Author Archives: Richard Morgan

Sea shanty line-up dances up a storm at summer party for Beaulieu River berth and mooring holders

Glastonbury Festival performers the Old Time Sailors danced up a storm at Beaulieu River’s summer party with their sea shanty line-up.

The lively performers transported more than 850 Beaulieu River berth and mooring holders back to the 19^th century, with three hours of traditional seafaring music at Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour.

The summer party is a key date in the annual Beaulieu River events calendar, bringing together the Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour community so that berth and mooring holders can catch up over a cold drink, bite to eat and live music, while enjoying the friendly atmosphere.

Some may prefer to forget their ride on the rodeo bull but were proud to receive Dog Show rosettes at the festival-themed event. Kennel Club registered show judge Jeni Rose awarded prizes for the cutest, best behaved and scruffiest dog, as well as the waggiest tail and dog who looked most like its owner. Children’s vintage games and face painting also kept families entertained.

Party band Hitched played into the evening, which was rounded off with a spectacular laser show for boat owners to watch from the shore and the decks of their boats. See event highlights here.

Harbour Master Wendy Stowe said: “The unique Old Time Sailors danced up a storm with their unique blend of music and entertainment and we had so many lovely comments from our berth and mooring holders, who said how much they had enjoyed their memorable day.”

She added: “Our annual summer party is a key gathering to bring together the Beaulieu River community. It’s a great opportunity to catch up with old friends – and make new ones!”

Sue and Steve from The Boatyard Bar – who open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays alongside pop-up restaurants throughout the summer – served special wines to help the celebrations. A BBQ was served by the Master Builder’s House, while food stalls provided a choice of delicious menu options.

Community events have become regular features at Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour, along with investments to improve facilities and provide the best possible customer service. The yacht harbour was awarded Marina of the Year in the prestigious British Yachting Awards 2022, with the Beaulieu River marina in the heart of the New Forest voted as the best place for sailors to call home.
Lord Montagu’s presentation to winner of Beaulieu River photo competition and owner of the boat in her picture

Lord Montagu has presented keen amateur photographer Maggie White with a canvas print of the action-packed sailing picture which made her the Beaulieu River photo competition winner for the third year running.

He presented a second print to Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour mooring holder Joanne Husband, whose British Folkboat Tomic was the subject of the winning entry entitled Messing About on the River.

Lord Montagu said: “I have quite a task in front of me each year, judging all the entries. I don’t mark them or have a system but go for what I like and that is something which captures a little bit of action, weather and interesting colours. At the time this was taken, the sea was quite green, which was picked up on the deck of the boat and tied together nicely with the landscape behind.”

Maggie White explained: “I was inspired to take the photo by having a camera in hand when I was sailing up the reach at the bottom of the river and it was a fabulous day, with a beautifully coloured boat.”

Joanne Husband said: “The River Beaulieu has been the home mooring for Tomic for over half a century, where she has a sheltered swinging mooring nestled by the Mulberry Dock inlet. She is often to be seen setting her sails to tack down the river and on into the Solent.”

She added: “Tomic was built in 1958 by my late husband Tom, while working in the family business Husbands Shipyard at Marchwood on Southampton Water. She has had a long illustrious racing career which harvested multiple trophies and is still meticulously and diligently maintained in a manner that belies her years.”

The annual photo competition is open to all amateur photographers who are inspired to capture the unique quality of the beautiful Beaulieu River, which has been protected by the custodianship of the Montagu family for over four centuries.

Over three years Maggie, a member of Beaulieu Camera Group, has beaten hundreds of rivals with her winning entries. She was also presented with a £200 prize and her picture features in the 2024 Beaulieu River Tide Times & Information booklet.

The 2024 Beaulieu River photo competition is now open and entries can be sent, with full contact details, to photo@beaulieu.co.uk. For winning examples, details and T&Cs see https://www.beaulieuriver.co.uk/photo-competition/.
New marine business opportunities offered by £1.5m redevelopment of Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour boatshed

New opportunities to relocate marine-based businesses to one of the most desirable marinas on the south coast will be offered with the £1.5m redevelopment of the boatshed at Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour.

The award-winning marina on the Beaulieu River was recently reconfigured and extended with a £2.5m investment by Beaulieu Enterprises Ltd. Now the latest project moves from the water to the boatyard, with planned upgrades to provide new waterfront offices, workshop units and the use of meeting rooms which will be available to rent from spring 2025.

