Going afloat today?
Check tides, weather forecast and live wind from the breakwater before you go out! Portland Tide Times, Weather File and Windguru all provide up-to-date local information.
What’s on
Portland Harbour is a haven for a multitude of watersports and waterborne activity.
Home to the British Sailing Team and having hosted the 2012 Olympic Sailing events, the harbour offers some of the world’s finest sailing opportunities, usable in any tide state or wind direction.
Surrounded by rich history, including wartime relics, wrecks, castles, nature reserves, and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Portland provides a delightful place to enjoy time with family and friends on and off the water, above and below the surface.
Safety
From kayaks to cruise ships, all can be found enjoying these beautiful waters. Leisure users share the harbour with commercial and military vessels, so understanding the safety regulations and activities within is crucial.
If you go afloat in the harbour, you should check regularly to see what activities are taking place.
As with all ports, numerous Local Notices to Mariners (LNTMs) are issued throughout the year to keep all users safe.
Additionally, marine byelaws are created for the water space which in the marine world are known as General Directions and Harbour Master’s Directions. These are made in consultation (except in an emergency) with water users, via the Harbour Consultative Committee and the UK Chamber of Shipping.
Reporting of incidents and hazards
We aim to provide a safe harbour for all users. We know that accident and incidents take place from time to time and reporting these will help us identify where any hotspots might lay. With this information we can take steps to make the harbour a safer place for your enjoyment.
Our policy states: To ensure that Portland Harbour Authority is informed of any accident, near miss or dangerous occurrence within its area of jurisdiction, the master of any vessel, or the organiser or hosting establishment having overall control of any event shall inform Portland Harbour Authority Limited immediately with the relevant details and complete an Incident Report Form.
Contact the Duty Marine Officer
TEL: +(0) 1305 825335 or +44 (0) 7778 391557 or
VHF Channel 74 – Callsign “Portland Harbour Radio”
Windsurf, Kitesurf, SUP, Wind SUP, Kite Foil, Wing Foil, Windsurf Foil, E-Foil boards, Kayaks and Small Inflatable Boats are all classified as small vessels.
When reporting a hazard to navigation, if possible, provide a Lat/Long or ‘What Three Words’ of the location of the hazard along with a detailed description as soon as possible.
Safety advice
It is strongly advised to carry either a mobile phone in a waterproof case or a handheld VHF Radio to dial 999 in an emergency and ask for the ‘Coastguard’ or call on VHF Ch 16 callsign ‘Solent Coastguard’.
Please ensure you mark your watersports equipment with your name and contact number in case of loss on the water and inform the harbour office and Solent Coastguard with a description of the lost equipment, so no alarm is raised unnecessarily.
Check out your sport
Further important information can be found on diving, spearfishing and freediving, fishing, windsurfing and winging, SUPs and kayaks, kitesurfing, personal watercraft (PWCs) including jet skis, e-foils and jet surfboards, and towable watersports like wakeboarding and water skiing.
