Seaview is a seaside resort situated off the south coast of England and on the northeast most point of the Isle of Wight. The shore is shoal but the welcoming Sea View Yacht Club provide visitor moorings well offshore beyond which it is also possible to anchor.

Set so far out from the low lying shore this is an exposed and tiderode location that can only be made use of in settled conditions. Approaches require attentive navigation as, although an eastward approach is entirely open, the shoals to the east of the island and the very dangerous Ryde Sand have to be circumvented.

The moorings are subject to very strong tidal currents and are vulnerable to wash from commercial shipping entering and exiting The Solent.

Keyfacts for Seaview

Position and approaches

Haven position

50° 43.438' N, 001° 6.201' W

This is the Sea View Yacht Club mooring area.

What is the initial fix?

This is positioned about midway between two race buoys, F.Y 4s at night, located just under a mile east by northeast of Nettlestone Point.

What are the key points of the approach?

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How to get in?

The coastal village of Seaview stands on Nettlestone Point located 2.5 miles northwest of Foreland and 2 miles southeast of Ryde. It is a small Edwardian resort which has somehow managed to remain something of a quiet retreat when compared to the island’s more active coastal locations.

Visiting Yachtsmen are welcome to use the Sea View Yacht Club moorings and ferry service; subject to payment of fees and signing in on the club visitor book when ashore. Boats up to 10 tonnes 12 metres (40 ft.) can be accepted, at the owner's risk, and there are a handful of 20 tonne moorings for larger craft. Sea View Yacht Club is manned every working day and available for general enquiries on P: +44 1983 613 268 | E: office@svyc.co.uk | W: www.svyc.org.uk. During weekends, when the office is closed, the club may be contacted by the bar number P: +44 1983 613 118. Although the club have plenty of moorings they do on occasion receive visiting clubs and rallies so it is advisable to call, or e-mail, 24 hours in advance to confirm availability.

The primary hazard for all vessels approaching the north eastern part of the island, is the great expanse of Ryde Sand that has left many a leisure craft standing. From Nettlestone Point the sands uncover and dry to 2 metres at low water springs. This drying area extends nearly a mile northward, towards Spithead, and then turns away west by north towards the head of Ryde Pier. Although Seaview is clear to the east, Ryde Sands must be approached with great caution.


Vessels approaching from the west should stand well off the head of Ryde Pier so as not to hamper the high-speed ferry service. Continue north-eastward past Ryde Sand’s northern edge that arches out between Ryde Pier and its northeast point ‘Ryde Sands’ red port beacon, by night Fl.R.10s. Keep at least 200 metres outside the Red Piles as this section is very steep-to and the most dangerous part of Ryde Sand.

No Man's Land Fort can be passed via the ¼ mile wide Small Boat Channel on the fort’s western or island side. It has a least charted depth of 2 metres between the fort and the red beacon that exhibits a light at night, Fl.R.12s. After passing No Man's Land Fort steer for St. Helen's Fort, just over two miles southward, preparing to turn to starboard at the initial fix located about ¾ of a mile southward.


The key hazards for vessels rounding Foreland, the low eastern extremity of the Isle of Wight, are the Bembridge Ledge, Cole Rock and the Dickey Dawe Rocks. All these dangers can be avoided by keeping outside the Bembridge Ledge East cardinal, situated a third of a mile eastward, and the yellow seasonal buoys offshore of Bembridge.

Keep St. Helen's Fort at least 200 metres to port, and leave all the various spherical seasonal buoys to port to clear the rocks and shoals that lie along the shoreline between Nodes Point to Nettlestone Point.




The initial fix is located about midway between two race buoys, F.Y 4s at night, located just under a mile east by northeast of Nettlestone Point where the clubhouse stands.




The mooring area’s lines of multi-coloured keel boats will be clearly visible about a third of a mile westward from here. Steer towards the mooring area and the sands east of Nettlestone which although more irregular do shoal gently. A careful eye to the sounder whilst keeping outside the 2 metres contour sees a vessel clear of dangers. Those intending on anchoring should do so well outside the mooring area.




