Bodium Boat Station & Campsite

[Lee1]

Bodium Boat station & campsite.

Near Rye in East Sussex Bodium boat station is a riverside boat station and a small campsite on the river Rother.
You can visit for the day to use the riverside launching jetty (small launching fee applies) or camp in the field behind the boat station cafe, the cafe serves exelent light food all day and is licensed, as well as fry ups salmon and scrambled eggs is on the menu for breakfast
You can use your own craft whatever it is as long as you can carry it down to the water. You can also hire rowing boats and kayaks, upstream 4 or so miles takes you to Bodium castle when you can get ashore at the castles boat station to explore the castle, down stream 9 miles takes you to the fishing village of Rye. There isn't much flow on the river we experienced less than a knot.
The camping field is small and has around 20 pitches and a few pitches have electric hook up, fires are allowed off the floor and the campsite has large fire pits if you do not have one.
There are modern toilets and showers with piping hot water in a new built pine outbuilding, the road into the campsite is visible from the camping field and can be busy in the day but quitens down in the evening.
Fees per night for 3 adults and 1 child (over 14 classed as adult) was £35 per night I feel this was reasonable considering use of the jetty was included, there was some noise from a building/construction site behind the camping field but this stopped around 5pm, the camping field is part of a large working farm and we here camped with sheep a few feet (behind a fence) from us.
Bodium boat station is recommended if you like playing on the water whatever your craft and combined with camping it gets a thumbs up from us![ATTACH]122715[/ATTACH]

[Max...]

A local spot of mine - we usually drop in at the slipway at Scotts Sluice (end of the lower navigable section) - call Barry the day before and he will open the gate for you - all free to use. A nice guy, Barry's bite is worse than his bark.

Then a slow chug (or not....) all the way up to Bodiam (not with a 'U' ) - all very nice especially on a summer's evening. Best avoid the fishing season if you can or you might incur the wrath and have to deal with a few catapulted maggots...

[Lee1]

Originally Posted by Max...

A local spot of mine - we usually drop in at the slipway at Scotts Sluice (end of the lower navigable section) - call Barry the day before and he will open the gate for you - all free to use. A nice guy, Barry's bite is worse than his bark.

Then a slow chug (or not....) all the way up to Bodiam (not with a 'U' ) - all very nice especially on a summer's evening. Best avoid the fishing season if you can or you might incur the wrath and have to deal with a few catapulted maggots...

Thanks for the info, it wasn't the easiest of launchings at Bodium I will check out Scott's sluice, as for the fisherman they can catch my wash

[smallribber]

Looks nice. Have you any pics of the launch point. How far do you travel with your sibs on the roof like that


Dennis

[Max...]

Here's the slip at Scotts and another just by the boat station on the way to BodiAm:

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by Max...

Here's the slip at Scotts and another just by the boat station on the way to BodiAm:

Looks very nice

Dennis

[Lee1]

Originally Posted by Bigplumbs

Looks nice. Have you any pics of the launch point. How far do you travel with your sibs on the roof like that


Dennis

You can park right next to the jetty but you have to park your car in the car park (that's 25 meters away) once you have off loaded your boat, engine etc next to the jetty and secured it ready for use, the distance from the off loading parking to the water is around 10 or so meters down two sets of wooden decking type sets of stairs, As for keeping SIB's on the vehicle roof at bodium. . when we was finished at the end of each day we moved the vehicle back to the jetty and put both SIB's on the vehicle roof secured with only a ratchet strap to secure them for the journey to the boat stations campsite as this is on private land and only around 100 or so meters away. As for transporting SIB's on a vehicle roof we have for years transported one SIB on a roof for journeys as far as 250 plus miles we secure an inflated SIB on the roof with a forward rope from the boat bow to the vehicle front towing eye, a rope from the boat transom to the vehicle rear towing anchors and a central ratchet strap over the boat and through the inside of the vehicle or through the vehicles roof rack or roof rails.

[PeterMorgan]

Originally Posted by Max...

Here's the slip at Scotts and another just by the boat station on the way to BodiAm:

Hi Max, we met Barry yesterday - quite a character. Just about to collect our S/H inflatable and having checked out much of the lower Rother, Scotts seems to be the best launching site. Barry advised against launching this time of year - but then went on to say "use the slipway whenever you like" as we said we would not need the gate opened. A couple of Qs if I may:

1)Have you ever had problems with river levels? - he said sometimes you can't get back under the bridges
2) How far can you get upstream? - Robertsbridge?

