The commences in the southern end of Southampton Water outside the entrance to the River Hamble. It then passes to the northeast of Calshot Reach and well clear of the 'Area of Concern' to the entrance of the North Channel that offers the fastest route from Southampton Waters to Spithead.


NORTH CHANNEL



The North Channel extends from Southampton Water to the northeast of Bramble Bank and into the east end of the Solent, where it continues into Spithead. The channel has a minimum depth of 4.0 metres CD and runs roughly parallel to the shoreline, more than a mile offshore from the small drying Hill Head Harbour and the resort town of Lee-on-the-Solent, from which a shallow coastal bank stretches out to flank the northeastern side of the channel.




On the opposite side, it passes northeast of Bramble Bank, where it meets Thorn Channel and Calshot Reach opposite Calshot Spit. The channel is marked by three navigational aids: Calshot Spit Cardinal (VQ), indicating the northern end of the spit and the turn into Southampton Water; Hillhead (Fl R 2.5s), situated offshore of Hill Head; and East Bramble Cardinal buoy (VQ (3) 5s), marking the eastern edge of Bramble Bank.



The North Channel requires some awareness because it is sometimes used by commercial vessels to avoid the Bramble Bank. These vessels are limited by their draft, meaning they must stay within the deep-water channel and cannot deviate. Consequently, leisure craft must always be prepared to give way and keep well clear of these vessels. Plenty of water can be found on the northwest or Hillhead side of the channel if you need to give way.


STOKES BAY and GILKICKER


After leaving the North Channel, the route passes inside the 'Browndown' starboard buoy, Fl(2) G.10s, which is located nearly ¾ of a mile from Browndown Point, the northeastern tip of Stokes Bay.





The open Stokes Bay is a slight indentation along the mainland coast between Fort Gilkicker and Browndown Point, 1.7 miles west by northwest. It provides a convenient anchorage in strong northerly winds.



Gilkicker Point, a low-lying shingle spit, marks the southern tip of Gosport and the western entrance to Portsmouth Harbour. The prominent, low-lying headland serves as a key boundary between the Solent and the open waters of Spithead. A light beacon that stands out from Gilkicker Point, G.10s7M, distinguishes it at night. Additionally, a yellow special mark buoy, Fl.Y.4s, often used as a racing marker, is located south of Gilkicker Point, which this route passes quite closely.




Gilkicker Point also houses the Victorian Fort Gilkicker, which, although now topped by a signal mast, has long been disused. One of the historic Palmerston forts, it was constructed between 1863 and 1871 to defend the vital anchorage of Spithead and the western approach to Portsmouth Harbour.


SPITHEAD

Between Gilkicker Point and Selsea Bill, the land is low and broken by deep inlets, which are the islands of Portsea, Hayling, and Thorney. The harbours of Portsmouth, Langstone, and finally Chichester, the easternmost, lie between these islands. Langstone and Chichester Harbours have off-lying sand flats that become a mass of breakers in strong southerly winds.




The historical anchorage of Spithead lies in the area situated between the mainland's Gilkicker Point, Horse Sand Fort, and the eastern tip of the Isle of Wight. It is a vast, open expanse of water sheltered from prevailing south-westerlies by the Isle of Wight. After Gilkicker Point, the route passes south of Spit Sand Fort and north of three special military beacons. This passes along the southern face of Spit Sand, which borders the western side of the approaches to Portsmouth Harbour.




Once you pass Gilkicker Point, you enter the Portsmouth Harbour precautionary zone, which covers the main harbour entrance and approach channel. This is a designated area where vessels are advised to navigate with extra caution due to the convergence of traffic. The area is particularly busy with commercial traffic, including the Isle of Wight Ferries, High-Speed Ferries, and naval vessels arriving and departing the dockyard. All vessels, regardless of length, are under the control of King's Harbour Master Ch. 11 [Portsmouth VTS] and must maintain a continuous listening watch on VHF Ch. 11 for vessel traffic information.




Large commercial vessels have limited manoeuvrability in this area and do not necessarily stay within the main commercial channel. There are frequent shipping movements across Spit Sand immediately east of Gilkicker Point at the western edge of the Portsmouth Harbour approach channel. Spit Sand has several navigable routes: outside Spit Sand Fort (as indicated by this route); via the Swashway (a secondary channel across Spit Sand between Hamilton and Spit banks); or through the Inner Swashway (at high water, close to the beach). Large vessels usually use the main dredged channel south of Portsmouth Harbour, but the fast-moving Portsmouth to Ryde Ferry Hovercraft use the Swashway, with leisure and small boats using the Inner Swashway when conditions permit.





