Chichester Cruising Guide
A popular place for boaters, Chichester Harbour is home to over 10,000 yachts and motorboats of varying descriptions, six marinas, and a phenomenal ten yachts clubs.
For nature lovers, there’s a well-established wildfowl sanctuary where sightings of rare birds are common, and members from the colony of seals living in the harbour are often on view, basking in the sunshine.
Chichester Harbour also boasts quite an historical heritage. It was the entry port for the Romans during the construction of the Fishbourne Roman Villa, while the village of Bosham was reputedly the location for King Canute’s tidal activity.
With so much on offer, deciding where to go first could be problematic, so we’ve put together this guide to some of the best places to visit by boat in Chichester Harbour.
Chichester Harbour Anchorages
As it can be confusing and a little challenging for the unprepared, it’s important to have a plan when cruising in Chichester Harbour, but with a bit of preparation, navigating the channel is perfectly safe and relatively easy.
A great first port of call is the East Head anchorage. It will come up on your starboard side as you follow the marked channel round past the Winner Shingle bank, but do make sure you know the state of tide to avoid grounding at low water. The current can also be quite strong here so it’s advisable to lay out four times the maximum depth you will be in with chain (six with warp). You can then sit back and relax watching the world go by, or take the dinghy to the beach and walk in the sand dunes.
The anchorage can get quite busy in the summer months so if you’re looking for a quieter spot you can venture a little further up the channel towards the South Cardinal mark of Camber and enter the Thorney Channel. An anchorage will appear on your port side just off Pilsey Island, but as Thorney Island is a military base it’s best not to land there!
Alternatively, you can head back to the main channel and go up to the Chalk Dock beacon (a starboard hand mark) and round it towards the Itchenor Reach where another lovely anchorage will appear.
All these anchorages have good holding ground and are clearly marked on the chart.
No visit is complete without a visit to Itchenor. As you enter the Itchenor Reach via the starboard hand Fairway buoy, you will see five large white buoys marked ‘visitor’ on your starboard side. You can choose any one of these, although sometimes it might be necessary to ‘raft up’. A visit to the Ship Inn should not be missed as the manager keeps an excellent cellar with some fine real ales and the food in the restaurant is delicious.
From the buoys you can get a taxi ashore, or across the water to Bosham Hoe, where a very pleasant short walk along the water’s edge will take you to Bosham itself. This charming village has tea rooms, craft shops and The Anchor Bleu – another great pub, although it can be very busy during the summer months.
Ancasta Chichester
Enjoyed by cruisers from all over the world, Chichester Harbour offers huge diversity for boating enthusiasts – there really is something for everyone. If you're visiting the area by boat, our experienced yacht brokerage team at Chichester Marina would be delighted to meet you and answer any questions you may have about sailing locally.
