UK Yacht Charter Port of the Week: Portsmouth Harbour

Portsmouth Harbour has to be a must visit place on a Sailing Days in the Solent in the Solent, there is so much to see and do here from shopping, museums, eateries and just admiring the many warships that can be found moored in the harbour.

Good for:

Portsmouth Harbour offers easy access in all weather conditions and once inside the narrow entrance it offers plenty of shelter to travelling yachts. On the eastern side of the harbour is Portsmouth and Gosport lies on the West. At the very top of the harbour lies Port Solent and Fareham Creek. Best known as home to the Royal Navy, there are many many things to see and do here.

Where to go:

• Follow the Millennium Waterfront Trail, a self guided walk through approximately 3km of historic Gosport.
• Visit Explosion! An award winning museum telling the story of naval firepower from Gunpowder to the Exocet missile, situated in the former Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Priddy’s Hard.
• Step onboard a real submarine at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum for a fascinating insight into the life of a submariner.
• Relive life in 1642 at the living history Village of Little Woodham.
• Catch the Gosport Ferry to Portsmouth which runs every 15 mins from 05.30 to midnight, 363 days a year.
• Go to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and step onboard HMS Victory and HMS Warrior and visit the awe-inspiring Mary Rose Museum.
• Enjoy the plethora of shops and restaurants at Gunwharf Quays or take the lift to the top of the Spinnaker Tower.

Berthing options and facilities

• Gosport Marina is just 500m from the entrance to the Harbour, it has great facilities including an onsite bistro. Gas and Fuel are available and the pontoon is manned.
• Haslar Marine is easily located by a large green light ship and also has plenty to offer the passing yachtsman.
• Royal Clarence is located slightly further along, and gives you easy access to Gosport Town centre.
• Port Solent Marina, at the top of the channel, is a lovely place to stop with a very cosmopolitan feel, including lots of bars and restaurants lining the boardwalk, and a few interesting shops to browse in. There is also an Odeon cinema and a health club. It has 24 hour access and a clearly marked channel making it a very easy port to get to.

Getting there

Portsmouth Harbour is a very busy port with a mix of commercial, military and leisure craft all using what is a relatively narrow entrance, added to this a strong tide can run so great care should be taken in and around the entrance to the harbour. All craft under 20m must use the small boat channel, which is 50m wide running from No.4 bar buoy in the south to Ballast in the North, you must have your engine running at all times and the speed limit in the harbour is 10 knots. You must remain at least 50m clear of all warships and MOD berths.

Photo Credit: trailsmichigan.com,commons.wikimedia.org