Beaulieu Enterprises Managing Director Russell Bowman said: “The redevelopment of the boatshed will create spaces with panoramic views across the Beaulieu River, which will make ideal offices and meeting rooms for marine businesses to relocate.”

He added: “After recently celebrating 50 years of Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour, this is our exciting next phase to ensure that we provide the best facilities to match our services and take us forward into the next chapter.”

To cope with the foreseen high demand, notes of interest are now being taken for:

Offices

Meeting rooms

Workshop units

Brand new boat refit facilities

Letting terms are available on application and include parking, a communal kitchen, electricity and Wi-fi (subject to service charge). They can also include the use of meeting rooms and a secure leased line share to offer guaranteed bandwidth.

Preference will be given to tenants who provide value-added services for owners of boats on the marina’s 200 fully-serviced walk-ashore pontoon berths and 300 river moorings.

Luxury facilities have already been built as part of recent upgrades, while Harbour Master Wendy Stowe and her team are proud to offer a warm welcome for berth and mooring holders as well as more than 10,000 visitors who stay at the yacht harbour each year.

Its industry-leading services and facilities have been recognised by a 5 Gold Anchor accreditation from The Yacht Harbour Association. Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour was also voted the best place for sailors to call home when it won the prestigious Marina of the Year title in British Yachting’s awards in 2022.

The Beaulieu River is the gem of the Solent at the gateway to the New Forest National Park, providing habitats for more than 200 species of birdlife. The custodianship of the Montagu family for over four centuries has kept it special, yet it is only a short sail from the yachting hub of Cowes with its world-famous regattas and racing.

A packed events calendar offers regular opportunities to bring together new and old friends in the Beaulieu River community, while a restaurant, pub and tea shop are on the doorstep at the 18^th century shipbuilding village of Buckler’s Hard with its maritime museum.

For more information about the available space to let, click here.
Top 5 Gold Anchors score ranks Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour as one of the UK’s best marinas

Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour has been ranked as one of the UK’s top marinas by being placed in the top 5% of 5 Gold Anchors winners by The Yacht Harbour Association.

The Beaulieu River marina is the first to be assessed under a new scoring system and received an outstanding 95.06%.

The TYHA assessor said: “Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour management and team must be congratulated on their dedication to running one of the most picturesque and tranquil marinas on the south coast.”

He added: “It’s very obvious that behind the scenes there is a huge amount of energy, activity and investment in creating this ‘look and feel’, and the next phase of capital expenditure will see further improvements in the marina building and boatyard workshops.

“There are some really lovely touches such as the outdoor shower and dog wash for day visitors/contractors, the pop-up restaurant/bar and the parrot!”

The yacht harbour received almost perfect scores for providing excellent customer service, high-quality on-the-water and on-shore experience, plus environmental initiatives.

Harbour Master Wendy Stowe said: “We are proud to have received such a fantastic result, which means we have now qualified to be assessed for the 5 Gold Anchor Platinum accreditation. This is a very high score and there are currently no platinum marinas in the UK.”

She added: “It’s a fitting reward for the hard work my team puts into welcoming all of our berth and mooring holders, and delivering the best possible service so they enjoy their time sailing on the Beaulieu River.”

After completing a £2.5m investment to reconfigure and extend the award-winning marina, Beaulieu Enterprises Ltd will soon announce details of plans for more upgrades on land.

Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour was voted the best place for sailors to call home when it won the prestigious Marina of the Year title in British Yachting’s awards in 2022 – and a packed events calendar, The Boatyard Bar and pop-up restaurants bring together new and old friends in the Beaulieu River community.

A limited number of 18m fully-serviced walk-ashore pontoon berths are currently available, while the marina also welcomes more than 10,000 visitors each year to make the most of the yacht harbour’s picturesque setting and luxury facilities.

The Beaulieu River is the gem of the Solent at the gateway to the New Forest National Park. The custodianship of the Montagu family for over four centuries has continued to keep it special and the river and its banks provide habitats for more than 200 birdlife species.

The 18^th century shipbuilding village of Buckler’s Hard is also on its doorstep, offering a restaurant, pub, tea shop and maritime museum.
Mooring holder captures character of the Beaulieu River and its team in new book and exhibition

Former mooring holder Steve Poole has captured the character of the Beaulieu River and the team who work there in stunning photographs for his new book and exhibition.

