Advice re the Portland Race

Jurgen

Jurgen

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 May 2011
Messages
1,554
Location
Bristol Boat in Mercury
Visit site
Am planning on moving Evenstar from Brixham to Poole on the 22nd Feb.

How Portland is 10.46am on Neaps.

Local guidance suggests inner passage Eastbound @ HW-3 hrs, was planning on taking a very wide berth of Portland say 10+ NM but thought HW-2 hrs might be better to take advantage of the easterly stream to Poole.

What would be the advice of others that have experience of the Race.

Many thanks

Andy
 
Neaps with a calm sea the race is not a problem and is clearly visible from some way off. In calm conditions the race will sit east of the Bill on an east running tide, and there will be a strong set SE down the western side of the Bill, but the inshore passage is about 1/4 mile wide.

When making your departure from the other side of Lyme Bay give yourself plenty of time, you can always slow down later if you are a bit early.

Aim for a point halfway up the Bill as you approach, with your ground track just above the lighthouse, then the set will gradually take you round nicely.

Once round be wary of the race off St Albans, especially if wind over tide. Don't ask me how I know this !

Alternatively sit several miles off to the south of the race.
 
Andy, on neaps there will be hardly any difference between HW -2 or -3, the tide will only just have turned and will be hardly moving. If you're that far off and if the forecast is for W winds, I'd leave it another hour or so to get more tide Eastbound. More importantly will be the wind direction to try and avoid wind against tide situation. As already mentioned, St Albans can be worse than Portland.

Good job you weren't planning on going this w/e, 41 - 63 kts WSW at Portland Bill at the moment!

Have a good trip and hopefully catch up later in the summer.
 
Thank John, Tompa marine are doing the oily stuff so I thought I'd take the Mountain to Mohammed lol, didn't anticipate such prolonged foul weather.

Am hoping that being 10 nm off we should miss the worst of it, might be a bit crappy across Lyme Bay but hoping to take advantage of a quick tide to Poole
 
I think the "local guidance" is for yotties trying to get a push from the tide. On a fast mobo i'd plan to go through at slack water, and unless there's a southerly wind i'd go through the inner passage. When i've been through this is not 1/4 mile wide, more like 100 yds, but there's no real hazards so it's OK to go really close in. I've seen speedboats towing ringos through the inner passage, when bigger boats have been pitching heavily a few miles out.
 
Nick_H said:
I think the "local guidance" is for yotties trying to get a push from the tide. On a fast mobo i'd plan to go through at slack water, and unless there's a southerly wind i'd go through the inner passage. When i've been through this is not 1/4 mile wide, more like 100 yds, but there's no real hazards so it's OK to go really close in. I've seen speedboats towing ringos through the inner passage, when bigger boats have been pitching heavily a few miles out.
Click to expand...

Hi Nick,

Was thinking the offshore passage might have been better as 20th & 21st will be pretty blowy so lots of stored energy in the sea, also were looking to take a wide berth of Shambles & St Albans Head hence the offshore passage.

What sort of conditions did you take the inner passage in?

Regards

Andy
 
Jurgen said:
Hi Nick,

Was thinking the offshore passage might have been better as 20th & 21st will be pretty blowy so lots of stored energy in the sea, also were looking to take a wide berth of Shambles & St Albans Head hence the offshore passage.

What sort of conditions did you take the inner passage in?

Regards

Andy
Click to expand...

I've been through a few times, in slight to moderate conditions, but then you wouldn't want to cross Lyme Bay in anything more.

I haven't seen a forecast for next week, so didn't know it was still going to be blowy, and of course if there's a swell or wind with much southerly in it then i'd avoid the inside route, but otherwise I think it's the better option. I'd decide nearer the time when you have a better idea on conditions.
 
Andy, if you're going offshore don't forget that you'll also be subject to any strong N wind in Lyme Bay, whereas when you leave Brixham it could be flat calm.

As Nick says I would not discount the inshore passage, especially if you have Northerlies. I've used it quite a few times, never actually taken the offshore route. If it's too rough to go inshore then the likelihood is I wouldn't want to be out there anyway.

As I said earlier it's very much wind direction that's important.
 
Hi John,

Wind is forecast W @ 7-13 nts, Lyme Bay is looking similar for the time we intend to pass, by the time we get to Portland wind may have shifted to SW so hope we would be ok.

Plan is to make the final decision on the morning of departure
 
If the weather is Ok for crossing Lyme bay, Portland bill will be a pussy. We mostly just ploughed through it, till we found the inner course, if it feels a bit rough, just head inland, all will become calm. For super safety head inland before the light house, then follow the coast. You just stay in the flat bit and avoid the lumpy stuff, that you can see. You wont go aground.
 
hlb said:
If the weather is Ok for crossing Lyme bay, Portland bill will be a pussy. We mostly just ploughed through it, till we found the inner course, if it feels a bit rough, just head inland, all will become calm. For super safety head inland before the light house, then follow the coast. You just stay in the flat bit and avoid the lumpy stuff, that you can see. You wont go aground.
Click to expand...
Yea, if you have managed Lyme Bay, you can manage the race.. just depends how far out you might need to go.
If the visibility is good Jurgen, you will see the sea state on the race. At slack-ish, in calm seas, you can go through just about anywhere, but the calmest is right in on the coastline. If you see lots of boats fishing, you know you are in luck, but if you are the only boat about, it might tell you something. BUT, if you are having a lousy crossing, you may have to be a long way out.. I ve been ten miles out and it was still boiling.
Put some 2/5/7/10 waypoint distances off the headland into your plotter, because at least you can choose what to aim for on the day. Crossing, I would start to aim for a couple of miles off, and if the crossing is going well, aim for right in close instead. What you dont want to do is find yourself near the land and then decide you have a 10 mile detour out (and back).
Its one of the places that you dont need to panic,about, but you sure need to respect.
BTW, if it is great weather, it is a nice peaceful cruise along the coast of Lyme Bay. No need always to rush across.
 
Thanks gigm, we're expecting force 3 to 5 depending on departure from Brixham.

We're going to ere on the side of caution and take Portland @ 10nm keeping a similar distance of St Albans Head.

If we see fishing boats we can head in a little.

Have been caught in the race before and am not intending to repeat the experience!

Ultimately if the conditions are not right on the day we will postpone, Poole will still be there the following weekend lol
 
Sounds a good plan, going wide...don't get fooled by the small trawlers, I've seen them on and around the shambles in horrendous messy sea, go wide, stay wide :) FWIW we did the 40 mile hop from Falmouth to Plymouth this am and sea state was zero, swell was several metres in places...there's some legacy following the storms and loads of **** in the water...keep your eyes open :)
 
Cheers Nigel, glad you had a safe passage to Plymouth.

Luckily have a very experienced crew (Bay of Biscay & Atlantic Crossing) with me so will not take any unnecessary chances
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top