The club visitor moorings are laid out, at the height of the season, in two trots of 20 and 18 outside the mermaids. They all have a ‘V’ on them and are ideally targeted at 12 metres (40 ft.) circa 10 tons boats. There are a couple of larger moorings capable of handling vessels of around 20 tons, and the club boatman, available on VHF Ch. M2 (P4) call sign [Sea View Boatmen], will be delighted to assist with any questions. All the moorings have depths of around 2 metres at Mean Low Water Springs. The club charges £10.00 for a stay during daylight hours and £22.00 for an overnight stay. Their ferry service is available in the season from 08:30 to 16:30. Those landing independently by tender on the club landing stage and slipway should be equipped with a stalwart outboard motor as tidal currents run very strong here.

Why visit here?

Seaview is a small off the beaten path Victorian and Edwardian resort located on Nettlestone Point. The appropriately named coastal village commands views over The Solent and Portsmouth Harbour and the open sea from the relatively low lying north-eastern corner of the Isle of Wight.

Seaview’s earliest mention comes from the formidable 1545 French invasion of the Isle of Wight. The French, or their mercenaries, landed in multiple places on the island in July of that year. Their believed purpose was to sack the island in order to provoke the English Fleet into battle with their far larger fleet. One of these landings was on the Seaview beach below which was then a small, round stone tower known as Nettlestone Fort. Of the invasion Martin Du Bellay wrote: "...To keep the enemy's forces separated, a simultaneous descent was made in three different places. On one side Seigneur Pierre Strosse was bidden to land below a little fort where the enemy had mounted some guns with which they assailed our galleys in flank, and within which a number of Island infantry had retired. These, seeing the boldness of our men, abandoned the fort and fled southwards to the shelter of a copse. Our men pursued and killed some of them and burned the surrounding habitations... "


The invaders destroyed what they found at Nettlestone and burnt its manor. The entire Island population at the time was approximately 9,000 people, but Richard Worsley, the Captain of the Isle of Wight militia, had an army of 6,000 under his command. Everyone on the Island had compulsory military training, with women often fighting as archers. Worsley led a brave defence and managed to repulse the attackers. Although the battles ended without a clear winner and the English took great losses, including the sinking of the carrack Mary Rose, the French were effectively repelled and it was considered an English victory. It proved to be the last French attempt on the Isle of Wight. As it was such a close run thing an organized system of defence was undertaken for the island and forts were constructed at Cowes, Sandown, Freshwater and Yarmouth. The original Nettlestone Fort went out of existence some time during the 18th century and the Old Fort Café, on the esplanade immediate to the east of the Yacht Club, now stands on the site. The invasion is commemorated by a plaque in Seaview which reads: "During the last invasion of this country hundreds of French troops landed on the foreshore nearby. This armed invasion was bloodily defeated and repulsed by local militia 21st July 1545".




Despite the existence of the fort Seaview remained a landscape of dispersed settlements as late as the 18th century. A saltern, created by reclaiming a coastal marsh, formed the nucleus for the current village. The salt-boiling house was built to the north of where the present High Street is situated with a saltern’s slipway on the shore. The salt pan worker’s cottages that sprung up around the boiling house, along with a scattering of early coastal houses near the original fort most likely owned by sea captains as they overlook the naval anchorage of Spithead, formed the origins from which the village of Seaview began to grow.


Like other Isle of Wight coastal towns, such as Ryde, Cowes, Bembridge and Gurnard, Seaview then got swept up by the Victorian penchant for coastal holidays. Many of the houses along the Esplanade, Circular Road and West Street go back to the 19th century including Seaview House. From about the 1850’s the coming of a railway connection dramatically increased the popularity of Seaview and its development. This is reflected in the enlargements to houses, and the numerous sea-side accommodations, including the Hotel. The construction of a very elegant suspension pier in 1880, that was one of only three suspension or chain piers built in the British Isles, further fueled its visitor popularity.




