring, pub, good grub etc? I think thats why we pay to be in the Solent (I used to be on Thames) for all the choice it affords. I do think it is far too expensive though - prhaps we should form a consortium and build a solent marina - we could all have the free berths.

M

 

[markc]

Re: South Coast Marina Costs!!

Boating trick - the faster you say it, the cheaper it seems!

You just pay for location, location, location - just like houses. All the most expensive houses are in the best bits. Just like marinas I rekon. If there were more, the price would drop....oh there goes a flying pig

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: South Coast Marina Costs!!

You've obviously got inside info on water quality, Byron, 'coz I have'nt particularly noticed the Solent to be dirty. Have you got something to back this up? As for Ramsgate, Dover and the Medway, surely you jest?
There are 2 reasons why the Solent is such a popular boating centre. Firstly, there are loads of harbours to visit all within an hour or less at 20knots and secondly, you can get to them all in practically any weather.
I mean what the hell do you do in Dover or Ramsgate if its blowing a hoolie?

 

[Chris_d]

Re: South Coast Marina Costs!!

You're clearly right, but it does seem to be out of all proportion for what you get.
Incidently a 3 bed town house with mooring in Port Solent is about 300K, same house on the Thames 600K, go figure?
It would be cheaper for me to move house, but I hate commuting if it takes more than 30minutes, same for the boat has to be within 10 minutes otherwise I'd never use it.

 

[byron]

Re: South Coast Marina Costs!!

If you can buy a 3 bedroom house on the Thames with direct frontage for £600k nip in and buy it today. Anything costs at least £1 million these days and something reasonably impressive will cost telephone numbers.

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[zefender]

Re: South Coast Marina Costs!!

spose you could always buy the Port Solent house for 300K (I think they're nearer 250K ). 5% mortgage will cost about 15K a year. Rent it out for about the same and you have a free moooring.

You will of course have to barge through the sitting room of your tenants every weekend and the mooring is 10m max I think.

 

[Chris_d]

Re: Have a look up the road

There's a 3 bed cottage in North Moreton with 120ft mooring for 650K, got one of those rudy tubes moored on it, thought you would have spotted that one Byron!