Bristol channel / Penzance navigation

[RubyII]

Hi, I'm looking for some tips for passage plan from Bristol as far down to the west country as I can get in a tide . Slow boat 4knt max may be 5 with Engine on, sailing up wind, not the best point. I know there are lots of variables. But just trying to get a feel of the options from some locals. Had thought of including Wales as a few places to stop at. I will have Legs, so I can dry out. Heading for Penzance.
This is something I'm planning for next summer. Any tips greatly appreciated thanks, Best Paul

 

[mattonthesea]

As you say, plenty of variables. And you don't mention how fast you want to get there? Assuming no wind and spring tides then motoring from the top of the tide at Bristol you could get to Minehead. From there leave two hours before high water and you could make Lundy before the tide gets too strong between there and Ilfracombe. From Lundy you can do a 12-hour passage to St Ives where you can wait for the timing to get around to Penzance on the inside passage at Lands End.

For speed you do not want to call in anywhere because that doubles the time.

Add in any wind from the Westerly direction and you have a bit more of a problem as you'll have to tack, wind over tide, which not only slows you down but also becomes uncomfortable - in stronger wins it can become dangerous.

Deep ports of refuge you can call in to on the way are portishead , cardiff barry , lundy , Padstow. I can't comment on drying out.

If you have northerly winds then be aware of wind strength as there are few places of refuge in strong northerlies.

There are two very useful countercurrents if you do take refuge on the way down. Outside portishead there is a an inshore current for about two hours before high water. Similarly there is a two-hour countercurrent before high water between Cardiff and near Barry. And Portishead is useful to set off the evening before if you can get off work early! It's so much easier to leave from there too.

Worth asking around for local knowledge too.

Hope that helps

M

 

[jwilson]

In the main Bristol Channel a slowish boat can always make remarkably good distance west in a 'tide and a bit', but once past Hartland the help from the tide diminishes a lot.

Certainly don't regard St. Ives as a safe stopover, unless conditions are good. Padstow is better once in but very tide and weather dependent. There are really no all-tide all-weather "ports of refuge" between Bristol and Falmouth, apart from Milford Haven. There are quite a few places though where you can anchor in various wind directions. If the prevailing wind has SW in it there is merit in going via Milford Haven to get a better slant down to Lands End - it's not much different distance than from Ilfracombe, and Pembrokeshire is a nice place.

 

[RubyII]

As you say, plenty of variables. And you don't mention how fast you want to get there? Assuming no wind and spring tides then motoring from the top of the tide at Bristol you could get to Minehead. From there leave two hours before high water and you could make Lundy before the tide gets too strong between there and Ilfracombe. From Lundy you can do a 12-hour passage to St Ives where you can wait for the timing to get around to Penzance on the inside passage at Lands End.

For speed you do not want to call in anywhere because that doubles the time.

Add in any wind from the Westerly direction and you have a bit more of a problem as you'll have to tack, wind over tide, which not only slows you down but also becomes uncomfortable - in stronger wins it can become dangerous.

Deep ports of refuge you can call in to on the way are portishead , cardiff barry , lundy , Padstow. I can't comment on drying out.

If you have northerly winds then be aware of wind strength as there are few places of refuge in strong northerlies.

There are two very useful countercurrents if you do take refuge on the way down. Outside portishead there is a an inshore current for about two hours before high water. Similarly there is a two-hour countercurrent before high water between Cardiff and near Barry. And Portishead is useful to set off the evening before if you can get off work early! It's so much easier to leave from there too.

Worth asking around for local knowledge too.

Hope that helps

M

Thank you, it's very useful I'm sailing 4 knots max .

 

[oldmanofthehills]

+1 to Mattonthe sea

I used to have slow old boat and it was a push to get to ilfracombe as one had to push the tide beyond Foreland using engine. Then as tide it was rising more wait a few hours to get into ilfracombe. Personally I would avoid muddy drying minehad as the same issue getting in without the merit of nice sandy harbour and fine pubs. If you are really going slow Blue Anchor Bay is an excellent anchorage however and very trad.

