Bembridge, advice please.

The Duver pontoon has silted up quite badly in recent years and dries at the western end on Springs (you'll also touch bottom pretty much everywhere on the pontoon at large Springs if you draw much over a 1.0m). Having said that the mud is very soft and our long keeler which draws 1.5m will sit there quite happily even at the western (shallow) end.
 
I draw 1.8 or 1.9 and don't have a problem as we sink in the mud.

Last time I was there the outside boats on the raft were showing a considerable amount of hull as the water went away but they stayed upright and just looked a bit strange.

Can't say I envy your choice of weekend as I think a sailing club I belong to is going en masse (well, 4 boats maybe)!

Watch the weather forecast as a very strong (F6 or 7) Easterly can make exit difficult - entry too come to think of it.

I'd check your HW times, I make HW a bit earlier and you don't want to be sat on the sand outside the harbour.
 
Last edited:
VicS said:
The charts in my link above shows the depth to which it was dredged but it no doubt silts up again and requires regular re-dredging.

Accumulated material will be pretty soft I guess but it is a small harbour and not the most suitable for large deep draught boats

Having once run aground and been stuck in the entrance channel for half a day in a shallow draught bilge keeler it's the entrance that worries me the most!
Click to expand...

The harbour company is in administration at the moment and has been short of cash for some years so it hasn't been dredged for 8 years. I keep my boat in the marina at the top end having moved from the duver pontoon 3 years ago. I draw 1.7 mtrs but so long as I arrive no more than 2 hours after high water I have never had any difficulties. Visitor berths are on the outside of the duver pontoon which is effectively in the channel but expect the keel and rudder to be in soft mud at low water. One of the reasons i moved from the duver pontoon (inside) was that the boat was aground on every tide, and although the keel and rudder dug in with no problems it detroyed my antifouling.
 
mixmaster said:
What are the depths relative to LAT at the Duver pontoon? We draw 2.2m and have only had the guts to go in once. It's not the entry that worries me but how deep we would dig into the mud a low water.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

There is one berth that has deeper water than the rest of the pontoon and if you tell the harbourmaster I'm sure he will put you there. That's what he did with us at 2.01m.
 
l'escargot said:
I've got HW Portsmouth at 1449 and HW Bembridge at 1515 that day
Click to expand...

That's what I worked out, which at 1730 leaves me about 3.5m above datum.
Since I only draw 0.8m I should be fine.
(That said, I sat on a hump for ½hr, mid channel, in Christchurch harbour back in March!)
 
MissIsle said:
That's what I worked out, which at 1730 leaves me about 3.5m above datum.
Since I only draw 0.8m I should be fine.
(That said, I sat on a hump for ½hr, mid channel, in Christchurch harbour back in March!)
Click to expand...

Not at Bembridge. It is only 3m at high tide, you will only have 2.2m at 1730. It is a secondary port calculation and not the same as Portsmouth.
 
Last edited:
l'escargot said:
Yes. Whereabouts outside Bembridge? Just outside the tide gauge chart datum it is 2 to 3 metres. Between the gauge and the entrance there are drying heights of 2 metres plus outside of the channel.
Click to expand...
Sorry I should have said shallowest point in the channel. I made it about 2m above datum last time I tried to measure it but we might have missed the best water.
 
l'escargot said:
Yes. Whereabouts outside Bembridge? Just outside the tide gauge chart datum it is 2 to 3 metres. Between the gauge and the entrance there are drying heights of 2 metres plus outside of the channel.
Click to expand...

Isn't the shallowest bit the bar/ causeway a from St Helens to the fort.

The chart at http://www.visitmyharbour.com/viewchart.asp?chart=50B10B0D65F757823 suggests a possible drying height of 1.1m.

Am I right in believing that the tide gauge shows the least depth of water in the channel.
 
l'escargot said:
I've got HW Portsmouth at 1449 and HW Bembridge at 1515 that day
Click to expand...

How did you get that?

I agree with HW Portsmouth of 1449 BST but my copy of Reeds gives the time differences at Bembridge on Portsmouth as -10 mins for MHWS and -5 mins for MHWN in the approaches and +20 mins at MHWS and no difference at MHWN in the harbour itself.

Last time I was pushing my luck (20 cms under the keel for too long) the shallowest bit was around buoy 2A (there's quite a few suffixed buoys around and don't get too close to any of them) and it then deepened slightly but once past the shallow bit you have to press on to the harbour before the rest dries as there's not enough depth in the channel outside - unless you want to sit there of course.

