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Southsea Marina is situated immediately within the entrance to Langstone Harbour on its western side. Langstone Harbour lies on the mainland to the northeast of the Isle of Wight, between Portsmouth Harbour and Chichester Harbour. It is a marina situated behind a sill that provides visitors berths.

Southsea Marina is situated immediately within the entrance to Langstone Harbour on its western side. Langstone Harbour lies on the mainland to the northeast of the Isle of Wight, between Portsmouth Harbour and Chichester Harbour. It is a marina situated behind a sill that provides visitors berths.

Tucked inside the large natural harbour and behind a sill the marina offers complete protection from all conditions. Although the harbour is entered over a moderately deep sand bar, and between sand banks, it is very well marked and straightforward.
Please note

Large dredgers may be encountered at any stage, in the entrance or in the channels. They should be given a wide berth as they have limited room and manoeuvrability. Berths in Langstone are subject to strong currents and at a distance from the shore. A tender with a reliable outboard will be essential.




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Keyfacts for Southsea Marina
Facilities
None listed


Nature
Marina or pontoon berthing facilitiesUrban nature,  anything from a small town of more 5,000 inhabitants  to a large city

Considerations
Dangerous to enter when it is Beaufort force 5 or more from ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW and WSW.Entered over a sill at high water

Protected sectors

Current wind over the protected quadrants
Minimum depth
2 metres (6.56 feet).

Approaches
4 stars: Straightforward; when unaffected by weather from difficult quadrants or tidal consideration, no overly complex dangers.
Shelter
5 stars: Complete protection; all-round shelter in all reasonable conditions.



Last modified
July 17th 2018

Summary* Restrictions apply

A completely protected location with straightforward access.

Facilities
None listed


Nature
Marina or pontoon berthing facilitiesUrban nature,  anything from a small town of more 5,000 inhabitants  to a large city

Considerations
Dangerous to enter when it is Beaufort force 5 or more from ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW and WSW.Entered over a sill at high water



 +44 23 9282 2719      southsea@premiermarinas.com      Ch.80 [Southsea Marina]
Position and approaches
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Haven position

50° 47.566' N, 001° 2.046' W

This is positioned at the head of the waiting pontoon. The pontoon is situated immediately outside the tidal cill gate that provides entry into the marina.

What is the initial fix?

The following Southsea Marina will set up a final approach:
50° 47.840' N, 001° 1.867' W
This is at the top of The Run and immediately outside the entrance to the Southsea Marina channel.


What are the key points of the approach?

Offshore details are available in the westbound Route location or eastbound Route location sequenced 'Selsey Bill to Start Point' coastal description. Use the Langstone Harbour Click to view haven entry for approaches and directions for The Run as far as the Hayling ferry pontoon.


  • Southsea Marina is accessed over a tidal gate that may be accessed approximately 3 hours either side of high water.

  • It is approached via a half mile long channel that commences immediately within Langstone Harbour's entrance and on its western side.

  • Once in the channel it is simply a matter of following the closely spaced marks to its entrance or waiting pontoon as the case may be.



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 Southsea Marina for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
  1. Langstone Harbour - 1 nautical miles NNE
  2. Hayling Yacht Company - 2.6 nautical miles ENE
  3. Gunwharf Quays Marina - 2.8 nautical miles W
  4. Haslar Marina - 3.1 nautical miles W
  5. Gosport Marina - 3.1 nautical miles W
  6. Royal Clarence Marina - 3.4 nautical miles W
  7. Sparkes Marina - 3.5 nautical miles E
  8. Northney Marina - 3.6 nautical miles NE
  9. Hardway Sailing Club - 3.9 nautical miles WNW
  10. Port Solent Marina - 4 nautical miles NW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
  1. Langstone Harbour - 1 miles NNE
  2. Hayling Yacht Company - 2.6 miles ENE
  3. Gunwharf Quays Marina - 2.8 miles W
  4. Haslar Marina - 3.1 miles W
  5. Gosport Marina - 3.1 miles W
  6. Royal Clarence Marina - 3.4 miles W
  7. Sparkes Marina - 3.5 miles E
  8. Northney Marina - 3.6 miles NE
  9. Hardway Sailing Club - 3.9 miles WNW
  10. Port Solent Marina - 4 miles NW
To find locations with the specific attributes you need try:

