Weekend trips to do in the Solent from Chichester Harbour

[samsuka]

We have bought our first boat (a Westerly Falcon 34) and moored it at Northney Marina. With a young family (2 boys 14 and 12) i am looking for recommendations on good weekend and long weekend trips that are fun and not too taxing, to increase their enthusiasm, that we can manage as a relatively inexperienced crew (i have done a lot of cruiser sailing but 15 years ago, but did Day Skipper this year, and the family have done only a few trips out but should be doing competent crew in 2022) and build up confidence so we can do longer trips rather than knock it by going too far too fast.

These are some of the ones i had looked up, short and longer, and i wanted to see if anyone had any others, if any of these are in particular really good, or any to avoid?

• Trip to Gosport for a night out in Portsmouth
• Trip to Bembridge - supposed to be good but any tips for getting up and down OK?
• Trip to Wootton Creek
• Cowes - where is it best to get a visitor pontoon
• River Hamble we have done as bought the boat there and did Day Skipper there
• Beaulieu River - supposed to be amazing
• Fresh water bay on Isle of Wight
• Any other good anchorage sites that are worth a visit for an overnight stay?
• Ocean Village
• Trip to Brighton
• Lymington

Just trying to plan ahead for trips next year.

Thanks in advance

Sam

 

[Pete7]

We stopped off at the RVYC in Wootton Creek in the Spring as they are always very friendly. Sadly the the mud under their pontoon has changed dramatically with the introduction of the new IOW ferry which uses bow thrusters to hold position whilst loading. this has created huge hard mud banks with valleys, so not great for drying out.

Don't overlook Hurst Castle as a great place to spend a weekend with the boys, anchor inside the creek. It's one of our favourites but don't tell everyone. this website may be interesting: The tightwad sailor

Visit my Harbour also very useful: Keyhaven : Vistimyharbour.com Photo Gallery HTML

 

[Wing Mark]

Yarmouth.
If you have paddleboards or similar, anchor off Keyhaven and explore.
Likewise Langstone.
Anchor at Hurst?
Weymouth is do-able in a weekend, Swanage, Poole..

Going up Southampton Water to e.g. Marchwood YC or exploring Portsmouth Harbour can be fun, there is lots going on usually.

Normally I'd be suggesting building the skills to go over to Alderney or St Vaast, but that may have to wait.

 

[EugeneR]

Surprised nobody has mentioned Newtown Creek. Safe anchorage inside and out - or buoys if you prefer - surrounded by nature, with everything from resident seals, sea eagles, BBQ beach and undersized seabass... and a dinghy trip to the pub (possibly now closed though)

 

[neilf39]

You can do anywhere in the Solent over a weekend. Leave at hw-2 and you can get to Yarmouth or Lymington in 6 hours if you can do stw of 5kn with ebb. If hw is early afternoon you can leave Sat morning as the ebb starts and be back Sunday afternoon on the flood. All destinations have pros and cons and all worth a visit. We do it all the time from EYH.

 

[FairweatherDave]

We've been in Chichester a long time. Some say it is not in the Solent. So much depends on your family tolerance to slogging into the wind. Getting to Cowes can be hard work. With spring tides middle of the day getting as far as Beaulieu at nightfall is satisfying . A 3 day weekend allows a day going west, a day not going far and a day returning. Nice. Often have one night away and one in the harbour as its the best! Going round Selsey is great but after that it's just a bit dull going on to Brighton. Nab tower is a interesting target . But the idea that it is easy to get to Newtown creek Yarmouth or Hurst from Chichester is somewhat misleading unless your kids are hardcore. It can be, but more often tides weather or an ordinary weekend it is just a bit much. Neil is right but you have to have motivation for a six hour one way trip and get the conditions. But there's always somewhere.

 

[sailingmartin]

I can recommend the trip to Brighton for a longer journey - we did our first overnight from Southsea to Brighton on the longest day in June. Either going or coming back you can break the journey in Littlehampton. Also don’t forget that Chichester Harbour is a great place to be if it’s a bit rough outside or the tides don’t work for the time you have available. You can sail up towards Bosham and anchor safely at Itchenor, pick up a visitor’s buoy or use the visitor’s pontoon. The Ship pub is an excellent spot for food and drink and there are showers and toilets at the harbour office.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Look up "Follow the Tightwad Sailor".
Day time lunch stops Priory bay and Osborne bay.
Is your 34ft fin keel or bilge? We are probably slower at 29ft but how much you want to motor ?

