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What's the story here?

Sparkes Marina lies in the south-west corner of Chichester Harbour, just inside the entrance and on the south-eastern tip of Hayling Island. Owned and managed by Marina Development Limited (MDL) from Hamble, Hampshire, it offers 140 berths, some reserved for visitors. It is one of only two marinas in the harbour accessible at all tide states. However, the marina is relatively small and compact compared to others in the area.




Though small, it can accommodate vessels up to 20 metres with draughts of up to 2.5 metres when berths are available. However, it is accessed via its own dredged channel, which has a maximum depth of about 1.5m CD or roughly 2 metres Mean Low Water Springs. This should give 24/7 access to most standard leisure draft vessels. Any silt accumulation along the dedicated channel consists of soft mud which will not cause any harm to a vessel working the margins.

Daily Visitor Berthing [2026]
Visitor Rates

• • Up to 12.5m: £5.55 per metre


• • 12.6m – 18m: £7.00 per metre


• • 18.1m – 24m: £7.80 per metre


• • 24.1m +: £8.50 per metre

Short Stay Berthing (Up to 4 hours)

• • Up to 15m: £13.10


• • 15.1m +: £19.30 flat rate

Visitor overnight electricity, all lengths: £5.30 – £5.50 per night. Visitor berths must typically be vacated by noon on the day of departure. If you expect to arrive after 5 p.m., it is good practice to let the marina know.




Because Sparkes Marina is in a popular location, with many of its berths subject to size or draft restrictions, it can easily get overwhelmed. It is therefore advisable to make berthing arrangements in advance by contacting the marina, VHF Ch. 80 [Sparkes Marina], +44 (0)2392 463572, sparkes@mdlmarinas.co.uk.

How to get in?

The approaches to the entrance, with its tidal flow, are detailed in Navigating Chichester Harbour . Proceed with these directions to the Hayling Island Sailing Club, which is abeam.




Thereafter, the dredged approach channel to Sparkes Marina will be found about 150 metres north of the clubhouse. It is entered from the junction of the entrance channel with the Emsworth and Chichester channels, located to the south of the Fisher Channel Mark, where it leads off west by north-west.




The channel's entrance lies immediately around Black Point and off the head of the Hayling Island Sailing Club's pontoon jetty. The northern side is marked by an unlit east cardinal beacon, with a tide gauge, and a small green starboard buoy located just south of the beacon.




From the entrance, it is 700 metres to the marina, and the channel is dredged to 1.5 metres below Chart Datum from the jetty. If there is any uncertainty about the tide, the east beacon's Chart Datum tidal gauge will provide accurate current water depths. However, depths can vary depending on the interval and storm activity between dredging. If there is any silting, it will be soft mud that will cause no harm.




From the junction south of the Fisher cardinal approach, the channel's entrance turns west, passing midway between the jetty and the starboard buoy. The helm should keep a keen eye out for cross-currents on the approaches.

Once inside the channel, follow its first length by aligning the two yellow 'X' St. Andrews crosses, leading marks, on a bearing of 277° T in line. The day-glow marks are located on the mud flats about 500 metres west of the entrance and are clearly visible against the trees in the backdrop. The fairway is readily apparent from its lines of moorings on both sides. A floating pontoon and pile moorings will be seen on its inner southern flank.




After the pile moorings, the channel divides into the Mengeham Channel, which forks to the northwest, and the last stretch of the Sparkes Marina channel, which turns south, where the marina will be clearly visible at this point. The marina's channel is then marked by closely spaced, substantial steel port piles with red can top marks, and by some smaller starboard-hand posts with green conical heads. These mark the final length of the approach into the marina.




Berth as directed by the marina office. Visitor berths are usually alongside the outer pontoon on the east side of the marina wall.

Why visit here?

Sparkes Marina derives its name from a local landowner and boatyard operator, Sparkes, whose first name is not widely recorded in local histories, with records simply referring to him as "Mr. Sparkes." In the 1930s, he married Miss Cross (later Lady "Baba" Mackworth). Together, they set up a small boatyard at Sandy Point, at the southeastern tip of Hayling Island, where they carried out boat repairs, construction, and maintenance. After his fatal accident, the site was acquired and developed into a formal yacht harbour and marina in the late 1930s and 1940s by a local syndicate, which included author Nevil Shute, thus keeping his name as Sparkes Yacht Harbour (currently Sparkes Marina).




