Yacht Clubs on the South Coast

[bedouin]

Anyone got any recommendations for yacht clubs on the South Coast (or maybe even the East Coast)?

Thinking of somewhere with at least basic shore side facilities - maybe that has winter hard standing - and has deep water moorings available (either their own or another operator).

 

[Tranona]

Difficult to know where to start - there are so many and what they offer so variable. In Poole alone there are at least 5 and around the Solent and Chichester dozens literally. A major issue on the south coast is road access and if you need to travel regularly to and from the boat, particularly at weekends your starting point can determine where you locate the boat!

Anyway, if it suits, my recommendation is Poole Yacht Club. Although time ashore is limited, many members with deep water moorings split the winter into a temporary berth in the marina and a period ashore. Upside superb facilities, good harbour sailing and typically an hour down harbour to open sea. Downside road access from the east is poor from Southampton on at peak times, and slow from direct north and west.

 

[bedouin]

In fact we are thinking of moving house in the next year or so and the relationship between house and boat mooring is a key part of that - I would like to keep the drive from home to the boat at no more than 75 minutes, preferably less.

Although I love Poole as a location as you say road access can be challenging from almost every direction. I am not sure where a reliable hour's drive from Poole gets me

 

[Tranona]

An arc from Southampton -Salisbury - Shaftesbury - Dorchester. Lots of lovely places to live inside that ring.

 

[R.Ems]

Marchwood were very friendly when I did a course there. A bit of a trek from the open sea though.

 

[blush2]

Can I suggest looking for a mooring first, a friend thinking of buying a boat on the Dart and keeping it there found the waiting list for a marina berth was at least four years, no idea how long for a harbour master's mooring.

Hamble moorings have always been like hen's teeth, we waited fourteen years for a permanent mooring. It used to be a Solent thing but has spread West at a rate of knots since Covid.

 

[Tranona]

Deep water moorings not a problem in Poole - marina berths are unless you can afford MDL prices in Cobbs Quay and put up with the bridges.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We went through this a few years back, and finished up moving to the Isle of Wight. It’s got some downsides, but it's impossible to be more than about 50 minutes from your mooring.

 

[bedouin]

We went through this a few years back, and finished up moving to the Isle of Wight. It’s got some downsides, but it's impossible to be more than about 50 minutes from your mooring.

As I was browsing for houses yesterday I saw a number of great looking ones on IoW, some with their own mooring or pontoon.

However even when I retire I intend to keep working occasionally if I can and I suspect that the issues with travel would make that very difficult

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I wouldnt rule it out, we both still work, not full time by any means. Our daughter returned home for the first lockdown, and worked remotely. Red Jet is 20 mins to Cowes, a Wooton home is next door to the ferry, and might have a pontoon. It might work fine. We live on the south coast, and it still works for us.

 

[ashtead]

Does not the size of yacht influence choice if looking for a club mooring? As to travel from the island it rather depends on mode of transport and destination but I assume you won’t be wanting to Tavel by motor bike or train so it’s the thought of the car ferries which put you off. Remember though that if time is not an issue the savings from a cheap mooring on the medina can pay out for a lot of crossings. Hovercraft is quick assuming good weather -I guess this depends on where occasional work is located. If I was ruling out the island maybe a look around chi harbour might suit -nice house in Emsworth or bosham or chi itself ,Prinstead is lovely and moorings in the channel for the summer. Walk down to beach and dinghy out to yacht but is tidal .

 

[bedouin]

Even part time my work is likely to be London centric so I think realistically I would want to be within about 2 hours of a London terminus and also able to go out to a concert in London in the evening and still sleep in my own bed. Boat is 32' and unlikely to grow any more but fin keeled so needs a deep water mooring - and if on a mooring I would want local dinghy storage.

There was someone posted on here about Marchwood a couple of years back and that stuck in my mind as being a possibility and probably what started me thinking along those lines - and when I moved into Ocean Village it was with the intention of joining RYSC but they shut their clubhouse in OV, I am not sure if they are a realistic option - the Gins clubhouse seems a long way to go

 

[ashtead]

I guess you can keep a 32ft on a mooring in chi harbour but just my impressions. I guess a lot depends on your sailing area or if you want some form of club racing. There are clubs like Hardway in Gosport etc I believe. A house in port Solent would meet both boating and mooring needs at 32ft maybe . I don’t know if the rya publish a guide to facilities offered by each club on south coast but chi harbour seems ideal starting point for search.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Hayling Island has it all, plus a marina next door when you’re too old to use a swinging mooring

 

[bedouin]

32' is pretty small by modern standards and in my experience pretty much all swinging moorings will take that size - just one or two I have come across that are limited to 30' or so.

I spent an afternoon at Hayling Island once waiting for a taxi and I had the boat in Sparkes for a while - certainly a very nice environment but the drive down the Island adds a bit of time. Probably in reach from many places south of London near the A3.

 

[ashtead]

Hayling island can have traffic access issues - even blocks the road to Emsworth if you come off A3 slip and are unlucky .

 

[Chiara’s slave]

20 years or so ago we were based there, that is all true. However, if you base yourself further up the harbour, you use more time and fuel getting to the sea. Overall, on average so to speak, we found it was quicker to drive it than sail or motor it.

 

[PhillM]

Even part time my work is likely to be London centric so I think realistically I would want to be within about 2 hours of a London terminus and also able to go out to a concert in London in the evening and still sleep in my own bed. Boat is 32' and unlikely to grow any more but fin keeled so needs a deep water mooring - and if on a mooring I would want local dinghy storage.

There was someone posted on here about Marchwood a couple of years back and that stuck in my mind as being a possibility and probably what started me thinking along those lines - and when I moved into Ocean Village it was with the intention of joining RYSC but they shut their clubhouse in OV, I am not sure if they are a realistic option - the Gins clubhouse seems a long way to go

All this screams being close to the Hamble. There are three clubs to choose from and loads of mooring options. Fast trains to London from Airport Parkway and loads of places to choose to live from within walking distance to being out in the country but only 15-30 mins drive away from the boat. Royal Southern have a 7 day a week bosun service out to the moorings. Makes life very easy.

 

[bedouin]

All this screams being close to the Hamble. There are three clubs to choose from and loads of mooring options. Fast trains to London from Airport Parkway and loads of places to choose to live from within walking distance to being out in the country but only 15-30 mins drive away from the boat. Royal Southern have a 7 day a week bosun service out to the moorings. Makes life very easy.

Yes - the Hamble is a great location. Royal Southern talk about an annual ballot for moorings. That sounds a bit difficult if you don't know from one year to the next whether you will have a berth!

 

[PhillM]

TBH there are not that many entries and some people who enter already have a HM mooring that they can release for the year, if they are successful. Also, RSrnYC moorings cost about the same as the local marinas and most of these have a few berths available. Personally, I would get on the HM list for a trot, which for your size is fairly likely to turn up without a very long wait. Top tip, take whatever you get offered by HM as next year you can ask for a transfer and existing users are given priority before new people get offered. In my case, I took on a rather difficult trot for 6 months and then moved to a lovely one with its own pontoon. That said I let it go with Paean and will be back to square 1 when I come back with another boat.