 

[samsuka]

Surprised nobody has mentioned Newtown Creek. Safe anchorage inside and out - or buoys if you prefer - surrounded by nature, with everything from resident seals, sea eagles, BBQ beach and undersized seabass... and a dinghy trip to the pub (possibly now closed though)

Hi Eugene, I can’t find Newtown Creek on the map. Can you please point out where it is? Maybe what3words?

sounds great

Thanks

 

[samsuka]

Look up "Follow the Tightwad Sailor".
Day time lunch stops Priory bay and Osborne bay.
Is your 34ft fin keel or bilge? We are probably slower at 29ft but how much you want to motor ?

Its a fin keel. I have been to Osborne bay but not sure where Priory bay is. Are these ok to anchor overnight?

I can recommend the trip to Brighton for a longer journey - we did our first overnight from Southsea to Brighton on the longest day in June. Either going or coming back you can break the journey in Littlehampton. Also don’t forget that Chichester Harbour is a great place to be if it’s a bit rough outside or the tides don’t work for the time you have available. You can sail up towards Bosham and anchor safely at Itchenor, pick up a visitor’s buoy or use the visitor’s pontoon. The Ship pub is an excellent spot for food and drink and there are showers and toilets at the harbour office.

Thanks, actually we motored up to itchenor today to have a look, cold as it was, but had to dash back to get in before the tide meant we couldn’t get home. Its a surprisingly long trek and yes thought exactly that, to berth in Chichester overnight and maybe have lunch in Bosham on the Sat and in Itchenor on the Sunday. Not much sailing but sounds like a great weekend!,

Thanks

 

[Tranona]

Newtown halfway between Cowes and Yarmouth on the north of IOW. Centre of the Solent universe for many. Unfortunately that means it is often crowded at weekends.

Freshwater Bay is delightful, but difficult to get there because of tides/wind, not a good anchorage for other than lunch stop, but very satisfying if you do manage it. Once in 40 years for me when everything was right for a lunch at the Albion and back to Hurst for the night.

 

[Stemar]

Beware of Wooton Creek with a fin keel. On my Day Skipper course about 20 years ago, our instructor took us in there. "All the fins leave by half tide, but I know this place, we'll just sink into the mud and be fine. Well, not quite, the boat ended up at about 40 deg, and it was 2am before she'd come back up far enough to go back on board. No harm done, but not quite what was intended!

If you come into Portsmouth Harbour, you can dry out safely alongside the Hardway SC pontoon, sitting in the mud. A decent Sunday lunch and can be had for not a lot.

 

[Pete7]

Newtown halfway between Cowes and Yarmouth on the north of IOW. Centre of the Solent universe for many. Unfortunately that means it is often crowded at weekends.

Freshwater Bay is delightful, but difficult to get there because of tides/wind, not a good anchorage for other than lunch stop, but very satisfying if you do manage it. Once in 40 years for me when everything was right for a lunch at the Albion and back to Hurst for the night.

Rather than go to FW, Scratchells Bay just passed the Needles is a great stop for a picnic in calm weather. It is a real sun trap and a cave to snorkel in. Great factoid, the British space programme launched rockets into space from the hill above. Do avoid the rock:

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-pro...g?crop=0.670xw:1.00xh;0.0329xw,0&resize=980:*

 

[Wansworth]

In the summer you have to be on your toes as Chichester harbour it’s all out racing.One idea is buy a sailingtender so you can anchour up or moor say at It he or and the lads can get out in the dinghy,within a few weeks they will be competent to be on their own boredom is the killer for teenagers

 

[ashtead]

