Who owns the Solent?

[SloopJohnB]

…………….Sunsail does, or is it my imagination?

Why are there hordes of them wherever I go? Are they following me or are they everywhere else as well.
Only place guaranteed to be Sunsail free at weekend, if you don’t wanna anchor, is Port Solent!
And another thing ………. How come I am always rafted off if I go to Cowes Yacht Haven these days yet boat after Sunsail boat is allowed in, even if they come after me (and I’m not talking about Cowes week either). So much for first come first served. Maybe they own Cowes Yacht Haven as well. What’s going on?

Ps does Bavaria own the Solent now – only joking!!

 

[bedouin]

Re: Sad but true.

"He who pays the piper calls the tune"

Do the sums. S**msail have a huge charter operation in the Solent (40+ boats) and I assume they have a fairly high 'occupancy' rate. That represents a lot of money - no business is willingly going to jeopardise the sort of income they get from that, particularly not weekday moorings and the like.

Luckily this only seems to be a problem in Cowes Yacht Haven, which is not my favourite spot in the Solent anyway.

 

[pkb]

Re: Sad but true.

I expressed similar sentiments on an earlier thread. Once upon a time I actually enjoyed popping into Cowes for a Saturday night. I still think there is a scruffy charm to the place and if you wanted to sit in the cockpit whisky in hand and watch the world go by there was always lots of activity. And then Sunsail came on the scene and huge swathes of the marina were closed off to the "private" as opposed to the "corporate" yachstman. The other irritation in the Solent is the - apparently - increasing incidence of rallies who also pre-book great swatches of moorings. Cowes is popular for this and so it seems are the Lymington and Bucklers Hard marinas. Hunting for a visitor's berth is obviously somethging you have to do in packs - or herds - now. Thankgod I'm based in Poole. The Dorset coast is much more interesting - short on marinas but long on some pleasant anchorages (in the right weather conditions of course).

Peter

 

[blackbird]

Do you know

I don't think I have ever even seen a Sunsail boat. There's a lot to be said for mud. Not only is it beautiful (it makes the most sensuous curves), kind to wooden boats and an excellent larder for a vast variety of birds - but it is also a most efficient corporate yachtsperson repellant.

 

[Mirelle]

Lots of herons this year

and cormorants, and at least one seal, in our little river at the moment.

Evidently plenty of fish.

No corporate yotspeople. Our only bar is "of the Dangerous Sort"!

 

[tome]

In many ways I share your sentiments. Couple of weekends ago I went into Cowes with SWMBO on a Saturday evening looking for a berth. We were slowly trolling around looking when in came the Sunsail fleet throttles at exhibition settings and an unecessary close-quarter situation rapidly developed. My only consolation was that one had to take avoiding action and ended up doing a fender kiss with a moored boat. This in turn led to an angry exchange between them which I was pleased to leave in my wake as I decided there were better places to go.

Ran on down to the Folly, only to find 6 Sunsail boats rafted at the pontoon on a corporate binge. It was easy to spot the group in the pub (couple of loud mouths and a girl who fell off the table dancing), and we were pleased to return to the peace of our boat. I overheard them the following morning threaten the Sunsail lead skipper who had told them there had been a complaint about their language from a neighbouring boat. Gist of it was that if Sunsail wanted another 5 grand off them next year they had better tell the complaining skipper to p*** off.

 

[cgull]

Sunsail are now penetrating the SW Cornish coast .
I spotted my first Sunsail yacht in Falmouth a couple of weeks ago.
Whatever is said about them, at least they are getting a lot of people out there sailing. I started with them way back when they operated from Langstone or Emsworth,but i havent chartered from them for many years.

 

[Guest]

Re: Sad but true.

Sunsail now have close to 80 boats in the solent, there are another 100+ charter boats in Haslar, etc etc. All paying lots of money and therefore to hell with the rest of us....Sunsail opened in Plymouth and I would have thought likely to have a similar size fleet down there... Noticeable that dodging the racing fleets on Sunday the private boats waved a thankyou and the corporate charters just gave hard stares.


