Best Place for a First Sea Trailer Launch South Coast Area

[EnglishLes]

Where is a good place to launch for a small RIB 3.1m with a 1985 15HP 2ST?

Looking for somewhere between Poole and Brighton.

Only have a 1.4 C3, can manhandle the trailer if required as long as not too steep/far. Pensioner next month!

Many Thanks fto various people for your advice in getting my boat and engine running.

I have done PB2 course, doing VHF this month, have waterproof handheld ICOM VHF (and mobile phone), will get coastal flare pack, have paddles.

Is Putney Hard on the Thames an easier place to launch/RIB than where you are suggesting?

Thanks in advance.

[Ian M]

I am sure others will be along with views; Lymington slip is in a well protected location with a good hard slipway which is useable at most states of the tide. The only down side is that it can get a little busy. Take a look on Boatlaunch.co.uk

[John Kennett]

What do you want to do once you're afloat? With that size boat pretty much any slipway will be OK.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Camber Dock in Old Portsmouth is good, and will give you an excuse to practice your VHF skills as you'll need to contact the harbour control (QHM) to cross to the small boat channel. You can explore up the harbour or head out into the Solent, maybe heading over to Ryde for ice cream if the weather is good. There's a pub at the Camber too for a restorative drink when you get back!

Itchenor is a good place to launch if you want to explore Chichester Harbour. A picnic at East Head is always a favourite, or head right round to Emsworth, or just across the way to Bosham. Head out across the bar for a bit of excitement, but make sure you know where the channel is (it's all clearly buoyed, but people regularly end up aground on the Winner Bank).

On the Thames, Putney is OK but best around high water. Half tide and below can be a bit of a problem. For a more relaxed outing I'd launch at Petersham and head down to Richmond or to the White Swan at Twickenham.

[chris123]

+1 for Itchenor.

Generally lots of space so you can take your time. Useable at all states of the tide - can get a little bit frantic at high spring tide when everyone is trying to recover at the same time. Very shallow gravel so you may need to uncouple from the car and push the trailer in. Info and pic here:

Itchenor Hard Itchenor[slipway] - Boatlaunch

Cheers

Chris

[Hightower]

I can't really recomend my local slip as you might not be able to recover easily due to it being steep and gravel.

All I will say is if you're not that experienced with launch and recovery, then a nice quiet slipway with no pressure to hurry yourself though the procedure by other users would be ideal. The other things that will make life easier are sheltered slips, no cross currents and with their own pontoon.

I was going to suggest some slips to use, but the Boatlaunch website isn't letting me copy the links.

[thomas]

I was going to suggest Itchenor too, expect to do some winching when recovering at HW. There's always Chichester Marina if you want a nice safe enclosed slip with a pontoon next to it, will cost slightly more but you won't have to walk miles to park the car.

[horacebat]

Or if you fancy a trip out to Kent then Herne Bay Slip's pretty sheltered and even I manager to reverse a Rib down the slip.

From there you've got Whitstable, The Swale (and if your lucky some Seals), The Old Ack Ack Forts or the Windfarm.

Another one in our area is a launch at Gillingham, can be a bit muddy, but then you can have a nice potter up and down the Medway.

[Tim M]

Originally Posted by EnglishLes

Is Putney Hard on the Thames an easier place to launch/RIB than where you are suggesting?

As said, easy enough at a decent tidal height. Don't be tempted to take your C3 onto the gravel as you WILL get stuck. Free parking on the road at the West end of the slip after 10am. If you want a hand, Chas Newens will launch and recover your boat for you with their Defender for not much money.

[rarms]

Littlehampton will be ok two hours either side of high. I use my wife's KIA picanto 1.1 to launch my 3.5m ribs there. No bother.