Advice on Solent Slipway

[Herman Melville]

I am used to launching a 4m tiller steer rib off the beach which isn't hard.

I now have a bigger rib and am looking for suitable slipway in the Solent - mainland side.

For my first trip I am looking for easy and stress free even if it costs a couple of quid.

I would welcome suggestions from anybody. I have looked at other posts and threads on here but the one I foound was from 2015 and I assume that things have changed since then.

I realise I might be looking for a miracle but in an ideal world there would be a dry launch on easy slip, sheltered from wave and wind with easy on site parking. I can just slide of the back and potter over to a pontoon and tie up while the park the car and hop aboard.

I will go the Sunday pm when there is plenty of water.

Mercury on the Hamble ?

Help from anyone who 'knows' would be really great.

Thanks

[Limecc]

Quite a long stretch of water. Any preference where?

[Herman Melville]

Southampton water area my pref.

But since I am driving from High Wycombe Beaulieu or Portsmouth sides both are accessable for me.

I have considered calshot spit but I wonder how sheltered it is there.

[treerat]

Lymington will give you all you request - or it did last time i was there.

[Herman Melville]

Thanks treerat it does look like it might be the one.

[Limecc]

Originally Posted by Herman Melville

Southampton water area my pref.

But since I am driving from High Wycombe Beaulieu or Portsmouth sides both are accessable for me.

I have considered calshot spit but I wonder how sheltered it is there.

Not launched at Calshot but it's not sheltered, sometimes strong current and no pontoon.

I agree with Treerat about Lymington which is available at the lowest absolute tide state (for me anyway) and free parking on the streets adjacent Nick Cox Marine chandlery (Lymington Yacht Haven will park you for £10 otherwise).

Recently had a good experience launching from Hayling Yacht Co albeit tidal and parking's an issue but not if you arrange it with the campsite or Harbour Creek Motorhomes next door. Northney Marina is available for all tides, has a pontoon but is expensive. Chichester's cheap but a shallow beach type launch at higher tide states.

Also launched at the public slip in Poole harbour. Plenty to see and places to go around there. No pontoon.

[Philip Hodson]

Try Hythe Marina no charge for the slip just New forest Council for parking.

[Limecc]

Originally Posted by Philip Hodson

Try Hythe Marina no charge for the slip just New forest Council for parking.

Inspected that up close. Slimey with boulder hazards dotted around on the sand, shallow water and a double tide arrangement meant it wasn't for us.

[Herman Melville]

Hythe looks very sheltered - is there a pontoon ?

[Limecc]

Originally Posted by Herman Melville

Hythe looks very sheltered - is there a pontoon ?

No. Sheltered but imho avoid.

[Old seahorse]

The public hard at Warsash is ok . Shallow angle may need rope to trailer at lower tides. Just harbour fees to pay. Harbour masters on other side of adjacent car park. Larger car park for cars and trailers are 100 metres away, with public toilets. There’s a pub opposite launching site.
Hamble point marina( opposite side of the river), has most facilities, and good access to Southampton water. Not sure what prices are these days.Both give you a choice of a trip up the River Hamble, or venture out to The Solent and beyond.

[Herman Melville]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to help me.

I am going to go Hamble point. Its MONEY (£38.50) shocking really, but included onsite parking, pontoon right there to use, a bit sheltered from the SW, less trouble with tanker wash than calshot etc...

This is the first time out in this boat (in fact first time I have ever launched it) and I really want the easiest experience possible for a first time one off.

I will let people know my experience with it so they can make their own choices if they find themselves in my situaiton.

[Old seahorse]

Enjoy your maiden voyage

[TmMorris]

Buckler's Hard is about as mellow as it gets. Plenty of space to set up, a pontoon, parking with trailer at the slipway, pretty cheap and most importantly they sell beer within 50 yards. Plus, there's a good stand at high water so if you launch a couple of hours before high water you have plenty of time. And ablutions up at the marina.

The other one I use is Northney at the top of Hayling Island. Also very mellow but a notably longer drive from our direction.

[Dry Run]

You might consider The Camber in Old Portsmouth. Clean concrete slip, free trailer parking, pay & display car parking, very sheltered and just £2.50 fee.

[_monkey]

Originally Posted by Herman Melville

Thank you everyone for taking the time to help me.

I am going to go Hamble point. Its MONEY (£38.50) shocking really, but included onsite parking, pontoon right there to use, a bit sheltered from the SW, less trouble with tanker wash than calshot etc...

This is the first time out in this boat (in fact first time I have ever launched it) and I really want the easiest experience possible for a first time one off.

I will let people know my experience with it so they can make their own choices if they find themselves in my situaiton.

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.

[gtflash]

Hythe is a sheltered slip. It does have rock walls nearby and a pole in the water. But if you can steer a boat you will be fine. 2hrs each side of low water only. But FREE. I can get a 8m rib off and on there no bother. Avoid driving around the pier. It’s pretty but delapidated and has plenty of debris in the water near it. Just head to sea and remember it’s 6knots until south of pier.

I don’t know the tidal range of bucklers hard but it is a nice slip. Make sure you park where they tell you or you will get told off

Calshot is about 15-25£. Roughly. All states of tide, even extreme tides. There is a step to sea bed which is a good 8” drop at very low tide. We have rescued a few soft roaders who can’t get the trailer back up. But it is extreme tides. It has some Algie on the bottom 3rd of slip too. Current is very strong at times. Secret is put your trailer in at an angle and drive into prevailing wind/tide. I have launched here for 26 years. It is my preferred slip, then hythe but calshot can be disturbed by wash and current. Sit offshore, watch the direction of the anchored boats bows, plan in between ships and get your driver to angle the trailer and you will probably be ok. (I did damage a boat once but it my first boat and I refused to listen to the locals). There are a lot of jet skis here now which can be distracting. I don’t get wet feet I have driven on and off trailers and I can do that at Calshot. It’s wide, the jcb clears the gravel every week and accessible almost indefinitely.. the jetty is a bit scratchy, lots of barnicles so don’t hang around to pick up the driver.


Ashlett creek. Lovely for a kayak or a 3m rib. But restricted by tide and you will likely end up covered in mud.

[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.

[Tim M]

Lymington or Camber Dock Portsmouth (my preference).

[Wightdiver]

Originally Posted by Dry Run

You might consider The Camber in Old Portsmouth. Clean concrete slip, free trailer parking, pay & display car parking, very sheltered and just £2.50 fee.

I think this is the best public in the area.