On the map, the Solent is a thirty mile stretch of water between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in the UK. On the water, the Solent is an exhilarating experience waiting to welcome you.

World renowned as the home of yachting, and steeped in maritime history, The Solent is surrounded by outstanding natural beauty, and its rich variety of history, culture, scenery and sailing conditions ensure that it can be as relaxing or as exciting as you want to make it. It is a true haven for yachting enthusiasts.

Legend has it that the Romans could walk across the Solent at low tide, but nowadays you need a boat of some kind, and you’d be in good company. The Solent is a major shipping route for cruise liners, ferries, hovercraft, container ships and provides the home port for the Royal Navy. Add to that the armada of luxury yachts, catamarans, dinghies, kitesurfers, windsurfers and jetskis etc, and you’ll  begin to appreciate how amazing and ever-changing your sailing companions and competitors are.

The easiest, safest and most practical way of sailing in the Solent for many people, is to hire or charter a boat of some kind, and with a Solent Yacht Charter you really are spoilt for choice. Whether you want a day boat for fishing, a Solent Stag party, a memorable family holiday, an unforgettable social or team-building experience, a romantic cruise or a white knuckle ride, even a full-on Solent Corporate event, or whatever, then you can charter a yacht, powerboat or rib to suit your desires and budget.

Given that the Solent has the UK’s greatest concentration of yachts, it is only natural that the Solent also has the greatest collection of boats available for charter (or hire), ranging from a fairly basic rib to the last word in luxury yachts with everything in between.

You can choose between a skippered Solent yacht charter (where a skipper is provided for the duration of the charter) or a bareboat charter, where (subject to having sufficient sailing qualifications) you can “skipper” the yacht yourself. You can choose whether your yacht is wind or motor powered, and you can choose the scale of home comforts and facilities between fairly basic and unadulterated luxury. We would naturally be happy to advise on any aspect of your charter.

If you are planning a Solent charter for a family holiday, then while a full weeks sailing with the family may sound appealing, not everyone in the family may enjoy sailing as much as you, so why not try a weekend charter in the Solent first. It will enable you to assess the suitability of a full weeks yacht charter, and provide you with the opportunity to research the range of locations and activities in the Solent that are likely to keep the family happy for a whole week. You want a family sailing holiday not a mutiny !

As for families above, we recommend the same for friends.Try a weekend yacht charter first. It is so easy to make the assumption that because you get on with some friends at work or on evenings out, a weeks yacht charter in the Solent together would be perfect. It may be, but it might not be either. Spending a whole week with somebody inside the relatively cramped condtions of a yacht with less privacy than you would like is a totally different scenario, and can break friendships instead of cementing them. Don’t risk it. Book a weekend charter first to see how it works out.

Although there are a great number of marine events between the Spring and Autumn in the Solent, they are very popular times for corporate yacht charter, so you can expect to pay more for a yacht charter during these events, and will need to book earlier. Like anywhere else, it boils down to simple supply and demand, and you may prefer to avoid these events for those reasons. The biggest and most famous event is Cowes Week (during the first week of August), but there are many other regattas, there is the annual International Boat Show, visits from Tall Ships and many other special and one-off events, and you need to take them into consideration when planning your visit.

The roster of Solent attractions and features is pretty impressive, and you are only twelve hours sailing away from France, or a couple of hours from The Jurassic Coast in Dorset. But whatever you come for, you cannot live by sailing alone, you need drink, food, shopping & entertainment ! Portsmouth and Southampton should cater for most of your needs, and the many harbours, marinas,  towns and villages that border the Solent all help to spoil you for choice.

A Yacht Charter in the Solent awaits you. Bon Voyage !