The island derives its name from the combination of the name Haegel with inga and ég. This name means 'settlement of', 'followers of', or 'the island of the family of a man called Haegel'. Haegel was a Saxon chieftain who claimed the island as his principal settlement after the Romans left. The name Haegel softened over the centuries, first recorded as Heglingaigce in 956, Halingei in the 1086 Doomsday Book, and Hailinges around 1140, from which it gradually evolved to its present form, 'Hayling'.




The site offers the perfect gateway to the island. Lying between the harbours of Langstone and Chichester, Hayling Island is a true island, surrounded by sea. The island measures about 6.5 kilometres (4 miles) north to south and is nearly the same in breadth at the south. The flat island has an irregular form, shaped like an inverted 'T', and rises no more than 6 metres (20 ft.) above sea level at its highest point. Although small, Hayling Island has a surprisingly rich and varied history, both modern and ancient.




The island has been inhabited since Neolithic times, though there's little evidence of permanent settlements. The British Museum owns a polished axe-head and two or three arrowheads found on the island, dating from 8,000 to 2,500 BC. Hoards of 'palstaves,' early bronze axes, have been uncovered at North Hayling and Gable Head, likely representing ritual burials from the later Bronze Age. An Iron Age shrine in northern Hayling was later transformed into a Roman temple in the first century, highlighting the religious significance placed on islands during pagan times. On the southeastern side, the impressive Tourner Bury earthwork hill fort spans these periods. Unfortunately, Saxons and Vikings destroyed all the Roman structures, leaving little of historical importance.




According to Domesday, Hayling was divided among three owners: the King, the Abbey of Winchester, and a French monastery from Caen in Normandy. Around 1140, the Jumièges monks from Normandy began constructing Northwode Chapel on their portion. Over time, this chapel evolved into what is now St. Peter's Church, with an early settlement developing to its north. A major fire in 1757 destroyed much of this ancient village, though some farm buildings remained. Today, Saint Peter's Church stands as the oldest surviving church on the island and one of its most beautiful buildings. Made of flint and stone, with a shingled broach spire, it exemplifies a typical Norman-period English village church. It is also claimed that its three bells, cast around 1350, form one of the oldest peal sets in England.





Not so fortunate, however, was Hayling Island's lost priory, which fell victim to some of the island's most difficult times. It is thought to have stood on the ancient Norman moated site where the current 1777 Manor House now stands. The priory church, along with much of the island's southern area and Selsey Bill, was wrecked by flooding in the 13th or 14th century. Following the flood, St. Mary's Church, built on the island's highest point, became the main place of worship on Hayling. The flood was soon followed by the 'Black Death', the bubonic plague pandemic, which wiped out up to half of England's population. This period also marked a time of national crisis, when the island needed to defend itself against French attacks.




The development over the past two centuries has largely been that of a seaside resort. By 1887, the Hayling Island Branch Line, operated from Havant and affectionately known as the "Hayling Billy", brought excursions to Hayling's sandy beaches within reach of many. These day excursions, in turn, brought many who, in the coming decades, would buy inexpensive plots of farmland to build holiday homes.




By 1935, new estates were being built and were specifically advertised as holiday homes by the sea. With its wonderful beach and train service, Hayling Island found itself at the forefront of the pre-war holiday camp boom, and it hosted three complexes, one of which remains to this day. During the 20th century, Hayling changed to become a desirable holiday location, not purely for day-trippers, and finally a place to live close to the sea.




The island's perfect combination of sail and surf led to the invention of windsurfing here in the 1950s. Peter Chilvers, as a young boy on Hayling Island, assembled his first board with a sail in 1958. In 1982, in a landmark design case, the British courts recognised 'prior art', judging that Peter Chilvers had incorporated all the elements of the modern windsurfer, based on film footage he presented from that time. The courts found that later innovations were "merely an obvious extension" and upheld the defendant's claim. Today, Chilvers's sport is very popular on the south beach, alongside kitesurfing, of which Hayling is the south's new hotspot. The island set a Guinness World Record for the longest line of kite surfers and holds the record for the longest line of stand-up paddle boarders.




