Calm Solent, when? - Newbie question

SeaWeavers

SeaWeavers

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Hi All

Very new to boating and to this forum! Just bought a 19' Bowrider as it suited my families requirements, easy to trailer, enough seats for everyone, can go around coastal waters, on rivers and canals too. Our closest water is the River Hamble but would like to venture out to Southampton Waters, Beaulieu River maybe the Needles if the sea was dead flat (I know bow riders are not very safe in choppy conditions, have experienced this first hand on our 2nd trip out!). But here's where I'm a complete noob, knowing when the Solent will be calm and flat.

From what I've found out on the internet a gentle wind coming off the land onto the solent will cause calmer conditions, I've also seen that sunny cloudless days seem to make a calmer Solent. But are those the only things to look out for? I'm assuming the tides around the area contribute, if so what point of the tide cycle is best for clam conditions? How do you guys tell when there is going to be calm seas without driving down and having a look? What weather conditions (wind level etc) should I be looking out for at minimum for my type boat? Are there websites/apps you use to determine if the Solent specifically around Southampton waters will be calm/flat?

As you can see I have lots of questions on the subject but keen to learn!
 
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SeaWeavers said:
Hi All

Very new to boating and to this forum! Just bought a 19' Bowrider as it suited my families requirements, easy to trailer, enough seats for everyone, can go around coastal waters, on rivers and canals too. Our closest water is the River Hamble but would like to venture out to Southampton Waters, Beaulieu River maybe the Needles if the sea was dead flat (I know bow riders are not very safe in choppy conditions, have experienced this first hand on our 2nd trip out!). But here's where I'm a complete noob, knowing when the Solent will be calm and flat.

From what I've found out on the internet a gentle wind coming off the land onto the solent will cause calmer conditions, I've also seen that sunny cloudless days seem to make a calmer Solent. But are those the only things to look out for? I'm assuming the tides around the area contribute, if so what point of the tide cycle is best for clam conditions? How do you guys tell when there is going to be calm seas without driving down and having a look? What weather conditions (wind level etc) should I be looking out for at minimum for my type boat? Are there websites/apps you use to determine if the Solent specifically around Southampton waters will be calm/flat?

As you can see I have lots of questions on the subject but keen to learn!
Click to expand...

Have you done any courses? For example Powerboat Level 2? They tend to give you some raw basic's on passage planning and weather which is going to be really important for you.

It is all about wind which will affect the sea state. Then tide which will also affect sea state if it is against the wind.

Really recommend you doing training.

There is a great site and app called SolentMet. It gives you a live reading from Bramble Bank on the current wind conditions.
 
Generally in the Solent a wind from the north will keep the sea calmer ! There are a few web cams you can check also before you venture out !!
 
Welcome sea weaver, yes there are loads of information on here and on the net , but you are looking after peopl lives so don’t risk it , o the training and you can boat with confidence ,and safely, but first safety equipment. Good luck.
 
Training is short and relevant.

Pb2 is 2 days and day skipper 4 days

I can honestly say that both course were engaging and at no time did I think “ well this is obvious what am I doing here”

Those two set you up ( in my view) for boating in all reasonable conditions. Fortunately on my day skipper the weather was really really crap and learning how to power up wave in the channel in driving rain is a good education. I used those skills when based in La Rochelle. Fortunately they don’t get much use now in Mallorca !

Do it. You will learn and have fun
 
Thanks for your reply, I do have my Powerboat Level 2 & VHF, boat has also just passed BSS so she's ready for the thames too! As you mentioned PBlevel 2 course did covered the raw basics, passage planning and tides but not so much about weather and it's effects on the local sea.

So if the winds are low and the tide is going in the same direction there's a good chance the solent will be calm. I'll check out the SolentMet app you mention too.
 
My 2c from days of having a 6.5m RIB in the Solent.

Look for high pressure systems, ideal if squatting over the Solent for a couple of days (no low pressures barrelling in). Check wind speeds, not sure what "dead flat" would be, probably under 7mph or so. Anything under 15mph was a good day to take friends for me. Can be worth checking the various levels of BBC weather, not just the local (land) forecasts, but also "coast and sea" e.g. "Coastal" (Solent and Christchurch bay) looking for something less than moderate (at least at first) -- e.g. slight/smooth. If i'm sticking my nose outside of the island I tend to also look at inshore waters (selsey bill to lyme regis) to get an idea of what the conditions are like further out -- maybe there's a bit of a swell coming in even if local wind is light.

As well as just wind/tide watch out for:

1. shallow areas/sandbanks etc. e.g. there's a few areas off the needles where it gets shallow and if the tide is running creates "interesting" conditions even if it's pretty calm otherwise.

2. directional variability. If you've got the wind behind you it can feel brilliant skimming across the tops of waves, then you turn around and face the "sharp" side of the waves and it turns into a slog to get back. Note that the tide may change direction (and certainly speed) while you're out -- which sometimes helps, but can surprise.

3. wakes of big and/or fast movers. Might be anchored on a nice day in Osbourne bay when a big tanker rolls past faster than you think and leaves you rocking and rolling. Similarly you might get into a sheltered channel and start feeling complacent when a relatively small vessel comes past with a surprisingly big wake (e.g. a tug) that you don't notice until it's a few seconds away and you've got someone chilling in the bow that's about to start being slammed.
 
First of all see what the wind is doing and likely to do later in the day. 2 places to look, inshore waters forecast and I like Windguru. On Windguru use Central Solent as the area.

This will give you an hour by hour report as to likely wind speed and direction. Anything below force 4 would be seen as low and be shown in green on Windguru.

Wind is only half the equation, you also need to know what the tide is doing. If the wind and tide are running into each other there will be more waves (that's called wind against tide), if they are both moving in the same direction there will be fewer waves.

To know which direction the tide is running look at Portsmouth tide times. The Solent fills and empties via Hurst point / the Needles. From about 1 hour before low water the tide starts running into the Solent heading east. From about 1 hour before high water Portsmouth the tide runs back out westwards towards the Needles.

Maximum tide is generally in the middle of the tide cycle. You divide the tide into 12 segments an the flow runs 1 2 3 3 2 1 give or take. So you don't want to be out on a windy day when the tide is running into the wind (wind against tide).

They always say better to be on land wishing you were at sea than at sea wishing you were on land, so choose a calm day when the tide is right.

On the subject of tides study the Portsmouth tide table and you will see sometimes there is a bigger difference between high and low water. Big differences are spring tides, small differences are neap tides. In crude terms they alternate each week. So light winds and neap tides are good news.

All this stuff is ladybird book 1 so I can't Street too much the importance of getting proper training from a professional school. It will keep you safe and allow you to enjoy your time on the water rather than stressing the whole time and risking killing all your family which is a real downer.

Henry :)
 
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I would recommend buying the Navionics app which is a chart plotter app. This will show the tides at any point as well as the depth of water and it isn’t interactive so you can understand what the floating or fixed markings are in the water. It will also plot a course for you.

+1 for the course though, you really need to know the rules of the road especially in the Solent, some boats have right of way over you and if you don’t know which and when a real danger of collision exists for which you will be liable.

Sorry if that sounds scary, I hope you have a lot of fun and you seem from your question to being thinking about safety. The course is about £250 and lasts a weekend but it is worth the money

As a starter you could go onto the RYA website and order the powerboat course book which at least has the theory. If you do the course though you are also likely to get an insurance reduction.

Good luck.
 
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