Beaulieu River, shoal draft and Solent cruising

[Miltoni]

Please can anyone advise on whether it is preferable to have a shoal draft keel for Solent cruising? We are buying a boat that we hope to keep at Bucklers Hard and cruise around the Solent, south coast and northern France. We have a choice of 1.6m or 2.1m keels. Obviously there is a drop in performance for the shallower keel, so knowing how restrictive the deeper keel may be would be helpful.

 

[rotrax]

Please can anyone advise on whether it is preferable to have a shoal draft keel for Solent cruising? We are buying a boat that we hope to keep at Bucklers Hard and cruise around the Solent, south coast and northern France. We have a choice of 1.6m or 2.1m keels. Obviously there is a drop in performance for the shallower keel, so knowing how restrictive the deeper keel may be would be helpful.

I dont consider 1.6 metre draught shoal draught.

Our heavy long keel motorsailer draws only 1.1 metres.

At the moment it it used how you say you wish to use your new boat.

But, we have a good advantage. We can creep into shallow harbours on a rising tide before many vessels of our size and with good calculation anchoring has more opertunities. There are quite large compromises with our chosen vessel, but we are happy to have made them.

For the Solent, both of your keels are fine. I suspect the deeper one will give a better sailing performance.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

There are plenty of Solent destinations that have tidal restrictions or limitations, examples include Beaulieu river entrance, Newtown creek, Chichester harbour entrance, Chi marina approach, Birdham Pool marina approach, Bembridge, Southsea marina.

In our experience we've benefited from the so-called "shoal" draft option which is 1.7m. Sailing performance is absolutely fine for a cruiser. Obviously, less draft = more options.

 

[DJE]

Do you want to anchor in Poole Harbour?

For years we had a 1.2m draft bilge keel boat which the kids grew up on and was ideal to get into the shallow end of the crowded Solent anchorages - and right up some of the creeks in Poole harbour. When we changed to a bigger boat we went for 1.65m draft and avoided many similar boats with 1.9m to 2.1m draft. The new boat has a big rig, an easily driven hull, and good sails so I'm still quite happy with the performance. We can't get into some of the creeks that we used to visit but the kids are grown up now and we can still get into Keyhaven, Newtown and Beaulieu on most states of the tide. Also the yard where we're based is very limited on when they can lift and launch boats with draft greater than 1.8m. So 1.65m was the right compromise for us but loads of people have deeper boats on the Solent - even in Beaulieu River but sometimes they have to wait for enough rise of tide to get in and out. It's not difficult to find somewhere to wait in the Solent.

 

[xcw]

I draw 2.1m and cruise the Solent extensively. Draft is not an issue as long as you keep an eye on the state of the tide. I was at Bucklers Hard this weekend with absolutely no problems.

 

[Tiderace]

I'd go for the 1.6m draft. (PS and that's not shoal, unless you are talking 50 foot plus!) As other have said it provides more options, both in terms of areas to go and the times at which you can go there.

The difference in performance between the two boats, if they are the same other than keel configuration, I doubt you would really notice cruising in the Solent; racing is a different matter.

 

[SiteSurfer]

Just asking (as it was mentioned above), with regard to Poole, I've looked at the charts and South Deeps still looks ok for a 1.6m draught - but Blood Alley could be a bit touch and go. About right?

 

[DJE]

Just asking (as it was mentioned above), with regard to Poole, I've looked at the charts and South Deeps still looks ok for a 1.6m draught - but Blood Alley could be a bit touch and go. About right?

South Deep is fine once you're in but the entrance can be a bit tight for our 1.65m draft at LW springs. Blood Alley was tight for our previous 1.2m draft - we couldn't get in and out at LW but normally stayed afloat if we anchored in the right spot. I haven't tried it with the current boat but it looks difficult. If the tide is big enough for us to get in at HW then we probably won't stay afloat at LW.

 

[SiteSurfer]

South Deep is fine once you're in but the entrance can be a bit tight for our 1.65m draft at LW springs. Blood Alley was tight for our previous 1.2m draft - we couldn't get in and out at LW but normally stayed afloat if we anchored in the right spot. I haven't tried it with the current boat but it looks difficult. If the tide is big enough for us to get in at HW then we probably won't stay afloat at LW.

