Hardway Sailing Club is situated on the south coast of England, within and on the east side of Portsmouth Harbour. It is an active club with a large pontoon that fronts the village of Hardway.

Located within the natural harbour of Portsmouth, it provides good protection but can be exposed to a large waterway in strong easterly conditions. Safe access is available in all reasonable conditions during daylight hours. However, the pontoon can dry out and is usually accessible for only about 2 hours either side of high water, when deeper fin keelers can then take to the bottom over very forgiving soft mud.

Keyfacts for Hardway Sailing Club

Position and approaches

Haven position

50° 48.887' N, 001° 7.916' W

This is the head of the Hardway Sailing Club Pontoon

What is the initial fix?

This is the commencement of the Portsmouth Small Boat Channel. It runs for just under ¾ of a mile between the outer 4 Bar Buoy, QR, and Ballast Pile, Fl.R.2.5s, and is approximately 50 metres wide throughout its length.

What are the key points of the approach?

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What's the story here?

Hardway Sailing Club is situated in Hardway village, a suburb of Gosport, on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour. The club is located just under two miles from the harbour mouth, where the inner harbour broadens and joins the Fareham and Porchester lakes. A 250-metre-long pontoon fronts it, accessible at nearly all tide states, from which it manages over 200 permanent swinging moorings for members. It is a traditional, members-owned sailing club focusing on sailing activities rather than resort-style amenities. The environment is practical and designed for sailors, but it offers excellent shoreside facilities, including water taps on the pontoons, toilets, and showers in the clubhouse.




The club openly welcomes visitors who are generally accommodated on the main pontoon. The pontoon is accessible for usually 2 hours either side of high water over a soft mud bottom that is very forgiving for fin keelers to take to the bottom. This setup is ideal for shallow-draft and drying-out vessels, but deeper-draft yachts should time their berthing for the top half of the tide.




Visitors are welcome to book up to 7 days on the pontoon, with online payments to be made on arrival via the club booking page . Any stay beyond 7 days must have approval from the Pontoon Officer, but stays are available for up to 28 days.
Visitor Berthing Rates (Non-members) [2025]:

• • First 3 Hours - No charge


• • Days 1 to 7: £20.00


• • Day 8 to 28: £44.00

Electricity cards of different denominations are available from the bar when it's open. There is a non-redeemable cost of £2.00 for each newly issued card only.





This pontoon is available to visitors on a 'first-come, first-served basis', and at busy times, boats are sometimes rafted. You cannot book in advance; you can only book your berth by the online booking page when you have found a spot and are alongside. Enquiries may be made in advance by contacting the club +44 (0)2392 581 875, secretary@hardwaysailingclub.co.uk or via their web form . Please berth in a way that makes your boat name visible at all times for easy identification.

How to get in?

Coastal guidance, tidal guides, waypoints, and pilotage are available in Navigating Portsmouth Harbour . The Eastern Approaches to the Solent covers southern approaches, while inshore east/west approach guidance can be found in Southampton Water to Chichester Harbour .



The clubhouse and pontoon are located at the southern end of Fareham Lake. Four pontoons are visible along the shoreline in front of the village of Hardway, with the sailing club being the northernmost. The first is the large L-shaped 'Vospers Jetty'. The second is 'Sultan Landing', used by launches to transfer vessels to Portsmouth moorings. Lastly, there is a short 80-metre public pontoon near the longer 250-metre Hardway Sailing Club pontoons. The free public pontoon is popular during high Spring tides for local amenities and visits to the well-liked Jolly Roger pub.




Berth on the north side of the pontoon or as guided by the club. The pontoon is fixed (not floating), and the tide runs directly across it, so it is best to plan for arrival or departure at slack water (HW Portsmouth ±1 hour). There are triangular alignment marks on the Hardway Sailing Club pontoon that will help gauge the flow of the Portsmouth Harbour tides when approaching. Fellow members are likely to assist with lines. Avoid coming alongside the hammerhead at the outer end, as club members use it for loading, unloading, and provisioning their vessels.




The seaward pontoon has about 1.5 metres at neaps but almost dries at the bottom of large springs. Fin keel vessels can comfortably come alongside the inner pontoon at high water.




The seabed surrounding the pontoons is made up of forgiving soft silt, so vessels will comfortably sit into the mud as the tide falls away. Expect at least 2 metres of water at the innermost section of the pontoon at high water.

Why visit here?

