Solent Charters - www.solentboatcharters.co.uk Reviews

★★★★★
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★★★★★

“Jet ski taster session!!!”

Written on: 16/05/2013

Wow, what a brilliant day!!! Two mates and myself came down from reading to do the 'jet ski taster' hah it shouldn't be called 'taster' I feel as if we wasn't out there very long as time went very quick. Yet to be honest I think 2 hours riding the skis in choppy water was more than long enough. 'Bo' the instructor was very good at making sure we was comfortable with the jet ski controls before we left the marina. Yet once the boring yet essential briefing was over we swiftly left the marina... (read more)

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★★★★★

“March Starlight Stag Do”

Written on: 24/03/2013 by turner891

We chartered Starlight for the day for a stag do and it was brilliant. Our excellent skipper tailored the day to suit our needs. From Ocean Village we cruised to a bar on the river Hamble. From there we sped across to Cowes for a pub lunch which Solent Charters had pre-booked for us. After a boozy lunch we then headed back to base. Throughout the day the skipper's mate was on hand when needed but most importantly to help serve drinks from a well stocked fridge. Being early spring we had... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Pat's 70th Birthday on Dolphin”

Written on: 12/03/2013 by Johnflury (1 review written)

[name removed] and his 1st Mate looked after us superbly and braved sub zero temperatures to get us to the Folly Inn and back via the Hamble River.The weather was a killer being the last cold snap I hope in March 2013 but the yacht was superb being warm and spacious for the children and adults.Would love to do it in warm weather and perhaps we will one day. One thing one might take into account was whether you want to go to the Inn if it was a summers day. We did, so everyone could have a... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Needles and Back”

Written on: 30/09/2012

Booked Starlight for Husbands 60th birthday treat. Everyone should spend a day like this: Good Captain and Mate tending all our needs. Timing of the day spot on. Excellent company of 12 having great fun sailing, sunning, eating and drinking. Lunch stop very good then on to see the Needles. Wow! Return via Lymington - just in ice cream stop at a busy little harbour holding a regatta. Were they really singing Happy Birthday for Brian as we sailed off? Pre-arranged or just a coincidence... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Review on rib day charter dated August 2012”

Written on: 20/09/2012

We booked with Solent Charters after our regular service provider couldnt accomodate us (again). The booking was really easy to do online which was quickly confirmed and the right questions asked to make sure we got what we wanted from the day. The boats are easy to find at and of excellent quality. It was a pretty wet and windy day however we had a really good time and our driver was a lovely man who clearly knew what he was doing. We will use solent again. (read more)

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★★★★★

“Taking Our Parents "Home"”

Written on: 07/09/2012 by thebrewer (1 review written)

We recently took Starlight on a trip towards the Nab Tower to commit our parent's ashes to the sea as was their last wish. The day, which had been postponed from June because of bad weather, was a complete success, and the reception we got from Matthew and John made what could have been a very sad occasion into a celebration of their lives by the rest of the family. A word of praise for the lunchtime meal at Cowes which really was fine and very good value for money as was the whole... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Superb Afternoon Cruise”

Written on: 07/09/2012

We hire two yachts for an afternoon team day out. Very relaxing, good service on board always ready to refill drinks! Great feedback received from our managers, will certainly look to book another trip next year. (read more)

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★★★★★

“Great 50th Birthday Surprise!”

Written on: 05/09/2012 by Seymour50thcelebration

Hired Moonlight for a surprise party for my husbands 50th birthday. Best day ever! Beautiful boat - especially the round bed. Plenty of sunbathing areas - luckily we had the perfect weather. We took our own picnic as wanted to spend as much time on board as possible. Some of us even braved the solent for a quick swim. Crew were fantastic and we were waited on constantly. Highly recommended. Our age range was from 18 to 50 and everyone had a fantastic time. Thank you. Great value for money.... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Fantastic Moonlight Cruise”

Written on: 05/09/2012

This is the most perfect way to spend a hen weekend! Thank you Matthew and Robin for an amazing day cruising the Solent. We were able to decorate the boat before hand in 'hen do' paraphernalia. Champagne reception and lots to eat. They took care of everything. The weather was amazing and we even took a dip in the sea. We would all love to do this again! (read more)

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★★★★★

“a superb day - well organised and executed by Solent...”

