Our skippers will give you a good welcome, make you feel at home, entertain you, serve you drinks, make sure you are properly briefed and give you expert tuition and guidance. All are extremely experienced and know the Solent and surrounding waters well. There are many reasons to book a skippered charter:- stag or hen do, red letter day/special birthday, flotilla training, racing, day out with the wife and kids. You will love the quaint Solent harbours we visit, rivers with historical significance and mysterious creeks full of wildlife. Then there are the waterside bars and cafes at each of the destinations we visit. We invite you to take the helm, plot the course and trim the sails. No prior experience is required and we have a 100% safety record. So please get in touch.
This is an award winning 5 star marina with brand new top of the range showers both in the main building and close to the yachts. Celebrity bar with outdoor sun terrace over looking the marina basin provides a great venue to start and end your charter. Located right on the Edge of the New Forest National Park which you will pass through on your way to us. A 20 minute trip down river sees you out into the Solent with the Isle of Wight a short sail away.
Walk into the the famous old yachting village of Hamble where you will find atmospheric pubs and great food. The marina has all the facilities you will need.
This yacht which is 40ft in length is a Bavaria 38. On one of the yachts the saloon table converts to a double berth allowing 8 to sleep on board. It is a cruising yacht with a mid level of comfort. We have other models such as the Oceanis 37 with similar layouts.
These yachts are offered as sleeping 8-10. This is achieved by an extra person sleeping in each of the stern in a cot berth. There are two singles in the main saloon which is sometimes useful. These are racer/cruiser yachts of the Beneteau First 40.7 type where crew comfort is less important than speed. So they are of a lower comfort level which is reflected in the price discount. It helps if someone in the guest crew has done some sailing to assist with the sail handling.
This yacht sleeps 12 and is coded to carry 14 including skipper. A cot berth over each of the two bow cabin double berths allows 3 people to sleep in each of the forward cabins. And the main saloon can sleep two in singles. Because of the space on board, we class this as superior comfort level. Being a larger 47ft yacht there are twin helms and a bow thruster.
As an alternative to sail, we have a variety of motor yachts available to us in various locations around the Solent. These can accommodate up to 40 people for day sailing but overnight accommodation is usually restricted to a dozen or so people. Please view the 'motor yachts' link below for ideas where the ribs can also be seen.
Sit back and enjoy a complimentary coffee and cakes at our walk ashore berth on the Lymington River with
fabulous views of the passing marine life. We will show you around and give you an informative talk demonstrating some of
the equipment and techniques used on a modern sailing yacht.
Minimum three people, children half price
Motor up the river to the town quay, then back down to the mouth of the river where it meets the Solent. Or head straight to the mouth of the river and hoist the sails for a short demonstration.
Once in the Solent, sail across to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight with a drinks stop outside the harbour entrance if required. Tide and wind conditions may permit a visit to the Beaulieu river to the east or Keyhaven nature reserve to the west. Those who like to fish may trawl some mackerel feathers along behind the boat or drop anchor and try some fishing on the bottom. Whilst at anchor you can put the kettle on. Your party will be impressed that you have not settled for the boring old gift ideas and you have come up with something original.
Depending on tide times on the day, the famous yachting destination of Cowes can be reached to the east or the Needles lighthouse at the far western end of the Isle of Wight. The National Trust nature reserve at Newtown Creek on the island, the beach at Alum Bay and the Medina rivers with their rich river life are alternative destinations. There are options to go ashore for a short time where a variety of exciting bars and restaurants can be found. This trip is ideal when you are looking for presents to celebrate a husbands or dads 60th birthday or with office colleagues for a Thursday evening team bonding outing from 6pm to 10pm.
A full day trip allows passage to the Hamble river, the intriguing Wooton Creek and Portsmouth harbour to the east or the beautiful beaches on Studland Bay and Poole harbour (the worlds second largest natural harbour) to the west. A variety of options exist for drinks and refreshments ashore or on board. Please note that we do not have a licence to sell alcohol but you may bring your own. All the family can join in and try their hand at operating the boat. Learn how to tie it up to the dockside with the correct knots and where to position the fenders.
Crews join on Friday evening for yacht handover. The marinas have on-site bars, restaurant, showers and secure car parking.
On Saturday morning, crews usually take advantage of the full english breakfast available shoreside. This is followed on the yachts by a safety briefing plus demonstration of the yachts controls plus mooring equipment. Then it is time to cast off and head down river towards our destination. Routes depend on wind and tide to some degree. We try to go with the tide as far as possible so from Lymington, we may sail out to the Needles and spectacular Alum Bay. In the other direction, the Beaulieu River is a great lunch destination, you will love the Master Builders pub on the banks of the old dockyard at Bucklers Hard. Or it may be possible to sail as far as Wootten Creek.
When several yachts are involved, we will organise a series of short fun races around the racing marks used for the Cowes Week regatta. This usually produces some interesting banter once the crews are back ashore in the bar.
The most popular Saturday overnight venue is Cowes on the Isle of Wight where we aim to arrive around 5pm. Here you will be berthed in the main marina immediately adjacent to the lively high street. There is quality live music in several of the bars.
On Sunday there is the opportunity to visit some of the beauty spots overlooked the day before. Newtown Creek and Osbourne Bay are favorites. Departures from Hamble follow similar routes but being more central in the Solent may also take in Portsmouth Harbour.
We have been organising skippered sailing since 2003 and are an experienced yacht charter company for this type of sailing in the Solent. Our success is based on our natural enthousiasm for sailing and this usually quickly rubs off on the crew. Plus we are continually innovating and improving the schedules as our experience grows. Each season we introduce some new destinations, small bays and creeks tucked away off the beaten track. Click on 'Reviews' below to see what our latest customers wrote unprompted to tell us. These skippered outings are suitable for novice and experienced sailors alike. We use modern sailing yachts fully certificated. Safety is paramount and fortunately despite so many trips over so many years we have never had a serious incident on the yachts. Perhaps this is good luck or is safe sailing no accident?