Southampton

Southampton lies at the head of Southampton Water. It is reached from the east by the Nab or from the west by the Needles, then through the Thorn Channel round the Brambles Bank and past Calshot. It is a busy commercial port: yachts share the main channel with container ships, cruise ships and tankers, and give way to them under a Moving Prohibited Zone. Superyachts berth at Ocean Village in the city, at Shamrock Quay and Saxon Wharf on the Itchen, at Town Quay, and on the Hamble for smaller yachts.

From the east a yacht reports to Southampton VTS at the Nab Tower, No Man's Land Fort, South Ryde Middle and the Hook buoy; from the west at the Needles Fairway, Yarmouth Roads, East Lepe and the Hook buoy, following the IMO routeing for the Needles Channel. The Nab Deep Water Channel is kept for draught-limited ships, and other vessels keep well clear of it.

Large ships turn round the Brambles in the Thorn Channel and again at Calshot. Inbound on the flood a large ship may swing up to 40° to port near Prince Consort buoy before turning to starboard close to Gurnard; outbound ships turn to port once clear of West Bramble. Ships of 180m and over pass port to port north or south of Ryde Middle Bank.

Between the Prince Consort and South Bramble buoys and the Black Jack and Hook buoys lies the Precautionary Area. A ship over 150m in it carries a Moving Prohibited Zone, 1,000m ahead and 100m either side, which small vessels may not enter. The ship shows a black cylinder by day and three red lights in a vertical line by night, and is often escorted by the patrol launch SP on VHF 12. Under the byelaws a small vessel is any vessel under 20m, and any sailing vessel of whatever length.

The main channel is dredged to 13.2m to the Western Docks. The lower Itchen carries about 9m, falling to 3.0m on track at the approach to the Itchen Bridge and 2.5m at Saxon Wharf. The Itchen Bridge clears 28.9m above chart datum and 23.0m above highest astronomical tide, with at least 0.5m to be kept; the Northam, railway and Cobden bridges above it clear about 9m above chart datum.

Southampton VTS monitors VHF 12. A vessel over 20m gives notice of arrival, departure and movements through ABPnotify, reports at the reporting points and at ten miles or an hour from the Nab or the Needles, reports when fast or anchored, and since 2026 needs a VTS traffic clearance before leaving a berth. The speed limit is 6 knots over the ground north of a line from Hythe Pier through Weston Shelf buoy, and 6 knots within 200m of the shore. Vessels keep 130m off the Fawley and Hamble oil jetties and 50m off other quays; five security zones cover Fawley, BP Hamble, the Western and Eastern Docks and Marchwood.

Pilotage is compulsory at 61m and over, and at 20m and over with more than 12 passengers. ABP pilots cover the eastern and central Solent, Southampton Water, the Itchen and the Test; there is no pilotage in the western Solent or the Needles, the district's western limit running from Stansore Point to Egypt Point.

A yacht of 61m to 150m boards at the North Sturbridge buoy, or at the St Helens buoy in visibility under a mile; from the western Solent it boards at the East Lepe buoy. Pilots are booked at least 24 hours ahead through ABPnotify, with the ETA confirmed six hours before arrival, and departures three hours before, on VHF 09.

A pilotage exemption certificate for a vessel of 61m and over needs twelve acts in the previous twelve months, including two assessed and four at night.

There is no fuel at Ocean Village, Shamrock Quay or Saxon Wharf. Hythe Marina Village and Port Hamble have fuel berths, and a larger yacht takes fuel from a bunker barge or road tanker. A bunker barge contacts VTS on VHF 12 before starting, needs a pilot or exemption holder next to the main channel, and does not work in darkness without the Harbour Master's written permission.

Ocean Village and Saxon Wharf have three phase power and water. Pump-out is at Hythe, on the Hamble and at Swanwick, and no untreated sewage or grey water may be discharged in the harbour. Waste landed at ABP berths is notified up to 24 hours ahead through ABPnotify; recreational craft carrying 12 or fewer passengers are exempt from the waste charge.

Anchoring in the harbour needs VTS permission on VHF 12, never in a fairway, and for no more than 36 hours without written permission.

Southampton Airport, with Signature Aviation handling, is not open around the clock; a General Aviation Report is due 4 hours ahead from the EU, 12 from the Channel Islands and 24 from elsewhere. Southampton Airport Parkway is 69 minutes from London Waterloo, and Southampton Central about 80 minutes on the fast trains. Southampton General Hospital has an emergency department.

An ISPS pre-arrival form is due 24 hours ahead for ABP berths. Saxon Wharf lifts 200 tonnes and Shamrock Quay 75; Trafalgar Shipyard in Portsmouth Harbour lifts to 60m and 877 tonnes.