Reading the Solent before you leave

The Solent packs a lot into a small stretch of water: roughly twenty nautical miles from the Needles to Portsmouth, with commercial shipping down the middle, shallow banks either side and a tidal stream that reverses somewhere around Cowes. A good day afloat begins at the chart table the evening before, not at the fuel berth at nine o'clock in the morning.

Check three things. First, the inshore waters forecast, including the sea state and any strong wind warnings. Second, the tide tables for Portsmouth and the tidal stream atlas, because the stream in the Solent does not run tidily in one direction everywhere. Third, the interaction between the two. On a warm summer day the sea breeze fills in from the south-west by early afternoon and can add 10 to 15 knots to the forecast. Wind over tide, especially in the western Solent, turns a comfortable run into a short, steep chop within minutes. If the forecast is anything above Force 4 against a spring ebb, think about a different plan.

Timing the tidal gates

The Solent is really a series of pinch points, and each one rewards a little patience.

• Hurst Narrows. Springs run at four to five knots. Wind against tide here is genuinely unpleasant, and the eddies off the Shingles bank can push you sideways fast. Aim to pass at or near slack water.
• The North Channel and Calshot. Keep clear of the main shipping channel and cross the deep-water lanes at right angles and briskly. Large vessels move far quicker than they appear.
• Ryde Sands and the eastern Solent. The flood runs west here, opposite to the western Solent, so a plan that works at Yarmouth will not work at Bembridge.
• Portsmouth Harbour entrance. Use the small boat channel north of the swashway, and give the submarine barrier a wide berth. Ferries and fast cats come and go constantly.
• Bramble Bank and the Thorn Channel. Fine at high water, awkward at low springs. Check the depth before you cut a corner.

On a day trip you rarely get the tide both ways. Pick the leg that matters most — usually the exposed western run — and work backwards from there.

Fuel planning and range margins

The old rule of thirds still holds: a third out, a third back and a third in reserve. It sounds cautious until you spend an hour punching into a head sea, where consumption climbs sharply.

As a working figure, a 250hp outboard cruising at 25 to 28 knots will burn somewhere between 45 and 60 litres an hour, which is roughly half a nautical mile per litre. A 200-litre tank therefore gives you about 90 to 100 miles in flat water — and rather less in the rough. Plan the day to 50 or 60 miles and you will have plenty in hand.

Petrol is less widely available than diesel around the Solent, and some berths close at lunchtime or dry at low water. Fill up early in the day rather than gambling on an afternoon top-up, and if your boat is thirsty, carry a properly vented spare can secured on deck. Know your range, know your burn rate at your chosen cruise, and write it down before you leave.

Lunch moorings and harbour etiquette

Half the pleasure of a Solent day is stopping somewhere pleasant. A few dependable options:

• Yarmouth is the classic lunch stop — pontoons, piles and plenty of places to eat ashore, but it fills up quickly on a sunny weekend. Arrive before noon or be prepared to wait.
• Newtown Creek is quieter and prettier, with anchoring in the main pool and no facilities. Perfect for a picnic and a swim.
• Wootton Creek and Beaulieu River offer sheltered, tree-lined water. Beaulieu is strictly a slow-speed river; upstream berthing is limited and anchoring is restricted in places.
• Bembridge and Keyhaven suit shallow-draught craft and offer a very different, more rugged feel.

Harbour speed limits are normally 6 knots, dropping to 4 on some rivers. That is not a suggestion. Wash damages moored boats, erodes the banks and makes you unpopular in a small community of people who will remember your boat.

Safety kit and boat preparation

Before you slip, run through the essentials rather than assuming them.

• Lifejackets for everyone aboard, worn — not stowed — and a kill cord attached to the driver.
• A working VHF, ideally DSC, with the marina and coastguard channels to hand.
• An anchor with enough chain and warp for at least five times the depth, plus a second line.
• Charts or a chartplotter with the latest updates, and a paper backup.
• Flares or an electronic distress device, first aid kit, torch, water and sun protection.
• Engine checks: oil, coolant, fuel filters, impeller, battery charge and a spare propeller or at least a repair kit.

A workable day plan

A straightforward and satisfying route on a settled summer day is Hamble to Yarmouth and back. Leave mid-morning on the last of the ebb, run west past Calshot keeping clear of the shipping lane, and arrive at Yarmouth around slack water for lunch. Afterwards, potter out to Newtown Creek for a swim and an hour at anchor, then head home on the first of the flood with the sea breeze behind you.

Build in slack for the return leg, allow an hour of contingency, tell someone ashore where you are going and when you expect to be back, and keep an eye on the sky to the west. Done properly, a Solent day trip delivers everything that makes powerboating in the UK worthwhile — without the drama.