Hampshire Recommendations

Limecc · 01 February 2019, 11:11

Due to the recent death of our RIB loving 12.5yr old Dobermann we can't bear to go back to Salcombe anytime soon as the memories are too raw. Am thinking of alternatives and have in mind the New Forest and The Solent.

Can anyone offer recommendations for (1) a boat friendly caravan site, (2) which Mercury dealer would do a thorough yet reasonably priced annual service and (3) any water or tidal hazards when we are out and about? (4) Any good trips I should be planning? (5) Launching recommendations for low water?

Obviously I'm doing my homework ahead of time on ukcampsite.co.uk and boatlaunch.co.uk but I would love to hear your personal experiences.

Many thanks!

jeffstevens763@g · 01 February 2019, 13:08

01159442442 central marine services in ilkeston do my stuff not sure if they are merc dealers but they do work on most engines.

rik_elliott · 01 February 2019, 14:20

ive never tried to camp there myself but calshot spit has a camp site and excellent boat launch facilities right in to the solent. the main slip is deep water and can be used any state of tide. im not sure if the camp site is a 'members only' thing though?

there is also a campsite on hayling island that has a slipway, and I have heard good things on the grapevine.

round the island is fun, if you are feeling brave! trips to the midsolent forts are fun esp if you take some fishing kit and a cool box - summer time the mackerel are so plentiful its sometimes not even really sporting - they just jump on the hooks.

newtown river in the western solent is gorgeous on a nice summers day. if you choose the right day you can blast around the needles, get lunch in yarmouth then sunbathe in newtown. careful of the tides there though it gets shallow in places.

a quick trip up the medina to the folly inn is always high on our list of days out.

in terms of a dealer for services etc, burseldon outboards 023 8040 6648 have been very helpful whenever i have used them so come recommended.

the solent is pretty safe for boating, for the most part. its obviously busy with lots of boaters and lots of major shipping firms operating in the area. oh and the royal navy! the water around calshot spit can be shallow in places, and depending on the tides bramble bank can be exposed. near langstone harbour there are east and west winner sand banks which can pose a hazard. off portsmouth beach there are antisubmarine blocks which extend all the way to the solent forts and will rip a rib to shreds if you hit them. they are pretty well marked.

hope that helps.

Simonh66 · 01 February 2019, 16:35

[QUOTE=rik_elliott;789500]ive never tried to camp there myself but calshot spit has a camp site and excellent boat launch facilities right in to the solent. the main slip is deep water and can be used any state of tide. im not sure if the camp site is a 'members only' thing though?

The camp site is members only, with a 8 year waiting list!

Lisilou · 01 February 2019, 18:02

The Hut at Colwell Bay is always a a favourite jaunt for us. Anchor or grab a buoy & they’ll come and pick you up on one of the restaurant ribs. Book well in advance though.
Alum Bay a bit further on is lovely (there’s a big rock in and middlish so avoid that bit on a falling tide).
East end of the Island is Bembridge which is a lovely stop off.
Yarmouth, Lymington, Beaulieu, Newtown Creek.
Loads of lovely spots to choose from.
L

pow2gran · 01 February 2019, 20:32

I cant recommend a campsite but Lymington is a great place and has character similar to Salcombe. A couple of years ago we had a week in Salcombe then a week in Lymington. they are similar but different.

Launching in Lymington is easier than Salcombe with a big slip. You can park your trailer too in the public car park. We had a visitor mooring through the harbour master. in fact for me it was more convenient than Salcombe. In Salcombe we had a mooring and needed the water taxis. Plenty of places to go from Lymington both short and long trips. I dont know it well but we did Cowes, Needles, Bucklers Hard, Yarmouth. Probably more interesting in some ways. However it is hard to find somewhere as special as the Salcombe Estuary with the likes of Mill Bay.

I know it must be hard but I am sure you will end up going back to Salcombe some day - it just has that draw.

Limecc · 02 February 2019, 21:07

Thanks guys some great suggestions, much appreciated

Tim M · 04 February 2019, 08:34

Calahot is an option but a very exposed site (on the end of a massive spit). If you want something a bit more cosy and protected there’s a lovely site next to Mercury Marina on the river Hamble (the marina now owns the site). It’s called Riverside campsite or similar. My parents have taken their touring caravan there on quite a few occasions. The marina next door of course has all the usual facilities including slipway (a bit tidal). The Hamble is a lovely river to explore (some lovely pubs) and is very central in the Solent (comes out very close to Calshot). If you’ve never explored the Solent before you’re in for a treat. Lots of places to go for day trips. I’d recommend an amble down to Portsmouth. Huge harbour, lots to explore. Tie up at Gunwharf Quays for lunch. Cowes is of course another natural choice for a day out. Then Lymington, Yarmouth, Poole just down the coast if you fancy a slightly longer trip. If the weather is fine then going around the Isle of Wight is very enjoyable with plenty of places to stop along the way.

Limecc · 04 February 2019, 21:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim M

Calahot is an option but a very exposed site (on the end of a massive spit). If you want something a bit more cosy and protected there’s a lovely site next to Mercury Marina on the river Hamble (the marina now owns the site). It’s called Riverside campsite or similar.