Steve was inspired by the beauty of the river during his time as a boat owner and took photographs of Harbour Master Wendy Stowe and Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour’s first apprentice Ollie Rickard, with the marina’s pet parrot Miguel.

Buckler’s Hard Director, the Hon. Mary Montagu-Scott also chose to take to the water in her scow for her recent photoshoot for the project.

Steve, who has photographed hundreds of celebrities, rock stars and Hollywood actors during his career, has chosen the Beaulieu River pictures to feature in his new book entitled Uncommoners: Portraits of life in the New Forest and the accompanying exhibition at St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery in his home town of Lymington, from May 18-July 7.

Using his free Beaulieu attraction tickets, which are a benefit for all Beaulieu River mooring holders, he photographed a whole season of events, including autojumbles and Simply rallies. Those photographs, together with pictures of Lord Montagu and his falconer Paul Manning, have also made the final book selection.

Steve, whose pictures can also be seen in the National Portrait Gallery, said: “What I wanted to create was a homage to the New Forest where I have spent a lot of my life, having lived here for the last 15 years.”

He added: “My strongest pictures are a balance between scenes and faces and I have included all of the portraits which I really like.”
Get ready for spring and summer sailing

They do say ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’, which is why carrying out pre-season checks are essential to ensure more stress-free time on the water. Harbour Master Wendy Stowe shares her top tips.

Pre-season checks can be broken down into three stages:

Pre-launch: visual check of the boat out of the water, including the hull, keel and rudder

Post-launch: systems check, including the engine, battery and electronics

Shakedown sail: final check to see if anything has been missed and a chance to try every function, including putting the sails up and anchor down

Don’t grind your gears

Before setting out for a day’s sailing, it is important to do some basic engine checks. These include but are not limited to:

Check fuel filters

Check drive belts for tightness

Check impellers for signs of damage

Check rigging for signs of wear and tear

It is a good idea to keep a maintenance log to help you remember which checks you have done when and ensure you cover the essentials.

Lost your spark?

Proper battery checks and maintenance will make sure you get the most out of your season, as well as your batteries.

Check batteries regularly for signs of corrosion/damage

Check the charge and whether it’s holding

Lead-acid batteries of any type should not be discharged below 50% of capacity, or it will die prematurely

Always charge batteries to maximum capacity. Partially charging a battery is one of the most common causes of premature battery failure

Running on fumes

One of the most common causes for propulsion failure on the Solent is boats either running out of fuel, or issues with the fuel system. So it’s important to:

Check your fuel filter regularly

Add biocide to each fuel fill to help stop growth

If possible, drain and check a sample from the bottom of your tank, as water/sediment can settle in fuel during lay-up

Check the fuel shut-off valve, especially if your boat hasn’t been used for a while

Fuel does have a shelf life and old fuel can cause major issues

SOS

If you do suffer from propulsion failure, it is important to call for help. There are various methods of getting attention when you need assistance:

VHF Ch 16

Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard

Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)

It is advisable to do a radio check with another station before heading out, to ensure that your set is working. Also, make sure that your mobile phone is fully charged and kept somewhere waterproof.

Bon voyage

Following these basic planning tips will help you to enjoy a successful sail, even if you’re just heading out for the day:

Check the weather forecast before setting out, then again at regular intervals

Identify possible safe havens, in case you need them

Check your fuel levels, taking into account the tides and weather

Complete basic engine checks, such as oil levels and drive belts

Then enjoy your sail on the Beaulieu River!
Berth holders enjoy helping to build The Boatyard Bar

As we dust off our deck shoes and get ready for another exciting boating season, Sue and Steve have been busy getting The Boatyard Bar ready for a summer of fun gatherings. Read their news:

This March, under the bright weekend sun, we had the joy of building a new style oasis with the help of some incredibly enthusiastic berth holders.

Your support and camaraderie never cease to amaze us, and it’s what makes running the bar so fun and rewarding.

Nestled conveniently on the hard for both regular berth holders and visitors, is not just about serving drinks. It’s about creating a space where laughter is shared, sailing tales are exchanged and friendships are formed, over a glass of something special!

We’ve spruced up the pop-up bar this season and look forward to being able to pour you a delicious glass of individually selected wine, a local beer or craft Pilsner, gin & tonic or Dark ‘n’ Stormy cocktail. We look forward to pleasing your tastebuds after a day on the water.

