Anchorages east coast Isle of wight

Jobs_a_ good_ un

Jobs_a_ good_ un

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www.beneteau393.co.uk
Thinking of doing a channel hop over easter subject to weather and was thinking of spending a few hours before the hop off the east coast in order to reduce journey time across to cherbourg.
Has any one spent the night off shanklin or ventnor i presume its only any good in a sw wind
rather than sailing at night i would prefer to set off at 5 am and do it within daylight
Thanks
 
I've used Whitecliff Bay overnight, more sheltered than Sandown Bay (Shanklin) which is always rolly. Get in during the light when you can see the rocks either side. Its a popular daytime anchorage in the summer. Good if the wind is W or NW, not too strong. Not so good in SW, not only because it is partly exposed but because you would then face a beat cross-channel.

If the wind is SW, why not consider Swanage Bay south of Poole? It is well-sheltered from that direction, and offers a better start point for the crossing with a freer wind.
 
In those famous words "I wouldn't start from here"
It is almost bound to be blowing from the SW so if you don't have the time to make further West (Studland), you would get a better angle after a night at Yarmouth.
Then if it is blowing from the East, nothing lost, you still get a sheltered night in Yarmouth and a fast reach for the crossing.
 
I would agree.

Whitecliff Bay can be okay, but not not in anything Easterly, and you need to be very careful of the depth at low water, which invariably means anchoring out further than you might ideally like to.

As to Ventnor, errm, no.

If it were me, I would tuck in to Yarnouth, or round the back of Hurst Castle.

dv.
 
[ QUOTE ]
...the wind is SW, why not consider Swanage Bay south of Poole? It is well-sheltered from that direction, and offers a better start point for the crossing with a freer wind.

[/ QUOTE ]
Not if heading out from Haslar (Portsmouth). It's about 40 miles away - you could be half way across the channel by the time you got there. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

You don't tend to hear of people using Sandown Bay or Ventnor for starting off points.
 
35 actually ... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

If it is a SW wind then you're going to end up doing those miles anyway - so if you can do even some of them the day before then it's probably worth it.... Having done the crossing in 20hours last september doing 95Nm from Chichester I'd preferred to have crossed from the Needles end of the solent ..
 
I see your based at Haslar. Haslar to Bembridge is only just over an hour so for me there is little advantage anchoring to the east of the island. You can also leave Haslar on the last of the flood to arrive at Bembridge at the start of the ebb and get a great lift south westerly down the east of the island. (dont know how the tides are in relation to your plan to daysail across)

Also starting from Haslar gives you the option to go over to the western solent the evening before if you think you are likely to get a better angle on the wind for your day sail across

Take your pick based on the forecast for the day /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
haslar to yarmouth and pick a buoy up outside (free) if you a late enough in the evening for a morning departure. then your 60 from cherb approx and gives you a better wind and tidal vector angle for the crossing.
 
If leaving from Haslar I would not mess about anchoring anywhere. You would not reducing the time you'd be extending it IMHO. Different maybe if there was a decent anchorage or harbour to go into.

I'd leave 2 hours or so before HW aiming to catch the start of the ebb off Bembrdge ledge in oder to get the maximum benefit from the tide down past SE coast of the Island if heading for Cherbourg or Alderney. It should also get you to Alderney when the tidal streams are sensible for the final approach.

We have always left From Dell Quay as soon as possible on the rising tide even though it's meant motoring against the flood all the way down Chichester harbour. That would have made us a bit later at Bembridge Ledge I guess but still with enough ebb left to get us clear of the Island.

You would not want to be anchored off Shanklin or Ventor in a SWesterly I suspect.

We have mostly done overnight crossings. The logic used to be to make landfall while the lights were still working on the other side but I guess with GPS thats not important any more.
 
I would not mess about anchoring anywhere -
Think about it Vic, a long hard day at work, then a drive to the boat, tide won't be favorable but want to get away, but not do a night sail. Even, not sure if everything is working well!!
So an evening trip down to Yarmouth isn't that bad an idea /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
While I dont have much Solent experience I would say that anchoring off somewhere to save a few hours can be a mistake as your sleep could be disturbed by swell wash or anchor worries. you then start a long day allready tired.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Think about it Vic, a long hard day at work, then a drive to the boat, tide won't be favorable but want to get away

[/ QUOTE ] You gotta be sensible. We usually took the afternoon, if not the whole day, off before an evening departure.

