Coming by Water

Please let us know you are coming using the Visitor Form so that we can make sure you are aware of what is happening and also for us to make sure facilities are available as we are a volunteer club and are not staffed every day.

Enter Chichester Harbour, and follow the channel in an easterly direction, passing East Head (popular beach and anchorage) towards Itchenor.

Once in the Itchenor Reach, continue easterly through the main channel of moorings until the channel widens once more.

This area is known as "Chichester Lake", and you will see Birdham Pool (the first commercial Marina ever built in UK) and Chichester Marina on your Starboard side.

By this time, the spire of Chichester Cathedral should be visible to you; head towards it in a North-Easterly direction, observing the channel markings if you are limited by your draught.

A yacht with 1.5m (5 feet) draught should be able to navigate right up to Dell Quay 2.5 hours either side of HW Springs (sometimes more).

DELL QUAY DRIES COMPLETELY AT LOW WATER, so please be sure your boat can take the ground if you intend an extended visit.

Smaller vessels (dinghies, day-sailors and yachts etc up to 30' LOA) may moor on the club pontoon.

The end of the Quay can easily accommodate two larger boats of approximately 36' LOA lying directly alongside the Quay and you may raft up if you wish too.

The end of the Quay is fitted with large strong vertical poles to which you may moor your boat and rise and fall easily with the tide.

Bilge keel yachts may stay against the end of the Quay, as may Fin-Keel yachts if well fendered (you may wish to bring a fender-board).

For Fin Keel yachts, there are very large strong metal rings set into the top of the Quay (once upon a time used by very large vessels bringing grain, leather, wool, coal etc), which will enable you run a halyard or other line to shore to induce a gentle lean against the end of the quay when drying out. There are strong metal ladders set into the end of the Quay which will enable you to climb on/off your boat.

The ground at the foot of the Quay is firm mud over gravel.

For short stay visitors, the Harbour Master's pontoon is on the north side of the Quay. Please be aware that stays on the pontoon are limited to around 1 hour, and we recommend you contact the Chichester Harbour Conservancy if you would like to stay longer. If drying out on the pontoon, please note that the ground is soft mud for the first third of the pontoon ((just before the ramp) your keels will typically sink no more than approximately 30cm.

Alternatively, why not ground your bilge keel, lifting keel or if you have legs for you boat on the "Hard" and public launching area?

To do this, pass the end of the Quay heading north, turn sharply to Starboard and position your boat some 20-30 feet away from the Pontoon and parallel to it, just be aware that the dinghies when launching for racing also use this hard.

The ground here is firm shingle and once the tide has receded there are ground chains onto which you can secure your boat.