Thanks Tim it's got the thumbs up from Mrs limecc and the price is right so it's on the shortlist. If the boat can be moored until retrievable the slip could be worthwhile but there's others nearby, not sure which is best yet.

boristhebold · 05 February 2019, 07:57

Perhaps launching at Lymington would be a good place, plenty of caravan sites within a few miles in the new forest and outskirts. From lymington you have access to the solent, isle of wight, cowes, yarmouth etc, southampton, beaulieu river and also across into bournemouth and poole bay for poole harbour and access along the jurrasic coast, lulworth cover, swanage, chapmans pool etc etc.

For servicing I think there is a mercury dealer in lymington, or could try a mobile mechanic like www.ribshop.co.uk (keiran).

In terms of any hazzards and tides, tides good from lymington, you could purchase a book called solent hazzards which would be helpful.

Limecc · 05 February 2019, 08:50

Thanks Boris, Lymington looks very good for launching for the reasons you said.

For servicing I realized only an authorized dealer can read and update the Mercury service database so I will be going to Beeston Marina, Nottingham if I decide to stay local, or I will use MB Marine in Southampton when on holiday, Mark inspired confidence and I felt a rapport even after a brief conversation so I am happy to send some business his way.

@JeffStevens, first off I rang Central Marine Services in Ilkeston more than a few times and they never picked up, I guess they are not there much rather than being too busy as it's out of season.

Limecc · 09 February 2019, 02:14

More or less have plans sorted now thanks to your earlier suggestions and I also found useful info from other threads here and on another forum.

Will stay at Hurst View Leisure which is just a few minutes dog walk from the Solent and a few minutes drive to Lymington. Pricing structure is simple, just one price £30/night all year which means it's actually cheaper in peak season and there's plenty of room no cramming in like on other sites. A second car and trailer go free.

Riverside Holiday Park, Southampton looks nice and is viable but looks a bit tight and may have motorway noise at night. Launching places seem less ideal but maybe offset by being cheaper.

Will launch every day at Lymington rather than getting a berth which would be under £60/week plus one £16 launch fee. I'm sure I could get my insurance to cover leaving it floating overnight but it's too much faff to empty it of all the stealable gear which I would otherwise have to carry to the car. Although this will cost £120/yr it is better than paying daily especially if we go back again in September. Won't use the public car park opposite the slip, too busy and too expensive at £16/day. Spoke with Matt at Lymington Yacht Haven and he will charge £6 a day for the car and not charge for the trailer because it's small and can be tucked away. Very helpful guy. I read Berthon Marina have done similar. Both would charge approx £22/wk for 4.2m of boat storage if I choose to leave it there until our return in the autumn. I'll leave it there on the trailer if the route through town proves stressful due to congestion.

Therefore compares very favourably with Salcombe price wise yet offers potentially so much more to see and do. I got the Imray paper chart for the Solent, will update the plotter to G3 in the next few weeks.

Limecc · 12 February 2019, 23:59

Navigational video for Lymington.
https://youtu.be/zjBwLt9LtU0

treerat · 13 February 2019, 14:06

We use the marina at Lymington and the site at Hurst Castle Hurst View Leisure, camping, luxury holiday accomodation, log cabin, new forest, Milford-on-Sea, Lymington, hampshire, uk

They have fields, static, tourers and the odd shed if I remember correctly. Happy t have the boat trailer there too. Lymington itslef is simple and easy, we worked out that by the time we'd paid parking and launching we could stick her in the marina for the week with parking included, great showers and a good set of toilets

GuyC · 28 February 2019, 07:52

[QUOTE=Simonh66;789506]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rik_elliott

ive never tried to camp there myself but calshot spit has a camp site and excellent boat launch facilities right in to the solent. the main slip is deep water and can be used any state of tide. im not sure if the camp site is a 'members only' thing though?

The camp site is members only, with a 8 year waiting list!

In an effort to boost numbers of campers in the off peak times, they are going to accept everyone on the waiting list.

It will be interesting to see the effect on pitch availability which seemed to be in short supply last year.

gtflash · 16 March 2019, 08:44

Thumbs up for Solent hazards book. There are too many to mention. If you are exploring Lymington, check out the hazards near the needles, such as goose rock. There is a great video of the rag and stick round the island race, with them all crashing into it. Several hazards in freshwater bay. https://www.sail-world.com/uk/photo/339083

Another point to note is the speed limit for Lymington river protrudes into what I would call open water and it is heavily patrolled, a lad I know fined over £1k. Easy to get wrong at high water.

rik_elliott · 19 March 2019, 10:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtflash

Another point to note is the speed limit for Lymington river protrudes into what I would call open water and it is heavily patrolled, a lad I know fined over £1k. Easy to get wrong at high water.

you arent wrong there. a few years back i got pulled over by the harbour master whilst a long way out and really not where you would expect there to be speed control. he had a good old moan but no fine levelled. they are hot on it - lesson learned and i have been very careful since then

Limecc · 19 March 2019, 10:44

Gtflash and rik_elliot, great info there many thanks.