Moorings on the River Test

The River Test is a Hampshire chalk stream that rises at Ashe near Basingstoke and flows south for about 64 km through Stockbridge and Romsey. Below Romsey it passes Broadlands and Nursling, becomes tidal and widens into an estuary whose northern bank is lined by the container terminals and quays of the Port of Southampton, before joining the Itchen to form Southampton Water.

Above its tidal limit the Test is a fly fishing river rather than a boating one, and the Andover Canal that once ran beside it has almost disappeared. Boating is on the tidal estuary, which is shared with commercial shipping and falls under ABP Southampton as harbour authority. Much of the Eling Channel and Eling Creek dries, so trips up to Eling need enough rise of tide.

Moorings on the Test are mostly club moorings. Marchwood, at the mouth of the Test, has moorings along the western side of the Marchwood Channel, and Marchwood Yacht Club has a pontoon with deep water on its outer side. Eling Sailing Club has deep-water moorings near the entrance to the Eling Channel. Southampton's Town Quay Marina, owned by ABP, is on the docks frontage passed on the way up from Southampton Water.