Last Updated on 29 July 2026 by Dave King
Brighton is a seaside city where most people only ever see the sea from the beach. Getting out on the water changes the whole place, and there are more boat trips in Brighton than the marina’s quiet pontoons let on, from a cheap 45-minute pleasure cruise to a 100-minute run out to the Rampion wind farm.
The trips split into a few types: gentle sightseeing cruises past the piers, wildlife trips run by a local dolphin project, high-speed RIB rides for anyone after a soaking, and skippered sailing. This guide covers what each operator runs, where they leave from and what they charge, taken from what the operators publish themselves.
Almost everything departs from Brighton Marina rather than the seafront, and the season is roughly spring to autumn, so check before travelling.
Table of Contents
Boat Trips Featured in This Guide
| Operator | Type | Departs | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ross Boats | Pleasure cruises, windfarm, powerboat | Brighton Marina | £12.50 pleasure trip; £45 windfarm tour |
| Sussex Dolphin Project | Wildlife sunset cruise | Brighton Marina | £25 adult, £18 child |
| Brighton Boating | Skippered sailing, jet ski | Brighton Marina | Skippered sail from £69 |
| Brighton Boating | 30-minute high-speed RIB ride | Brighton Marina | From £45 |
Prices last checked July 2026. Boat trips are weather-dependent and mostly seasonal, so times and sailings change at short notice. Confirm directly before you set off.
Sightseeing Cruises Past the Piers
The easiest and cheapest way onto the water is a short pleasure cruise, and Ross Boats is the operator to know. It’s a family business that has run out of Brighton Marina since 1997 with the same skippers, and it has the largest passenger catamarans in the city, licensed to carry up to 85 people.
Their 45-minute pleasure trip is £12.50 for adults and £7.50 for children under 16, with under-1s free, which makes it one of the cheapest things you can do on the water anywhere on this coast. You head out of the marina for a view of the seafront, the piers and the i360 from the sea, which is a genuinely different way to see the city. If you want to know whether the tower itself is worth doing from the inside too, we’ve weighed that up in our guide to the Brighton i360.
Ross Boats depart from Pontoon 5 on the West Jetty, right next to the West Quay Wetherspoon’s, so it’s easy to find and easy to make an afternoon of. They also run powerboat rides and, by private charter, a three-hour trip east to the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head.
The Rampion Wind Farm Tour
The signature longer trip out of Brighton is the run to the Rampion wind farm, the ring of turbines you can see on the horizon on a clear day. Ross Boats run a 100-minute Rampion tour at £45 per person, adult or child, taking you out to the base of the turbines around eight miles offshore, or you can privately charter the whole boat for £500 for up to 12 people.
It’s a proper trip out to sea rather than a potter round the bay, so pick a settled day and take a layer more than you think you need. The turbines are far bigger up close than they look from the beach, and the run out and back is where you’re most likely to see marine life.
Wildlife and Dolphin-Spotting Trips
For a trip with a purpose behind it, the Sussex Dolphin Project runs wildlife cruises with a conservation guide onboard. It launched in 2018 as a project of the World Cetacean Alliance and is now an independent organisation and WCA partner, with profits funding its research and community work in Sussex waters.
The one that leaves from Brighton is the Brighton Sunset Cruise, a one-hour trip on a 50-seat vessel heading west past Brighton Palace Pier and the West Pier as the sun sets, with guides narrating the marine life along the way. It’s £25 for adults and £18 for children, and children are welcome from age 2. The meeting point is the ramp by the West Quay pub at the marina. Sightings of dolphins close to shore aren’t guaranteed, but the guides are on the lookout throughout, and it’s still a good way to see seabirds and the seafront and piers from the water.
The project’s other trips, the Seven Sisters, Beachy Head and its own Rampion run, leave from Newhaven rather than Brighton, so check the departure point when you book. There’s also a three-hour Brighton Wildlife Sailing Experience for just eight guests, crewed by Brighton Boating with a wildlife guide aboard.
Sailing and High-Speed Rides
If you’d rather help crew a boat than sit on one, Brighton Boating has run RYA sailing, powerboating and jet ski tuition from the marina for over 25 years. Alongside courses, it offers skippered coastal sailing trips from £69 per person, where you can take the helm or just sit back with the Sussex coast sliding past.
At the other end of the scale are Brighton Boating’s high-speed RIB rides, 30-minute blasts on a rigid inflatable that throws in fast turns and jumps the waves, from £45. Availability is shown on their booking calendar, so check current dates before planning around it. Take a change of clothes, because getting wet is the entire point.
For more of what’s on offer around the marina and the wider coast, from paddleboarding to kayaking, our Brighton water sports guide covers the active end of getting on the sea. And if you’d rather fish than sightsee, the charter boats and mackerel trips are all in our separate fishing in Brighton guide.
Getting to the Boats and What to Bring
Nearly every boat trip leaves from Brighton Marina rather than the central seafront, so allow time to get out there and to find the right pontoon. Ross Boats and the Sussex Dolphin Project both meet near the West Quay pub, which is a useful landmark once you’re on site.
A few practical things apply to all of them. The boats are open to the weather, so bring a windproof layer even on a warm day, and wear flat, grippy shoes rather than flip flops or heels, since you’ll be stepping on and off a moving vessel. Sailings are cancelled or moved in poor conditions, so leave a phone number when you book and check the morning of your trip.
FAQs
How much do boat trips in Brighton cost?
Simple cruises and RIB rides range from £12.50 to £45, while skippered sailing starts from £69. A 45-minute Ross Boats pleasure cruise is £12.50 for adults and £7.50 for children, the Sussex Dolphin Project sunset cruise is £25, the Rampion wind farm tour is £45, and a high-speed RIB ride is from £45.
Can you see the Rampion wind farm by boat?
Yes. Ross Boats run a 100-minute Rampion tour from Brighton Marina at £45 per person, taking you out to the base of the turbines around eight miles offshore. The Sussex Dolphin Project also runs a Rampion trip, though that one leaves from Newhaven.
Are you likely to see dolphins on a Brighton boat trip?
Sightings are never guaranteed, but the Sussex Dolphin Project’s guided cruises are your best bet, with wildlife guides watching throughout. Even without dolphins, the guides watch for marine mammals and there’s time to take in the seabirds and the seafront from the water.
When do boat trips in Brighton run?
Most run in the warmer months and depend on the weather. Brighton Boating lists its RIB and sailing dates on its booking calendar, and the Sussex Dolphin Project’s cruise season runs from around May to September. Confirm sailings on the day.
Where do the boats leave from?
Almost all boat trips from Brighton depart from Brighton Marina rather than the seafront, most of them from the pontoons near the West Quay pub. A few of the Sussex Dolphin Project’s trips leave from Newhaven instead, so check when booking.
Are the trips suitable for children?
Many are. The Ross Boats pleasure cruise takes children of any age with under-1s free, and the Sussex Dolphin Project sunset cruise welcomes children from age 2. High-speed RIB rides have higher age limits, so check before booking.
Final Thoughts
Boat trips in Brighton run from a £12.50 cruise the whole family can hop on to a windfarm run eight miles out and a soaking-wet RIB ride, and the sea is the one view of the city most visitors never bother to get. Pick by what you’re after: a cheap look at the piers, a wildlife trip with a guide, or an afternoon learning to sail.
Whichever you choose, it’s weather that decides, not the calendar, so keep your plans flexible, dress for the wind, and phone ahead on the day.
