Where to go in Chichester

[jcwads]

Taking my first foray over Chichester way this weekend. For whatever reason, just have not ventured there yet.

Anyone good any decent recommendations of where to stay over (marinas, mooring buoys etc), and where to ensure I explore...

Cheers


Jonathan

 

[Firefly625]

Taking my first foray over Chichester way this weekend. For whatever reason, just have not ventured there yet.

Anyone good any decent recommendations of where to stay over (marinas, mooring buoys etc), and where to ensure I explore...

Cheers
Jonathan

the world will be at East Head, sometimes best to head for Pilsey Island instead for an anchor and swim and lunch, then you can head for Sparks which is a nice little marina with a half decent bar (Drift)... or pick up a buoy off Itchenor, will be rafted up but somewhere to sit and see the world go by... gets quite exciting sometimes...can dinghy ashore and walk to the pub, or head for Chichester marina, locked in so ensure you get up early and get yourself out and sit on the waiting pontoon... (what I do, cant stand feeling trapped), they have the bistro (I think), newish and ok'ish...


a load of other spots as well which others I am sure will expand on, like Emsworth and Bosham etc

 

[Fantasie 19]

the world will be at East Head, sometimes best to head for Pilsey Island instead for an anchor and swim and lunch, then you can head for Sparks which is a nice little marina with a half decent bar (Drift)... or pick up a buoy off Itchenor, will be rafted up but somewhere to sit and see the world go by... gets quite exciting sometimes...can dinghy ashore and walk to the pub, or head for Chichester marina, locked in so ensure you get up early and get yourself out and sit on the waiting pontoon... (what I do, cant stand feeling trapped), they have the bistro (I think), newish and ok'ish...


a load of other spots as well which others I am sure will expand on, like Emsworth and Bosham etc

In addition to this good stuff, as it's going to be hot and sunny this weekend it will be busy so I would advise booking ahead for any marina's..

I'm based Emsworth way and Northney marina is OK but a bit isolated, Emsworth Yacht Harbour would be my choice - it has a sill so is tide dependent, but it gives you the opportunity to visit the eateries and pubs in Emsworth.. lots of spare moorings around so you could pick one of those up for lunch and watching the world go by.. there's also a mid-channel pontoon in the Emsworth Channel but you'll need a tender to get ashore..

 

[Switch]

Chichester Harbour gets really busy with dinghy sailors. They are usually racing and their courses criss-cross the marked channels. I always end up getting yelled at by someone in a dinghy for being in their way no matter what I do - so be prepared!!

Northney marina is nice if you want peace and quiet but I've found the berths there really tight - they really squeeze them in there.

 

[jcwads]

Chichester Harbour gets really busy with dinghy sailors. They are usually racing and their courses criss-cross the marked channels. I always end up getting yelled at by someone in a dinghy for being in their way no matter what I do - so be prepared!!

Northney marina is nice if you want peace and quiet but I've found the berths there really tight - they really squeeze them in there.

Ah, my favourite, clashing with Dinghy sailors. I sometimes wonder if they know about the squeeky bum moments we deal with as we're going 4 knots and trying to manoeuvre around them in a 10 tonne 40ft boat that gets pushed and pulled by tide and wind at low speed...!

 

[Greg2]

Ah, my favourite, clashing with Dinghy sailors. I sometimes wonder if they know about the squeeky bum moments we deal with as we're going 4 knots and trying to manoeuvre around them in a 10 tonne 40ft boat that gets pushed and pulled by tide and wind at low speed...!

Ah yes, funnily enough (as I am not south coast based) I experienced that on Sunday. A forumite was kind enough to take us out on his motor-sailer for the day and we went from Gosport to Chichester harbour where we dropped the pick for lunch. I was at the helm as we negotiated the channel in a circa 20 tonne boat with a single prop and long keel so manoeuvring was a tad tricky.

Faced with dozens of dinghy's hurtling around and criss-crossing the channel I carefully picked my way through a line of them quite successfully until it came to the last one. I had one passing astern with other boats around me in the channel and the dinghy in question on a stbd tack heading across the channel from our stbd side (I was to his port side so obscured from the helmsman by his sail). I had nowhere to go and had slowed right down and thought surely he will see the situation and put a tack in. But no, he continued on and it became clear that he had no idea that we were there - a sharp turn to port and a shouted warning avoided a collision....just. This was immediately followed by an aggressive torrent of abuse and questions about whether or not we knew the rules of the road. Obviously a selective question as it ignored his responsibility to keep a good lookout and the overriding responsibly to avoid a collision. The owner/skipper of our boat politely pointed this out and it went a bit quiet.

All very unnecessary and quite why they seem to insist upon criss-crossing the channel without much consideration to larger vessels transiting is beyond me. Seems to be a small boat thing - experienced the same from rowers on a Thames cruise

 

[Firefly625]

I've taken to coming to an absolute stop and closing my eyes if faced with a fleet of dinghy racers... I have yet to here a bump or in fact a cross word, I think they think I'm a safety boat.

 

[Elessar]

Taking my first foray over Chichester way this weekend. For whatever reason, just have not ventured there yet.

Anyone good any decent recommendations of where to stay over (marinas, mooring buoys etc), and where to ensure I explore...

Cheers


Jonathan

It's going to be sunny, and so east head is a must for me. Sparkes if you can get in or northney and it's free. Or overnight on the hook, either at east head or a little further up the itchenor reach. Just put lots of chain out as the ebb flows strongly, and all will be well and it's neaps anyway.
If splashing out for the night, Chi marina is nice - from there the walk up the ship canal to chi is lovely.
Or walk north east along the river bank to a lovely pub in dell quay.
The list is just so long.
You can spend a fortnight in the harbour and not get bored it is so beautiful. Enjoy!
None of the marinas (bar emsworth) have walk-able supermarkets so stock up. Tides good for day trips from emsworth (which has a cill)