Pete

 

[Viking]

Its not only in the marinas that you hear the 'Sunsail' big mouths.
A couple of years ago I was sailing back through the Solent. Somewhere a 'Sunsail' boat was trying to make contact with another 'SS' boat without any luck. Every 2 minutes it was the same message "This is Sunsail boat 'A' calling Sunsail boat 'B' over". Over and over and over again on C16. So much so, Solent Coast Guard called them and ask to switch to another channel. From out of know where came black clouds, very heavy wind and rain and a building sea. C16 went mad with Pan, Pans, Boats dragging anchors, small boats in trouble. but still the 'Sunsail' boat kept up its call. The usually cool CG lost it with him, asking him to keep C16 clear during this emergency.
The incident I remember, as after about a hour of calls from boats in differing degrees of trouble. But mainly the envitable 'radio check' or 'weather forecast'. The Solent CG, the operator on duty, was asking if calls to CG on C16 could be taken on C67 unless they where an emergency. Then a call came through, with the CG try not to sound impatient, for the 'untenth' time, asked was this a real emergency call or could it be handled on C67. When a sheepish voice said " Ah! I think a body in the water was an emergency" Then the fun and games really started.
PS No the body was not the Sunsail caller.

 

[Cornishman]

After this sodden (sic) season any chance they will b****r off somewhere else, or change their name to RAINSAIL?
One of the reasons for the demise of the once popular Island Cruising Club's cruising fleet was the lack of guaranteed sunshine - so there's hope yet.

 

[dickh]

Re: Lots of herons this year

Agreed, I've seen the seal as well while anchored above Waldringfield two weekends ago. We will have to keep telling everyone how dangerous the bar is and only locals have the knowledge and experience to enter...Oh, and how muddy everything is... Also as Sunsail seem to prefer marinas, we're a bit short on those!

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[steve_cronin]

It\'s all your own fault!!!

I warned of this take-over by The SCUM (of) SAIL* ing eighteen months ago and was told by several regular contributors that I was a spoilsport and discouraging "newcomers"!

Now you have discovered the true nature of these "newcomers" and the reality that they are not welcome recruits at all but just vulgar "taste it once" yobbos from inner city (often financial) institutions.

I sail in Greece now and even charter my boat out but we get nothing like the experiences currently prevalent in the Solent. So please forgive me for laughing!!!

Ha Ha Ha!

Steve Cronin

*Needed to post it this way because Mr Hollomby & IPC have put a ban on anything that might annoy their corporate advertisers. IPC are in on it too you see!!

 

[pkb]

What's so great about getting a lot of people out there sailing.

Peter

 

[ccscott49]

I would think thats obvious, to overcrowd the already overcrowded anchorages, marinas and moorings, plus fill all the bars and restaurants etc. But you shouldn't complain! It's progress!! You can't stop them and why should we be elitist, just because we own our boats and pay through the nose for everything, I bet they don't have to be on waiting lists, when they want to moor 20 boats, now see how they treat you at your marina!! They'll be building special marinas next! Accountants rule OK sunsail!!!

 

[jtwebb]

I was skipper on a Sunsail boat a year ago and amongst the paperwork were instructions to ask Solent Coastguard for a radio check! If I need one from my own boat I grovel and only do it as the final check after fitting something new etc. Before then I use my power/SWR meter and friends etc. I also used to have a mooring at Portchester Creek just outside Port Solent and the corporate boats were totally inconsiderate.

It was also noticable the attitude of others to me when I was skippering the Sunsail on a corporate event! However, what could I expect?

J Webb

 

[Buck]

Cormorants

Seems to be one on every pile in the Medway at the moment, really good to see them back.

Buck

Urrrgh.

 

[Viking]

Re: Radio checks

Why get a radio check from Solent Coast Guard when you have unteen Sunsail boats you can call for a check?

 

[jtwebb]

Re: Radio checks

Not a clue, range check? Obviously I did not do it, after all I have great faith in their ability to maintain their boats in tip top condition.

J Webb

 

[blackbird]

Back?

Have they been away?

 

[RupertW]

I helped deliver a batch of 19 Sunsail boats down from the Solent to Plymouth in February and I know they are bringing more, so I think you'll see a lot more Sunsail boats from now on. Sorry.

Having said that, the deliveries really changed my mind about winter sailing. It was bliss seeing no other yachts all the way from Hurst to Plymouth breakwater, and the winter skies were wonderfully clear at night. Pity about the frost forming all over my waterproofs, but well worth it. At least with Bootnys my feet couldn't get cold.