Thanks

Peter

[Max...]

Yes, you don't really need the gate open but it does make it easier and I think it is a nice courtesy to Barry as he will look after you and only fair so he knows what is going on on 'his' river.

No, always had tons of room under bridges.

You can go all the way up to Bodiam Castle (recommended) and moor up there for a wander. Takes quite some time but there are some quiet stretches where you can press on a bit ( ) and I think Barry happily turns a blind eye to this but look out for locals...

We sometimes park up a bit closer mid river and there are some parts where you can just easily just park, carry and drop the SIB in over the edge.

On the tidal side of course you can launch for sea at the Rye slip opposite the harbour master (tide permitting but quite a big window with a SIB) and SIB's only pay £2.

[PeterMorgan]

Thanks Max - very useful. I agree we'll let Barry know. Have you been past Bodiam? I was hoping Robertsbridge was achievable
Peter

[smallribber]

So who is this Barry chap

[PeterMorgan]

He's the lockkeeper

[Max...]

Originally Posted by PeterMorgan

Thanks Max - very useful. I agree we'll let Barry know. Have you been past Bodiam? I was hoping Robertsbridge was achievable
Peter

Not possible - Bodiam is the end of the navigable section.

[Lee1]

It gets very shallow about half a mile before Bodium castle so run on shallow drive if you can and watch your props!

[Lee1]

Originally Posted by Max...

Here's the slip at Scotts and another just by the boat station on the way to BodiAm:

Good Launching there how close can you park to the slipway?

[Max...]

Originally Posted by Lee1

Good Launching there how close can you park to the slipway?

10 feet!

Top of the slipway here:

[Max...]

I mentioned the 'other side' - here are a few pics of the Rye slip at the channel out to sea. Or you can go up river (as far as the other side of Scotts Sluice) and it's lovely to moor up at the quay for a wander round Rye, spot of lunch/pint or whatever.

Channel looks gentle here but when it flowing down at a fast 4 or 5 knots come spring tide it's no fun with a trailer and RIB.

[Speedo]

I met Barry earlier this year and found him to be a bit aggressive to be honest!


Anyway that aside, I have also stayed at Bodium Boating Station and highly recommend it. We used their kayaks as I wasn't sure I could get my SIB from the top to the water. Was it relatively easy to carry yours down to the water and back up?

[Speedo]

Originally Posted by Lee1

Bodium Boat station & campsite.

Near Rye in East Sussex Bodium boat station is a riverside boat station and a small campsite on the river Rother.
You can visit for the day to use the riverside launching jetty (small launching fee applies) or camp in the field behind the boat station cafe, the cafe serves exelent light food all day and is licensed, as well as fry ups salmon and scrambled eggs is on the menu for breakfast
You can use your own craft whatever it is as long as you can carry it down to the water. You can also hire rowing boats and kayaks, upstream 4 or so miles takes you to Bodium castle when you can get ashore at the castles boat station to explore the castle, down stream 9 miles takes you to the fishing village of Rye. There isn't much flow on the river we experienced less than a knot.
The camping field is small and has around 20 pitches and a few pitches have electric hook up, fires are allowed off the floor and the campsite has large fire pits if you do not have one.
There are modern toilets and showers with piping hot water in a new built pine outbuilding, the road into the campsite is visible from the camping field and can be busy in the day but quitens down in the evening.
Fees per night for 3 adults and 1 child (over 14 classed as adult) was £35 per night I feel this was reasonable considering use of the jetty was included, there was some noise from a building/construction site behind the camping field but this stopped around 5pm, the camping field is part of a large working farm and we here camped with sheep a few feet (behind a fence) from us.
Bodium boat station is recommended if you like playing on the water whatever your craft and combined with camping it gets a thumbs up from us![Attachment 122717Attachment 122718Attachment 122720ATTACH]122715[/ATTACH]Attachment 122716Attachment 122721

How easy was it to carry your SIB down to the water and back up at Bodium Boating Station?

We stayed there earlier this year but used their kayaks. I thought it would be a bit tricky launching my Honwave from there?