Day 1: Collect your boat at Port Hamble Marina and enjoy your comprehensive handover with a member of staff. There are plenty of pubs, bars, and restaurants within an easy walking distance from the marina. Pick up your provisions in the village.
Day 2: Enjoy a day’s sail around the Solent and then tie up on the pontoons opposite the Folly Inn and enjoy a delicious meal and live music. Dancing on the tables is encouraged! Make up for a big night by enjoying a quiet lunch on anchor in Osbourne Bay.
Day 3: Visit Yarmouth’s delis and shops, and explore the local attractions. Lunch in town, or sail out through Hurst Narrows and anchor in Totland Bay and enjoy lunch on board. The Needles park has something for everyone including a chair lift ride for a unique view of this famous landmark. Salty’s Restaurant with its locally caught seafood is a must-try.
Day 4: There’s so much to explore in Portsmouth Harbor: shopping, a multiscreen cinema, and just about every cuisine imaginable. See Henry VIII’s ill-fated Mary Rose in a brand new display at the Royal Navy Museum, and explore the HMS Victory. Berth in either Gosport Marina or Haslar Marina on the western side of the harbor, or at Gunwharf Quays if you fancy being in the thick of things.
Day 5: Visit the Master Builder Pub in beautiful Beaulieu, go to the National Motor Museum, explore the New Forest on foot or just relax on a mooring buoy in river and watch the world go by.
Day 6: Enjoy lunch on a mooring buoy in peaceful Newtown River – you might even see the seals catching their lunch if you are lucky. Then sail on to Cowes and moor up in Cowes Yacht Haven. Cowes is a perfect hub to explore the Isle of Wight from. Locals attractions which are all just a bus or taxi ride away include Osborne House which was Queen Victoria’s favorite house in East Cowes, Carisbrooke Castle where King Charles I was imprisoned. For the younger members of the crew, Dinosaur Isle provides hours of exploration and fun.
Day 7: Explore more of the Isle’s attractions at Port Hamble. Enjoy the shops on High Street after tackling the enormous full English breakfast. Then it’s back to base via your favorite lunch spot to hand back your boat.