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Chart
Please use our integrated Navionics chart to appraise the haven and its approaches. Navionics charts feature in premier plotters from B&G, Raymarine, Magellan and are also available on tablets. Open the chart in a larger viewing area by clicking the expand to 'new tab' or the 'full screen' option.

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How to get in?


Southsea Marina sits in the southwest corner of Langstone Harbour, immediately within the entrance and on the Eastney Peninsula. It holds 30 visitors berths and can usually accommodate most visitors upon request. Use the Langstone Harbour Click to view haven entry for approaches and directions for The Run as far as the Hayling ferry pontoon.

The marina is accessed over a tidal gate or sill that automatically opens when it has 1.6 metres of water over it. This is usually at half-tide which provides the marina with approximately 6 hours of access per tidal cycle. Deepest water in the marina is 2.4 metres and the waiting pontoon, immediately outside its entrance, is dredged to 2.5 metres LAT.




The half mile long channel, connecting it to the harbour, is dredged to 0.5 metres below chart datum. This can vary and vessels carrying a draft of 1.5 metres, or more, should avoid approaching the marina in the two hours either side of low water and especially so on Springs.

The marina office should be contacted well in advance of entering the channel. Southsea Marina can be reached on VHF channel 80, call sign [Southsea Marina], or call +44 23 9282 2719.




Initial fix location From the initial fix Southsea Marina’s approach channel will be immdiatly west. The channel commences about 100 metres to the northwest of the Hayling ferry pontoon. It is entered between port, Fl R, and starboard, Fl G, piles. Prepare for a cross set whilst passing in. Those making the best of an adverse tide, by hugging the western shoreline, should arc out on the approach and not cut straight to the port pile from the head of the Hayling Island ferry pontoon. By night Hayling Island ferry pontoon exhibits Fl.R 10s on either end.




Once in the channel it is simply a matter of following the closely spaced marks. The channel circles around to port but its marks make the path plain. There are six further starboard marks, two of which are buoys, and eight further port hand markers marking the channel. None of the starboard markers are lit but the 4th, Fl.R 3s, 6th, Fl.R 4s, and 9th, Fl.R 5s, port marks are.




The waiting pontoon will be seen on the port hand side of the channel. It has shore access and the fuel dock is at its head.




When the sill is up a red light is displayed on a post high up and to the left of the marina entrance. When the tide rises to 1.6 metres above the tidal gate it automatically opens and a green light will be displayed. Vessels with a draft of 1.6 metres or more should check the tide gauge at the entrance to see if there is sufficient water to cross the sill. The gauge here indicates the depth over the sill.




The marina entrance is 7 metres wide. When passing in through the entrance the vessel travelling with the tide, and having reduced steerage, has right of way over a vessel travelling in the opposite direction.
Please note

The red and green lights only indicate if the sill is up or down and do not in any way control traffic right of way.







Haven location Berth as directed by the marina office. The marina offers 2.4 metres in its deeper berths, dropping to 1.3 metres around its edges.




Why visit here?
Southsea Marina is owned and operated by Premier Marinas Limited based in Hampshire. The company owns and manages eight coastal marinas and boatyards in England offering berth holders freedom to roam between their facilities if space is available.

Nestled into the Eastney Peninsula Southsea Marina provides seaward access to Langstone Harbour, The Solent, as well as Chichester Harbour to the east. Ashore, by bus, taxi or a stalwart walk, is the seaside town of Southsea and the city of Portsmouth beyond.