Beyond ilfracombe one loses much of the lift from the tides but Lundy is a fine anchorage in a westerly, unusable in an easterly except for the uncertain jenny cove and rolly in N or S. £6 to go ashore at Lundy but well worth it. We have used the trawler mooring if its free otherwise anchor fairly well in

If you dont feel like going direct to St Ives, go Lundy to Camel mouth/ Doom bar, then rise into padstow in next HT and leave next day at HT and its 7 hours to St Ives, but if you get it right by leaving Padstow itself 1.5 hours before HT you hit Landsend at low water and rise with tide up the other side - not quite so simple as low on N Cornish side is subtly different from low on S Cornish side so you might have to make slower progress/wait between Longships and Landsend till the tides let you into Southern waters. One can go outside Longships but it is longer and only necessary in bad weather and we have gone though the gap twice in impenetrable fog relying on common sense and our chart plotter. If you are slow from Padstow past St ives and stop there anyway or going direct to St Ives from Lundy its much the same

Having sold our faster boat and bought a more luxurious but slow boat, we are back doing much the same on return from Ireland to Plymouth Sound, via Lundy. We miss that extra 0.5kt but not that much

 

[Allan]

There's a lot of good advice here, which I agree with. I used to sail from Cardiff to Newlyn once or twice a year. At first I tried to plan every stage then realised that if you kept to a few simple thoughts every trip is the same. Going west, starting early on the tide to make sure you get as much benefit as possible. If you're early don't worry, just sit and wait. Once you're on your way and have a feel for timing head inland to take advantage of places like Foreland. When the tide turns drift out a little to reduce the affect. I tried various things, like cutting into Bideford bay to use the back eddy but none really helped. Staying off Ilfracombe and Bull point and I used to get to Hartland around the turn of tide. Once the tide turns head in as straight a line as the wind allows towards Cape Cornwall. I've been outside Longships with other people would never do it if I'm making decisions. Even with tide against the inner passage is much quicker and has always been comfortable for me. I don't go to Penzance as I prefer Newlyn for many reasons.
I hope this is some help for the OP.
Allan

 

[Birdseye]

Its a trip that I must have done at least 40 times though mostly starting off from Newport or Cardiff. In your situation I would plan on watchet, ilfracombe, padstow, newlyn or penzance, then Falmouth. Legs would not be needed or useable in watchet but you need to call there because going direct to ilfracombe would land you there on either a low tide or fighting an incoming one. In Combe you can use legs but best to lean against the wall. Leave as early on the incoming tide as you can and plug against it as best you can to get an ear;ly start on a long leg. There arent any good ports of refuge between Combe and Padstow though there are spots where you can hide out if forced. But what that really means is that the jouney down the north cornwall coast need to be done in good conditions with a reasonable breeze that allows reaching or running.

Padstow harbour has limited access times but |I have spent many a night anchored in the river itself. On neep tides watch out for pots at the river entrance - they tend to be moved at springs

Going round lands end take the inshore passage past the longships - it saves a lot of time. Best done first time in daylight

Personally |I prefer Penzance to Newlyn. it has lock gates unlike Newlyn but isnt so infested with fishing boats and Newlyn town rivals Newport as the dump to end all dumps.


Its an easy passage provided you chose good weather - its not a passage to chance it.

The last few time I have done the trip were in a 35ft fin keel and I found it generally easier and pleasanter to sail two handed and do the trip in one leg, usually something like 27 hours

 

[RubyII]

As you say, plenty of variables. And you don't mention how fast you want to get there? Assuming no wind and spring tides then motoring from the top of the tide at Bristol you could get to Minehead. From there leave two hours before high water and you could make Lundy before the tide gets too strong between there and Ilfracombe. From Lundy you can do a 12-hour passage to St Ives where you can wait for the timing to get around to Penzance on the inside passage at Lands End.

For speed you do not want to call in anywhere because that doubles the time.

Add in any wind from the Westerly direction and you have a bit more of a problem as you'll have to tack, wind over tide, which not only slows you down but also becomes uncomfortable - in stronger wins it can become dangerous.

Deep ports of refuge you can call in to on the way are portishead , cardiff barry , lundy , Padstow. I can't comment on drying out.

If you have northerly winds then be aware of wind strength as there are few places of refuge in strong northerlies.

There are two very useful countercurrents if you do take refuge on the way down. Outside portishead there is a an inshore current for about two hours before high water. Similarly there is a two-hour countercurrent before high water between Cardiff and near Barry. And Portishead is useful to set off the evening before if you can get off work early! It's so much easier to leave from there too.

Worth asking around for local knowledge too.

Hope that helps

M

Thanks for the advice. All the best.