Portsmouth Sports & Outdoors

4 more images

The Solent is 15 miles long and varies in width between 21 to 3 miles due to the undulating shape of its opposing coasts.

Within the Solent, strong currents flow through the Hurst Narrows (1.8 metres per second onspring tides) at the western entrance to the Solent (Velegrakis 1994). However, at the entrances to Portsmouth, Langstone and Chichester Harbours, surface currents may reach in excess of 3 metres per second on a full spring ebb (Admiralty Chart 3418).

Sailing in the Solent

To the west of Portsmouth is Portsmouth Harbour, this is a roughly triangular natural harbour, each of the three sides is approximately two and a half miles long. Portsmouth Harbour is home to Portsmouth Naval Base, a Cross Channel ferry port and a commercial dock and is therefore very busy with maritime traffic.

Equipment: To the East of Portsmouth is Langstone Harbour, at high tide, water covers about 1900 hectares but at low tide only about 200 hectares are under water.
Langstone Harbour has a number of mooring areas providing both deep water and dry moorings for several hundred boats.
A small fleet of commercial fishing vessels operate from the harbour

Good Boating Advice

* Plan your trip carefully – remember to leave your trip details with friends or family ashore if you’re then overdue there is someone to alert the Coastguard!
* Triple check the safety equipment and your boat before you set sail – make sure you have a correct life jacket on board for each person and that each person wears the life jacket at all times.
* Always carry spare fuel or a paddle, water and food - just in case you are caught short.
* Sail within your limits and ability.
* Make sure everyone on board knows how to use the boat’s safety equipment.
* Ensure you have an appropriate means of communication should the worst happen and you find you need to contact the Coastguard.
* For safety and weather advice before you head out to sea, remember you can contact the local Coastguard. They will be able to tell you both the short and long term weather forecasts and advise you on the tide times for the area. National directory enquiries have the telephone numbers for all the local Coastguard stations around the UK. The local paper for the area should also print daily tide time tables.
SOLENT COASTGUARD MARITIME RESCUE
If at sea call on VHF channel 16 or depress the RED distress button on your DSC controller.
For routine traffic and other information Telephone 02392 552100 or call on VHF 67.
Digital Selective Calling MMSI 002320011.