General safety and behaviour

Our rules and Byelaws are there to make sure you are safe. We all rely on river users knowing the rules and so we can help you enjoy your time on the water. This guidance won’t be a substitute for reading and understanding all the rules, but it sets out the basics. The same rules apply to everyone.

Read the Byelaws and general directions.

Speed

The speed limit is 6 knots for the whole river, from the Solent up to Botley and Curbridge. This applies to all river users. Keep an eye on your speed to prevent wash from affecting other people and the environment.

Helping the Harbour Authority 

You can help us by reporting anything you think unsafe to the Harbour Authority. Collisions and groundings have to be reported. When we attend any incident, anyone asked by our Patrol has a duty to assist us in our checks to find out if an offence has been committed.

We have a zero-tolerance policy to anyone who abuses our staff. In the worst cases, we have power of prosecution if you don’t follow the instructions you are given. No river user should prevent the Harbour Master or any other officer of the County Council from carrying out their duties. 

Drugs and alcohol

Don’t navigate your vessel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol to an extent that you can't control your vessel.

Silencing motors/engines

Engines should be fitted with silencers that reasonably reduce the noise emitted. 

Don’t sound a siren, steam hooter, foghorn, distress rocket, or any other alarm signals unless required for navigation, distress, or race control.  

Navigational aids

You must not moor to or interfere with any light, beacon, sea mark, navigational buoy or mark, racing buoy or tide pole in the river. 

Destruction of a vessel

You must not break up, set fire to or destroy any vessel in the river without the Harbour Master’s permission in writing  .

Disposal of waste

You must not dump any rubbish or material in the river without permission from the Harbour Master. This includes refuse, ballast, stones, earth, clay or any other liquid or solid material. It does not apply to a vessel’s lavatories.

Find out more about waste disposal on the river. 

Bait digging

Don’t dig for fishing bait within 15 metres of any mooring or within six metres of any pile, beacon, mark, pontoon or similar structure. 

If you dig for bait in any allowed areas, you must immediately replace all material dug out or displaced. 

Bright lights

You must not use searchlights, floodlights, other bright lights or pyrotechnics which might interfere with safe navigation. The only time they can be used is for indicating an emergency or distress or if the Harbour Master has agreed in advance.

Smoke and fire

You must not light a fire or use anything else producing smoke that might interfere with safe navigation.

Obstruction by vessels

Your vessel must not block any hard or landing place in the river.

Dangerous cargoes

You must not transport hazardous, inflammable, noxious or offensive cargo on the river. If you need to do this, the Harbour Master must agree in advance.

Structures and dredging

You must not build any structure, piles or stakes in the river. You must also not carry out any dredging operations in the river. If you feel any of these need doing, you must get consent from the harbour master.