Advice on Solent Slipway

[Herman Melville]

Hi All,

Thank you so much for your help.

In the end I went from Hamble Point.

Downside - it was MONEY. £38.

Upside - it was sheltered, quiet and convenient. Concrete slip wide enough for at least 3 no dropoff that I could find. Car could be parked literally 20 yards away without taking the trailer off. Crew could just walk down the pontoon and climb aboard all dry. (Pontoon needs a key card - no charge - ask for it when you pay). Showers toilets cafe etc... also no car parking charge.

It's right at the end of the Hamble as it goes out into Southampton water.

So not withstanding the 'dollar' I would defo go there again.

Cheers,

[TmMorris]

Originally Posted by Herman Melville

Hi All,

Thank you so much for your help.

In the end I went from Hamble Point.

Downside - it was MONEY. £38.

Upside - it was sheltered, quiet and convenient. Concrete slip wide enough for at least 3 no dropoff that I could find. Car could be parked literally 20 yards away without taking the trailer off. Crew could just walk down the pontoon and climb aboard all dry. (Pontoon needs a key card - no charge - ask for it when you pay). Showers toilets cafe etc... also no car parking charge.

It's right at the end of the Hamble as it goes out into Southampton water.

So not withstanding the 'dollar' I would defo go there again.

Cheers,

Thanks. Sounds like one for me to remember as I don't mind paying for security, ease and good ablutions. Quite a bit more than Northney or Buckler's Hard but another option.

Did you get to see the slip at low water?

[Herman Melville]

I did not see the slip at low water no so cant tell what it's like then.

I did wade in at the end for a bit of research and the gentle gradient just seems to continue onwards down and become reasonably hard sand / grit.

I would say that the slip was shallower rather than steeper.

There was a little bit of slime on the slip but I have 4*4 and had no trouble with it.

There was a guy after me with what must have been about a 20 foot lifting keel day sailer - he put that in pretty much on his own - respect.

[lakelandterrier]

I like Hamble Point - can be tricky at low springs, but so are many places.

MDL customers from other sites don't need to pay. so another tick for me.

[FoxZulu]

HM, you must have been the guys we were chatting to before you launched - we were the ones cleaning our RIB. With one exception (LT above will probably remember) we've never had problems at HP, but it can be tricky sometimes, though as we keep our boat there we have no choice, but we have had plenty of practice over the last 4 years

Hope you had a good day out in your new boat

[Herman Melville]

Hey @FoxZulu sorry only just saw your post yes that must have been us thank you for the help.

Had a good trip and shakedown - a winter of sorting problems and servicing boat and trailer now.

Cheers

[gtflash]

Originally Posted by TmMorris

I was planning to try Calshot with the SIB this season as the facilities look good, parking secure, easy reach to Cowes and as you say, the slip isn't restricted by tide so for me, who has to drive 2.5 hrs as well as find time and suitable weather, that's one less star to have to align.

What actually put me off with a SIB on launch wheels is that I reckon the absence of shelter makes it a considerable risk that if you're not in the water, at the back of the boat holding the stern steady you will easily sheer the wheels off when a side wave drops a wheel onto the slip and then forces it sideways.

SIB launching wheels are generally really badly designed and fundamentally with little strength to withstand any sheer forces and my gut feeling with Calshot was that this was a notable risk. I also seemed to think that launching single handed from a trailer would have similar issues?

Would I also be right in saying the pontoon there isn't the easiest to use if launching from a trailer single handed?

With Buckler's Hard you can see the end of the slip at low water especially springs. They also don't clean the slip so the lower section is a bit slippery (in this regard I've only found Northney Marina who regularly clean their slip but it's steeper and takes larger boats so is probably more essential). My preferred method is to launch a couple of hours before low water as this seems to give me the most amount of time and flexibility as the easiest time to take a boat out on your own is two hours either side of high water so it gives us plenty of time to go over to Cowes, a bit of mucking about in Osborne Bay and when coming back, have the option of ice creams and donkey whispering up at Beaulieu.

As for the risk of being told off by harbour masters, as I grew up on the river every weekend and haven't really been back until my children were old enough to enjoy it, it would be rather nostalgic to get told off again.

Hi Tim. There is a pontoon and it has a slip next to it. I happily launch on that slip but don’t recover often there as it has a concrete wall about 3ft from the slip. They have recently changed the rules about what craft can use the “lagoon” slip and I only used it in extreme weather so haven’t bothered reading the rules. The main slip is fine. Just don’t hang about and float 6 inches offshore. A local fisherman said to me last night (in the pub). Calshot is bumpy and hard to launch off of. I just don’t see it that way, just watch for wash before launching or driving in.

I am not sure how sib wheels work but i have seen plenty of tenders, tenders with wheels, cats, tri’s all launch.

[FoxZulu]

Originally Posted by _monkey

I was at Port Hamble this morning, around 2/3hr after low water. The slip is quite green from half way down to the waters edge. Top seemed ok though.

There is no slip at Port Hamble. Maybe you mean Hamble public slip or Mercury

[Raccoon Jack]

This is really good info and insight ... I have a maiden voyage coming up for my T38 and Merc 20. I have a 4x4, road trailer (that can be used as a launch trailer) and a lightweight Suprod trailer, no transom wheels at present. I'll be fitting the Merc to the transom close to the point of departure.
Like the OP, I want minimum stress and risk, as I've never done this before. I live near Salisbury so the Solent is a good bet, but am willing to drive further if there is an easier launch - as I gather experience, I'll experiment and learn to save time and money!
It's possible I'll have to do everything myself, so anything I can learn beforehand is really appreciated.
Anyone used the Lee-on-Solent drag? It looks promising .... I mean near Daedalus.

