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Old Sea Dogs Guides

Old Sea Dogs Guides

Practical marina, harbour and cruising information for planning real days afloat. The first collection covers the Solent, with the library designed to grow across Britain and international cruising regions.

Practical quick access

Marina & Harbour Guides

Go directly to the current first-edition locations, or browse the growing library by region and Guide type.

Browse by region

Regional Guide collections

The Solent is the first regional collection. The same region structure supports future British, European and worldwide cruising areas without changing Guide routes.

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Browse the complete Guide library

The published library · 26 Guides

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Destination

Cowes Week Guide

A practical Old Sea Dogs guide to Cowes Week: racing, shore plans, berthing, viewing points, first-timer traps and what to check before heading for the Solent.

Sailing yachts passing the Needles at the western entrance to the Solent.

Cruising Area

The Solent

Britains most concentrated cruising ground: compact, tidal, crowded with choices and never quite mastered.

Sailing boats and marinas along the River Hamble at golden hour.

River

River Hamble Guide

A practical cruising reference for entering, navigating and choosing a berth on one of Britains best-known yachting rivers.

Hamble Point Marina and the lower River Hamble viewed from above.

Marina

Hamble Point Marina

A purposeful marina at the mouth of the Hamble, shaped by quick Solent access, serious marine trades and a famously busy sailing river.

Cowes Harbour with local vessels and a Red Funnel ferry.

Harbour

Cowes Harbour Guide

A practical harbour reference for approaching Cowes, choosing a berth and navigating the River Medinas ferry and commercial traffic.

Newtown Creek and its surrounding salt marsh viewed from above.

Anchorage

Newtown Creek Guide

A practical anchorage reference for approaching Newtown Creek, using its moorings and protecting its sensitive natural setting.

The harbour entrance and visitor pontoons at Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight.

Harbour

Yarmouth Harbour Guide

A practical harbour reference for visitor berthing, fuel, facilities and western Solent approaches.

Portsmouth Harbour and the Spinnaker Tower viewed across the water.

Harbour

Portsmouth Harbour Guide

A practical harbour reference for entering Portsmouth, understanding controlled traffic and choosing visitor berthing.

A sailing yacht crossing Southampton Water with commercial shipping in the distance.

Cruising Area

Southampton Water Guide

A professional cruising reference for commercial traffic, VTS procedures, marina access and passage planning on Southampton Water.

Boats moored along the wooded Beaulieu River.

River

Beaulieu River Guide

A practical cruising reference for entering the Beaulieu River, finding visitor moorings and exploring Bucklers Hard.

Painterly aerial view of Port Hamble Marina and the River Hamble.

Marina

Port Hamble Marina

A busy lower-river marina with fuel, direct access to Hamble village and a front-row view of one of Britains great sailing communities.

Painterly aerial view of Mercury Yacht Harbour at sunset.

Marina

Mercury Yacht Harbour

A sheltered, wooded River Hamble base whose quieter setting contrasts with the rivers constant sailing traffic.

Watercolour-style sailing scene used for the Universal Marina Guide.

Marina

Universal Marina

An upper River Hamble marina with a strong dry-stack identity and a setting that rewards an unhurried river passage.

Watercolour-style aerial view of Swanwick Marina on the River Hamble.

Marina

Swanwick Marina

A substantial upper-Hamble marina where serious boat handling and a broad marine-service community sit beside sheltered river berths.

Watercolour-style aerial view of Deacons Marina and the upper River Hamble.

Marina

Deacons Marina

An intimate Bursledon marina with a useful boatyard and a close connection to the upper River Hambles working character.

Watercolour-style view across Ocean Village Marina in Southampton.

Marina

Ocean Village Marina

A large city marina at the head of Southampton Water, combining serious berthing capacity with a lively urban waterfront.

Watercolour-style view of boats and waterside homes at Hythe Marina Village.

Marina

Hythe Marina Village

A distinctive locked marina village on Southampton Water, with fuel, a 40-tonne lift and a residential waterside character.

Illustrated view of Haslar Marina and its green lightship at sunset.

Marina

Haslar Marina

A sheltered Gosport marina with immediate Portsmouth Harbour character and one of the Solents most recognisable lightships.

Painterly aerial view of Gosport Marina and Portsmouth Harbour.

Marina

Gosport Marina

A central Gosport marina with immediate access to Portsmouth Harbours naval panorama and active waterfront.

Painterly view through the lock gates at Port Solent Marina.

Marina

Port Solent Marina

A locked marina deep inside Portsmouth Harbour, pairing sheltered berthing with a large waterside leisure development.

Painterly aerial view of Lymington Yacht Haven and the Lymington River.

Marina

Lymington Yacht Haven

A major western Solent marina close to the river entrance, with 24-hour staff, a substantial boatyard and Lymington within reach.

Painterly aerial view of Berthon Lymington Marina and shipyard.

Marina

Berthon Lymington Marina

A family-run shipyard marina where deep maritime capability sits close to Lymington town and the western Solent.

Watercolour-style view into Island Harbour Marina on the River Medina.

Marina

Island Harbour

A secluded locked marina upriver from Cowes, with more than 200 berths, a 50-tonne hoist and a genuinely different Isle of Wight mood.

Painterly aerial view of East Cowes Marina and the River Medina.

Marina

East Cowes Marina

A substantial River Medina marina on the East Cowes shore, well placed for central Solent cruising and the islands maritime life.

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Marina

Ryde Marina

A friendly drying harbour beside Ryde's beaches and town, with a buoyed approach across Ryde Sands and a tidal entrance that demands current local advice.

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Marina

Bembridge Marina

A characterful tidal harbour at the eastern end of the Isle of Wight, with visitor berthing at Duver Marina and an approach that rewards careful planning around the tide.