South Coast Launching

Chichester Harbour’s all-tide launching sites at Itchenor and Cobnor are well known to members. At Itchenor the charge is a reasonable £3.00 to launch and £5.00 per 48 hours parking, but getting there involves driving some distance off the A27. However, Northney Marina near Hayling bridge is only two or three minutes from the A27 and the A3(M). The marina’s all-tide east ramp is wide but steep, has no convenient mooring rings, and they charge £7.50 in and £7.50 out, but this does include secure parking. Fortunately their derelict north slip is useable and free, and cars can be left in the marina’s overflow car-park for a day or two without charge. Just drive through the marina gate and carry straight on, lifting the second barrier if necessary (remembering to drop it afterwards!). Heavy boats are limited to about plus or minus 4 hrs HW, but a light dinghy can be got away even at low water. (At low water springs it may be necessary to walk the boat out through the New Cut [West Cut], perhaps rolling it on a fender for a yard or two at the eastern end).

The most convenient launching site of all, only a minute’s driving from the A27 and A3M, is at Brockhampton Coastal Park at the head of Langstone Harbour. It is free, concrete and wide enough to launch six or more boats abreast, and with unlimited free parking. Launching however is officially only 2 hours either side of HW, this can be stretched to about 2½ hours for light boats. (After this the concrete slip is covered by soft mud). I wouldn’t advise leaving a car there overnight, but members have used the nearby sea-angling club’s secure compound in return for a modest donation. (For overnight cruises starting from Langstone I generally launch at Northney, and row or motor under Hayling Bridge). By the way, am I right in presuming that the well-built Brockhampton ramp was built for the wartime launching of landing craft or Mulberry Harbour sections?

Incidentally, even at low water one can get into Chichester Harbour from Langstone Harbour with a light boat by alternately walking and rowing the boat and hauling up the little ‘rapids’ before Hayling Bridge. There is of course an all-tide launching site on the Hayling Island side of the Langstone Harbour entrance, but this can involve horrible congestion on Hayling’s roads, and it is not cheap. (£8.60 launching plus £6 per day parking, £5 if there is room in the pub car park).

I was told that at Keyhaven the authorities were discouraging casual launching by increasing their launching charges from a token £1 to a stiff £15.00, this with the carpark not only expensive but limited to 20 hours. However I have since been told that boats under 16 feet are charged a reasonable £5, the harbourmaster is co-operative, and that some free parking is still available in the lane by the sea wall. Buckler’s Hard launching appears to still be reasonable at £10.00 including secure parking, but I am told that the charge varies from one official to another. If you pick up a buoy, even for a short time they will be on you for a fiver! (Incidentally I am told that Seaview YC on the Isle of Wight also charge a fiver if you use one of their buoys, but as this includes ferrying ashore and back and the use of club premises, it could be money well spent!).

The Lymington slip between the two yacht clubs has been recommended, with a charge of £8.00 using a car or £4.00 manual launching, and unrestricted parking nearby.

For easy access to Portsmouth Harbour, Ports Creek appears to have three launching ramps: 1) At the open western entrance to the creek, near Hilsea Lane. 2) Just before the low A3 road bridge near the Lido baths. (It looks suitable for a light boat hauled on a trolley from the Lido car park). 3) Just under the low A3 bridge, alongside a small car park. Could anyone kindly provide further information on access, tidal restrictions and the parking situation for these? Incidentally, there is also a ramp at the Langstone Harbour end of the creek, immediately west of the low railway bridge, but access may be difficult.

Portsmouth Harbour

I cannot recall the DCA ever having a Portsmouth Harbour rally before last August’s visit. Although the harbour is mainly industrial, it is an interesting place with important wildlife habitats. Porchester is Portsmouth’s ‘Jewel in the (tarnished) Crown’, a very attractive old village with many Georgian houses, and some much older, one said to date from about 1450. The huge castle was originally a Roman fort, and there are remains of even earlier Iron Age defences. At least an hour is needed to explore the village and coastal park. Along the coastal path is a property worth well in excess of £500,000 but covered in rusting cars and broken-down machinery, including four huge smooth-bore cannon quite capable of sinking an iron-clad battleship! We found the Porchester Sailing Club people exceptionally friendly and helpful.

Langstone Harbour

The report on Langstone Harbour in the summer Bulletin was interesting but barely touched the dinghy cruising aspects.

Being connected to the more popular and fashionable Chichester Harbour, Langstone harbour tends to be overlooked, but in some ways this is an advantage from our point of view. Being less popular it sometimes has a serenity that Chichester all too often lacks, and being less ‘gentrified’ also has an appeal. Langstone is better known for its many nature reserves than for sailing, and although (except at just one point) landing on the island nature reserves is not allowed, the extensive sandbanks exposed at low-water are good for a stroll or for warm-water bathing. Most of the Hayling side of the harbour is unspoilt, and the Kench Nature Reserve has become a popular DCA overnight venue, with attractive walks both on the harbour and coastal shorelines.

Worth knowing is that the beach cafe near the Ferry Boat inn is open from 7am and provides a giant cup of tea for 60p. (There is a tiny cove nearby on the entrance beach where a dinghy can be anchored.) On the Portsmouth side Eastney is spoiled by unlovely flats, but the shore-side houseboats have a certain grotty charm, and the area around the old locks is attractive and well worth a visit. Unfortunately personal watercraft tear around the Langstone harbour entrance, but water-skiers generally stay within their designated area in the main Langstone Channel. In any case the water-ski area can be by-passed on either side, or it can be avoided altogether by using the Sinah Lake* or Russell Lake* channels. (There is water to continue on north from these after half tide). There is some commercial traffic. A large dredger discharges sand and gravel at Brockhampton Quay on a regular basis, and there is also a working wharf at the head of the Broom Channel.

Langstone Harbour is also connected to Portsmouth Harbour by Portsea Creek after half tide, but this channel is only negotiable by dinghies with masts completely lowered. In the 19th Century barges navigated all the way from London to Portsmouth Harbour without ever going out to sea. The route was the Thames then Wey Navigations, Wey and Arun Canal and River Arun to Ford, then another canal to Chichester Harbour, then round the back of Thorney Island, Hayling Island and through to Portsmouth Harbour via Portsea Creek.

Incidentally, Langstone village and its quay are just east of Hayling Bridge in Chichester Harbour.

Note: in the Solent area ‘lake’ can of course mean a broad tidal inlet.