Where to launch...

[Leapy]

Wifey and I are taking a few days holiday over Christmas and are thinking of touring south coast launch sites to get a feel for those that would be useful to us come the new year when the new boat (Ribcraft 5.3m) arrives. As we live about as far from the sea as it's possible to get in the UK (Leics) it would be nice to hear your advice and recommendations and then hopefully we can avoid 'disappointments'. Our only south coast launch experience is Mylor, which we love as it gives us access to an interesting coast and the relative calm of the Fal estuary if the weather turns unpleasant

So, assuming a boating paradise of the Solent through to Falmouth what are your recommendations based on good slipway, car/trailer facilities and interesting water?

Pictures would be good if you have any

[250kts]

Leapy, I will leave the areas to the East of Southampton to those for whom it is home ground. All the following have good sized car parks and i have used
Starting at Southampton, I can recommend the slips at Hythe and Calshot, neither needs the trailer to be unhitched. Calshot is particularly good at any state of the tide, nice and wide and immediate access to the Solent area. Cost £14
Moving Westwards, the next would be Lymington, good slip and pontoons for easy access to boat. Great for access to Western Solent and Needles area. About £15 + parking.
Christchurch next, Mudeford quay is trickey and only usable toward high tide, very busy in summer. Would rather use the Slip at Christchurch Quay, if you use an hour before or after low tide its easy. About £10 for parking.
Poole has a couple of slips, the most popular in Baiter Park, which can get busy with Jetski's and as its a very gentle gradiant, you have to unhitch and hand launch/recover. Very good access to the harbour and rivers, as well as the beaches and Swanage/Jurassic coast.
Finally, Weymouth, very good slip in the Harbour at all tides, parking for trailer, but not car, which has to go in another carpark. Can get busy. God for doing Jurassic coast and Portland. About £13 for launch and trailer. Look at www.boatlaunch.co.uk hope this helps Steve

[PeterM]

I'm out via the Christchurch slip tomorrow will take & post some pics.Parking can be arranged for free if you want to use it, by way of where I live being so close it ! If anyone does want to 'park for free' at it just let me know !

[shirehorse]

Kimmeridge for me £10 all in concrete slip most of the tide and a coastline to die for.

[Nos4r2]

Camber Dock in Portsmouth is pretty good-about a tenner all in to park and launch. Nice steep slip but can be an awkward reverse onto it if it's busy there.

Warsash-Free park and launch, but a pain in the neck to launch/recover at dead high tide due to a long shallow sandy slope to lauch from. and a long push for the boat and trailer. Might cost you for harbour dues if the Harbour Master sees you. Good if there's someone to help push, but a pain launching solo.

Crosshouse slip (under the Itchen bridge) is good. Free as far as I remember, maybe a car parking charge. Wouldn't want to leave anything there overnight though.

Calshot Spit is fantastic as long as the wind isn't blowing directly on to it hard across Southampton Water. Can't comment on prices there as never paid -only used it doing safety boat but it's the only slip with a flushing tap nearby I've seen in the Solent and it's nice and wide.

Lymington...IMO too expensive. Nice slip,pontoon to tie up to but it'll cost you £25 to launch and park the car.

Poole-Davies Boatyard in Holes Bay (next to Cobbs Quay)is a nice slip but not usable after about 2hrs30 before/after low water. Good security on site (ex-copper lives there and misses very little) and boatyard is friendly. Good if you're going out overnight-same charge as for launch/recover. Think it was around £25. Flushing tap,outboard engineers on site,chandlery next door in Cobbs Quay marina.

Poole-Baiter Park. As 250kts said. Toilets nearby and tap for flushing. £8ish to launch/park incl harbour dues.

Weymouth-Expensive once you've paid car parking charges on top of launch and trailer storage (around £25 all in last time I used it) but a good slipway with a flushing point and secure trailer parking during the day.

Watermouth Cove-North Devon. Can launch anytime but easiest at high tide as there's actually a proper slipway then rather than pushing the trailer out on the hard sand/shingle. Not a good idea to launch on rising spring tides as the water will be chasing you up the shingle with the car.

Appledore-North Devon. Nice slipway.Boatlaunch says 3/4 tidal but I managed to recover there at dead low water though you'll need a 4x4 to do it. Watch the sand bars in the estuary at low water! Odd local council fee system.

Fowey river-Penmarlam. Great slipway, security on site,coins to lift the barrier to get in. Campsite at entry is fantastic.Pontoon to tie up to.Slipway and road down to it from the campsite is very steep-far easier with a 4x4 but possible with a normal car as long as you don't slip the clutch too much. Watch the lip at the end of the slip (distance to it is marked on slip). Flushing tap has an odd size thread so best to use the hose attached to it for your muffs-you might need to put tape onto the connector to get it to fit though.

Fowey river , Fowey old ferry slip. Never lauched there but nice and steep-been ashore there many times. Roads up to it are tight and no fun towing a trailer.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by shirehorse

Kimmeridge for me £10 all in concrete slip most of the tide and a coastline to die for.

Can you launch at low water at Kimmeridge? It used to be that at low water the inner large concrete slip just lead onto a boulder field, not good and the outer slip before they built all the little huts as tourist infomration centres was a bit steep but do-able, until the put a wooden post right in the middle of the approach. We might start going back to Kimmeridge if the under water Solent vis doesn't improve.

Pete

[bedajim]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Calshot Spit is fantastic as long as the wind isn't blowing directly on to it hard across Southampton Water. Can't comment on prices there as never paid -only used it doing safety boat but it's the only slip with a flushing tap nearby I've seen in the Solent and it's nice and wide.

£18.50 for 6.5 m rib and car parking per day

Couple of wash down hoses toilets etc
You can buy a ticket if you use it often to get a discount I think you need to launch 6 times to get the benefit
No pontoon on the main slip but if the tides in there is a nice slip in the creek with pontoon.

Jim

[Slomofo]

Have a nosey on here....

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

[Doug Stormforce]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Crosshouse slip (under the Itchen bridge) is good. Free as far as I remember, maybe a car parking charge. Wouldn't want to leave anything there overnight though.

Indeed free, and cleaned by the council road sweeper fortnightly and sheltered and 24 hr access and wide and free trailer parking.

Car parking has a small fee (£1.60ish)

[Leapy]

This is great guys...just what we wanted...have booked the Christmas break in Lymington to view as many of the recommendations as we can fit in

All further suggestions gratefully received