Spit Sand is a shallow sandbank between Fort Gilkicker and Blockhouse, forming a triangular spit out into the Solent. It is a vast deposit of coarse sand and gravel, heavily mixed with broken shell. The shape of this sand spit roughly resembles a triangle with its base on Haslar Beach, stretching from Fort Glicker to Blockhouse. The apex of the triangle, or spit, extends nearly 1.7 miles in a line perpendicular from its base. Near the surface, it does not feature any natural rock formations. The general depth at Spit Sand ranges from 2.1 to 3 metres, offering little difficulty for leisure craft. Some shoal areas are as shallow as 1.2 metres LAT, and several small obstructions can pose navigation risks for unwary leisure vessels at low tide.




A ¼ of a mile within the outer edge of Spit Sand is Spit Sand Fort, often known as Spitbank Fort, Spitsand Fort, or simply Spit Fort. The 1859 fort is one of four located in the eastern Solent and now operates as a luxury hotel. Approximately 60 metres in diameter, it displays a light Fl.R.5s from a small turret 18 metres above high water, which can be seen for 7 miles. It stands as a prominent marker for the outer end of Spit Sand.




The Fort is positioned north of Spit Sand's actual apex, marked by the three Spit Bank Beacons South, situated to the south of the Fort, all of which are lit, Qy. The route now passes between these marks through the area south of the Fort and north of these beacons, in deep water ranging from 3.5 to 5 metres.





The route then crosses the area between the port Spit Refuge, Fl(3)R7.5s, and Starboard Boyne Fl(4)G.10s buoys. This is part of the main approach channel to Portsmouth Harbour. This channel is a mandatory Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) area controlled by the King's Harbour Master (KHM), Portsmouth, and all vessels navigating within it must operate under their control and coordination. You must maintain a continuous listening watch on VHF Channel 11 for vessel traffic information.




The main channel is a "narrow channel" under the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS). This means that you, as a small vessel, must not impede the passage of larger vessels, such as warships, ferries, or cargo ships, which are restricted in their ability to manoeuvre.

Vessels under 20 metres are allowed to cross the main channel here, as crossing is only prohibited to the south of the No. 4 Bar buoy. However, all vessels, regardless of length, once on the approach channel, north of the Outer Spit South Cardinal buoy, must contact King's Harbour Master, +44 (0)23 9272 3124, Ch. 11 [Portsmouth VTS] to gain permission to cross. Only cross when it is safe to do so, quickly and at a right angle, to minimise your time in the main shipping lane, and do not loiter.


PORTSMOUTH


Portsmouth Harbour remains a top choice for yachts due to its historical significance, excellent facilities, and city amenities. The historic naval city of Portsmouth is located on the east side of Portsea Island, with Gosport directly opposite on the eastern coast. Facilities for visiting yachts are among the best in the Solent, offering plenty of space for visiting vessels. It truly provides an unforgettable experience for all boaters.




The naturally formed harbour offers sheltered waters with ample modern navigation aids to ensure a safe arrival for yachts of all sizes. However, it is also one of the busiest and most challenging harbours to navigate in the UK due to strong tidal streams at the entrance, along with constant commercial, naval, and ferry traffic, requiring careful planning. Coastal guidance, tidal guides, waypoints, and pilotage information are available in Navigating Portsmouth Harbour .




Gosport, situated on the mainland to the west, features three large-scale marinas immediately inside the entrance: Haslar Marina , Gosport Marina , and Royal Clarence Marina . Opposite on the eastern side, at the heart of Portsmouth, is Gunwharf Quays Marina , situated at the foot of the city's iconic Spinnaker Tower.

Beyond this, the harbour widens significantly, though much of this area consists of mud flats that dry at low water. Two channels border this zone: Fareham Lake to the northwest, leading to Fareham, and Portchester Lake to the northeast, leading to Port Solent. On the northeastern side of Portsmouth Harbour adjacent to Fareham Lake, there are Hardway Sailing Club , Portsmouth Marine Engineering , Fareham Marina and WicorMarine Yacht Haven . In the northeast corner of Portsmouth Harbour, approximately four miles above its entrance and ½ mile northeast of the historic Portchester Castle, lies the large-scale Port Solent Marina .


HORSE and DEAN BARRIER


On the eastern side of Portsmouth's approach channel lies the Horse and Dean Sand shoal, which vessels must either pass south and seaward of to avoid it entirely or cross directly over. This large shoal consists of coarse sand mixed with gravel and small broken shells, offering valuable protection to the harbour area. It is very flat and has an average depth of 2 to 4.5 metres over its shallowest sections. The shoal begins at Southsea Castle, marking the eastern entrance to Portsmouth Harbour, and extends southwest for nearly 2 miles. The extensive Horse Sand Fort is located near the southern edge of the bank. Positioned opposite the similar Fort called No Man's Land Fort, it provides excellent sea bearings for this shoal and the main fairway of the Solent that runs between the two forts.