Written on: 05/09/2012

we all throughly enjoyed our day - our skipper & his assistant were outstanding. Helpful fun and very safe - particularly with our kids given the tides and endless requests for swimming stops. the lunch was "ok" but we had been warned that given the short notice of our booking combined with cowes week that a lunch would be a on the hoof - so fair dues. (read more)

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★★★★★

“Professional, safe and fun”

Written on: 04/09/2012 by pmaxwell (2 reviews written)

We hired the Prestige 36 for the day in the Isle of Wight and Solent. The main purpose was for me to gain some familiarity with the boat as I might buy one in the future. Also as a novice it was an introduction to the world of cruising and the Solent in general and, of course, we wanted to have a nice day out. From beginning to end both Matt and John were most helpful and knowledgeable about the boat and the area. They also exude a sense of safety and caution which gives a lot of confidence.... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Family Birhday celebration”

Written on: 03/09/2012 by anice (1 review written)

We can highly reccomend 'Moonlight' for a day out with a dfference. We were a family group of 10 celebrating my sister in law's 50th Birthday. The boat has ample room both 'above a below'and is very comfortable with all 'mod cons'. Sean and his very able bodied 'mate' were wonderfully friendly and informative, answering all of our many questions fully and enthusiastically and at the same time doing a very proffessionaljob. We opted to take our own picnic but asked Sean to have the fridge... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Great family day out”

Written on: 03/09/2012 by Markdruid (1 review written)

I recently did power boat level 2 but didnt feel able to handle a rib on my own. Matthew has a selection of great quality boats and gave me just the level of instruction I needed to get some more confidence on the water - we managed to get down to the needles, across to Yarmouth and back up to Hamble - the kids loved it. We received great service and came away with some great memories. Hope to charter his family rib bareboat next time! Thanks again Matthew (read more)

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★★★★☆

“wet day at sea”

Written on: 03/09/2012

we were well treated and had a great day. The weather wasn't our fault...great lunch and drinks good value. recommended (read more)

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★★★★★

“Fabulous day at sea!”

Written on: 20/08/2012

Had a wonderful day, was lovely to sit back and relax while we were looked after by Robin and Niss. We never had an empty glass and the food was nice that we had for lunch. We went to some lovely points on the Isle of Wight and got to see some of the racing in Cowes. I would definitely love to do this again. (read more)

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★★★★★

“A day out on "Dolphin" watching the J Class regatta”

Written on: 10/08/2012 by nj25650

Matthew and his crew ensured that we had an excellent day out on "Dolphin" watching the J Class regatta in The Solent. Booking could not have been easier using their on-line system, and the pre-event discussions were helpful and friendly. The boat was ready and waiting for us in Ocean Village as we had arranged - and what a boat! If you are wondering whether the extra bit of expense on getting their larger boat is worth it - it is! The onboard hospitality was great - the day started with... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Sales Incentive Reward”

Written on: 08/08/2012

Excellent day, boat was superb ,all guests enjoyed the trip in the Solent with a lovely lunch at the Folly Inn Cowes. The staff on the boat are most helpful and nothing is too much trouble. Would fully recommend this company to anybody looking to arrange an incentive trip or a private party , First class Thankyou. (read more)

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★★★★★

“Smashing day out”

Written on: 06/08/2012 by apattenden (1 review written)

We had an amazing time on the Dolphin. John and Robin were very accommodating and proved themselves to be the hostess with the mostess :) Would highly recommend. (read more)

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★★★★★

“Amazing day, John and robin were fun and made the day...”

Written on: 05/08/2012 by EmmaHardy

Amazing day, John and robin were fun and made the day would highly recommend (read more)

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★★★★★

“An amazing day of luxury on Dolphin”

Written on: 05/08/2012 by ClaireHumphries

We chartered Dolphin as part of a hen weekend in Cowes and I can't think of enough superlatives with which to describe our amazing day on board. She pulled up at the jetty looking utterly glorious (I'd pay good money to see the look on the bride-to-be's face again and again) and from the moment John and Robin introduced themselves to us, nothing was too much trouble. To our immense delight they let us loose on the motorised boarding 'plank' and once on-board we had chance to really... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Boat Charter”

