Rib Charters

Solent Rib Charter is a long established and market leading marine business which owns and operates a fleet of Ribs and powerboats. We are recruiting for the role of ‘Charter and Events Manager’. The role is primarily booking and organising our water-based corporate events, general charters, and helping to run Lymington Boat Club. The successfulContinue reading "Solent Rib Charter is recruiting"

Few places on the Solent feel quite as untouched as Newtown Creek – but beneath its tranquil façade lies one of the island’s most fascinating stories. Today, Newtown Creek is best known as a peaceful anchorage, sheltered from the hustle and bustle and rich in wildlife – not least the resident seals that call theContinue reading "The Hidden History of Newtown Creek, Isle of Wight."

Cowes Week 2025 is almost here, running from Saturday 2nd until Saturday 9th of August, and Solent Rib Charter is getting geared up for what is guaranteed to be a busy and exciting week. As with previous years, Solent Rib Charter is proud to once again be the official Rib supplier for the spectacular CowesContinue reading "Cowes Week 2025 with Solent Rib Charter"

You’re out on the water, sun beaming down and salty fresh air in your hair when hunger strikes… fortunately, the Solent coast is brimming with waterside venues where you can moor alongside for some fantastic food and drink. Venturing by Rib not only offers quick access to these gems, but it adds a scenic arrivalContinue reading "Dining hot spots across the Solent"

Looking for an unforgettable day on the water in the UK? At Solent Rib Charter, we offer the highest quality of Rib charter services that are tailored to your needs. Whether you’re exploring the hidden gems of the Isle of Wight, planning a team building away day with our corporate Rib charters, or perhaps seekingContinue reading "For all your charter needs"

The Solent Coast, a treasure trove of maritime history, is the final resting place for many shipwrecks. Among them lies the SS Varvassi – a Greek cargo steamship built in 1946, just a year before her ill-fated journey. On January 5th, 1947, while carrying a precious cargo of tangerines, wine, and oil from Algiers toContinue reading "SS Varvassi Shipwreck – A Deep Dive into the Solent’s Rich History"

With summer coming to a close and temperatures dropping, September may be the last month to soak up some sun before the winter draws in. With our bareboat charters, you can explore The Solent on your own terms, whether you want to have a family meal, go thrill-seeking, or just wander around. No matter theContinue reading "All quiet on the Solent front"

With a wet and windy Round the Island race behind us and hopefully some sunshine on the horizon, we are expecting a busy couple of months in the Solent. We have been lucky enough to participate in some fantastic charters, but what is to come? As we look forward to the rest of the season,Continue reading "Cowes Week Racing 2024"

Contrary to what some may believe, chartering during the winter months is great fun. Swimming might not be on the agender, but there are many positives to boating in the colder months. One of the best components of chartering a Rib during the winter is that you’ll often find you’re the only people out. WeContinue reading "Winter Charters"

With our final week in the office before we close for Christmas, we turn to Simon Hedley, Solent Events Manager for his favourite charter of 2019! For me, welcoming back repeat clients is always a highlight of what we do! In July, 100 guests arrived in Swanwick Marina for a Rib Treasure Hunt day onContinue reading "2019 Skippers’ Highlights – Simon Hedley"

It’s come to that time of year where we start reflecting on our 2019 highlights. We’ve had a great season here at Solent Rib Charter having been involved in some amazing jobs and most importantly have been blessed with awesome clients.  We wouldn’t be able to operate without our fantastic team of skippers, so thisContinue reading "2019 Skippers’ Highlights – Steve Morgan"

Back in 2001 Solent Rib Charter was born with a single 7.8m Ribcraft Rib… 18 years later and we now have a fleet of over 30 boats making us the largest Rib operator in Europe. In the corporate world, our boats are instantly recognised from their sleek black and yellow design and how immaculately wellContinue reading "Why We Use Ribcraft"

It only feels like yesterday that we were prepping our boats for SailGP & Cowes Week at the start of August, somehow it’s already September and we’re left wondering where the time has gone?! Kids have gone back to school and for many companies, September marks the time to thank employees for their efforts overContinue reading "The Season’s Not Over Yet!"

Imagine blasting across the waters of the Solent, soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the thrills of being whisked around at speed by our high-powered Ribs. As you draw closer to Portsmouth you can see several structures in the middle of the Solent, you begin to approach one of these structures and you can nowContinue reading "The Solent’s Unique Venues…"

Many of our clients ask us to recommend places to visit for lunch or dinner when chartering our Ribs. There are several great venues on the Solent, here are some of our favourites:  The Hut – Colwell Bay On arrival in Colwell Bay, moor up just off the beach and the restaurant will send over it’s tender toContinue reading "Dining Out on the Solent"

The Beaufort Scale Before every charter, one of the most important things we check is the weather forecast. Luckily we operate in sheltered waters but nevertheless high winds do still have an effect on the sea state. In the maritime sector, wind is measured by the Beaufort Scale. First devised in 1805 by an IrishContinue reading "The Beaufort Scale."

For many, the winter months are a time to retreat indoors and catch up on the latest TV shows whilst warming yourself by the fire… ‘YAWN’. Instead, you could don your warmest winter clothing and blast your way across the Solent in one of our Ribs. The empty waters and cold skies make for aContinue reading "The George winter events!"

The days are shorter, the weather colder and the skies are considerably more grey as we slowly march into winter. The hustle and bustle of summer has died down and the corporate world retreats indoors to stay warm over the next couple of months.  However there are always those brave few who want to takeContinue reading "All day, every day! (We operate 365 days a year)"

We’ve had another fantastic season on the water, participating in a multitude of events taking place throughout the year. From the Round The Island Race to Lendy Cowes Week, we’ve had a blast! (literally)  It’s not just us who have enjoyed this season. Our clients have related lots of positive feedback on how enjoyable ourContinue reading "Review us on Trip Advisor!"

We can never guarantee what the weather will be like when you book with us, but we can promise that you’ll enjoy the day no matter what! Last week we had 14 of our boats on a corporate Treasure Hunt on what was probably one of the most miserable days of the summer, however itContinue reading "The Rain’s Not Stopping Us!"

Small enough to care about every charter, big enough to never let you down. A ‘motto’ that we’ve come to live by at Solent Rib Charter. We pride ourselves on providing the attention to detail that ensures all our clients have an exciting and memorable experience on the water.   We always like to ‘touchContinue reading "Leave us a review on Tripadvisor!"

A Corporate Rib Charter day is an exciting experience! Whether you have a small or large group, it can be quite something to see fleet matching Ribs fly around the Solent or along the Thames.  For those who want to add a personal touch to their day, we offer a range of branding options which give a huge aesthetic impact toContinue reading "A Personal Touch to Your Charter"

(Picture from VolkerWessels UK, 2016) Portsmouth Harbour is one of the largest and busiest harbours on the south coast of England, and home to The Royal Navy. The DIO (The Defence Infrastructure Organisation) has recently been contracted to prepare the port to home the Royal Navy’s two new aircraft carriers. HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMSContinue reading "Portsmouth Harbour – New navigation marks"

Back in November we blogged about our Refit Season, with the entire SRC fleet working their way through the workshop for some TLC. Jack, Chris, Bruce and the rest of the team have been working their socks off to ensure the fleet are in tip top condition for the busy summer season ahead. Think youContinue reading "The Operations Team Have Been Busy!"