Vessels cutting across the bank must pass through a submerged barrier along the western side of the Horse and Dean Sand shoal. The submerged barrier connects the Horse Sand Fort with the site of the former Lumps Fort, which was situated on the shore above the beach. The barrier was installed in 1905 to form an anti-submarine and torpedo boom, the remnants of which are still a significant navigational hazard today. It comprises concrete pedestals of varying heights, some of which are partially uncovered at Low Water Spring tides, making them extremely dangerous. They create a line of breaking waves and are just deep enough to be hidden at higher tides, posing a serious risk to deep-draft vessels and keelboats. It is clearly marked along its length by yellow beacons topped with yellow marks. There are two passages through the submerged barrier that, with a sufficient rise in water level, provide convenient shortcuts along this shoreline.

There are three available options to navigate around the Horse and Dean Sands shoal, the Horse Sand Fort, and the barrier that extends to the Fort from the shore, as follows:

• (i) Pass outside of Horse Sand Fort in open water.


• (ii) Pass through the submerged barrier's 'Main Passage' is located about midway along the two-mile-long barrier between Horse Sand Fort and the shore.


• (iii) At half-tide or above, with a sufficient rise, cut through the submerged barrier's 'Smaller Passage' close to the shore.

OPEN WATER

The open water approach outside of Horse Sand Fort is for times of a heavy surge, those with deep draughts or when operating at low tide. The open water approach is to pass outside the Saddle starboard buoy, VQ G, and Horse Sand Fort. Thereafter, steer for the Winner Buoy.


MAIN PASSAGE

The plotted cut through the submerged barrier's 'Main Passage' is located about midway along the two-mile-long barrier between Horse Sand Fort and the shore. This well-used Main Passage is 55 metres wide with a depth of 1.2 metres chart datum. It is well marked by a lit dolphin, Q.R. 6m2M, on its southern side and a lit green top-marked pile, Q.G.2M, on the north side. The dolphin is readily identifiable in daylight from a great distance.

Unless a vessel is enjoying a favourable tack, this pass can be considered the preferred route as it saves a considerable amount of sailing time.

The SMALL BOAT PASSAGE

At half-tide or above, with a sufficient rise, there is the possibility to cut through the submerged barrier's 'Smaller Passage' close to the shore. The Smaller Boat Passage lies 200 metres out from the shoreline at the north end of the barrier. The passage is 12 metres wide and has a depth of 0.6 metres chart datum. It is located a ¼ mile east of the head of South Parade pierhead.



The north side of the passage is marked by a starboard beacon and the south side by a port beacon. This is a valid option for most leisure craft cutting in on the top half of the tide and taking the scenic shoreside view passing along off the head of South Pier. Then, once through the marks, cut a course to pass south of the black/red/black Roway Wreck isolated danger marker, whereupon it is safe to use the rise of tide to steer directly to Chichester's West Pole.


LANGSTONE HARBOUR


Offshore of Langstone Harbour are two flats locally known as The Woolseners that extend from either side of the harbour's mouth. They both run out south by southeast from the harbour entrance and are called the East Winner and West Winner. The banks shift over time and are subject to height alterations according to the previous winter's gales.

The West Winner bank is well inshore of this route, composed of gravel, and has largely washed away over the past decade. It is now a flat with a 1.1 metres chart datum available 200 metres out from the shoreline. From there, a plateau with depths from 1.1 to 1.8 metres stretches out southward for ¾ of a mile.




The principal concern is the larger bank, East Winner, which is composed of sand and extends nearly 2 miles from the shoreline. It dries at LWS for more than half that distance and is steep-to on its western side, facing the Langstone Harbour entrance channel. The southern end of this is marked by the unlit Winner south cardinal, beyond which the route continues.




Inshore of this lies the black/red/black Roway Wreck isolated danger marker, FL(2)5s, that has 0.5 metres over it, and a ¼ of a mile off the head of the West Winner bank is the Langstone Fairway Pile, located approximately 1 mile south of the harbour entrance. Langstone Bar is situated midway between the route and the fairway mark, approximately a ⅓ of a mile south by southwest of this fairway mark. It has at least 1.8 metres of water over it.




