Outdoor Action
Action on the Water
Watch the sea in Chichester Harbour and you will see hundreds of people busy on the water, especially at weekends. Over 10,000 vessels use the harbour each year.
Fed Week 2005 | Picture: Matt Simmons
If you would like to join in, then look below to find out about clubs, schools, tours, ferries and other information.
However, just trying to understand what is going on is interesting too!
Here are some things to look out for:
Navigation marks
Although at high tide there seems to be lots of water, much of it is very shallow and big boats can’t go on it. Navigation marks show where the deep water channels are and where there are hazards.
Red mark,
North Cardinal,
& Camber
Red marks with flat tops (often called cans) mark the port (left hand) side of the channel for boats entering the harbour. (What side will they be on when the boat leaves the harbour?).
Green marks with pointed tops (cones) mark the starboard side (right hand side) of the channel. Some of the big ones have flashing green lights on them for night time.
Marking the edges of the mud at low tide are poles with cans or cones on them. These are useful for smaller boats.
Cardinal marks show where there are hazards. They have two black triangles on the top which indicate the safe side for a boat.
A north cardinal has both its triangles pointing upwards. It indicates that it is safe to stay on its north side.
Camber is a south cardinal – which way do its triangles point?
Cormorants and other sea birds like to perch on navigation marks. If you would like to know more about watching birds see our guide to birdwatching.
Other marks and buoys
Starboard Green Mark
Yellow marks are called ‘special marks’ and can be used to mark anything. Most of the ones you see in Chichester Harbour are used for racing and have names on them so that sailors know they have found the right one!
Mooring buoys are used for parking boats that are too big to take out of the water each time. Chichester Harbour Conservancy looks after many of these, and the boats that use them have to pay mooring charges. Each buoy has a registration mark on it (numbers and letters).
What’s that boat?
Sailing boats come in all different sizes and shapes, but there are two main types; yachts and dinghies. The yachts in the picture are attached to mooring buoys; the dinghies are sailing and paddling!
Yachts attached to mooring buoys and dingies sailing and paddling
Dinghies are the most fun to watch as they race around hoisting and dropping colourful sails (spinnakers) and capsizing with a splash.
Look for the ‘committee boat’, which will be organising the race. It will have a row of flags and it hoots to tell sailors when the race starts and when they have finished.
Spot the safety boats (small inflatable boats with engines) keeping an eye on things and often looking funny as they move the big orange racing marks to their proper places.
There are many different classes of dinghies, from the Laser and 49er which are Olympic boats to the tiny Optimist. Old fashioned scows, catamarans with two hulls and other unusual boats can be spotted.
On the water at Itchenor there are colourful fleets of classic racing day boats.
Safety Boat
Yachts are much bigger with cabins and heavy keels, which means that they need deeper water. They can be seen sailing or motoring in an out of the harbour from their moorings or from one of the marinas. Marinas are like car parks for boats. Try a walk round Chichester Marina and see the boats go through the lock gates.
Fishing Boats also come in different shapes and sizes, from tiny rowing boats, to big shiny white motor boats to commercial trawlers.
Windsurfers prefer the harbour mouth as they like as much wind as possible. Kayaks and canoes can explore the shallower creeks.
Working Boats
Harbour Patrol Boat
Not only fishermen work on the water. Chichester Harbour Education has a variety of boats including two Patrol Boats and a mooring barge that is used to look after buoys, navigation marks and moorings.
There is a Lifeboat Station on Hayling Island at the harbour mouth. Chichester Harbour Water Tours run trips throughout the year and the Solar Heritage takes out educational groups. A footpath ferry connects Itchenor to Bosham Hoe and will take a bicycle too!
For more information look at On the Water on the main harbour website, especially in ‘Activities’
Taking Part
If you would like to take part in these water sports, there are 16 sailing clubs in the harbour. Clubs generally welcome young people and have plenty of activities for their junior members, including teaching for beginners. Alternatively there are 5 Sea Schools where you can learn water sports. For details see the main harbour website.
Fishing off Hayling Island
If fishing is your sport there are several fishing clubs – look up ‘angling’ on the main site – or see underwater explorer for tips on how to get started.
The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) website is useful for getting started in water sports, and the RNLI (the Lifeboats) and the Coastguards also have some good pages with youth sections.
RYA
www.rya.org.uk
RNLI
www.rnli.org.uk
Coastguard
www.mcga.gov.uk/seasmart
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