River Hamble
When leaving Hamble Point Marina on your RIB Charter, turn to port and keep to 6 knots to enjoy a leisurely cruise along the River Hamble.
To make the most out of this cruising area it would be best to enjoy this RIB trip at high tide. If the tide is not high you will only be able to travel as far as River Hamble Country Park.
On this route, you’ll pass Hamble Quay where you may spot the Pink Ferry as she takes passengers between Hamble and Warsash.
If the weather is nice and it’s a weekend or the school holidays, Hamble Quay will be packed full of children and adults eagerly trying to capture the largest crabs they can.
The next building to your port, with a pointy roof, is the Royal Southern Yacht Club. She sits next to Port Hamble Marina. If you wish to stop to explore Hamble Village then this would be the best marina to moor up at*. Walk out of the marina bearing left and you’ll be in the centre of the village within 5 minutes.
A little further along the river is Mercury Yacht Harbour. The Coastline RIB you are currently travelling on was built within this marina. Stop at Mercury and enjoy great views across the river from the Gaff Rigger restaurant and bar.
The River Hamble is home to over 3,200 yachts and boats. You’ll pass those on midstream moorings as you travel along the river.
If the weather is nice, you’ll also see a lot of visitors to the river enjoying paddle boards, kayaks and other watercraft. There may also be a few brave swimmers. Do keep your eyes peeled and assume you know more about the rules and regs than they do.
As you bear left you’ll pass the Jolly Sailor pub. Its claim to fame is that it was the pub from the 1980’s TV classic Howard’s Way. For fans of Howard’s Way, the Elephant Boatyard straight after the pub was Jack Rolfe’s “Mermaid Boatyard”.
You’ll soon be passing under a series of bridges. The A27, the train and then the M27. You may spot some swans and other wildlife on the banks.
Welcome to River Hamble Country Park. Here there is a popular pier for crabbing and diving. Keep your eyes peeled for swimmers.
If you fancy a swim to cool off, this stretch of water would be a good place to drop anchor and jump in. Just check the depth gauge before attempting any Olympic dives.
Once you’ve explored the upper reaches of the River Hamble it’ll be time to turn around.
On your port-hand side, you’ll pass Premier and Universal Marinas. Both have lovely restaurants and cafes for you to enjoy a bite to eat.
After passing the Warsash Harbour Master’s stripy office, you’ll pass the training hub for Warsash Maritime College where trainees learn evacuation techniques on the freefall lifeboats.
* See the mooring tab as Port Hamble Marina & Mercury Yacht Harbour are included in our berthing agreement so you don’t have to pay to moor there.
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How long to get there
Leaving Hamble Point Marina at 6 knots it will take you approximately 45 minutes to cruise to the end of the River Hamble.
Restaurants and Bars
Below is a list of places along the River Hamble may wish to enjoy food or drinks.
Hamble Point Marina – Ketch Rigger restaurant and bar
Port Hamble Marina – Banana Wharf restaurant and bar
Mercury Yacht Harbour – Gaff Rigger restaurant and bar
Hamble Village – A range of pubs, restaurants and take away services
Jolly Sailor – restaurant and bar only accessible by RIB at high tide
Deacons Marina – Seahorse Bistro
Swanwick Marina – Boat House Cafe restaurant and bar
Universal Marina – Banana Wharf restaurant and bar and Mermaids Coffee Shop
Where to moor
Along the River Hamble you can moor within Port Hamble or Mercury Yacht Harbour marinas at no charge as part of our berthing agreement with MDL marinas.
You can pay to moor at Warsash Jetty, Universal Marina, Swanwick Marina or Deacons Marina.
You can drop an anchor within the River Hamble Country Park.



