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Wooden and Steel Ship Repairs
Cowes Harbour and the River Medina Navigation and port information
Cowes Harbour, renowned as one of the world’s most famous sailing destinations, is the maritime gateway to the Isle of Wight and the Island’s main commercial port. The harbour is easily accessible to all types of vessel, with a river that is navigable as far as the county town of Newport. Cowes’s position at the heart of the Solent brings sailors and powerboaters, racers and cruisers flocking to the harbour throughout the year, especially during the high season from March to October.
Cowes has always been popular with cruising rallies and is one of the most visited ports on the south coast of England. There is a wide choice of berthing options, services and facilities in the harbour and on the sheltered waters of the River Medina, ranging from fully serviced marinas right at the centre of the town to more peaceful berths and mooring buoys away from it all.
Cowes hosts an unrivalled number of racing events every season, with thousands of yachts sailing into Cowes during each of the major events. Cowes Week is the highlight of the British yacht racing calendar, and the Round the Island Race, which starts and finishes in Cowes, is one of the largest participatory events in the world.
As well as recreational craft, Cowes also sees a large number of commercial shipping movements, with high-speed ferries, vehicle and freight ferries, and ships up to 100m in length moving in and out of the harbour and river. In this busy marine environment, it is essential for everyone’s safety and enjoyment that all water users understand how to navigate safely in a crowded river and harbour, and know the local regulations as well as the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs).
Cowes Harbour Commission’s number one priority is to maintain a safe harbour, and to this end, local regulations exist to assist the navigators of leisure and commercial craft. In Cowes, these regulations and advice are General Directions and Local Notices to Mariners. It is the responsibility of all boat owners, agents, charterers, marinas, yacht clubs and sailing organisations to ensure this information is made known to the masters or persons in charge of their vessels or craft.