The name Hardway originates from providing a firm or 'hard' landing position in the shallow waters and mudflats of Portsmouth Harbour. The early settlement was known as 'Elson Hardway', or 'Elson Hard', because of its proximity to the village of Elson. It retained this name until the 18th century, after which it was shortened to its present form, Hardway.




Portsmouth's shoreline had several of these historic 'hards' at the time, and by calling it 'Elson Hardway', it specifically identified this particular hard as the one near the village or belonging to it. As late as the mid-1800s, charts recorded names like 'Priddy's Hard', 'Goliath's Hard', 'Lower Hard', 'Pinney's Hard', and 'Convict's Hard'. Today, many of the original hard locations are occupied by piers and quays. 'Convict's Hard', as the name indicates, was used to transport convicts to prison hulks. Prison hulks were decommissioned ships, often with their masts cut down or removed, used as floating prisons. In the 18th and 19th centuries, authorities employed them to ease the strain on land prisons and to provide a cheaper alternative to building new prisons. Lines of these prison hulks were moored in the Thames, Langstone Harbour, and Fareham Lake off Hardway.




Hardway's history runs much deeper than this. Given its prominent position by the harbour and solid landing area, it has had a long history of habitation. Villagers farmed the surrounding open land and fished the harbour, but there is also evidence of a long history of boat building here. The settlement was historically somewhat isolated from Gosport by Forton Lake. In the latter part of the eighteenth century, following the relocation of the Royal Ordnance Depot from Portsmouth to Priddy's Hard, the west end of Forton Lake was gradually reclaimed. This made Hardway more accessible and spurred its growth thereafter. Much of Hardway's village character stems from the development in the 18th and 19th centuries that followed this.




Hardway, especially the foreshore in front of Hardway Sailing Club, played a vital role during World War II. The foreshore was reclaimed to prepare for the D-Day landings, and the approaches to it were dredged, with reinforcing concrete mats laid on the beach. These mats, known as 'Chocolate Blocks' because of their appearance, were a crucial innovation for the D-Day landings. Designed by the Royal Engineers, they provided a durable, non-slip surface capable of supporting the heavy weight of Allied tanks like the Sherman and Churchill, as well as other military vehicles. This enabled the vehicles to drive directly onto the Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs) and Landing Craft Tanks (LCTs) without becoming stuck in the soft mud and shingle of the harbour bed.




Many ships and boats anchored in Portsmouth Harbour before the invasion used the Hardway foreshore for refuelling and repairs. This was because Hardway offered a relatively sheltered location that avoided town traffic; it specifically served the large 'Landing Ship, Tank' (LST), or tank landing ships. Of the 203 British and American LSTS involved in D-Day, 192 of them departed from Hardway. During the invasion, Hardway was one of the three main points used for embarkation. Many of these returned with wounded soldiers and prisoners, to be reloaded and sent back to the Normandy beaches.




It was not until six months after D-Day, when the Belgian port of Antwerp was captured, that the use of Hardway decreased. Nevertheless, it continued to load food and medicines destined for the starving people of Europe. A section of this historic concrete surface can still be seen today at the bottom of the slipway, particularly at low tide. It serves as a tangible link to a pivotal moment in World War II history and is a reminder of the scale of the preparations that took place in the area.




Today, Hardway is a quiet, well-established suburban village consisting of a few industrial estates and a mix of traditional and modern two-storey homes built along a 19th-century road layout. It is a calmer, more suburban area compared to the busier parts of Gosport town centre, offering a combination of coastal living with convenient access to wider amenities in Gosport and Portsmouth via the nearby ferry. The area's character, especially from the foreshore, is shaped by its connection with Portsmouth Harbour, which is clearly seen across the water.




From a boating perspective, Hardway Sailing Club is a very welcoming club that offers an affordable berth in Portsmouth Harbour for the budget sailor. True to the spirit of sailing club camaraderie, prices are kept low because all members contribute, and the club generously shares its resources with visitors. The club bar is also suitable for those with modest means, providing a good atmosphere for enjoying company and food with views out over one of the world's most famous and historic harbours. Everything you might need is just a short walk or ferry ride away from all the city's attractions.

What facilities are available?

The club provides shower and toilet facilities. It also serves food and has a bar. Basic provisions can be obtained at a local shop about a five-minute walk from the club. Gosport town centre, approximately 20 minutes on foot, and Portsmouth, accessible via the ferry from Gosport, offer extensive shopping facilities and banks, among other amenities.

Portsmouth Harbour railway station is the terminus of the Portsmouth Direct Line to London. The Gosport Ferry departs to Portsmouth every 15 minutes.

With thanks to:

Michael Harpur S/Y Whistler.