Cherbourg Scuttlebutt Cruise 2014

[Pinnacle]

Braye it is then...

No physical violence involved......you merely leave your credit card behind the bar in the Yacht Club for an hour or so....

You would, of course, be most welcome!

 

[Sailfree]

I'd love to join this but unfortunately I'm moving house so won't be able to make it.

Does anyone care to share their passage plans? I've never skippered across the channel yet so interested to learn from how others are thinking about it, particularly the timings.

Cheers
Jamie

Cherbourg is easy as its 24hrs access providing you passage plan to arrive up tide and let the current (which is much stronger off Cherbourg) take you in. Departure time depends on where you are leaving from eg Hamble is 3hrs to Needles so I try to plan to do it with tide.

Need to decide on your probable speed. In my case I plan for 6kts. 60mls from Neddles or Poole so If I have had say 3hrs tide going down the Solent I will get a further 3hrs East going then 6hrs West going and lastly 1 hr East going. I look at current table for the channel wrt the approx. position I expect to be at 1hr increments. Add up all West going currents, add up East going currents. West will probable be say 5kts greater. I then aim for a point 5mls east of Cherbourg. Steer straight and your course over the ground will be a series of curves.

If you want to be thorough you can plot your expected course and then compare with actual positions. When half way across half any position error (as speed may be either greater or less) and adjust course if necessary, likeways at each halfway point on remaining part of Journey.

Beware of lobster pots outside Cherbourg and if a new port to you (even if easy as Cherbourg) its always good to make first entrance in daylight.

Hope that helps.

Scuttbutt Cherbourg trip is good introduction for X channel virgins as I send out a spreadsheet a few days before with participants so you can contact one leaving same time and compare your passage plan with theirs.

Someone will be along to correct me if there are any points not clear or cockups! Easier option is to go as crew with an experienced skipper the first time. In my case I am letting my SIL be skipper this year to get the qualifying passage in his log book for his Yachtmaster Exam.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Cherbourg is easy as its 24hrs access providing you passage plan to arrive up tide and let the current (which is much stronger off Cherbourg) take you in. Departure time depends on where you are leaving from eg Hamble is 3hrs to Needles so I try to plan to do it with tide.

Need to decide on your probable speed. In my case I plan for 6kts. 60mls from Neddles or Poole so If I have had say 3hrs tide going down the Solent I will get a further 3hrs East going then 6hrs West going and lastly 1 hr East going. I look at current table for the channel wrt the approx. position I expect to be at 1hr increments. Add up all West going currents, add up East going currents. West will probable be say 5kts greater. I then aim for a point 5mls east of Cherbourg. Steer straight and your course over the ground will be a series of curves.

If you want to be thorough you can plot your expected course and then compare with actual positions. When half way across half any position error (as speed may be either greater or less) and adjust course if necessary, likeways at each halfway point on remaining part of Journey.

Beware of lobster pots outside Cherbourg and if a new port to you (even if easy as Cherbourg) its always good to make first entrance in daylight.

Hope that helps.

Scuttbutt Cherbourg trip is good introduction for X channel virgins as I send out a spreadsheet a few days before with participants so you can contact one leaving same time and compare your passage plan with theirs.

Someone will be along to correct me if there are any points not clear or cockups! Easier option is to go as crew with an experienced skipper the first time. In my case I am letting my SIL be skipper this year to get the qualifying passage in his log book for his Yachtmaster Exam.

I found the hardest part of making landfall at night was not so much finding the harbour entrance (or one of them) but trying to find the inner harbour and then the marina right at the back once you're inside the place.

 

[jamieo]

Sailfree - are you sailing out of Hamble?

How do you determine which side of the IoW to sail via? Based on wind direction and getting the best angle for the crossing? I did it once as crew from Hamble, we crossed via the west side and Needles and returned via east side, all with the usual SW wind. I presume that's why we went that way.

Given SWerlies, is it a matter of motor sailing into them to get to and through the Needles? What about the tide window to look for going through the Needles?

Cheers,
Jamie

 

[Angele]

Sailfree - are you sailing out of Hamble?

How do you determine which side of the IoW to sail via? Based on wind direction and getting the best angle for the crossing? I did it once as crew from Hamble, we crossed via the west side and Needles and returned via east side, all with the usual SW wind. I presume that's why we went that way.

