News
Regattas, launches, yacht visits and changes at the marinas and ports of London, the Solent and the south west, each with its source. Rule changes that affect clearance are listed separately on the notices page.
Guides
Can a large superyacht reach the Pool of London?
Yes. Tower Bridge Upper, in the Upper Pool 300 metres above the bridge, takes yachts of up to 158 metres, with a Tower Bridge lift for any yacht of 9 metres air draught or more.
Solent pilotage for superyachts: Southampton, Portsmouth and Cowes compared
Pilotage in the Solent is compulsory at 61 metres and over for Southampton, at 48 metres and over for Portsmouth, and at 48 metres in the inner harbour and 61 metres in the outer harbour at Cowes. There is no pilotage in the western Solent or the Needles.
Bringing a superyacht into Falmouth
Falmouth is a deep natural harbour open at all states of the tide. Port Pendennis takes yachts of over 80 metres alongside, the Crossroads mooring in Carrick Roads takes yachts of up to 180 metres, and pilotage is compulsory by zone.
Bringing a superyacht into Dartmouth
The River Dart is deep at all states of the tide. Large yachts lie to the mid-river fore and aft moorings, which take yachts of up to 180 metres, or alongside the outside of the Town Jetty to 60 metres by arrangement.
Bringing a superyacht into Plymouth
Plymouth Yacht Haven on the Cattewater takes yachts of up to 45 metres at all states of tide, and the Barbican Landing Stage takes vessels of up to 100 metres alongside by arrangement with the Cattewater Harbour Commissioners. Pilotage is compulsory over 50 metres.
Do you need an agent to bring a superyacht to London?
There is no legal requirement for a private yacht to appoint an agent in London. Most superyachts do, because the pilot, the Tower Bridge lift, the berth and the report to Border Force all depend on each other and on the tide.
Provisioning a superyacht in London
For yacht chefs: British produce from our partner suppliers, prepared to your specification and delivered straight to the boat on the Thames.
Crew changes in the UK: documents, visas and travel
For captains and pursers: what joining and leaving crew need for a crew change in the United Kingdom, and what we arrange.
Engineering support and lifting in the Solent
For chief engineers: the hoists and syncrolift around the Solent, and how engineers, service agents and spares are arranged while you are alongside.
Private jet arrivals for superyacht guests in the UK
For guests and the principal's office: the private aviation terminals nearest each port, their hours, and the notice customs need.
Temporary Admission: 24 months for a private yacht in Great Britain
A private yacht registered outside the United Kingdom may stay for up to 24 months in Great Britain under Temporary Admission, free of import VAT and duty. It is claimed on arrival without a declaration.
Booking a Tower Bridge lift for a superyacht
A yacht with an air draught of 9 metres or more bound for the Upper Pool of London needs a Tower Bridge lift. It is requested in writing at least 24 hours ahead by the agent, the owner or the master, and there is no charge.
Red diesel for superyachts in the UK
In Great Britain a private yacht may take red diesel on a declaration of the share used for propulsion, with full duty paid on that share. A commercial yacht not at the exclusive use of its owner or charterer may take it without a declaration.
Where a superyacht can berth in central London
Central London has four berths for a large yacht: Greenwich Ship Tier to 228 metres, Tower Bridge Upper to 158 metres, George Stairs Tier to 120 metres, and St Katharine Docks to about 42 metres in a locked basin.
The pleasure craft report: when and how a yacht reports to Border Force
A private yacht arriving in the United Kingdom reports to Border Force through the pleasure craft report, made online between two and twenty-four hours before it sails from its last port.
News
The First Owner's Reference, a guide for first-time superyacht buyers
An independent annual publication for first-time superyacht buyers, edited by the directors of Watermans, is live online, with a numbered print edition to follow in January 2027.
New shipyard in Portsmouth planned
Foreland Marine, the parent company of Watermans, has proposed a superyacht refit yard at Tipner West, on the north-west shore of Portsea Island.
Southampton International Boat Show opens at Mayflower Park
The 57th show runs from 18 to 27 September, with more than 500 craft on show and over 250 of them afloat in the show marina.
The unsecured owner, in The Superyacht Report
Jack MacNally, a director of Watermans, writes in The Superyacht Report on what happens to a buyer's money when a shipyard fails during a build.
Parade of sail in support of the Falmouth Docks development
More than 20 vessels from Cornish marine businesses took part in a parade of sail supporting the proposed redevelopment of Falmouth Docks.
