Long-term moorings in Chichester

Moorings in Chichester are in fact a few miles outside it. The city is inland, and its boats are kept on Chichester Harbour to the south-west: in Chichester Marina, four miles from the city centre, or on swinging moorings such as those at Dell Quay, two miles away. Birdham, Bosham, Itchenor and Emsworth each have their own page.

Moorings near Chichester

• Chichester Marina: run by Premier Marinas at Birdham, at the eastern end of Chichester Harbour and four miles from the city centre. It takes boats up to 22m and is entered through a lock.
• Marina boatyard: on site, with two hoists lifting boats of up to 60 tonnes, and storage ashore.
• Dell Quay: about two miles south-west of the city centre, on the Fishbourne reach of the harbour. Chichester Harbour Conservancy maintains swinging moorings here, and launching is at high tide only.
• Conservancy moorings: the Conservancy maintains over 600 swinging moorings at Itchenor, Dell Quay, Nutbourne and Emsworth. They go to applicants in order of applying, with a waiting list when none is free.
• Private moorings: cheaper Conservancy site licences where the hirer looks after the mooring tackle. They are arranged through the Harbour Office at Itchenor.

On the water

• Harbour authority: Chichester Harbour Conservancy is the statutory harbour authority. The speed limit is 8 knots throughout the harbour.
• Harbour dues: every vessel using the harbour has to pay them, tenders and paddleboards included. A boat on a mooring must also carry third-party insurance.
• The marina lock: worked 24 hours a day by Premier's lock staff, on VHF channel 80. A red beacon shows when there is 1m of water or less over the outer cill.
• Free flow: around high water the lock may be left open to the tide, shown by a flashing yellow light. The stream through it can then run fast.
• Approach channel: 12m wide and shallow in places, with a six knot limit and a waiting pontoon just outside the lock.

The Chichester Ship Canal

The canal runs four miles from Southgate Basin, a short walk from Chichester railway station, to the harbour at Birdham. The Chichester Ship Canal Trust, a volunteer charity, manages it on a lease from West Sussex County Council. Only the two miles from the basin to Donnington are navigable, and fixed road crossings block the rest, so a boat cannot pass between the city and the harbour.