Bristol to Essex

Thanks for that I was aiming for about 5 miles off longships but if the weather is with us then we could shave a few miles off. I was looking to try and go round the corner with the change of the tide, would I be correct to assume Portished to lands end is about 20 hours if I can maintain 8 knotts .
 
Twenty hours seems quick to me but I used to plan on 5kts. I would never go outside again. I've sailed inside loads of times and it's always been fine. I know I'm lucky but it normally is flat. You will be pushing tide at some point. From my faded memories, I'm away sailing and my old logs are at home, leaving Cardiff about two hours before HW you push a tide across Bideford bay. One with you passed Padstow another against down the Cornish coast and then, hopefully it's with you around the corner. Inside Runnel rocks can save time but there is often a very steep and uncomfortable race there. I've normally been heading for southern Brittany so stopped at Newlyn to get the right tides the other side. Anyway, Newlyn is one of my favourite places.
Good luck, it sounds like a fun trip.
Allan
 
gardener said:
Thanks for that I was aiming for about 5 miles off longships but if the weather is with us then we could shave a few miles off. I was looking to try and go round the corner with the change of the tide, would I be correct to assume Portished to lands end is about 20 hours if I can maintain 8 knotts .
Click to expand...

Really do encourage you to go inside and save the time. Only one difficult expereince, bad timing and an approaching westerly gale - awfully long lee shore and a lot of water over the front.

You can anchor in St Ives, get food, sleep and wait for the tide. More fishing detritus!
This is one of the 'pee or get off' points on that trip.

As others say there are not too many [?] alternatives once you get past St Ives - well not that I know.

Outside Runnel and that's it - unless you get the tide wrong, in which case even Newlyn seems a long way away.
 
Did Amsterdam to Avonmouth some time ago. Items that stick in mind :-

1 The tide is one hour later each day, but as traveled down the coast the tide is earlier. this worked well for me, as each day I started at 4 ish and finished near sunset (single handed trip which excluded night travel) This will work against you , needing earlier starts each day.

2 Tidal flows round lands end favor towards padstow. seem to remember there is only 4 ish hours favorable going to the south coast.

3 The weather is usually favorable in early june. I t was for me.

4 Inside the longships saved hours

5 Watch out for nets.

My cruising speed is 7.5 Kn,

All the pilot books clearly explain the passage logics., which havnt changed since before Nelson. The latest ones more accurately reflect the latest charges and the best pub, but the earlier ones are just as good on the logistics side, after all the rocks havnt moved recently.

Lastly try to have a decent shake down trip before you set off properly. (Lundy is a good destination, via Cardiff as a short start).

above all dont short time it as the Bristol channel is a fab sailing area, little other traffic far from the madding crowds, like boating was in the 70s.

Enjoy
 
Just seen this, you still going in April? As long as you pick the forecast, it will be fine, your almost twice my speed, which could be very handy.

I gave the lizard a good offing and the seas were still quite big. For the rest of it, I can't remember if I posted or not, but I went straight across from coverack bay on the east side of the lizard to salcombe in a day. Then from there round start point and straight across lyme bay and round portland bill to put into weymouth. Again, one long day, I was 5 miles out from the bill and bucking an adverse tide that had my speed down to 2 knots for a long time.
Hid in weymouth for 3 days from the weather, then went straight across to the needles channel and into yarmouth. Next day was a short one, it was about f7 with a nasty wee chop so after leaving yarmouth we bailed out to cowes and went to the pub. Left cowes early and headed striaght to eastbourne via the looe channel, another long day. From eastbourne we went to Dover, then had a short hop to Ramsgate as it was foggy. Left ramsgate late as waiting for fog to clear, it didn't, but went round foreland and fetched up in Brighlingsea that evening.

We left penzance mid march ish and took just over 2 weeks from memory. Basically long hops in weather windows, then a day or more in each port waiting for the next suitable gap. Certainly more rest days than sailing days :)

The weather didn't help, but if it works for you, be very worth considering going via the channel isles, which was one of my original ideas.
 
Yes still on hoping to get away 6th April weather permitting but we still waiting to see. Thanks for your post everyone said I should leave it until later in the year but I better eager to get her home.
 
No-one has mentioned the (mast down) inland route via Kennet and Avon canal and Thames, feasible in all weathers subject to beam and draft limitations of course. I seem to remember a Dick Durham article about doing this.
 
Ok so I've been thinking again, always a bad thing, but with wind direction NOT strength would it be worth a day sail to Swansea overnight there then leave again with the tide and make straight to lands end of is this a bad idea, local knowledge could help here, or an i over thinking things ?
 
I'm planning Newport to Plymouth in May and been talking to the boys at the club

I'm looking at a ...

Hop to Barry and wait for the tide.

Barry to Ilfracombe if all is well and then push the tide to Padstow. (and if we're feeling good push on round the corner to Newlyn unless we have to anchor in St Ives for a rest)

Padstow to Falmouth or Ilfracombe to Newlyn then Newlyn to Falmouth

Falmouth to Plymouth.
Click to expand...

If you can take ground or don't mind anchoring off I would have thought Ilfracombe would have been a better start for the big push but you should be able to push the tide from Swansea.
 
gardener said:
Ok so I've been thinking again, always a bad thing, but with wind direction NOT strength would it be worth a day sail to Swansea overnight there then leave again with the tide and make straight to lands end of is this a bad idea, local knowledge could help here, or an i over thinking things ?
Click to expand...

Looks like a perfectly viable option to me. Run down to the west of Lundy taking the ebb tide and then shape a course for lands end, outside of longships and wolf rock. You'll be in newlyn or penzance inside of 24 hrs I would expect?
 
Tried to edit but accidently deleted.
Ideally you will get a favourable wind direction to take the most direct course via Ilfracombe if you do end up on the Welsh side Oxwich Bay is a good anchorage in Westerly winds and less out of your way than Swansea Marina.
Good Luck and Fair winds.

PS I think it is your 4 legged cat that always comes to say hello when we visit Portishead ?
 
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