Sovereign Harbour

T

tony_brighton

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 May 2001
Messages
804
Visit site
We're contemplating a couple of months mooring in Sovereign Harbour (Eastbourne) this year. Can anyone advise whether:
1) its any good?
2) what are the best sailing destinations from here for a weekend sail (Bav 34)?
3) whats it like for getting there and back from East London?

Thanks

Tony

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by tony_brighton on 20/01/2004 12:56 (server time).</FONT></P>
 
Have not stayed more than weekends but approach has always been reasonable and once you know where to look easy to find in the dark.
If you sail overnight then Calais to Le Harve should be achieveable with a relieving watch, with Fecamp being almost due south.
English coast is a bit more restricted but very good in Northerly winds, by anchoring off places like Birling Gap, Cuckmere etc
No dual roads to Eastboroune so summer Sunday evening drives the worst aspect I would feel.
Brian


<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Hi,

Eastbourne from East London is a little bit of a pain, South to A21 then hack across country to Battle then in via Pevensey and Pevensey Bay. This is the fastest simplest way - though there are others, but unless you know the area (West Kent and East Sussex) well they're not so easy to explain, but can be quicker.

As a harbour I'm probably biased as I'm berthed there anyway - but I find the staff friendly and helpful - the locks turn around every 30 mins or so and can be crowded first thing SUnday morning if you pick the time we're leaving to race. But they normally turn the locks around quicker than that if there is demand.

Approaching the harbour is best done from the clear water mark and heading in roughly west. There are a couple of starboard hand marks on the way in towards the harbour entrance - keep them on your starboard side then you'll definitly be clear of the old Barnhill wreck - which can be see at low water. Once inside the harbour arms it can get shallow at spring lows - having said this we draw a few inches shy of 6', and we've always been able to get in/out - with care. At night there is a segmented leading light. Only bad weather direction (as far as entering leaving harbour) is concened is a good easterly - not only is this cold, but the main entrance can get rough when shallow.

Destinations... well other have said pretty much everything - its an empty bit of coast. Closest french port is Boulougne just ahead of Dieppe. Fecamp comes in next. On the English side, you're really stuffed heading east, though Rye can make a good lunch time stop if the tides are right. West - well I'm sure you know you way about down there. Eastbourne to Brighton we allow four hours sailing, the Solent can be reached in a day - but it's a very long day, not a weekend trip destination.

On the up side Eastbourne is always one of the sunniest places in the UK /forums/images/icons/smile.gif.

Regards, Jeff.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
I liked it during a week long stop-over.

Staff v.good, dual lock system keeps things moving, building dust a problem.

Parking likely to become an issue when building on the final and forth side of the marina starts.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Based on experience of several stopovers there, it's a good marina - clean, well organised, good facilities, efficient. Several bar/restaurant places on site. Nearby Asda supermarket. Even closer multi-screen cinema. Close to Eastbourne's seafront, which is incredibly clean, quite quaint, and has a reasonable shopping centre.

Downsides: Sov Harbour is home to a lot of commercial fishing boats, which rumble around at high speed at 5 and 6 in the morning. The pontoons suffer from seagull infestation. Worst of all, the approaches to the harbour are littered with fishing pots, some of which (as I've found to my cost) use floating line!

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
No mention of Littlehampton?

Good for a change if you can handle the strong flow of the river & the bar!

Martin

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top