Tips for a new Hamble trot user?

[PhillM]

As of the end of this month I leave the luxury of MDL OV and move to a trot mooring on the Warsash side of the Hamble, slightly south of the Chinese bridge and directly opposite HYS. Wave if you pass by

I wondered what tips the forum could offer regarding pick up and departure. I am most likely to either be single handed or if I do have guests they are most likely to be novices. The mooring is chartered at zero so I expect that there will be a tidal restriction at LWS.

Secondly, in regards getting out to Paean and back, I have various options: Royal Southern club boat. Hamble river taxi, rowing a club dinghy or use my own inflatable and a lovely new-to-me engine that I have just purchased from a lovely forum member. Any foresable problems or tips?

Thanks.

 

[johnalison]

Go to Yarmouth. Buy yourself a beer and sit on the harbour wall and watch the sailing schools practising picking up the trots there (if they still do). Within an hour or two you will have witnessed all the mishaps that can possibly occur.

 

[jac]

Tide in the hamble is strong, especially the ebb. Not a major issue if you know and the moorings are all upriver / downriver so either tide behind or ahead. You will get good at balancing speed and tide! Nothing special re hamble trots - watch for lines around prop especially if a strong tide and weak pick up buoy - Top tip is to get a decent sized one, with something that cam easily be picked up.

If with a new person, put them on foredeck and train them to jut lift the eye of the mooring strop and put onto a cleat while you concentrate on keeping the boat stationary v the buoy.

If single handed, be really careful about trying to moor at peak of the ebb. You really need to be able to attach the boat to the mooring riser itself very quickly whilst the boat is stationary and doesn't loose way / wander off course - you could consider a line from the stemhead, outside everything to near the cockpit and then reach down from there and attach, Then haul in the slack on that line / use engine to get the bow up the buoy. ( if back by the stern buoy of course you can pick that up before hauling forward!)

Getting out - you missed an option - RAF yacht club - also run 2 launches - membership not restricted to just RAF personnel so if not Joined Royal Southern then try both out and see which suits you better. IIRC Royal Southern is more race focussed but do have cruisers as well.

Whichever you go for, car parking in the area is a problem. The marinas are for berth holders only, there is no real public car parking so that suggests joining one of the clubs.

We invariably use the launch as a load of gear for a weekend ( or even day) takes a lot of space but beware that club launches may not run every day ( Taxi does during daylight) so it depends on when you will go sailing. If it's mainly weekends then you probabvly wonlt need a dinghy as the launch will be fine. If it's mainly after work the launch isn't an option.

Rowing out is not much fun. As above. the tide can be strong and if a breeze kicks up the water can be fairly bouncy, both from wind action and from the wash of the hamble scramble. Decent rowing boat / flubber will handle it but you may get spray. If you do use a dInghy, best bet is to go up inside the small channels between rows of boats where it is sheltered and then nip across when you can. It does feel like trying to cross a dual carriageway at times, even in a yacht! If going to need a dinghy out on a regular basis I would personally go for reasonable size hard dinghy, maybe an old dory with an engine of 5 or 6hp - plenty of power to move it fully laden yet not exceed the speed limit. HM does prosecute speeders on occasions! Other wise, mainly launch, occasionally taxi or club dinghy - possibly with own OB on the stern.

All that said, it's a lovely spot. Or mooring is Hamble side, just upriver of HYS and once the hubbub has died down it's lovely to just sit and watch the world go by.

 

[superheat6k]

There is long term parking available in Hamble, although some of the promised areas introduced when the Council introduced charges for the Square a few years ago have since been removed. The closest long term free area is Spitfire Way (left turn off Hamble Lane just after the fire station) on the left side of the road - there are no houses that side so you are not using some one else's space. From there it is 5 minutes walk to the quay. It is quite a busy feeder road and is open so theft is unlikely, and with no footpath that side vandalism is unlikely too.

If you can't find space there then Ensign Way is further back along Hamble Lane to the right, but a good 10 minutes to the quay. This is an industrial area apart from the first 150m or so. Not quite so attractive, but should be OK there.

You can drop off gear at the quay then park up.

If you contact Hamble parish council you can pay to leave your dinghy in the area behind the cafe on an annual basis, by the life boat station, although there might be a waiting list.

 

[doug748]

.....Any foresable problems or tips?

Thanks.

