Moorings

We have moorings located in the Hamble, near the entrance to the River Hamble and Cowes providing economical and private permanent berths for members.

The Hamble

The Club owns 116 metres of pontoon, held under licence from the Crown Estates and supervised by the Hamble Harbour Master. The berths are leased to members on an annual basis as permanent berths for their yachts. The Club has no casual or visitor moorings on the Hamble, although one or more of the permanently-held berths may be temporarily free if the member is away for any length of time. It is a condition of holding a Club Hamble mooring or berth that the Moorings Officer be informed of an absence of more than 14 days, expressly to permit the temporary use of the berth by other members.

Unlike other Clubs on the Hamble, the RTYC berths are not allocated by annual ballot, with the risk of a successful member being bounced from their berth after just one year. Rather, a berth once allocated is held on an annually renewable agreement that will be renewed automatically provided the original conditions of allocation remain unaltered. If you change your yacht for a larger or smaller one, we will do our best to accommodate you but cannot guarantee it. The letting year runs from April 1st to March 31st the following year.

Cowes Pontoon

The Club's Cowes moorings are located upstream of the chain ferry and the refuelling barge, on the western (starboard hand going upstream) side of the river opposite the GBR compound. We have a 45 metre continuous pontoon run between three piles within a longer pontoon run adjacent to the main fairway. The northern (downstream) end of the full run comprises private and Harbour Master-operated visitor berthing, then comes the run of RYS pontoons, then RTYC, then the Royal London pontoons. Our own section of pontoons is clearly marked, both with signs on the piles themselves and with signs on the pontoons.

The rules regarding the use of the Cowes pontoon are straightforward and contained in the Yachting Byelaws. In summary:

The pontoons are strictly private and for the use of Royal Thames Member's yachts only; the pontoons are not available to members of other clubs, including reciprocal clubs.

Any member's yacht may secure to and remain on the pontoon for up to 14 days in any period of 30 days without charge. As the pontoons are not supervised on a daily basis, there is no booking system - it is first-come, first-served. Yachts may raft two deep on the inside of the pontoon (rafting more blocks the channel) and three deep on the main fairway side.

RIB's on the pontoon. To assist arriving yachts get alongside the pontoon, RIBs may be left unattended only on the inside of the pontoon, not on the outboard, fairway side of the pontoon.

Display of Burgee and Club Badge. All craft using the Cowes pontoon must fly the club burgee from the masthead if they have a mast, from the highest part of the craft if without a mast. The burgee should be on a staff, as befits the burgee of the oldest yacht club in the UK, and not left hanging like an item of laundry.

In addition, yachts using the Cowes pontoon must display the club badge and initials on the transom, in such a position that they may be seen both from the water and from the pontoon.

Given that both the burgee and badge must be worn when on the pontoon, it follows that the privilege of using the Club's pontoon is not available to non-members to whom a member's yacht might have been loaned or chartered.

Extended stays (more than 14 days in any 30 days). Should a member wish to leave a yacht on the Cowes pontoon for more than the permitted 14 days, this is possible provided that: the Chief Sailing Officer agrees, the temporary mooring fee is paid, the burgee and Club initials are displayed and there is room. Please refer to the members section of the website for full details.

Other Moorings

Turkey
A Royal Thames member has recently opened a new marina near Bodrum Peninsula, called Port Lasos Marina. He would be pleased to offer Royal Thames members a 15% discount for mooring and berth requirements. For more information about the marina, please Click Here.