
Set a mile and a half up-river of the largely protected Southampton Water the marina offers complete protection from all conditions. Safe access in all reasonable conditions, at most all stages of the tide, night of day, is provided by The Solent and Southampton Water, one of the most well-marked and protected expanses of water in the world.
Keyfacts for Shamrock Quay
Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Protected sectors
Approaches
Shelter
Last modified
July 17th 2018 Summary
A completely protected location with safe access.Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
This is the position of the southwest point of the Hammer Head pontoon where a light is exhibited.
What are the initial fixes?
The following waypoints will set up a final approach:(i) Easter Approach - No Man's Land Fort

This is positioned 500 metres southeast of No Man's Land Fort. The eastern fairway into Spithead and The Solent passes between No Man’s Land Fort, on the Isle of Wight side, and the corresponding Horse Sand Fort, off the mainland. Leisure craft may use a boat channel located close west of No Man’s Land Fort.
(ii) Western Approach - The Needles Channel

This is positioned of the safe water Fairway Light-buoy L Fl.10s situated off the southwest end of the entrance to the Needles Channel. The port hand SW Shingles Light Buoy and Bridge West Cardinal, marking the seaward end of the Needled Channel, will be conspicuous to the northeast. Likewise a direction light, bearing 041° T, of Hurst Point Light will be picked up to lead up through the seaward end of the channel.
What are the key points of the approach?
The entry and the run-up thorough The Solent, Southampton Water and River Itchen are covered in
The Solent and Isle of Wight
coastal description.
The Solent and Isle of Wight
- Enter the River Itchen to the east of Southampton Docks and follow the marked channel for about 2 miles up to Shamrock Quay.
- Visitors typically come alongside pontoon D but it is advisable to make berthing arrangements in advance. Watch out for a run of current under the pontoons and especially so on the ebb at springs.
Not what you need?
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Below are the ten nearest havens to Shamrock Quay for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Saxon Wharf Marina - 0.3 nautical miles NE
- Kemps Quay - 0.4 nautical miles NE
- Ocean Village Marina - 0.8 nautical miles SSW
- Town Quay - 1.2 nautical miles SW
- Hythe Marina Village - 2.1 nautical miles SSW
- Marchwood Yacht Club - 2.3 nautical miles W
- Deacons Marina and Boatyard - 3.3 nautical miles ESE
- Elephant Boatyard - 3.3 nautical miles ESE
- Netley - 3.4 nautical miles SSE
- Universal Marina - 3.5 nautical miles SE
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Saxon Wharf Marina - 0.3 miles NE
- Kemps Quay - 0.4 miles NE
- Ocean Village Marina - 0.8 miles SSW
- Town Quay - 1.2 miles SW
- Hythe Marina Village - 2.1 miles SSW
- Marchwood Yacht Club - 2.3 miles W
- Deacons Marina and Boatyard - 3.3 miles ESE
- Elephant Boatyard - 3.3 miles ESE
- Netley - 3.4 miles SSE
- Universal Marina - 3.5 miles SE
Chart
How to get in?

Shamrock Quay Marina is situated on the east side of Southampton. Southampton is the largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire and is host to one England’s principal ports. The marina is situated on the west bank of the River Itchen that passes along the city’s eastern side.
It is advisable to have made berthing arrangements in advance by contacting the Shamrock Quay Marina on VHF Ch 80 or P +44 23 8022 9461.

This is especially the case on Springs after its double high’s ‘tidal stand’. When the Spring stand ends the ebb tide whistles out under the pontoons making berthing between pontoon heads challenging to the extreme. During these times it is advisable to inquire if it is possible to temporarily come alongside the outer hammerheads with the intention of taking up an allocated berth when the run abates. It is also advisable for newcomers to plan their arrival for slack water and if in any doubt whatsoever to ask the dockmasters, who are available 24 hours a day, for berthing assistance.


Why visit here?
Shamrock Quay Marina is owned and operated by Marina Development Limited (MDL) based in Hamble Hampshire. The company owns and manages eighteen coastal marinas and boatyards in England including its adjacent sister marina of Saxon Wharf, located a ½ mile above on the River Itchen, Ocean Village a mile below and Hythe Marina Village near the head of Southampton Water. It has other facilities in France, Italy and Spain and the company provides its berth holders with freedom to roam between their extensive ranges of facilities when space is available.The marina takes its name from the beautiful J-Class yachts that graced the seas in the late 1920s and 30s. The ground that the marina stands on today was once home to Camper and Nicholsons’ yard that took part in the construction of the famous J-Class Shamrock V.

A J-Class yacht is a single masted racing sailboat built to the specifications of Nathanael Herreshoff's Universal Rule. The one rule was established in 1903 and rated double masted racers, classes A through H, and single masted racers, classes I through S. From 1914 to 1937 the rule was used to determine eligibility for the Americas Cup with the J-Class being considered the peak racers of the era.

In each challenge he entered a newly built yacht and in each event Lipton lost to the Americans by a significant margin. His well-publicised bids to win the cup, only earned him an especially designed "the best of all losers" cup. But the canny self-made Glaswegian had more than a sporting perspective in mind with these highly expensive endeavours. Because the race took place in the US and was followed with great interest by the population, Lipton correctly calculated that the interest would help him promote his tea brand across North American.