Thanks for that, South Deeps on a rising tide it is then. When we were there last we noticed a load of people continuing around the bottom corner following the path of the tour boats and did wonder where they went, must be a locally known channel.

 

[richardbrennan]

I think the 2.1m keel would restrict your access to the Beaulieu River quite considerably. As I recall there's about 1m over the bar at CD.

 

[maby]

We find 1.6m a bit restrictive in the Solent area - certainly would not go for anything deeper.

 

[DJE]

When we were there last we noticed a load of people continuing around the bottom corner following the path of the tour boats and did wonder where they went, must be a locally known channel.

It winds its way round to Pottery Pier eventually, but that end is shallower than the eastern entrance. We used to do it all the time in the previous boat.

 

[Teko]

Do you want to anchor in Poole Harbour?

For years we had a 1.2m draft bilge keel boat which the kids grew up on and was ideal to get into the shallow end of the crowded Solent anchorages - and right up some of the creeks in Poole harbour. When we changed to a bigger boat we went for 1.65m draft and avoided many similar boats with 1.9m to 2.1m draft. The new boat has a big rig, an easily driven hull, and good sails so I'm still quite happy with the performance. We can't get into some of the creeks that we used to visit but the kids are grown up now and we can still get into Keyhaven, Newtown and Beaulieu on most states of the tide. Also the yard where we're based is very limited on when they can lift and launch boats with draft greater than 1.8m. So 1.65m was the right compromise for us but loads of people have deeper boats on the Solent - even in Beaulieu River but sometimes they have to wait for enough rise of tide to get in and out. It's not difficult to find somewhere to wait in the Solent.

I'm intrigued what boat do you have?

 

[DJE]

I'm intrigued what boat do you have?

Scanyacht 391

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?430768-Scanyachts-Scanner-391-Opinions

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

With a draft of 1.0m, you can get everywhere before anyone else gets there. With a draft of 1.6, you get almost everywhere with a bit of planning and at the same time as everyone else. Any more draft will require much more planning and perhaps limited access to Bembridge, Newtown etc. Personally, I prefer a reasonable draft of 1.6, unless I was planning to do long distance blue water sailing.

 

[Teko]

DJE cracking looking boat. I'll keep an eye out for you at fareham.

With regards draft my leisure 27 fin keel draws 1.5m I dont feel restricted at all. The only place I have to be extra careful is ryde. I've just returned from a week.on a 36fter with 2.1 mtr draft we visited lymington, yarmouth, Poole, beaulie, Newtown creek.

 

[ashtead]

We draw mid way between the numbers mentioned but I grew up sailing a shallow Westerly Centaur so well remember surfing in over the bar at Chi when other serious yachts would be less adventurous. Now we drawn sub 2m and personally for Solent use I would keep below that so it's all down to your plans for the future but on balance 1.6 seems preferable depending on length and sail area ? I don't think I would be tempted by 2.1 unless in the 45ft plus range but ideally a New discovery southerly might be the solution if looking at circa 48 ft maybe and lurking in the Solent.

 

[lampshuk]

To echo Capt Fantastic and others: you can get most places around the Solent with 2m draft, but you'll need to plan carefully and wait for the tide. We draw 1.1m and have squeaked in to Beaulieu at LW while others were loitering outside.

No boat is perfect, you'll have to decide which you enjoy more: exploring less-frequented creeks and "gunk-holes", or getting that extra 7 degrees to windward.

Or, to put it another way: will it stress you more to have to wait an extra hour for enough water over the bar to get in/out of Beaulieu, or to watch similar boats pointing slightly higher than you when racing (or even when "Not Racing") ?

 

[Sticky Fingers]

It's a factor. My boat, a tubby cruiser with in mast furling and a "shoal" 1.7m keel, still manages to point about 30-33deg off AWA, aided in this by a very close sheeted blade jib and laminate sails. So, the compromise we made in the sailing performance is in my view minimal for cruising, overridden by the major convenience of 0.5m less draft.

 

[Boathook]

Just asking (as it was mentioned above), with regard to Poole, I've looked at the charts and South Deeps still looks ok for a 1.6m draught - but Blood Alley could be a bit touch and go. About right?

Blood Alley can just about dry on a spring tide. Even on neaps I can touch the bottom on LW and that is with a 0.75 metre draught.