Where are the slipways?

IRS · 02 November 2005, 14:54

Hi all,
Am just about to buy my first RIB but am at a loss where to launch it in and around Southampton. All the slipways locally (Woolston, Crosshouse hard etc) all seem really small and with VERY limited parking. Anybody know any good ones i could try?

Rodan · 02 November 2005, 14:59

The one under the Itchen bridge just past ocean village is wide and has parking...

ashbypower · 02 November 2005, 15:00

Hi IRS and Welcome.

Try http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk/

Very usefull info. Cross house is that the one under the itchen Bridge? if so Super slip we launch a 5.5 there easy peesy.

Regards

Brian

IRS · 02 November 2005, 15:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashbypower

Hi IRS and Welcome.

Try http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk/

Very usefull info. Cross house is that the one under the itchen Bridge? if so Super slip we launch a 5.5 there easy peesy.

Regards

Brian

Hi Brian,

Yes, Crosshouse is the one under the Bridge. The slip itself is quite good but there are only 4 (or 5 i can't remember) designated trailer parking spaces. I know this slip gets busy in the summer so what am i supposed to do with the trailer (the two car parks there do not allow trailers in)? Has anybody used the one in Hythe Marina village and is it any good?

MikeCC · 02 November 2005, 15:16

The slip at Warsash is quite good at most states of tide. Car parking next door, trailer park is couple of hundred yards away. Slip and both carparks are free. Put your trailer up on the grass verge in the car park when it's busy.

Rising Sun pub opposite is OK as well.

Other OK slip is at Swanwick - again free car park but you're a long way up the river there.

Biggles · 02 November 2005, 15:23

Hi,

As Mike says. Warsash is good and highly recommended due to parking, Public Toilets and Pub.

Hugh Jardon · 02 November 2005, 15:27

nice slip at ichenor in the chichester harbour

cost is 2.50 to use the slip, need a harbour licence which is cheap

slip is quite large but gravel, shallow fall around high tide then nearer low tide is a lot steeper, free trailer stowage on the slip but it might get wet from the sea or use the carpark which is 4 mins walk away, usually lots of space and you can leave the trailer connect, fee for 4 hours or more upto a midnight is 3 quid for car and 3 quid for the trailer, have used it lots of times with no issues

i slip with a landrover and never any issues, lots of folks with cars use it

LURCHER · 02 November 2005, 15:49

Northney Marina has a very good but steep slip all states of the tide and the option to go either Langstone way under the bridge if high tide or down Chi harbour .Northney seem ok about leaving trailers but make sure it is locked .The best thing about Northney is it is so close to A3 and A27 if you are coming from Guildford area .

IRS · 02 November 2005, 15:50

Thanks for the info. Looks like i will be able to get the thing in the water (eventually - no laughing you lot) and hopefully without the car still attached!! If you see someone next spring / summer on your local slipway making a right hash of things and looking really frustrated and bad tempered - please be patient, that will be me..... :-)

Jizm · 02 November 2005, 15:54

A trailer for a 3 metre boat could quite easily be manhandled over the wooden rails at crosshouse and on to the gravel, out of the way!

Just a thought!

tcwozere · 02 November 2005, 15:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggles

Hi,

As Mike says. Warsash is good and highly recommended due to parking, Public Toilets and Pub....

With plenty of "experts" supping beer, who will offer advice when things are going wrong..

btw, parking, during the summer, is nigh on impossible at Warsash.. Prolly far better to enquire how much it would cost to launch over at Hamble Point Marina.. It would be a safer place to leave a car and trailer for long periods as well..

nugent · 02 November 2005, 16:05

been out fishing from hamble in the past ,(charter boat wight rebel) is launching all states of the tide? sure i remember it drying out, @ the slip. but this is the one in the boat yard, not the main town its self?

Scary Des · 02 November 2005, 16:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by IRS

....... one in Hythe Marina village and is it any good?

Used this one with my brothers boat and its OK, bit limited by tide but the parking doesn’t seem too bad

Des

hard1 · 02 November 2005, 16:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcwozere

With plenty of "experts" supping beer, who will offer advice when things are going wrong..

btw, parking, during the summer, is nigh on impossible at Warsash.. Prolly far better to enquire how much it would cost to launch over at Hamble Point Marina.. It would be a safer place to leave a car and trailer for long periods as well..

Phew! Either Hamble Point or Port Hamble (not sure which one) wanted over £20 a couple of weeks ago....Guy I was chartering with decided to drive his RIB there from Lymo instead as it was cheaper! (and probably quicker). But why don't you come over to Lymington and get ripped off here instead? Only £12 to launch a boat and then it's only £12 to park your vehicle and trailer. Facilities? Don't make I laugh....But you can always provide some free entertainment for the posh folks in the Royal Lymington Yacht Club Don't you Know, as they munch their roast beef and york shire pudding overlooking the slip.

rbw156 · 02 November 2005, 17:09

You could also try the Public Hard at Hamble (free). This slipway is perfect for a small RIB as anything over 6m won't get access into the village centre. There is also parking, toilets and a small beach cafe.

timboli · 02 November 2005, 20:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by IRS

Hi Brian,

Has anybody used the one in Hythe Marina village and is it any good?

Daniel is the expert on Hythe marina slip.I used to use it and allow 3 hours either side of low water for access but I think Daniel says it can be done closer to low.

Slip is good unless its a stronger southeast,gets a bit weedy and shailey further down but so do most,parking is around £6.00 but can get busy in summer.

I switched to Calshot last year,about £110 for the year,parking andlaunching,wash off facilities and 3 slips to chose from,the main one is wide and all tide but can get rough in northerlies or with wash.
Only problems I really had were on open weekends for catamaran classes when it gets very busy and parking can be challenging.

DJL · 02 November 2005, 22:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by IRS

Has anybody used the one in Hythe Marina village and is it any good?

I think Hythe is pretty good. It’s a fairly steep concrete slip and you can launch/recover with the boat attached to the car. There's ample parking, £5 for the day, and they have CCTV/Security guards. You can organise overnight parking if you talk to the lock office, even though the ticket machines won't let you.

You pass a shell garage on your way to the marina. There’s also a few restaurants and shops on site – useful when you forget your dry suit talc.

With regards to tides - there’s plenty of water to get my boat out with 1.8m of tide, which equates to about 1.5 hours either side of low. The sea bed around the slip is soft mud and incredibly flat - the depth is pretty much the same from the end of the slip right out to just before the end of the pier.

As Paul said strong south east winds can be hard work, but otherwise is fairly sheltered from both wind and tidal streams.

The only real annoying things are the lack of washing down facilities and a pontoon next to the slip to tie up too when launching solo.

dave9960 · 03 November 2005, 19:05

There is also the slipway at St Denys, cant remember what its called now.. I found this was an ideal slipway for the first few times at launching, as there was no-one else around. You can make plenty of mistakes, and there is noone around to see you making them. Excellent!!! I've hardly seen anyone else launch from here, probably due to the surrounding area. Make sure you lock your car, and put your valuables out of sight.