Brighton to Solent

BobbyD said:
- general advice seems to be leave closer to Brighton HW, perhaps an hour or two before to reach the Looe at LW but does that not mean fighting the tide into the Solent (Or is that not too much of an issue)?
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From Looe to Bembridge, not catastrophic, in my view as (1) tides simply not that strong if you stay north of a line between Selsey Bill and Bembridge Ledge (2) you can dip further in towards Bracklesham Bay which is gently-shelving and shallow, for a long way offshore, although do beware the very shallow bars at the hbr entrances (3) the influences of Chi and Langstone harbours give it a substantial component across your course (rather than head-on) (4) then you cross the main flow from somewhere along Hayling Island and it's cross-course.

Depending exactly on the angle, the harbour entrances could become a significant planning feature. If SW wind, you'll quite suddenly feel a strong push on your windward bow. If you're short of space, you'll have little choice other than to tack into it (onto starboard). You'd want to line up beforehand in order to cross those tidal streams without tacking, allowing for a few hundred yards searoom to the North - and then crack sheets a little to get across at best speed.

If it's SW, then a long port tack against the tide as described will see you right. By the time you tack onto starboard towards Bembridge after perhaps 1.5-2 hours, tide will be slack and turning under your leebow (from the South) - the later you are, the stronger the leebow effect, which is nice (what's more awkward is when later passage-making puts you into more adverse tide just when you're tired and want to arrive).
 
For me the decision between Bembridge and Chichester or Langstone will come down to the forecast. It is not far to Gosport from any of those places but the wind angle can make a huge difference to your pleasure. But as has been said if you get a dream Easterly for your passage then beware arriving at Bembridge at anything but near high water.
 
RJJ said:
From Looe to Bembridge, not catastrophic, in my view as (1) tides simply not that strong if you stay north of a line between Selsey Bill and Bembridge Ledge (2) you can dip further in towards Bracklesham Bay which is gently-shelving and shallow, for a long way offshore, although do beware the very shallow bars at the hbr entrances (3) the influences of Chi and Langstone harbours give it a substantial component across your course (rather than head-on) (4) then you cross the main flow from somewhere along Hayling Island and it's cross-course.

Depending exactly on the angle, the harbour entrances could become a significant planning feature. If SW wind, you'll quite suddenly feel a strong push on your windward bow. If you're short of space, you'll have little choice other than to tack into it (onto starboard). You'd want to line up beforehand in order to cross those tidal streams without tacking, allowing for a few hundred yards searoom to the North - and then crack sheets a little to get across at best speed.

If it's SW, then a long port tack against the tide as described will see you right. By the time you tack onto starboard towards Bembridge after perhaps 1.5-2 hours, tide will be slack and turning under your leebow (from the South) - the later you are, the stronger the leebow effect, which is nice (what's more awkward is when later passage-making puts you into more adverse tide just when you're tired and want to arrive).
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The O/P has a lifting keel so his options are much wider.

He will also have a motor. (if for no other reason a requirement at Brighton).
 
I think to stand a certain chance of getting a berth in Bembridge you now have to book and pay in advance. As someone else said be careful of going into Chichester harbour as if you get your timing wrong (wind against tide) it can be very lumpy.
 
Thank you - I am keeping an eye on the forecast and hope the wind direcrtion & strength will be favourable. I’ve taken the advice and checked Bembridge— fully booked so will need to consider the other options mentioned.

I do have a motor (6HP, 2 stroke) and plan on carrying a few extra litres of fuel just in case!
 
Another option might be Southsea. It is hardly much further, and you will get free berthing. Easy entrance pretty much in all weathers and tide no where near as big a factor as Chichester. Sill entrance but easy pickups outside if required.
 
BobbyD said:
Good morning,

I am looking at putting my day skipper course into practice and plan to move my 21ft Beneteau first (lifting keel) from Brighton towards the Solent over the upcoming bank holiday weekend (per the great advice from this group over a year ago!). It would be great to get your thoughts on my two options.

Option 1 - leave Brighton on Friday, 28th and stop at Littlehampton. It’s approx. 17NM so around 4.5 hours (assuming average speed of 4 knots). The window for entering LH is 2 hours before to 1 hour after HT so need to arrive between 1130 - 1430. This means leaving Brighton at around 0800 (just after low water) and going against tide.