Written on: 02/08/2012

A very enjoyable day from start to finish. The boat 'Moonlight' was immaculate. With plenty of room for ten guests aboard. Many thanks to Matthew Burton of Solent Charters for making the booking effortless with our special request,and to our skipper for the day,who helped make the day so memorable. Kind regards (read more)

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★★★★★

“J Class Extravaganza”

Written on: 30/07/2012 by ChrisBound (1 review written)

Solent Charters' 8 man RIB "Sunlight" was the perfect craft for our day spectating the J Class Regatta in the Solent. These magnificent yachts are photogenic at any time and the opportunity to catch four of them racing flat out was too good to miss. Andy, our skipper, made sure that we were always in the right place to get the best photographs. All in all a brilliant day! (read more)

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★★★★★

“j class yachts”

Written on: 30/07/2012 by geoffreypattinson

At short notice on the 19th of july, I chartered a 4 man rib from Ocean Village. Our plan to watch the J Class yachts racing in the Solent, we were not dissipointed, we had a wonderkul day, our skipper took us where ever we wanted to go, and we had some great closs up views of the yachts. We arrived back at Ocean Village wet and happy. I would recomemd Solent Charters. Geoff Pattinson (read more)

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★★★★★

“Our day on the boat.”

Written on: 30/07/2012 by JimPike

We arrived at Ocean Village about 9.30 and were underway by 10.00. The boat was a Fairline Phantom 40 and it was lovely. This trip was a thank you present for the company staff for all their hard work throughout the year. First we went to Lymington for coffe and cake and then to Newtown on The Isle Of Wight for lunch before heading home. The day was very enjoyable and the skipper and crew were great also. Many thanks to Solent Charters for a fantastic day. Jim Pike Glenside Finance Ltd. (read more)

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★★★★★

“Watching the J Class yachts! ”

Written on: 30/07/2012

We had a fabulous day on the Solent with Solent Boat charters. Sean was an excellent skipper who did his best to position Moonlight in the best possible position to get brilliant photo's. Sean's assistant left a bit to be desired and needs training on looking after guests and berthing the boat!! (read more)

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★★★★★

“If you want it all and to chill have your 21st here.”

Written on: 29/07/2012 by TWStevens

Just wonderful. Solent Charters easy website to navigate with plenty of information for all sorts of trips, on various sea going vessels, hampers, luch at a pub and of course the obligatory booze. I can't believe how reasonable that was, 3 bottles of champers, Pinot Grigio and copious amonts of beer! all for under £100! This charter was for my son's 21st Birthday with friends from University and his 'old' school chums. Breakfast at Banana Wharf with Bucks Fizz, scrambled eggs and smoked... (read more)

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★★★★★

“J Class Yacht Charter - Simply The Best”

Written on: 29/07/2012

I would like to thank Matthew and his team for a fantastic day watching the J class yachts racing in the Solent. The yacht we chartered was fantastic and we all can`t believe how little it really cost. We will be back next year , just planning the excuse for the trip. (read more)

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★★★★★

“CELEBRITY LIFESTYLE ON BOARD LUXURY CHARTER!”

Written on: 29/07/2012 by DaveandTess

We boarded the fabulous Dolphin cruiser and immediately became celebrities. Matt and Beau treated us to coffee and pastries as we headed out to the start line off Cowes to watch the magnificent J Class Americas Cup boats jostling for position. Matt was brilliant at negotiating the flotilla of followers and allowing us to get up close to the action. Once they rounded the Island we headed up the Beaulieau River to anchor and tuck in to a delicious buffet lunch and unlimited Champagne! The game... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Icing on cake of any occasion”

Written on: 28/07/2012 by soozy123

The pre-event arrangements were excellent. The advice given to refine one's requirements to ensure the day would be just right, were excellent. On the day all details regarding timing, place to meet, food and drink requirements were complete and accurate making everything trouble free. The staff were great and assiduous in their care and making one comfortable and the same time, unobtrusive. All things like payments were straight forward and very buisiness like but I nearly forgot the... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Solent Yacht Charters delivered on the deal in full.”

