Another did I do the right thing. The Swatchway

[CalicoJack]

On Thursday we were hoping to get from Chatham to Woolverston. Our boat a 10m Neptunian (Long Keeled) Ketch. HW was 06.15 and the time was now HW + 3. The weather was forecast as NE 3 to 4, but it seemed to be gusting at a 5 rather than a 4, which produced a short steep Thames chop. The wind was right on the nose and we were under engine. I had hoped that we would find a bit of a lee as we approached the North side of the Estuary off Blacktail Spit, but if anything the seas were worse there than down by Garrison Point. We were taking seas over the bow and there was water being thrown up over the whole of the deck. At that time there was only one other yacht visible and it was having as bad a time as we were, but he pressed on.

I had worked the passage plan to be reaching over 7.5Kts over the ground (6kts through the water plus a knot and a half of tide) but with the seas knocking our speed down we were lucky to be making much over 5.5Kts over the ground. I was concerned that as the passage progressed we would encounter worse seas near Maplin Sands, which would mean that we would arrive at the Swatchway somewhere around LW.

I decided to abort the passage and return to the Medway. Was this a wise move or was I worrying about nothing? We were not in danger or anything like that, but it was unpleasant, and we faced at least 4 or 5 hours more of this, even if we went to Brightingsea, which would have still meant crossing the Swatchway.

 

[Malish]

We have a 1.42m draft and I do not really worry about the Swin unless I am likely to be there at LW springs. I usually find there is not too much swell when passing through, probably due to protection by the Gunfleet.

That said, a prudent sailor is a wise sailor

 

[PaulGooch]

Dunno how you sail boat types usually passage plan, but based on how i do it with my mobo, i'd say planning for 7.5 kts was a mistake.

My mobo cruises at 14-22 knots, depending on conditions and tides. 22 knots needs flat calm and a strong following tide, so i never think too much about that. More typically we cruise at 16-17 kts, but if i have to push a strong tide can be down to 14 kts. For passage planning i work on 15 kts and find that works wel, we do often arrive with a little time in hand, but not too much as a rule.

The mobo is currently for sale and we plan to purchase an 11mtr sail boat that looks to have a max speed of 7-8 kts. I have it in mind that i'll work on 5 kts for passage planning, which doesn't look to far off of what you actually achieved.

Would be interested to hear what everyone else uses as a speed when passage planning.

 

[Behome]

We had a minimum of 2.2m in one of the troughs crossing the Swin on Thursday about 1 hour before LW so no problem there.
The passage (southbound) across the Wallet to the Spitway from the Colne was pretty rough and the wind was certainly more than the 10 knots forecast, more like 20-odd. I would not have fancied bashing against the tide up to the Orwell even though it would have been more settled with the wind and tide together.

If you weren't comfortable with carrying on you made the right decision.
If you are like me, you sail for pleasure, not to prove anything to anyone. I'm sure you would have been safe, but that's not the point. You did the right thing.

 

[MoodySabre]

Do what you feel is right - no recriminations or chastisements here.

I once came through the Swin Spitway in a force 7 NE with a huge sea, an hour after low water at midnight on a very dark night. We had a metre under the keel, it was very scary and the result of poor passage planning by me. I got it wrong and won't do (that one) it again. Not a clever way to learn.

 

[sailorman]

Dunno how you sail boat types usually passage plan, but based on how i do it with my mobo, i'd say planning for 7.5 kts was a mistake.

My mobo cruises at 14-22 knots, depending on conditions and tides. 22 knots needs flat calm and a strong following tide, so i never think too much about that. More typically we cruise at 16-17 kts, but if i have to push a strong tide can be down to 14 kts. For passage planning i work on 15 kts and find that works wel, we do often arrive with a little time in hand, but not too much as a rule.

The mobo is currently for sale and we plan to purchase an 11mtr sail boat that looks to have a max speed of 7-8 kts. I have it in mind that i'll work on 5 kts for passage planning, which doesn't look to far off of what you actually achieved.

Would be interested to hear what everyone else uses as a speed when passage planning.

actual sog average Boulogne > Harwich 6kts last Monday @ 2000 rpm

 

[nortada]

Dunno how you sail boat types usually passage plan, but based on how i do it with my mobo, i'd say planning for 7.5 kts was a mistake.

My mobo cruises at 14-22 knots, depending on conditions and tides. 22 knots needs flat calm and a strong following tide, so i never think too much about that. More typically we cruise at 16-17 kts, but if i have to push a strong tide can be down to 14 kts. For passage planning i work on 15 kts and find that works wel, we do often arrive with a little time in hand, but not too much as a rule.

The mobo is currently for sale and we plan to purchase an 11mtr sail boat that looks to have a max speed of 7-8 kts. I have it in mind that i'll work on 5 kts for passage planning, which doesn't look to far off of what you actually achieved.

Would be interested to hear what everyone else uses as a speed when passage planning.

I have an 11.6mtr sloop & reckon you are bang on.

 

[ex-Gladys]

First time through the Spitway Wed and Thur this week. A bit after LW both times, but much less buttock clenching than for a couple of years, always > 0.9 under keel (1.5 draft) whereas have had only 0.3 previous years. Keeping right on the buoys seems the way.

 

[tillergirl]

New chartlet for the Spitway will be available v soon.

 

[Athene V30]

. Was this a wise move or was I worrying about nothing? .

It is called Passage Planning for a reason - it is just a plan and in executing it decided you had a better plan to do something different. Done deal! Go with what you think best.