Dartmouth fuel barge supplies six vessels in a week
The barge Dart Crusader delivered nearly 100,000 litres of marine gas oil to six vessels, superyachts among them, in a single week in August.
Falmouth Marina regeneration under way
Premier Marinas is part way through a four-year, GBP 2 million programme of works at Falmouth Marina.
Falmouth Harbour supplies HVO renewable diesel
A 6,500 litre facility for hydrotreated vegetable oil is now in service at the harbour's fuel berth.
Lunasea, 73 metres, the largest yacht to visit Ocean Village
The 73 metre Lunasea berthed at Ocean Village Marina for about a month ahead of a winter refit, the largest yacht the marina has received.
Cowes Week marks its 200th year
The bicentenary regatta, from 1 to 7 August, brought 642 boats in 36 classes and about 5,000 competitors to the Solent.
Hosepipe ban in the south west covers routine washing of vessels
South West Water's temporary use ban, in force from 8 August, prohibits routine hosing of private leisure vessels.
British Classic Week 2026 concludes in the Solent
The 1931 Fife eight metre Saskia won Class 2 and the combined prize for Classes 1 to 3.
Shore power in service at Portsmouth International Port
The port's multi-berth shore power system is live, able to connect up to three ships at once.
Sunseeker announces new owners and chief executive
Cross Ocean Partners and Cheyne Capital are the new long-term owners of the Poole builder.
Round the Island Race 2026: Tattarat takes the Gold Roman Bowl
More than 800 boats started from the Royal Yacht Squadron line, and Simon Moss's Tattarat was first overall under IRC.
Dart Harbour consults on a 25-year port masterplan
The draft masterplan covers more than 3,600 leisure moorings, cruise ships and superyachts within defined capacity limits, commercial marine services and visitor facilities.
Pendennis refits Solace and Seawolf recognised at the World Superyacht Awards
The 55.5 metre Solace won Best Refitted Yacht, and the explorer Seawolf the Judges' Special Award, at the ceremony in Venice.
Feadship Gin-Tonic in the Pendennis build hall
The 42 metre Gin-Tonic, built by Feadship in 1981, is in the build hall at Pendennis for a refit expected to run into early 2027.
Speeding in Dartmouth harbour leads to a GBP 4,625 fine
A RIB operator recorded at 28 knots in the six knot zone near Noss Marina after dark pleaded guilty at Newton Abbot Magistrates' Court.
Pendennis-built Silver Raven enters service on the Thames
The 39 metre catamaran built in Falmouth for Woods Tours now runs the Tower of London river tour.
Yacht Club de Monaco wins the revived Admiral's Cup
Fifteen two-boat club teams contested the first Admiral's Cup for more than twenty years, from 17 July to 1 August.
Centenary Rolex Fastnet Race: Léon wins overall
A record 444 entries started the 695 mile race from Cowes on 26 July, finishing at Cherbourg, and 95 per cent completed the course.
Opinion
The UK or the EU: comparing the two as a superyacht destination
For a private yacht owned outside Europe, Great Britain offers a longer Temporary Admission period, no Schengen count for crew, and a single customs authority; the EU offers a longer season and more ports.
Leaving the EU at a UK port
A call in Great Britain ends a yacht's EU Temporary Admission and her non-EU crew's Schengen stay together, which a call in Norway or Ireland does not.
Delivering a new build out of the EU through the UK
For a yacht built in the Netherlands for an owner outside the EU, the Thames and the Channel ports are nearer than southern Norway as the first non-EU landfall.
The United Kingdom as a yachting destination
Yacht racing grew up in the Solent, London can be reached by water, and the rivers of the south west take a large yacht into the middle of a town.
Building a crew that lasts
The captain is the most useful early hire, a shadow crew during the build pays for itself, and retention is one of the clearest signs of how a yacht is run.
What a well-run refit looks like
The difference between a refit that goes well and one that struggles is rarely the yard's competence; it is how the work is set up before the yacht enters the shed.
The first three years, in numbers
Total annual running costs for yachts of 24 to 60 metres sit between 8 and 12 percent of replacement value, and the budget set before delivery shapes the first three years.
Choosing a flag that matches how the yacht will be used
Flag state is one of the few decisions a first owner makes that is both irreversible in practice and easy to underweight; the right flag is the one that fits how the yacht will be used.
The compounding value of an independent owner's representative
An independent owner's representative is the one party in a build or refit with no commercial interest other than the owner's outcome, and the value compounds across every phase.