What to do locally if storm bound?
There’s nothing worse than being confined to your cabin when you’d rather be sailing in the great outdoors but when stormbound and it’s safer to be tucked up indoors it doesn’t mean the fun has to stop!
We’ve put together some suggestions to keep you entertained if the stormy weather forces you inside.
Binge-watch your favourite films
With modern technology, there are plenty of ways to enjoy a film whilst moored up, some of our charter fleet already have a television onboard but there’s no need to fret if not. Nowadays with the use of laptops and mobile phones and apps such as Netflix, Plex and Amazon Video Prime you can access a whole library of films and documentaries at your fingertips.
We’ve even listed some of our all-time favourites here in case you need some inspiration:
Dead Calm – Dead Calm (1989)
The stunning 23-metre Bermudian ketch, Stormvogel, was the real star of this film and has a greater pedigree than Nicole Kidman and Sam Neil combined! Stormvogel entered the 1961 Fastnet, skippered by no other than Sir Francis Chichester, and competed in many other RORC races. She has the same owner since commissioned in 1959.
Maiden (2018)
Documentary about the groundbreaking skipper, Tracy Edwards, and the first all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race. This was only in 1989 but the sexism that was evident seems unthinkable now. After refurbishment, the 58′ aluminum yacht was undertaking a world tour which following the coronavirus pandemic had to be postponed.
All is Lost with Robert Redford (2013)
Guaranteed to give any sailor plenty of opportunity to tut at its plausibility, All is Lost is still gripping,single-handed nautical rollercoaster. The film credits reveal that three identical Cal39 yachts were used as the Virginia Jean, Robert Redford’s doomed yacht. Sadly, the three yachts were harmed in the making of the film and did not survive.
Adrift (2018)
Based on a true story, ‘Red Sky in Mourning: A true story of love, loss, and survival at sea’, this is an emotional and moving story of just how easy it is for things to go wrong at sea. It’s probably not a spoiler, given the title of the book, that things didn’t quite go to plan. Suffice to say that knowledge of using a sextant really did come in useful. Maybe now is the time to consider the online Yachtmaster Ocean shorebased course just in case.
The Mercy (2018)
The 1968 Golden Globe Race challenged some of the world’s best sailors to be the first in history to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe without stopping. The Mercy tells the story of Donald Crowhurst, played by Colin Firth, an inexperienced sailor who stretched himself to the limit.
Virtual Reality Adventure with Sneaky Dog Escapes
Adventure doesn’t have to be put on hold just because of stormy weather. Enter the realm of virtual reality with Sneaky Dog Escapes, a local company specialising in virtual reality headsets. The headsets are super easy to use, no computer, no external sensors, no wires, no degree from MIT required to set them up, just a great VR gaming system full of interactive games. The headsets come pre-installed with more than 30 great games for all ages!
For more details or to book a headset head over to Sneaky Dog Escapes VR Rental
Swot up with our Theory Courses
Don’t put your sailing aspirations on hold because of the weather, learning can take place all year round, we have a variety of theoretical courses available and you can sign up at any time! Keep your mind active and enhance your navigation skills before you get back to the helm! Take your pick from the International Certificate of Confidence, Essential Navigation, RYA Skipper Theory, RYA Yachtmaster Theory, VHF Radio, and more there’s so much to choose from!
Browse our theory courses at Hamble Point Sailing School
Enjoy some delicious dining
The Ketch Rigger
Next to our office, you’ll find the Ketch Rigger, a waterfront restaurant and bar located right in the heart of Hamble Point Marina. Offering both takeaway and dine-in options they are open all day for coffee, breakfast, elevenses, afternoon tea, as well as lunch and dinner. View what’s on the menu.