Split the fore and aft line in the middle so you can get off port or starboard. A round turn and hitches is better than a carbine hook, which will sooner or later scratch your topsides.

Most common problems tend to revolve around either trying to moor downtide - or trying to get away whilst being pinned on.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Nothing helpful to add to these very good posts. I'm a bit downstream, but could come and do the video if you let me know when.

 

[SteveSarabande]

Go to Yarmouth. Buy yourself a beer and sit on the harbour wall and watch the sailing schools practising picking up the trots there (if they still do). Within an hour or two you will have witnessed all the mishaps that can possibly occur.

I think Yarmouth is all pontoons now, at least in the main harbour area

 

[Bobc]

Exactly as jac says - watch the tide, and join the RAFYC

 

[Newboy6458]

Or join WSC. Two club launches available 24/7. Parking is easier too.

 

[prv]

I think Yarmouth is all pontoons now, at least in the main harbour area

Indeed. And before that it was piles, whereas I get the impression Phil is mooring between two buoys? (If not, would be good to clarify.)

Pete

 

[PhillM]

Indeed. And before that it was piles, whereas I get the impression Phil is mooring between two buoys? (If not, would be good to clarify.)

Pete

Clarification, one pick up bouy with two mooring lines attached and a shackle to allow it to be split. No bouys just lines,

 

[prv]

Clarification, one pick up bouy with two mooring lines attached and a shackle to allow it to be split. No bouys just lines,

Ok - but not piles either?

Where does the line disappear to if you accidentally drop the end of it after detaching from the buoy?

Pete

 

[LadyInBed]

Probably not what you want to know, but fit a burglar alarm so others can't 'pick up and depart' with it.

 

[ashtead]

Can you buy a pontoon and moot it between the piles? I remember many years ago a Pontoon from the SBS was towed back to the Folly piles and is still going strong. One of the first but many others soon migrated up to the Folly and given how cheap the moorings are on Medina worth the initial investment.

 

[ianat182]

Is your mooring a Harbour Board or Club mooring; if the former you could ask to move upriver towards Warsash/Hamble . I've just surrendered my mooring to the Harbour Board and it might still be free to move closer to Warsash where parking and traffic is free and plentiful-except Cowes week; Dinghy storage may be available in either of Warsash Sailing Club's compounds too.Last year Club moorings were available in or close to your location, ( however mine was HB91A ) opposite the Beach cafe, Hamble side of the river, 10 mins by dinghy or £6 return by river taxi from Warsash S.C . Might be worth a try!

ianat182

 

[PhillM]

Ok - but not piles either?

Where does the line disappear to if you accidentally drop the end of it after detaching from the buoy?

Pete

So from what I have seen, there is a pick up buoy with a line connected to two mooring strops - about a boat length apart. Apparently I can use the pick up, walk to the bow / stern and haul up the mooring rope and drop it over my cleat. The line connecting the two strops stays connected an lies on the deck until I am ready to leave. However, there is also a shackle so it can be disconnected and the two half's walked around the mast to enable departure from the other side of the buoy.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[PhillM]

The mooring is from the Pink Ferry people. I am on the waiting list for a HM one but even at 24 feet, it may take a few year, to secure one.

 

[jac]

The mooring is from the Pink Ferry people. I am on the waiting list for a HM one but even at 24 feet, it may take a few year, to secure one.

I'm also on the waiting list but speaking to them 6 months ago i got the very strong impression that lists are much shorter. I'm now 8 years in so should get one next April even at the up to 12.2m bracket i was quoted 10-15 year wait 3 years ago, so the HM does seem to either have shorter lists or greater turnover of them.

Fingers crossed.

I think the key thing is that several clubs have launches so see which one you like best and is more convenient for the sailing you do and join that one. Flubbers at the bottom of the Hamble is not the most appealing idea.

 

[ianat182]

Shame really, I sold my boat (Westerly Tiger 25ft) in late December; the mooring was serviced by Mike Lindsell and due for riser replacement(£200 approx)this year and would have been ideal for your 24 footer, and was a deepwater mooring. The River taxi is the twin brother of Mike and very helpful; his number is 07827 157155 if needed fare may vary from your location.
As to your first query attaching your dinghy to the mooring will make it easier to pick up and leave it(but take the outboard off if going away for a weekend)

 

[PhillM]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Moved across today and had a bit of a play around. Other than the lines being really muddy and it taking me half an hour to clean up after, all went well.