During this period it was noted as 'a pleasant retreat for those who are fond of a quiet seaside nook away from the bustle and gaiety of Ryde' and was recommended for its fine bathing and good sands. The Sea View Yacht Club was founded in 1893 and its stated aim is 'to encourage amateur sailing and boat racing' and this went on to further the village’s popularity with the upper and middle classes. The village’s popularity went on into the 20th century as ‘Ward Locks Red Guide’, from the 1930’s, noted ‘’The constant procession of warships, liners and craft of all kinds is a source of never-failing interest. The fine firm sands of the two bays, the bordering woodland, reaching down to the very water, and the leafy lanes in the vicinity lend the place a rare charm. Both on and near the front are many attractive houses, but accommodation is in such demand during the season that the would-be visitor has generally to make arrangements months in advance. The speciality of Seaview, and the principal attraction to the families who regularly, year after year, resort to it, is the sea-bathing. Very pleasing the many bathing tents look from the water, with their crowd of merry children on the sand in front and their dark green setting of foliage behind and eastward.




Today the Sea View Yacht Club is well known for two designs of boat: the Mermaid, which is a keel boat and the Sea View One-Design (SVOD), also known as the Seaview Dinghy. The Mermaids are a fleet of 13 identical, if very colourful, keelboats owned by the Club that are moored off Seaview from April through to October. Designed in 1907 to supersede Seaview Yacht Club’s fleet of six-year-old 4.6m Ark class gaffers, the Seaview Mermaids have gone through many changes but retain their elegant profile and pretty sheerline. The current fleet of GRP boats which were built around the 2000 millennium are often chartered out for corporate entertainment.


Sea View One-Design (SVOD) are clinker built boats that are hand-built in the village by the family firm of V.A. Warren & Son. The Sea View One Design class was founded in 1931 and the 75th Anniversary was celebrated with a fleet race on 18 August 2006. This was followed in the afternoon by a sail past of 198 boats from the class, and it is still expanding with over 180 boats based in the village. The Sea View One-Design now represents the largest one-design classic dinghy class, sailing in a single place, anywhere in the world. The annual Regatta at Seaview, held in late August, is a very good time to visit. It has a host of family events both on shore and at sea. There are sports for children and adults, including tug of war, beach races and the greasy pole. Offshore there are rowing races of the village’s iconic boats, as well as a Rescue Race for couples. The event concludes with a fireworks display, that brings people from all over the Island.


Set amongst a picturesque, gently undulating landscape on the edge of the Solent, overlooking the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour, Seaview is a very pretty seaside village by any standard and it only gets better ashore. Here a visitor is greeted by a core of small narrow brightly coloured streets that exude an old-world Victorian tradition, punctuated by decorative customary shops. The promenade and beach are hallmarked by bunting, brightly painted boats, beachside café’s and deep sailing associations. All of this make it extremely popular with its visitors and cherished by its close-knit denizens. Seaview may not be the most comfortable Isle of Wight mooring ground but the beautiful village, its relaxed atmosphere, excellent pubs, cafes & restaurants, and above all its friendly people make it a very worthwhile visit should an auspicious weather window present itself.

What facilities are available?

Sea View Yacht Club has showers, toilets, and a bar and restaurant that is open every day for lunch where they appreciate visitors patronage.

Seaview’s High Street, running perpendicular to the shore, has a post office, and a small grocery store. Being a seaside village it has a host of small shops, and several excellent pubs and restaurants. Ryde, the island's largest town is situated an hours’ walk around the beaches, and has an abundance of pubs, shops and restaurants.

An hourly summer bus service runs between Seaview, to Bembridge, Ryde, Sandown and Newport. Newport is the central hub for the island’s bus service from where connections to all other parts of the island can be obtained.

Any security concerns?

Never an issue known to have happened to a vessel off Seaview.

With thanks to:

Michelle Reader Membership Secretary, Sea View Yacht Club. Photography Michael Harpur, Garry Knight and Christina Matthews.