Steve and I so enjoy being a part of this wonderful marina community. As you all prepare your boats for the adventures ahead, remember that the bar is here as your go-to spot for a relaxing evening, a casual chat or a celebratory toast.

We can’t wait to welcome old friends and new alike. Here’s to a season of smooth sailing, sunny days and unforgettable moments at the marina.

See you at the The Boatyard Bar, where the glasses are always half full!

Opening times

The Boatyard Bar will be open for the season on Easter weekend.

To accompany it with great food, River Kitchen will serve fresh fish for Good Friday and pizzas on the Saturday. The Chilli Chain will spice things up with freshly homemade, slow-cooked beef and vegan chilli with nachos, chilli dogs and tasty specials on Easter Sunday.

For the rest of the summer, the pop-up restaurant and bar will stay open on Fridays and Saturdays, with additional Thursday chilli nights from early May bank holiday.

We look forward to seeing you there!
New boatyard investment at Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour

In the latest investment in Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour as many as 48 new boat cradles have been bought to improve boatyard services for Beaulieu River berth and mooring holders.

The £125k investment in top-quality galvanised steel cradles will enable the marina and boatyard team to offer the highest standard of care when moving, repairing and storing customers’ boats. Another 37 yacht cradles were previously bought, together with 90 motorboat stands.

A 17-metre-high cherry picker was also recently purchased to enable boat owners to reach the top of their masts for wind instrument swap-outs and re-running halyards, as well as helping the boatyard team and dockmasters to carry out more maintenance work and repairs.

After a £2m redevelopment to reconfigure and extend the award-winning marina, Beaulieu Enterprises is now securing the yacht harbour’s future by investing in its boatyard. Luxury facilities were built as part of the upgrade, while environmentally-friendly boat pump-out and washdown facilities were also installed.

Harbour Master Wendy Stowe said: “Many customers prefer modern steel to traditional wooden cradles, which provide more protection and efficiency while moving and working on their boats. We are committed to delivering the best possible customer service with the investment that requires.”

Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour continues to offer an open policy boatyard and chandlery with full marina services, as well as a range of benefits. The yacht harbour won the title of Marina of the Year in recent British Yachting awards, after receiving the most votes for its warm welcome, facilities and services for sailors.

The investment has extended to its team, with the appointment of the yacht harbour’s first apprentice. Ollie Rickard, aged 23, is working towards achieving the British Marine apprenticeship standards to deliver the best service for boat owners and visitors.

The Beaulieu River offers a beautiful natural setting, which provides habitats for more than 200 species of birdlife at the gateway to the New Forest National Park. It has been kept special by the custodianship of the Montagu family for over four centuries.

A packed events calendar also offers regular opportunities to bring together new and old friends in the Beaulieu River community. A restaurant, bar and tea shop are on the doorstep at the 18^th century shipbuilding village of Buckler’s Hard, with its maritime museum.
Hat trick win for photographer in Beaulieu River photo competition

Keen amateur photographer Maggie White has scored a hat trick by winning the Beaulieu River photo competition for the third time, with her action-packed sailing picture.

This year’s winning entry, entitled Messing About on the River, builds on two previous successes with her atmospheric sunset shots.

Over the three years Maggie, a member of Beaulieu Camera Group, has beaten hundreds of rivals with her winning entries which have been chosen by Lord Montagu.

She will be presented with her £200 prize at Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour and this year’s winning entry will be featured in the 2024 Beaulieu River Tide Times & Information booklet.

Maggie also entered Autumn Colours in the latest competition, which was placed as one of the runner-up entries alongside David Miller’s stormy sky sailing picture and Sarah Webber’s photograph of a swan making ripples in the water.

The annual competition is open to all amateur photographers who are inspired to capture the unique quality of one of the few privately owned tidal rivers in Britain. It is open to locals as well as visitors to the picturesque harbourside village of Buckler’s Hard.

Private custodianship of the Montagu family has protected the Beaulieu River for over four centuries and Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour was recently highly commended for its sustainability practices in the first ever Sustainable Marina Awards by The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA). Encouraging visitors’ environmentally-friendly behaviour and raising the awareness of good practice is an essential part of keeping it a special place for the future.

The 2024 Beaulieu River photo competition is now open and entries can be sent, with full contact details, to photo@beaulieu.co.uk. For winning examples, details and T&Cs see https://www.beaulieuriver.co.uk/photo-competition/. The winner of the 2024 competition will be announced in January 2025.