Situated at the southern end of Portsea Island, Southsea originally developed as a Victorian seaside resort in the 19th century. Although located within a mile of Portsmouth cities’ harbour focal point and to the east of Old Portsmouth, Southsea grew into a dense residential suburb and a large distinctive commercial and entertainment area, separate from Portsmouth itself. Today it has a thriving commercial area that includes two national department stores amongst well-known high street chains and numerous independent traders.


The resort town took its name from the Henrican Southsea Castle that was built on the southern end of Portsea Island in 1544. At the time England was politically isolated after King Henry VIII's divorce of Catherine of Aragon. The resulting hostility between France and Spain aroused fears of invasion and Henry VIII commenced the construction of the Device Forts to defend England’s southern coast. The chain of artillery fortifications were financed from the proceeds of the dissolution of the monasteries and represented England's largest defence programme since Saxon times.


Southsea Castle was constructed to guard the eastern entrance to the Solent and entrance to Portsmouth Harbour, and it was much needed. On 19 July 1545, from very near this location, Henry VIII watched his prized Mary Rose sink. She was leading an attack on the galleys of a French invasion fleet when she sank north of the Isle of Wight. Miraculously that was not to be the last sight of the ship as its remains were discovered and are now on display at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Southsea Castle is now managed by English Heritage. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is free to visit.


A short walk from the castle is the D-Day Museum and Overlord Embroidery. These tell the story of Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy June 6th 1944.

The remarkable Overlord embroidery is one of the longest works of its kind in the world. The embroidery is made up of 34 panels and measures 83 metres, or 272 feet, in length and it took twenty embroiderers five years to create. The finished embroidery tells the D-Day story from well before the invasion took place through to when the German troops retreat across the Seine.


From a sailing perspective Southsea Marina offers a friendly working marina and is an ideal berth to explore Langstone Harbour. It also presents a great option for those who initially intended anchoring and the weather made the large body of water uncomfortable. Although access is controlled by a tidal gate most vessels have unrestricted three hours either side of high water. The walk ashore from the waiting pontoon extends shore access significantly.




What facilities are available?
The pontoons provide power and water. All domestic requirements up to and including WiFi can be found within the marina. The launderette is opposite the entrance to 'G' pontoon where token operated washing and drying machines will be found. Diesel and unleaded petrol are available at the fuel bay, located on the head of the outer waiting pontoon. The fuel dock is open 0800-2000 in the summer and 0800–1800 in the winter and vessels should contact the marina in advance of coming into the fuel bay. Gas cylinders are also available at the Marina Reception as well as a postal collection point. The marina provides general waste disposal, and full recycling facilities. Arrangements can be made for the disposal of waste oil.

Southsea Marina has a fully serviced boatyard. It has a 25 tonne hoist, a 10 tonne mobile crane and a 15 tonne Roodberg boat mover. There is a chandler onsite and a wide range of specialist services from rigging services to marine electronics, GRP repairs and cosmetic work and engineering.

There is a bar and cafe as well as a restaurant overlooking the marina. Eastney Convenience Store is ten minutes walk away and is open seven days a week, 6am to 7pm (5pm Sundays). There is a cashpoint in the store. The local shops in Milton, a 20 minute walk away, include a supermarket, bank, chemist and post office.

Portsmouth and Southsea is the nearest main line station with regular trains to Chichester, London and Southampton. Fratton is the nearest station which is about 40 minutes walk. Buses run from the marina to Southsea that connects to Portsmouth. National Express runs regular services from London, Winchester and many other cities to Portsmouth. Southampton International Airport at Eastleigh is around 20 miles away.
Please note

The local ferry service that operated to Hayling Island has closed down.




Any security concerns?
The marina is a secured facility with access to walkways, shower/ toilet and pontoon
blocks all controlled by key fobs. CCTV cameras are in operation and monitored 24 hours a day. There are also regular security patrols.


With thanks to:
Will Tremlett, Berthing Master and Luke Stringer, Duty Manager, Southsea Marina.









































The following Southsea Marina promotional video may be useful to help first time visitors familiarise themselves with the marina.






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