Having grown up sailing in the Solent from the iow in a westerly a lot depends on the weather and tide in Solent and what tolerances the crew have (I went sailing off cowes in what seemed flat calm but turned a school mate green) . Assuming the crew are not prone to sickness what do the junior crew want to do when they arrive? Are they looking for somewhere to canoe or paddle board or row a dinghy on arrival. Or are they more into shore based stuff
Some thoughts:
1 go to a Gosport marina eg Haslar, Clarence etc and see the old submarine ashore ,catch green ferry across to gunwharf for shopping,cinema bowling etc; if it history look at offers for attractions, can paddle around Haslar creek etc
2 further up port Solent rather tired but again cinema and shops ,sports centre and plenty of eateries and marina superstore for boat stuff,could also visit port Chester castle,simple access but just be careful on summer weekends that the lock doesn’t run out of exit spaces (they run a timed exit booking system so can get stuck in);
3 don’t be tempted by gunwharf for berth as bouncy and pricey IMHO;
4 I would try ocean village in Soton for cinema and restaurants in Oxford road;
5 Beaulieu is dead ashore but you can walk to motor museum or I guess go up river in dinghy-I suspect you should be booking walk ashore berths well in advance;
6 for cowes we like east cowes marina as we are a Haslar boat which has an eatery at lifeboat in which is fine for family food but really need to get water taxi across as chain ferry never working ,but can visit Osborn house , in cowes itself we use shepherds marina but all are fine really so cowes yacht haven ok but tends to attract charter boats who are best avoided due to noise and poor parking ability; many eateries but do book in advance in summer ,
7 go down the Mediana to the folly Which has an inn) where food of varying quality but plenty of mid river pontoons (maybe no power?)
8 go to island harbour as tide rises say 1 hour before HW and book a berth - a small restaurant but bus into newport or cycle; -9) Yarmouth -always book but beware you pay in advance so loss of deposit if bad weather puts you off,I would also book an eatery like on the rocks to entail crew plus maybe hire by Les and cycle to freshwater or Compton. Quick trip around the castle plus an open top bus ride . Visit needles battery or say freshwater down /farring Ford house ; not much in town to attract really though;
10) lymington - book in advance -yacht haven is good for walks/cycle to key haven- restaurant on site is usually full and over priced but various pubs eg mayflower plus a couple of others slightly out of town -so Uber there and walk back. In Lym itself the Ship on front is dire for food but the pub on left at top of cobbles is good if you can get booking, also a reliable Indian plus plenty of shops eg Cook for ready meals at top of town plus Waitrose (somewhat of a walk plus M&S and you usual Tesco stuff - there are good sandwich places for lunch down side alleys and also a market on Saturdays to entertain plus for summer the lido near the sailing club. Berthon is good but facilities at both marina top out of Solent in terms of space and facilities . You can also raft of course at town key if you like rafting but now have some fingers I noticed so might be fun once;Dan brown run by harbour authority is another marina between yacht haven and Berthon if rest are booked up; Lym is our favourite as decent sail, plenty of space,can paddle board or dinghy down river-just watch out for ferry and fleets of racing cadets in rsfevers etc as you enter. Alledgely food can be had at Lym town sailing club but never tried it. As a newbie you could stay say 5 nights in Lym and not be bored;
11) Newtown creek -a complete bunfight on summer weekends-nothing there apart from other boats with anchors to catch yours unless a buoy is surprisingly free but I guess motor in one day and see what state it’s in; some I know love it at this time of year though so worth checking out of season or weekdays; I believe the pub new inn now closed down ;

12) Bembridge -book in advance-enter 2 hours before HW -don’t be moved from centre of channel by any smaller mobo though as it can be shallow at edges for keels- it’s a bit chaotic on entry as those leaving can back out into you -ideally have a berth at far end of pontoon;great walks etc -great in fine weather though.

 

[FairweatherDave]

I'd love more Chichester based contributors to this thread! The conundrum is skewed by the need to complete a Solent mission in a weekend. I'm not disputing the Gosport based knowledge (or Poole) but there are good reasons to be based at Gosport - in the blink of an eye you are in the Solent and can go right or left. From Northney it is an hour to the West Pole and the key tactic is to be there when the tide turns West (2 hours before HW). So you often need to motor quite hard against the flow just to get out. And low water can prove a challenge at Chichester Bar and Northney bar. Wansworth's comment about boredom for teenagers is well made. That said our twins were happier being on the move going somewhere rather than sitting at the beach or just being anchored.
BTW Priory bay is between Seaview and Bembridge. Like Osborne bay it can be an overnight stop too but whenever there we have found both places a bit rolly at times with wake from ships, even when sheltered from whichever wind direction.

 

[Wansworth]

One thing not to be overlooked is Chichester has a bar which is not benign with a falling tide and a brisk south wester

 

[Sandy]

I visited Chichester Harbour for the first time last summer, what a beautiful place. If I had a boat there I don't think I'd venture out to the Solent unless on passage to somewhere else.

 

[EugeneR]

Hi Eugene, I can’t find Newtown Creek on the map. Can you please point out where it is? Maybe what3words?

sounds great

Thanks

Anchor around (nesting.overpaid.intrigues), BBQ and walks here (smirking.stumpy.vitamins) and the seals usually here (vowel.clattered.actor) but could be anywhere.

 

[ashtead]

Not certain I would choose priory bay for an overnight stop unless dead calm - the beach is good for barbecues though but you might be better off taking a berth in Bembridge and travelling round in inflatable with outboard for a day trip or walk there of course . There are some buoys off Seaview you can tie up to lunch at say the Old Fort cafe etc.