[_monkey]

Originally Posted by Raccoon Jack

This is really good info and insight ... I have a maiden voyage coming up for my T38 and Merc 20. I have a 4x4, road trailer (that can be used as a launch trailer) and a lightweight Suprod trailer, no transom wheels at present. I'll be fitting the Merc to the transom close to the point of departure.
Like the OP, I want minimum stress and risk, as I've never done this before. I live near Salisbury so the Solent is a good bet, but am willing to drive further if there is an easier launch - as I gather experience, I'll experiment and learn to save time and money!
It's possible I'll have to do everything myself, so anything I can learn beforehand is really appreciated.
Anyone used the Lee-on-Solent drag? It looks promising .... I mean near Daedalus.

If you're in Salisbury I'd be inclined to look at the Poole options, unless you're planning an IoW trip ;-).

Take a look at Baiter Park/slip in Poole - easy to handball a SIB into the water and parking shouldn't be a problem this time of year.

The tidal flow around Poole provides benign conditions for boating, e.g. the tidal range today is <1M and a trip around Brownsea is always enjotable.

[Raccoon Jack]

Thanks, _monkey! I'll go check it out.

[Limecc]

Lymington for me and there's a pontoon available.

[Raccoon Jack]

Thank you _monkey and Limecc, definitely building a shortlist.

[Tonus]

Have been reading this with interest as I’ve just bought my first road trailer for my little 3.6m rib and am looking for an easy first experience trailer launching in the Chichester/Portsmouth/Southampton areas.
I also don’t mind paying a little bit to keep it simple and stressfree for for the first couple of times at least!

I’ve seen very little mention of Chichester Marina (Premier) on this Forum. Have thought this might be a good contender for me… like Hamble Point it’s expensive at £34 but for that money it’s very secure and spacious - a pontoon next to the slip. There’s a lock to deal with but apparently there’s an hour or so free-flow.

I’d be interested to hear if anyone has launched from there?

[Limecc]

Originally Posted by Tonus

Have been reading this with interest as I’ve just bought my first road trailer for my little 3.6m rib and am looking for an easy first experience trailer launching in the Chichester/Portsmouth/Southampton areas.
I also don’t mind paying a little bit to keep it simple and stressfree for for the first couple of times at least!

I’ve seen very little mention of Chichester Marina (Premier) on this Forum. Have thought this might be a good contender for me… like Hamble Point it’s expensive at £34 but for that money it’s very secure and spacious - a pontoon next to the slip. There’s a lock to deal with but apparently there’s an hour or so free-flow.

I’d be interested to hear if anyone has launched from there?

I'm really happy with Hayling Yacht Co and it was reasonably priced albeit tidal. Good access to sea. Nice slip needs 2.3m of water which gives a really wide window of usability. Owner Richard Blake's a really nice guy, family run business.

We had a trip to Chichester Marina and it takes ages from the sea due to the speed limit and there's not much water, being new to the area it was hard to work out where the channels were and we went at high tide. It wouldn't be my first choice. Itchenor is a better option, cheap and available at all tides it actually gets better (steeper gradient) when the water gets lower but no pontoon.

[Old seahorse]

Hi Tonus. I’ve used Chichester marina a few times. I agree it’s a good run down to the sea, but if you want a stress free launch and recovery, it’s pretty good. The slipway is in a quieter part of the marina, with a pontoon. It has good parking and wash down facilities too. There is the lock to consider. I had used locks on narrow boats many times, but was nervous at my first attempt in a small boat, but needn’t have worried. Staff at the lock guide you. There are hanging lines to grab during locking. There are free flow periods at high tides. Not sure where you live, but if you’re travelling some distance and using your boat for a few days, mooring on a pontoon is a viable option at the marina. I did it for a week. Can’t remember price now, but wasn’t unreasonable, and cut out launch/ recovery each day. Loads of facilities on site. I was impressed by the friendly and helpful attitude of staff, using a small boat amongst the millionaires yachts. Having a radio is useful to speak to marina on entry/ exit. There is also a waiting pontoon just outside the lock, and plenty of water to discover if you don’t want to venture out over the bar.

[Tonus]

LImecc thanks for the info on Hayling Yacht Co - I hadn’t looked at their website before… Looks really good and must be fairly sheltered. I couldn’t find a price though – any idea what it is for a single launch?
I agree regarding Itchenor over Chichester Marina but wanted to build up to that by launching somewhere quiet and possibly non-tidal!

[Tonus]

Originally Posted by Old seahorse

Hi Tonus. I’ve used Chichester marina a few times. I agree it’s a good run down to the sea, but if you want a stress free launch and recovery, it’s pretty good. The slipway is in a quieter part of the marina, with a pontoon. It has good parking and wash down facilities too. There is the lock to consider. I had used locks on narrow boats many times, but was nervous at my first attempt in a small boat, but needn’t have worried. Staff at the lock guide you. There are hanging lines to grab during locking. There are free flow periods at high tides. Not sure where you live, but if you’re travelling some distance and using your boat for a few days, mooring on a pontoon is a viable option at the marina. I did it for a week. Can’t remember price now, but wasn’t unreasonable, and cut out launch/ recovery each day. Loads of facilities on site. I was impressed by the friendly and helpful attitude of staff, using a small boat amongst the millionaires yachts. Having a radio is useful to speak to marina on entry/ exit. There is also a waiting pontoon just outside the lock, and plenty of water to discover if you don’t want to venture out over the bar.

Old Seahorse - thanks so much for the insights. That’s brilliant to know about the lock, and a great idea about leaving the boat for a few days and having an explore. So good to hear from someone who’s actually launched from there… and enjoyed it!