Eat-in the comfort of your cabin
Just because you’re moored up, doesn’t mean you can’t indulge yourself. We’ve partnered up with the app Drophop to deliver delicious takeaway direct to your cabin! Unlike other delivery services, Drophop is a community-focused takeaway app encouraging local business and embracing sustainable delivery methods. Support the local community whilst you dine and have peace of mind that you’re being kinder to the environment whilst you tuck into your takeaway! Browse local eateries and take your pick using their app available on the App Store or Google play
WHAT CLIENTS SAY
My family and I had a great charter experience recently thanks to Alex, Andy and the whole team. Well maintained boat, friendly service and advice. We plan to charter again next year with them.
Alex, Becca and the team could not have been more helpful considering we called them at 4:45 Tuesday for a boat on Wednesday, another charter company had let us down at the last minute. Check-out and back in was well organized and we had a great 3 days sailing.
As a family, including our 4 year old Labrador, we recently chartered a 'bareboat' yacht from Hamble Point Charters for 7 days to cruise the Solent. The company were fantastic from our first enquiry to handing back the boat. The yacht was clean and well presented. A great week and we will happily use them again!
We have just had another wonderful week on a yacht we chartered from Hamble Point Yacht Charters. We have sailed several of their boats, this time it was a lovely 35 foot Bavaria. Chartering from HPYC is always an easy choice for us: the boats are well maintained, support is excellent, and the staff are always super friendly and helpful. On top of that, Hamble Point is such an ideal starting location for sailing around the Solent.
This is truly a 5 * service. The team really looked after us both ashore on arrival and also while at sea. We were a relatively inexperienced crew but always felt the team ashore had our backs. Thoroughly recommended.
I just wanted to say Thank-you very much for the weekend charter. It was exactly what we were after (albeit cold!) plus Andy was an awesome teacher and great company. We’ll definitely be keen to book again soon!
We had a fabulous four days. Marina is ideally placed for the Solent, boat was in great condition, well equipped and a joy to sail. We were well briefed and the shore side team including the dog very friendly.
We charted one of the sailing yachts for a fantastic weekend cruise in the Solent. The boat was in superb condition and well equipped, the staff was very helpful explaining how things work on the yacht and there was also a video available with all the important information. 10/10 would recommend!
Had a fantastic week chartering Blue Otter, Alex was incredibly helpful and sent loads of information and date checking prior to booking. There was a handover video and both the handover and return were really smooth. The boat was lovely and well maintained and Lee was really helpful in recommending places to visit (and helping identify the steering issue as an autopilot takeover - doh!). Definitely will be back and would fully recommend!
Just back from a lovely week in the Solent. Great service from HPYC from first inquiry through to return handover. Very straightforward to deal with, and the yacht was in excellent condition. We've chartered from many companies in the UK and abroad and the attention to detail (and flawless inventory!) was second to none. Everything about the yacht and equipment had clearly been well looked after and was in immaculate condition. Great service, will use again.
Always very friendly service, and well-maintained yachts. Easy check-in and checkout. Will be back...
We had a great time and were very happy with everything. Your team were genuinely friendly and were very helpful when we needed it. Is a big contrast to many charter companies I have dealt with in the past.
Watching the sun go down with a glass of bubbly on the deck of a sparkling yacht was unbelievable. What a treat, and a much needed change of scenery in these troubled times. We will be back for sure
Fab service, nothing too much trouble, including my daft questions. I'll be a repeat customer for sure!
We had a great time sailing with Lee for a few days at the beginning of September. Hamble Point Yacht Charters supplied us an impeccable 45 ft Hanse yacht, which was handled with complete mastery by Captain Lee.It was a privilege to sail with Lee, who is clearly a highly skilled professional taking great pride in his work ... but who is also a fantastic character with a great sense of humour and plenty of fun stories to keep the whole family entertained. He balances the serious side of safety and learning about sailing with a whopping dose of amusement and good cheer. We sailed the Solent in some decent seas, visited Bucklers Hard on the banks of the Beaulieu River and learned lots about British nautical history. Our boys started somewhat of a fishing trend catching bass off the back of the boat in Portsmouth and we would love to sail with Lee again in the future.The man truly knows his stuff, maintained the boat impeccably and went to every effort to ensure that we had a great time. Many thanks to “Shippers” and Hamble Point Charters. We’ll be back.