Thornham Marina or Hayling Yacht Co ?

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Alltnaha

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I am looking for a drying pontoon berth for my 22 ft lift keeler and would be grateful for anyone's experiences at either or both the above especially with regard to access. Am used to mud as moving from the Medway !

Thanks in advance.
 
Acces to Thornham is very limited. A couple of hours either side of HW .

There may be little or no access at neaps... certainly not close to the shore
 
The only thing I can comment on is geographics.. Thornham is quite a long way off the "beaten track" in Chi Harbour terms... I think it's a lovely part of the harbour, but HYC would be closer to the main action....
 
Looked at both over the last year or two and ended up at Emsworth Marina as I am permanently afloat and don't get the lifting keel jammed up by mud. Emsworth has other advantages too even if it is at the end of the channel.

Both Thornham and Hayling have about the same limits with regards to tide window. General facilities at Thornham were better when I last looked. It is a bit of a distance to the harbour entrance from Thornham and you have to go right into the prevailing wind to get to the harbour entrance. Hayling Yacht Co is not too far from the harbour entrance so you can get in and out much more quickly. I guess it depends what you intend to do. If you want to potter about the harbour then Thornham is more central. In the height of summer getting down the road to Hayling at weekends can be a pain due to all the seaside traffic. The access road to Thornham is effectively a single track road with passing places but only used by the few residents and marina traffic. Didn't fancy taking my trailer sailer down it and meeting something coming the other way as the passing places are not long enough.
 
We spent 16 months ashore at Thornham whilst refitting, and have been on a drying berth there since re-launching last summer.

We've only struggled with water once, and that was on a particularly neapy neap combined with high pressure and strong northerly winds. Even then we got our 26 foot lift keeler out and back in with just the barest snifter of rudder in the water.

They have new pontoons going in right now, new shower facilities, excellent yard services and hold a great summer bash. The team there are a top bunch too.

I have no hesitation in giving a whole hearted recommendation.

I've no experience of Hayling, but they'd be doing very well to provide a better offering.
 
I've only visited Thornham by road, it seems a lot smarter nowadays but as others say very limited tide-wise.

I kept a boat on a 'deep' water mooring with Hayling Yacht Co in 1987, I can affirm it was sheltered as she survived the October Hurricane virtually unscathed !

However I'd think one's chances of a pontoon berth there in summer pretty slim; always worth asking though.

Just along from there Wilsons Boat Yard is a nice place, very friendly and usually good value.

Emsworth marina is rather pricier - still much less than other marinas - and a lovely spot to be, a short walk along the mill pond side into town, which has all the facilities - a chandlery, great pubs like the Bluebell, Chinese, Indian and very good ( expensive ! ) English food, cashpoints, and an excellent fish & chip emporium !

Traffic onto Hayling Island at peak summer weekeds can be a pain, as can the Chichester bypass; it's well worth learning the backroads route via turning off right at Halnaker, then East Lavant, Hunters Race & Salthill Road.
 
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