Today, the island remains a popular holiday destination with numerous facilities and four miles of Blue Flag beach at Beachlands. The natural beach, mainly sandy, has recently been reinforced with shingle dredged from the Solent bed to combat erosion and prevent flooding of low-lying areas. Surrounded by grassy dunes and Victorian beach huts, Hayling Island's unspoilt waterfront distinguishes it from many larger resorts. The Hayling Railway closed in 1963 as part of the Beeching cuts, but an active 2-foot narrow-gauge light railway remains. Operated by volunteers, it runs a 2-mile round trip along the seafront between Beachlands and Eastoke Corner on weekends, Wednesdays, and daily during school holidays.




From a sailing standpoint, Sparkes Marina provides vessels with a highly convenient all-tide berth on the threshold of Chichester Harbour. It serves as an ideal entry point to land or refuel before exploring the numerous diverse spots within this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The marina is perfect for family boats, offering two beautiful beaches. One of these beaches, located at the entrance between Hayling Island Sailing Club and Eastoke Point, is just a short walk away.

What facilities are available?

The pontoons provide power and water. All domestic requirements, including WiFi, are available within the marina. A coin-operated launderette is open 24 hours a day. Diesel and unleaded petrol are available at the fuel bay on the port-side pontoon, immediately inside the entrance. The marina provides general waste disposal and full recycling facilities. Arrangements can be made for the disposal of waste oil. The popular on-site Piranha Bar & Restaurant overlooks the marina.

A travel hoist can lift vessels weighing up to 40 tons, and there is hard standing for up to 200 boats ashore. There are good facilities ashore for boat owners wishing to carry out repairs or maintenance. The area features many marine-related tradesmen who specialise in engineering, outboard engines, glass-fibre repairs, rigging, sails and covers, marine carpentry, electrical work, boat management and valeting.

The only way to and from Hayling Island by road is over Hayling Bridge, which becomes congested in the summer. The nearest railway station to Hayling Island is Havant, on the mainland just beyond Hayling Island and about a mile from the bridge. Alternatively, Portsmouth and Southsea offer alternative railway stations, used for connections to Bristol (Temple Meads) and Cardiff.

Restaurants at Sparkes Marina & Hayling Island
Square Rigger Waterside Bar & Kitchen: Waterfront bar and kitchen serving wood-fired dishes and local seafood.
Address: Sparkes Marina, 38 Wittering Road, PO11 9SR. | +44 (0)23 9400 2555

Piranha Bar & Restaurant: Marina-side cafe bar and restaurant offering à la carte menus.
Address: Sparkes Marina, Sandy Point, PO11 9SR. | +44 (0)23 9246 9459

Inn on the Beach: Beachfront pub set on the shingle shore with Solent views.
Address: 97 Sea Front, Hayling Island, PO11 0AG. | +44 (0)23 9246 0043

The Olive Leaf: Coastal pub and restaurant serving home-cooked British classics.
Address: 48 Sea Front, Hayling Island, PO11 9HL. | +44 (0)23 9246 0909

The Ferryboat Inn: Waterside gastropub overlooking Langstone Harbour.
Address: Ferry Road, Hayling Island, PO11 0DG. | +44 (0)23 9200 8339


Other Local Useful Contacts
Sparkes Marina: +44 (0)23 9246 3572 | [VHF]: Channel 80.[Sparkes Marina]

Address: Sparkes Marina, Wittering Road, Hayling Island, Hampshire, PO11 9SR.

Itchenor Harbour Office: +44 (0)1243 512301 | [VHF]: Channel 14 (Call sign [Chichester Harbour Patrol])

Hayling Rescue (for boats): +44 (0)7748 997105

Sea Start: +44 (0)800 885500

Environment Agency: +44 (0)3708 506506

HM Custom and Excise Portsmouth: +44 (0)23 8079 7000

Chichester Police Station: +44 (0)845 6070 999

Solent Coastguard: +44 (0)23 9255 2100

Hospital Chichester: +44 (0)1243 788 122

Dentist: +44 (0)844 5769 676

Any security concerns?

The Marina is manned 24 Hours. Access to the marina and its facilities is controlled by key fob. CCTV cameras are located throughout the marina, including car parks and shoreside.

With thanks to:

Phil Walker, Deputy Harbour Master, Chichester Harbour.