Yarmouth is an attractive small town on the Isle of Wight at the western end of the Solent with a harbour which is heavily used by yachts and other leisure craft. Entry presents no problem so long as you keep out of the way of the frequent ferries.

On arrival you will almost certainly be met by one of the harbour staff in a dory who will direct you to a berth. There is no marina as such but there are pontoons for rafting up against and if you are lucky, or have booked in advance (you can use the internet), you may secure a walk-ashore berth. More likely, you will be berthed on an island pontoon from which you can summon the water taxi (VHF ch.15) to take you ashore.

Showers and loos are available in the harbour office and fees are reassuringly sensible. If the harbour is full or you want more peace and quiet there are also visitor moorings outside in Yarmouth Road.

The town has several old buildings including a castle and a small wooden pier and an adequate supply of shops and restaurants.

If you don’t need the urban comforts of a town harbour then Newtown River about 3 1/2 miles east offers quiet moorings in a beautiful setting. The general location is fairly obvious in a dip between the hills, though the entrance channel is not easy to spot from offshore.

Make your approach from some distance off, especially if coming from the east, and then head in to find the small west cardinal buoy marking the beginning of the channel. From there use the leading marks, keeping the white circle inside the “V” of the mark in front until the entrance marked by beacons opens to starboard.

Inside, there are several round white visitor buoys to which you can moor both in Newtown River and Clamerkin Lake which branches off to the east. Once the buoys come to an end then the deep water tends to run out also, but shoal draft vessels which can take the ground will find more options. A mooring fee will be exacted by the harbour master, if on duty. Anchoring is possible in Clamerkin Lake.

If you want to explore get out the dinghy and make use of the one of the rickety landing stages. There are good walks, and a pub and provisions at Shalfleet.

© 2009 Yachtpilot