Insiders’ guide to The Hamble

River Hamble The Hamble is a boaters haven, with its numerous marinas providing 24-hour access, excellent shelter on windy days and plenty of things to do both on and off the water. Picture credit: Hardo Mueller Map of The Hamble The entrance to the River Hamble is located in the south-east part of Southampton Water , virtually opposite the Fawley oil refinery Hamble via Southampton Heading towards the Hamble in Southampton Water you may find yourself in some rather splendid company, such as the Queen Mary 2 . You can chart the movement of cruise liners by visiting www.southamptonvts.co.uk River Hamble rules The speed limit on the River Hamble is 6 knots with no wash and this comes into force at the green marker labelled Beacon 2. The limit is strictly enforced by the harbour staff that patrol the river and entrance. Warsash and HM office Heading up the river on the east bank is the town of Warsash. Stop off for the harbourmaster s office, marine facilities or a cheeky pint. Refueling at Warsash Marine There is also a handy refuelling station at Warsash Marine to fill up your tank. Hamble Point Marina Close to the entrance on the west bank you will find Hamble Point Marina , a 230-berth facility with a well-stacked chandlery, bar and restaurant. Picture courtesy of MDL Marinas Hamble-le-Rice Situated between Hamble Point and Port Hamble Marina lies the quaint village of Hamble-le-Rice . Some of the buildings in the village square hark back to pre-Tudor times. Hamble-le-Rice Disembark for lunch at one of the homely eateries dotted around the village. The Driftwood restaurant serves good Thai food. Warsash The village also offers you the opportunity to take a pink water taxi back across the river to Warsash . Picture credit: Treehouse 77 Port Hamble Marina Mooring near Hamble-le-Rice can be tricky. Port Hamble Marina offers the best opportunity to visit the village without the need for a long-ish walk. Picture courtesy of MDL Marinas Port Hamble Marina fuel Port Hamble Marina is also better for stocking up on fuel and essentials than some of the public pontoons. Wildlife on the river hamble Heading further upstream youll pass some impressive real estate, hundreds of boats on moorings and delightful scenery. River Hamble About 20 minutes upstream from the entrance is Mercury Yacht Harbour , a motorboat-friendly haven. Mercury Yacht Harbour Mercury Yacht Harbour is relatively sheltered from wind, has good facilities and is a good place to begin a dinghy adventure upriver. Picture courtesy of MDL Marinas Universal Marina Further north you will find the newly refurbished Universal Marina on the east bank, one of the few remaining independent marinas on the south coast of England . Approaching road bridge If you wish to venture further upriver youll need to check the draught on the bridges . The lowest is the arched A27 road bridge, which is shown on charts and in nautical almanacs as having a vertical clearance of 4m above the highest astronomical tide. Manor farm country park After the bridges, on the west bank lies the Manor Farm Country Park , an old-fashioned working farm set in a scenic landscape of ancient woodland on the banks of the River Hamble . Picture credit: Rob Young HMS Grace Dieu At very low tides, the remains of Henry Vs 15th century wrecked warship HMS Grace Dieu can just be seen. Picture credit: Margaret Anne Clarke Upper Hamble For the full report see the September 2009 issue of Motor Boats Monthly. For more insiders' guides to Plymouth , Scotland and Poole Harbour check out the galleries section.

Insiders’ guide to The Hamble

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