'Bottled it'

S

Seahope

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 Oct 2009
Messages
1,917
Location
No longer where I used to be
Visit site
The weather forecast showed that the wind looked low, the sea slight and the tides in the right direction so off we set for Brighton this morning. Initially things went quite well and we passed the Nab OK and then shortly after this it felt too rough to remain on the plane with enormous 4 foot waves ;)

At this point we decided that the sea was looking too rough for our first long distance outing and it would have taken around 3 more hours to reach Brighton at 10knt so we turned around and headed home. Gosh it takes a long time at displacement speed. It was good to start to see other boats and land in the distance :o

I think I am starting to appreciate the benefits of bow thrusters for berthing and wish that I had them!
 
You can have a BT fitted costs about 3-4k. Whilst not essential especially on a twin - they are a very nice to have especially in windy conditions when you are getting blown about!

Good call on the weather - better safe than sorry and regretful.
 
hlb said:
Thing is, it often gets a bit rough for a few miles, then calms down again. It's hard to know some times which way it's going to go.
Click to expand...

Always worth a check on the chart, pilot book & tide tables, lots of clues there. Overfalls, tidesmeets, wind over tide, narrows, shallows - they can all affect wave size & shape. Look to see if its better inshore (counter currents or inshore channel) or offshore (deeper water or further from obstruction/ disturbance) Particularly when you have wind over tide at about midtide, an hour later it will ease a little, another hour & it will be dead calm again at slack water & stay that way until the tide turns against the wind again.
 
Last edited:
Just do what you feel comfortable with initially, especially if the crew are a little apprehensive.

Consider a voyage in company with another boat, similar-ish to yours if possible.

Talk to the guys at your marina, and maybe crew with an experienced skipper to get to know your area, and to understand the different effects weather and tide can have in certain locations.
Once you gain the knowledge and confidence, which is just time and exposure, everything will just fall into place.
 
We had planned (on the basis of the weather last week) to pop over to Boulogne for the weekend but on Friday, looking at the weather forecast, we decided that it was not on.

Sitting in the marina yesterday a larger boat returned saying the sea state was horrible so quite happy with our decision.

Ho hum, live to fight another day, and SWMBO has awarded me brownie points for making the correct decision !!

Tom
 
Sensible call, the inshore route via Looe Channel can provide better protection and may be worth a look at and saves a few of miles.

It was a good F4 SW here yesterday, Flat at the moment.
 
Cancelled my trip too.Return home would feature the all the delights of a NE wind gusting to 30knots directly against a falling tide.
Braved the M25 instead and drove to the TVR rally in Henley on Thames.

24 hour forecast:

"WindNortheasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 in south until later.
Sea StateModerate, occasionally rough later.
WeatherRain or showers.
VisibilityModerate or good, occasionally poor."

http://www.iossc.org.uk/weather/index.php
 
Last edited:
oldgit said:
Cancelled my trip too.Return home would feature the all the delights of a NE wind gusting to 30knots directly against a falling tide.
Braved the M25 instead and drove to the TVR rally in Henley on Thames.
Click to expand...

Being employed in the motor industry for many years, I was embarrassed to be unabl;e to answer a quiz question "What does TVR stand for?" As a TVR owner, I bet you know don't you?!!
 
nicho said:
Being employed in the motor industry for many years, I was embarrassed to be unabl;e to answer a quiz question "What does TVR stand for?" As a TVR owner, I bet you know don't you?!!
Click to expand...

Actually have always been a Lotus man,engineering genius and refinement by the wizard Colin as opposed to an evil brew of brute force six inch nails and old tractor parts courtesy of TreVoR.:)
 
There's nothing wimpish about turning back - it's called good seamanship! Forget the advice of others and handle what you and your crew feel comfortable and safe with. Over time you will find that conditions that previously seemed terrifying gradually become the norm!

I always believe it's worth having a look at the conditions and then making the decision. On many occasions I have ventured out and found it far better than expected and been able to complete a leg when others have stayed put and missed an opportunity.
 
Argh

that's why we call it 'pleasure cruising'. ;)

O my gawd just been to look at the weather cam on Sheppey,would be out there just about now. 15.50 pm
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top