On second day (Saturday), I would sail from LH to Bembridge but need to reach the Looe at slack water (around 2pm) - a distance of approx 11NM or 2-3 hours. This means leaving LH around 3 hours before the recommended window. This gives me the tide to carry me towards the IoW. Is this possible or does the incoming tide at LH make it difficult for a small boat to exit against tide?

Option 2 - leave Brighton Saturday, 29th and sail straight to Bembridge. it’s approx 40N in total so a long sail. I would plan on leaving Brighton early and sailing against tide to reach the Looe at slack (1400) - it would take around 6 hours so leaving Brighton approx. 8am (possibly earlier to avoid LW). I’ve read on the forum that keeping inshore will help reduce the effect of tide to some extent (so will plan on this).

I am sure many of you do this passage regularly and would welcome some feedback on the two options.

Thanks
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As a berth holder at Arun Yacht club in Lttlehampton who sails to the Solent regularly a couple of points:
Tidal entrance to Littlehampton is not as tricky as folks make out, can be fun against a spring ebb getting in as 3-4 kts of flow can be expected at peak flow. but only in the narrows just beyond the river entrance. It becomes much slower as the river widens. You have a long window of access with a lifting keel. 3 hours after HW would be manageble. So leaving Brighton two hours before HW would give you slack water and tide with for most of the trip. If you can make 5kts under power you will be OK in the river. As mentioned elsewhere pots and nets slung under floats are a pain more so if you hug the coast to lessen tidal effect this is especially true around Bognor, not so much off Selsey. Don't go between pot markers less the 100 metres apart as there are often nets slung beneath.
We are leaving Littlehampton on the 29th to Portsmouth and tend to leave about 2 hours before HW and then have a small window of tide against and with us thru the Looe and to Portsmouth. We usually allow 5 to 5.5 hrs to Haslar Marina.
I wouldn't bother with Bembridge go straight to Gosport then spend the spare day sailing in the Solent.
P.S entry to Portsmouth can also be tough against a Spring at full ebb :)
 
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Ferring said:
As a berth holder at Arun Yacht club in Lttlehampton who sails to the Solent regularly a couple of points:
Tidal entrance to Littlehampton is not as tricky as folks make out, can be fun against a spring ebb getting in as 3-4 kts of flow can be expected at peak flow. but only in the narrows just beyond the river entrance. It becomes much slower as the river widens. You have a long window of access with a lifting keel. 3 hours after HW would be manageble. So leaving Brighton two hours before HW would give you slack water and tide with for most of the trip. If you can make 5kts under power you will be OK in the river. As mentioned elsewhere pots and nets slung under floats are a pain more so if you hug the coast to lessen tidal effect this is especially true around Bognor, not so much off Selsey. Don't go between pot markers less the 100 metres apart as there are often nets slung beneath.
We are leaving Littlehampton on the 29th to Portsmouth and tend to leave about 2 hours before HW and then have a small window of tide against and with us thru the Looe and to Portsmouth. We usually allow 5 to 5.5 hrs to Haslar Marina.
I wouldn't bother with Bembridge go straight to Gosport then spend the spare day sailing in the Solent.
P.S entry to Portsmouth can also be tough against a Spring at full ebb :)
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Don't know about the OP but that is the local info I've been hoping for.
5 knots under engine might be a contrast to the 6hp outboard for the OP?
 
Ferring - what is the depth up the river these days at around HW, are there sections than maintain 1.6m at all states of the tide where you can berth? Thank you.

Lovely village Ferring, I know it very well.
 
The visitor berths on the Littlehampton side regularly have big fin keel boats moored. A 37ft Beneteau pulled in last week after HW and stayed overnight. The main limit is the bar across the river entrance which can be below knee depth on Spring lows. The main channel is fine because large ships still go up river to the old coal berth, but on;y on the top of Springs. Harbour office can provide actual depths. Visitor berths are very limited. On the yacht club side opposite we take the ground every low.
 
A passage I know well, recently in larger boats but initially in a 25ft Spring.
I'd take try to use the best tide advantage as long as you don't have adverse or strong wind over tide at Looe channel. Ideally you'd be there at slack water.
With shallow draft you can creep into Chichester at almost any state of tide. If you are slow you'll probably have a rising tide by the time you get there.
Go past East Head (shingle and exposed to tide) and tuck up behind Pilsea.
It's a great trip. Enjoy it!!!
 