Written on: 28/07/2012 by ajeans

Excellent day out. Clean, well-equipped boat, well organised crew and generous use of fuel - definitely no scrimping. A 96 year old amongst the guests was attended to with care and consideration, while the Waitrose lunch was carefully selected and goood value. A very good value for money day out and I recommend Solent Yacht Charters to anyone (read more)

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★★★★★

“A fantastic treat”

Written on: 16/07/2012

We chartered the Dolphin for a birthday celebration with friends - 12 of us in total. It rained for most of the day but it really didn't matter as the boat was out of this world the Skippers for the day Robin and John were very friendly, approachable and professional. The fridge was well stocked with plenty of beer and wine and the buffet was delicious and top quality. The boat was luxurious, clean and in very good condition and IT comfortably accommodated our large party. All in it was one... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Outstanding Training”

Written on: 08/06/2012

Attended Power Boat 2 training over the weekend with Solent Boat Charters, under the tuition of Peter Day. Great experiance, learned a lot and had confidence built by clear explinations and lots of supported practice. Thank you to all concerned and particularly to Peter and my co- trainees. Regards MPA (read more)

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★★★★☆

“PB2 Course 14/15 May”

Written on: 29/05/2012 by HHorsfield (0 reviews written)

Really good couple of days getting to grips with the basics of powerboating. Good balance of classroom and outdoor practical experience although weather was pretty poor unfortunately so perhaps didn't get as much practice as we would otherwise have done. Matt was really patient and worked to everyone's ability level (my friend and I were beginners and had a Yacht Master on our course but it still worked really well all together). He took us through everything we needed and more. Found... (read more)

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★★★★★

“RYA POWERBOAT LEVEL 2”

Written on: 29/05/2012 by robski990

Just completed the powerboat level 2 course with two other students on a rib. I did the course to obtain an ICC certificate to use my boat abroad. I thought the course offered good value for money and ' Sean ' our instructor was very knowledgeable and enthuastic with a good sense of humour. In addition, a good amount of time was spent at sea and much of the theory was taught aboard a Sunseeker motor boat which gave an added bonus to be in such surroundings. I would thoroughly recommend this... (read more)

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★★★★★

“My Solent Charters Experience was brilliant fun”

Written on: 28/05/2012 by Aussietess

I thought, at an age when I should be joining the WI, I would like to try something different, and it was certainly that. Matthew was instantly reassuring when I entered the classroom and I felt at ease. I loved learning about the sea, wind, moon, tides etc of the solent and the myriad of buoys and flags. Local knowledge is a massive draw as Solent Charters obviously spend most days in the area. We did experience typical solent weather which added to the excitement! I can't wait to get... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Fantastic & Fun PB2 Course”

Written on: 27/05/2012 by Musketta

Fab training in a fun & relaxed environment, clear instruction & good length of time on the water putting theory into practice. Works well with three students per rib. (read more)

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★★★★★

“Awesome day out...”

Written on: 08/05/2012 by EllieInRetail.co.uk

Highly reccommend using Solent, we hired Starlight and were very impressed by the boat, team and the champagne!! Excellent value for money - will definately be booking again. Thanks so much to Matthew, Sean and Pete for making the day so special. :) (read more)

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★★★★★

“Jess' Hen Party”

Written on: 24/04/2012

Thank you for a great "blast" around the Solent. Your skipper, Sean, picked us up on time and looked after us very well. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, we wouldn't hesitate to recommend you. Thank you (read more)

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★★★★★

“Fantastic Charter. First class service and quality!”

Written on: 15/04/2012

I Cannot recommend Solent Charters enough. Very friendly, helpful and informative service right from the website through to arrangements and on the day. The staff are extremely professional, friendly and helpful The boat itself was fantastic, clean, smart (read more)

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★★★★★

“RYA Powerboat Level 2”

Written on: 10/03/2012

Just did this course in Southampton. Really good teacher. Excellent setup. I`ll be back for some more later in the year. Thanks (read more)

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★★★★★

“Birthday Bash on the Solent!”