Incidentally depth differences are +.1 on Portsmouth in Bembridge approaches and around - 1.5 in the harbour itself. However, this can be misleading as it's a sort of basin so although the water should drop if it follows Portsmouth's tidal height, enough is trapped in the basin.

The tide range is closer to springs than neaps.
 
Not an issue for the OP perhaps so apologies for thread drift but since we're talking about depths at the duver...

When I was there last October most boats settled nicely into the soft mud at LW (we draw 1.6m, were one boat out somewhere in the middle of the pontoon and gently touched) but there was a Legend towards the seaward end of the pontoon tilted at a precarious angle which had obviously found something solid under its keel. To everyone's relief no harm was done before it re-floated but does anyone know if such perils still exist there?
 
I have been into Bembridge many times, usually with the children on board. I did tend to go right into the marina - it could get busy, but we never failed to get a spot.

The first time I went in, like the OP, I was very nervous, as the Almanack makes for scary reading. In fact, if you avoid cutting it fine with the tide, plan well, and go slowly, it is not nearly as bad as it seems.

I always found it a pleasant place to be, and would encourage anyone with children to make it a regular stopping point. From there we used to head for Yarmouth of Lymington, and then onto Weymouth.
 
Daedelus said:
How did you get that?...
Click to expand...
Tidesplan2011 using their tidal curve. Could always check it against Easytide 7 days before if you wanted to use an Admiralty calculation but I have generally found Tidesplan reasonably accurate.

I think 10 is the only suffixed buoy now unless it has changed in the last couple of months.
 
VicS said:
Isn't the shallowest bit the bar/ causeway a from St Helens to the fort....

...Am I right in believing that the tide gauge shows the least depth of water in the channel.
Click to expand...

Yes and yes

DJE said:
Sorry I should have said shallowest point in the channel. I made it about 2m above datum last time I tried to measure it but we might have missed the best water.
Click to expand...

The entrance channel goes from 0.2 as you cross the causeway between buoys 2/4 and 1/3

(that's the bit people walk across to do the round the fort walk each summer)

ff02f5.jpg


up to about 2m as you make the final turn in the entrance back down to 1m just inside and up to 2m near the pontoon. Basically if you get over the causeway you will then have more water all the way through up to the pontoon if you stick to the channel.

This 1999 pictue (before the Duver pontoon was installed) shows the general course of the channel:

jahr2v.jpg
 
Last edited:
I am in Bembridge at the moment after having sneaked in 2 hours after LW on both Friday and today. I draw 0.7m and had a minimum of 0.4 below the keel and I crept in. Did manage to touch the bottom behind the pontoon as I did not want to get held on the main pontoon by the high winds.

There are more than one suffixed bouys. The outer ones having been recently replaced and the remaining big round ones due to be replaced during the coming week.
 
wooslehunter said:
Don't push the tide too much. I was in there a week or so ago & a bilge keeler was parked nicely aground just outside. 2.5hrs should be OK, but watch your depth on the way in & have a backup plan if you're late.

Do follow the bouys. There's a sharp starbord hander followed by a sharp port hander in the approach channel.

I've stayed in Duver & they charged me £20.80 for overnight. 26' in length. I don't think they accept bookings but at 22', you shouldn't have a problem. Then, if you want to use the ferry to get to the Pilot Boat Inn, it's extra - even more extra if you want to go back after 9 or 10pm. Make sure you have the office phone number if yoiu need the ferry. It's not on the mooring receipt. Shower block is OK but nothing special. Place is over very over priced IMO. Ryde is £12 with around the same access. Even Shepherds in Cowes was £17 with much better facilities. If you want to go to Bembridge which after all is a nice harbour, then consider parking on the beach. Hang a left after the entrance. There's a loo close by & the cafe is open for a decent breakfast. Pilot Boat Inn is that side too. Ground at 2.5 - 3hrs after HW & you will get off easily. I approach the beach there by just going aground slowly & holding the engine on for a few mins until I'm not going to move. When the water's gone, a walk up the beach with the bow anchor & a walk down the beach with a stern anchor is all that's required. Dig them both in & you're set. Comming off is almost the reverse. Take in the bower but leave the stern. When you're close to floating, start the motor & reverse off making sure you don't foul the stern anchor. Pull in the warp & you're away. Simples.
Click to expand...
Sorry but do you pay for beaching at bembridge
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top