At less than half tide, the unlit Winner south cardinal buoy should be passed close south, as the route suggests. However, at half-tide or higher, with a keen eye on the sounder, it may be possible to cut half a mile inside the Winner buoy and set a course from the Winner to pass close outside the West Pole Beacon.







CHICHESTER HARBOUR

Chichester Harbour is entered 3 miles east of Langstone Harbour and 6½ miles northwest of Selsey Bill. Its approach path is marked by two beacons or "poles," which are substantial light-beacons that are both passed to port. These are the West Pole Beacon and the Bar Beacon.




The substantial outer West Pole Beacon is positioned 1¼ miles south by southwest of the entrance. It is a large, 14-metre-high black steel tripod structure with a red can top mark, displaying an all-round Fl.R.5s7m. Its purpose is to guide vessels around the West Pole Sands, which have extended seaward over time.




It shows a tidal gauge that shows the tide height over Chart Datum, not Chichester Bar, and a weather station has been installed on the West Pole Beacon that provides real-time wind speed, wind direction and height of tide readings.)




Located nearer to the harbour entrance, the inner Bar Beacon marks the dredged channel across the Chichester Bar. It is a single pole, 10 metres high, topped with a red canpile beacon, Fl.(2)R.10s, which, together with the West Pole Beacon, creates a transit line to guide vessels through the deepest part of the channel.)




The final waypoint is located 200 metres south of the West Pole Beacon, which, although a substantial tripod, can be difficult to spot from seaward. It is upon the charted 013° - 193° approach line for Chichester Harbour past the West Pole beacon, leading directly into the entrance of Chichester Harbour. This line passes close east of the Bar Beacon and is designed to navigate safely between the drying sandbanks of the West Pole and Middle Pole and a sandbar offshore. The approach is aligned to maintain safe distances from critical navigation marks, such as the Bar Beacon and West Pole Beacon, while avoiding shallow sandbanks and ensuring a clear path into the dredged channel at the harbour entrance.


CHICHESTER BAR


The entrance to Chichester Harbour is slightly hindered by the moderately deep Chichester Bar. The Bar is periodically dredged to achieve a depth of 1.5 metres below Chart Datum. The dredged channel across the Bar measures approximately 200 metres in width, with the western boundary marked by the transit between the outer West Pole Beacon and the Bar Beacon. Nonetheless, shoaling occurs after severe gales, and the depth experienced at any time can vary markedly. A survey carried out in May 2024 by the Chichester Harbour Conservancy revealed that the minimum depth over the Chichester Bar was 1.1 metres below Chart Datum (CD).

Due to this uncertainty, the Harbour Conservancy advises using a conservative rule of thumb, assuming a minimum depth of 0.8 metres below Chart Datum over the Bar for planning. This would give an overall depth of 1.35 metres in the channel at MLWS. The latest information is available on the Chichester Harbour Conservancy website . On the whole, Chichester's Bar is reasonably accommodating.


LISTED WAYPOINTS
The complete course is 15.24 miles from the waypoint 'Southampton Water South' to 'West Pole' tending in a east south easterly direction (reciprocal west north westerly).

What is the best sailing time?

May to September is the traditional UK Sailing season, with June to July offering the best weather. The amount of bad weather varies quite widely from year to year. The British Isles' weather is highly variable because they are islands between the Atlantic Ocean and an extensive continental European land mass. As a result, the entire area lays under an area where five main air masses meet and alternate:

• • Tropical Maritime Air Mass - from the Atlantic


• • Polar Maritime Air Mass - from Greenland


• • Arctic Maritime Air Mass


• • Polar Continental Air Mass - from central Europe


• • Tropical Continental Air Mass - from North Africa

The air masses can come in from any direction, bringing with them all types of weather and creating weather fronts where they meet. Fine summer weather is typically punctuated by the passage of Atlantic depressions, bringing periods of strong wind and rain and sometimes poor visibility.

Gales, however, rarely cause surprises as they are usually forecasted well in advance. Good weather windows of 48 hours are easy to predict, but any longer than that, there's an increasing chance of change. Winters see a predominance of wind and rain. Still, the protected waters of The Solent are enjoyed by many weekenders who like the offseason reduction of boating activity and berthing fees.

Across the British Isles, the prevailing winds are from the southwest. The Solent, however, is subject to a high degree of local heating. In the western Solent, the sea breeze effect can be strong enough to reverse a northeast Beauford Force 3 morning wind and turn it into a south-westerly Force 4 by early afternoon. The results of the heating of the Isle of Wight is much less than that of the mainland, but it leads to more variable and lighter winds than on its northern side.

Are there any security concerns?

There has never been an issue known to occur to a vessel cruising the waters of The Solent or the shores of the Isle of Wight.

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