Written on: 08/03/2012 by Cloudtiger9

I recently chartered one of the vesells from Solent for my Birthday bash to take a trip over to Cowes. I have to say that from the moment we stepped on board we were infact treated like Royalty. The Skipper and Crew were just truly amazing, nothing was too much trouble and we immediately felt at home. The Boat itself was in tip top condition with of course a fully stocked bar ( well at least before we left )!! The crossing was pretty smooth and the Skipper had already lined up a great... (read more)

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★★★★★

“A+ Powerboat Training”

Written on: 05/03/2012 by jjvillamizar (1 review written)

I recently completed my Powerboat level 2 course in Solent Charters Southampton training centre. It was well organized and personalized (which is a big plus). I was supplied with all the necessary equipment in order to complete my course. Overall I am very satisfied with the method they use to teach and I am very grateful to the instructor (Andy) which couldn't be better. Definitely will continue my PB training here! Thank you very much... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Cruising champagne style!!”

Written on: 25/09/2011 by jspink

A group of 12 of us chartered 'Starlight' for the day from Lymington. We received great service from the moment we booked the event right through to the end of our charter. The morning cruising across the Solent was followed by lunch at The Folly Inn at Cowes. We then cruised up to Bucklers Hard followed by a final high speed blast back to Lymington. All in all a great way to spend a day with friends..........the champagne on top deck also helped!! Thanks Matt for your great hospitality (read more)

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★★★★★

“Excellent day out, highly recommended!”

Written on: 25/09/2011 by Emmawalker77

We booked a half day sailing with Solent Charters to celebrate a friends birthday. During booking and during the trip, Solent Charters were helpful and attentive. We really enjoyed our day out and the drink service was a welcome surprise! The fridge was well stocked and the guys on board were always on hand to top up our glasses. All of us would highly recommend Solent Charters and would like to thank them for getting our day off to a fantastic start. (read more)

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★★★★★

“Relaxing finish to a stag weekend”

Written on: 07/09/2011

Had a fantastic day on the 'Moonlight' boat with a group of 10 of us. Really great experience and a much enjoyed relaxing end to a memorable stag weekend. Boat to a high specification and both staff were very friendly and offered great local advice. We all arrived at the Marina to a personal welcome from our boat skipper. After a short guide of the boat we all tucked into the onboard drinks and snack supply before setting off for The Needles over at the Isle of Wight before disembarking... (read more)

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★★★★★

“My sister's INCREDIBLE hen do with Solent Charters...”

Written on: 05/09/2011 by caryselizabeth (1 review written)

After receiving a long list of things my sister didn't want for her hen do in August I was a little stumped for ideas as she hadn't left me with many options... (no mad t shirts, no copious amounts of alcohol, no strippers, no clubbing, no embarrassing the hen..... Crikey) After a bit of thinking I googled sailing experiences and came across Solent Charters. I emailed my enquiry and spoke to Matthew Burton (I was oblivious to the fact he was Managing Director of the business at the time)... (read more)

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★★★★★

“Fantastic charter on an unforgettable day”

Written on: 05/09/2011 by JeffreySoh (1 review written)

I booked the 'Moonlight' charter with only 2 weeks to go and was surprised by the willingness of the company to do business with me. The arrangement was professional and detailed. On the day itself, the skipper Sean was there first day in the morning, to his credit, his and his assistant were professional and incredibly helpful through out the entire charter. We spent about 4 hours during the charter at the end (as opposed to the 3 hours that we pre-booked) and there is not a single... (read more)

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★★★★★

“FEEL LIKE A ROCKSTAR”

Written on: 02/09/2011

Staff were friendly and VERY accomodating. Rib was fun, lunch was tasty and drinks went down very well on the luxurious ride home on the motorised yacht. Thanks for making our day memorable! (read more)

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★★★★★

“Day out on a RIB”

Written on: 01/09/2011 by phillyb

Fantastic day out for all the family ! Shaun was an excellent skipper and gave us all a very entertaining day. We would definately recommend a day out with Solent charters on their RIB. (read more)

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★★★★★

“A great day!”

Written on: 23/08/2011 by First4

I booked Solent Charters as a 'thank you' day for our hard working staff, and I'm so glad I did! 'Cap'n' Matt and First Mate Shaun picked us up from Shamrock Quay - perfect- and immediately made us landlubbers feel at ease. Very friendly guys, good fun and happy to make the day as flexible as we wanted. We had a well stocked fridge, a fantastic motor boat, and a great crew. What more could you want? Apart from good weather, which sadly Matt had utterly failed to deliver - apparently he'd had... (read more)

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