If you arrive at the boat shagged out after a hectic days work then stay in the marina/ on the mooring until the next tide unless you have a decent anchorage or harbour to go to for a night's kip.

If the tide is not favourable then you don't go until it is. In the case in point in order to catch as much of the ebb from Bembridge ledge as possible.

Important to get a proper watch routine established as soon as possible especially for an overnight crossing.
 
Mark

By now you will have gathered that to anchor off is not such a great idea.

I assume you will be going in the Benny, not the Wayfarer!

How many will be sailing with you, as crew? Look at the tide table. As Vics says leaving a couple of hours before HW will get you the best tide to start the trip. A good fast start in the shelter of the IOW is always a good way to start a channel crossing.

Now back to the tide table. You arrive at the marina, load you kit on the boat (only you know what time you can get there). Have a good hot meal, no booze! At 22.00 you leave the marina, you'll get the best of the tide down the Eastern side and arrive in Cherbourg in time for lunch on Friday. This is assuming you have the crew on board for everyone to have an hour or so sleep. No one will want to spend too much time below, on a short trip like this there is no time to settle into a proper watch system.

If you get to the boat to late, your to tired or you don't have enough crew for some sleep, then go at 10.00 the following morning, but you will arrive late at night.

All times corrected to BST
20/03/2008
High 11:33 4.4 m
Low 04:50 1.0 m
Low 17:08 0.8 m

21/03/2008
High 00:00 4.7 m
High 12:12 4.5 m
Low 05:28 0.8 m
Low 17:45 0.6 m

22/03/2008
High 00:36 4.7 m
High 12:48 4.5 m
Low 06:04 0.7 m
Low 18:20 0.6 m

23/03/2008
High 01:09 4.7 m
High 13:21 4.5 m
Low 06:37 0.7 m
Low 18:53 0.7 m

For me I'd be off on the Thursday eve.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Mark

By now you will have gathered that to anchor off is not such a great idea.

[/ QUOTE ]REALLY?? I beg to differ. Anchoring off and sleeping prior to departure is an excellent idea, one that cruising yachtsmen have adopted for generations. The only point of dispute here is the best place to pick for anchoring.

What is definitely a BAD plan is to arrive at an unfamiliar port after dark, unless you are well practiced at it. Specially one like Cherbourg where heaving to outside and waiting for dawn is impractical. And second only to that, heading out after a day's hard work when you will be quickly overcome by tiredness.

I suspect you are simply afraid of anchoring off and going to sleep. Believe me, it doesn't take much practice to get good at this, provided your anchor is sound!
 
[ QUOTE ]
What is definitely a BAD plan is to arrive at an unfamiliar port after dark,

[/ QUOTE ]

I suspect you are simply afraid of pilotage in the dark.Entering a well lit and extremely simple port entrance such as Cherbourg is very easy ,especially with two entrances to choose from.

With more practice you may find night pilotage easier than you imagine. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Hi Stephen

thanks for those tips and this whole thread has thrown up lots of ideas
I may well choose to sail at night it will be myself and wife and 2 young lads
My idea behind the anchoring was to sail over to Say Shanklin
anchor up for the night say thursday then set off at 5 am friday am
Thus getting the best part of a good nights sleep and allowing 13 hours to do a passage of 70 miles at 6 kts
I wouldnt have a problem entering cherbourg at dusk and am very confident at anchoring
I was hoping for sw force 4/5 but maybe im being a tad optimistic but the prevailling wind seems nearly always to be sth westerly
I havnt looked at the tidal streams as yet but seem to remember from my day skipper that they run either up towards dover or down the channel.
any feed back is appreciated
Regards
Mark
Ps it will be in the benny
 
[ QUOTE ]
With more practice you may find night pilotage easier than you imagine. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]Touché! /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
Just had a quick look at your blog. Cant be many people sailed UP Niagra falls /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
At least I didn't try it in the dark!

PS Last time I baulked at entering in the night was Hemingway marina, Havana. There was an onshore F6 and it was a bit bumpy, but we heaved to under backed staysail five miles out and slept comfortably until daylight.

When I saw the entrance in the morning, I was VERY VERY glad I'd stayed out. This is what it looked like, as seen from inside.

Cuba18.JPG
 
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