Following her launch on 14 April 1930 the colossal 36.4 metres (120 ft.) long, 6.07m (19.9ft.) beam and 4.75 metre (15.6Ft) draft racing craft showed early promise. She won 15 of 22 races on the British Regatta circuit. During this first season Shamrock V was continuously upgraded with alterations made to her hull shape, rudder, and rig to create a more effective racing sail plan. After this she departed for Newport, Rhode Island, for the 15th America's Cup.

Shamrock V’s challenge however was to be plagued by bad luck and haunted by one of the most ruthless skippers in America's Cup history, Harold Vanderbilt. The Americans were well prepared for the hot contender. Despite the Wall Street Crash the sailing clubs had constructed four variations of the J-Class rule Enterprise, Weetamoe, Yankee and Whirlwind to take on the hot British contender. They raced them out until Enterprise narrowly proved to be the best in class. But when the Shamrock V was finally revealed, Enterprise appeared an outdated wooden boat with a heavy wooden mast that performed poorly to windward. Sensing the mismatch Vanderbilt moved quickly to fit Enterprise with the World's first very lightweight Duralumin, an aluminium alloy, mast that entirely transformed the vessel’s performance.

At the same moment Harold Vanderbilt had arrived at the pinnacle of his yacht racing career. The victory putting him on the cover of 'Time' magazine. In 1934 he went on to defeat the UK’s Endeavour in Rainbow, and in 1937 he won again in Ranger, the last of the prohibitively expensive J-Class yachts to defend the Cup. Later on Vanderbilt would become Commodore of the New York Yacht Club and would be intimately involved in many successful America's Cup defences. Sir Thomas Lipton would die the following year never fulfilling his ambition to win the cup. But after endearing himself to the American public, with five brave attempts over 31 years, he had captured America’s dominant tea brand.
Shamrock V survives to this day as one of only three surviving J's in the world and the only remaining wooden J-Class. Re-built and restored many times it is perhaps the ultimate, pure sailing yacht and is available for charter. In August 2001 Shamrock V participated in a fitting reunion with the only two remaining J-Classes, Endeavour , and Velsheda , for the America's Cup Jubilee in The Solent.

Shamrock Quay retains its Camper and Nicholsons’ yard heritage to this day. Within the immediate area every repair facility is available and yachts, large and small, are continually refitted here.
Aesthetically the area surrounding the marina is industrial and has few landmark buildings. Being home to the Spitfire, a major commercial port and industrial area, Southampton was particularly hard hit in World War II. Likewise, after D-Day, the docks of Southampton handled military cargo that kept the Allied forces supplied. This made it a key target of Luftwaffe bombing raids until late 1944. The city lost a lot of lives and much of the older historic city around the docks area was levelled as a result.
A short taxi ride or a 20 minute walk will bring a visitor into the heart of the city where there is ample to explore and enjoy. Football fans may also note that St. Mary's Stadium, passed 600 metres down river from the marina and a short walk, has been home to Southampton Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, since 2001.
From a pure sailing perspective this is an excellent bolt hole, set deep inland, to escape extreme weather. It has every yachting facility immediately ashore making it an ideal place to tackle a boat overhaul. Also what is not immediately available can easily be had in the city of Southampton.
What facilities are available?
All the pontoons provide power and water. Domestic requirements such as showers, toilets, launderette facilities up to and including WiFi can be found throughout the marina area. Facilities for garbage disposal, and waste oil can be disposed of ashore close to the marina office. A sizable chandlery that caters for gas exchange is a few minutes walk from any berth, along with a pub, and a choice of food outlets.Shamrock Quay has every repair facility a vessel could require; marine engineers, riggers, sailmakers, electronic and electrical experts all immediately ashore. If you cannot find what you need directly ashore the very helpful marina staff will be only too delighted to help you. A travel hoist can lift vessels weighing up to 63 tons and hard standing can be obtained ashore. The single exception to the marina's list of services is the ability to provide a diesel fuel fill alongside. Diesel fuel, not petrol, can however be obtained at Itchen Marine at American Wharf, close south, or within Hythe Marina Village in Southampton Water.
Shamrock Quay is a taxi ride to downtown Southampton that, being a major city and commercial port, has excellent transport connections. Regular car ferries, or fast catamarans, ply their way to Cowes, Isle of Wight, and these are a short taxi ride away. Mainline trains are available to London Waterloo, 70 minutes, Poole, Weymouth, Portsmouth and Brighton. These are complemented by a wide variety of local and regional bus services. Southampton International Airport with internal and continental flights is a 20 minute taxi ride in free flowing traffic. M27 connecting to the M3 and A3 is a 20 minutes drive.
Any security concerns?
The marina is highly attentive to the security of vessels either alongside pontoons or up on the hard. Gates are coded and a 24 hour security system is maintained with CCTV. The founder of inyourfootsteps.com kept his vessel 'Whistler' in Shamrock Quay for three years. In that time there was never an incident or even an anecdotal account of an incident in this very well run marina.With thanks to:
Michael Harpur S/Y Whistler. Photography by Michael Harpur.This video presents a promotional overview of the marina.
A jaunt downriver from Shamrock Quay
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