Many thanks for all the replies - useful information for a novice :)

I will keep an eye on the forecast and adapt the plan accordingly and will let you know how I get on!
 
I'm planning to do similar this year for the first time, but from Shoreham.

Would love to hear how you get on.
 
I promissed to report back on how I got on following all the advice on this group (thanks again).

We managed to leave Brighton on Saturday (28th) at 11am with a F3-4 E/NE which carried us nicely towards Selsey. Wind dropped around 1400 (11 miles in) and had to resort to outboard for the rest of the journey in a very glassy sea. Didn’t bother with Littlehampton and we reached Chichester bar around 5.30 PM and dropped anchor at East Head as suggested whilst we waited for tide to turn (had barley any fuel left at this stage). Moored in Chichester Marina around 10pm.

Left Chichester marina at 7am on Sunday just after LW - perhaps a little early as we grounded on the way out for about 15 mins but managed to leave under sail to Fishbourne and then back to Gosport to our new mooring. The sailing on Sunday was excellent.

All in all, a fairly uneventful journey but I am not sure I would want to trust my 20 year outboard for any longer than I have to!

Again, wanted to thank the group on the advice and feels great to put all the theory and training into practice!
 
Fuel ! Wind lack of ! Yep .... here's my post from years back about that coast :

Watch out for those nets and pots ... I delivered my previous boat from Langstone to Brighton and the pots / nets were a real pain and poorly marked ... meant going quite a way out from shore to get round them. Because of the lack of wind that trip and having to deviate from passage plan so much for those pots etc - it destroyed my fuel calculation !! Arrived at Brighton on fumes in tank !!

Was some years ago - but I assume nothings changed ?
 
Great thread. Another Chichester Virgin here. I hope to be doing the same trip soon solo (looking at Thursday this week). Re-locating my little 21ft boat to somewhere a little more sheltered and family friendly than the Brighton coast.

1/ What might the bar look like at the afternoon LW (1.1m) with a SE wind 10G18kts. (My draft is 0.7m keel up)

2/ If I don’t fancy it at LW any particular spots in Bracklesham bay to anchor waiting for the flood as recommended HW-3 ?

3/ Once past the doom bar where would the first visitor mooring bouys be. I’ll be heading up to the marina but was thinking about options with engine/ outboard failure etc.

Thanks
 
I think Chichester has an undeserved reputation. I sailed from Premier marina ( Birdham) for 8 years and only once turned back from the bar, when there was a strong S wind direct on to the entrance.
I have scraped in at low water (usually returning from Brighton) with my 2 metre keel on several occasions in more benign conditions.
If you have confidence in your depth gauge and a decent plotter (not just a tablet) you'll have no problems. If you are relying on paper charts, take it slow and turn back if you feel uncomfortable.
Once inside go past East Head where the tide runs strong with a shingle bottom and tuck behind Pilsea where there is a deep pool with sticky mud. Or pick up a vacant mooring off HISC for an hour or two to celebrate arriving safely and wait for the flood up to your marina.
 
FL390 said:
Great thread. Another Chichester Virgin here. I hope to be doing the same trip soon solo (looking at Thursday this week). Re-locating my little 21ft boat to somewhere a little more sheltered and family friendly than the Brighton coast.

1/ What might the bar look like at the afternoon LW (1.1m) with a SE wind 10G18kts. (My draft is 0.7m keel up)

2/ If I don’t fancy it at LW any particular spots in Bracklesham bay to anchor waiting for the flood as recommended HW-3 ?

3/ Once past the doom bar where would the first visitor mooring bouys be. I’ll be heading up to the marina but was thinking about options with engine/ outboard failure etc.

Thanks
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If the tide is 1.1m then you'll have a minimum depth of 2.4 crossing the bar so no problems there. With a force 3 - 4, there will be no wind-related problems either. I'd just go straight in. The first visitors buoys are, I think, in Itchenor Reach but if you have engine issues, you can anchor at East Head which is a short distance from the harbour entrance, or, in an emergency, grab any spare mooring buoy straight ahead of you as you enter the harbour.
 
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