Given SWerlies, is it a matter of motor sailing into them to get to and through the Needles? What about the tide window to look for going through the Needles?

Cheers,
Jamie

I'm Hamble based, and my choice of whether to turn left or right at Calshot is mostly dictated by tides. If it will be going west for the next 2 or 3 hours I go via the Needles. If not then via the forts. Even if it means beating, having a couple of knots of favourable tide is very helpful.

I know the choice of others is typically more driven by wind direction, but Angele (and crew!) is quite happy beating to windward.

 

[Sailfree]

I'm Hamble based, and my choice of whether to turn left or right at Calshot is mostly dictated by tides. If it will be going west for the next 2 or 3 hours I go via the Needles. If not then via the forts. Even if it means beating, having a couple of knots of favourable tide is very helpful.

.

+1 when I was based in Solent but I have a 75HP engine so can motor sail easy if adverse wind. Now based in Poole.

Always prefered to leave Hamble at HW as tide down Solent can be up to 5kts if going through the Needles.

 

[prv]

How do you determine which side of the IoW to sail via? Based on wind direction and getting the best angle for the crossing? I did it once as crew from Hamble, we crossed via the west side and Needles and returned via east side, all with the usual SW wind. I presume that's why we went that way.

I did my first two crossings in a relatively slow 24 footer, so I wanted to minimise the distance travelled in one go. Out of habit, I still tend to follow the same plan even though we now have a faster boat - the shortest possible crossing is from the Needles, so that's the way I go. We head down that way the night before, and anchor either just inside Hurst Spit or in Alum Bay, depending on wind direction.

Returning, on those early passages, I was more concerned about not being able to accurately predict arrival time, and ending up at the Needles against a flood tide in the dark. So I planned to come east-about the Isle of Wight where there's a nice wide entrance and weaker tides.

Since then, we have of course come in from the Needles end without any trouble. But I still tend to follow the habit of going out that way. This year I did think of staging through Bembridge instead, but the tide times mean we'd need wheels to get out in the morning so that plan's no good.

Pete

 

[Giblets]

'Tiz many years since I last did the crossing but Plan A (bearing in mind possible easterlies) is to sail from Langstone to Yarmouth/Totland on Thursday and then aiming to depart the Bridge Buoy at 06:00 on Friday. Have allowed an initial speed of 4.5 knots which should hopefully see us at the Eastern Entrance at 19:00ish BST.

 

[Angele]

I'm Hamble based, and my choice of whether to turn left or right at Calshot is mostly dictated by tides.

I should add that, for any cross Channel trip, I prefer to arrive at my destination late afternoon. That is because I don't enjoy night sailing as much as during the day. So, for me it isn't a case of choosing departure time to suit the tides, but rather seeing what the tides are doing at the chosen departure time.

 

[prv]

'Tiz many years since I last did the crossing but Plan A (bearing in mind possible easterlies) is to sail from Langstone to Yarmouth/Totland on Thursday and then aiming to depart the Bridge Buoy at 06:00 on Friday. Have allowed an initial speed of 4.5 knots which should hopefully see us at the Eastern Entrance at 19:00ish BST.

We'll keep an eye out for you

Pete

 

[jamieo]

I should add that, for any cross Channel trip, I prefer to arrive at my destination late afternoon. That is because I don't enjoy night sailing as much as during the day. So, for me it isn't a case of choosing departure time to suit the tides, but rather seeing what the tides are doing at the chosen departure time.

Angele, I take it you would avoid the Needles at various states of tide? (And weather of course)

 

[Angele]

Angele, I take it you would avoid the Needles at various states of tide? (And weather of course)

If I'm going out through the western Solent then I'll have the tide with me. If it is springs, all the better.

If it is a bit blowy (say F5 or bottom end of 6) then it would be unlikely to alter my plan of exiting the Solent by heading west, but I might opt for the North Channel instead of the Needles Channel if blowing from S, SW or W to avoid strong wind over tide. Adds a couple of miles because you are doing two sides of a triangle, but still quicker for me than going out through the forts if the tide is ebbing. You can still have a few minutes of rough water off Hurst Castle, but that is quickly behind you (and Angele's is big enough for it not to matter too much - possibly a bigger issue in a boat with less freeboard).

If it is very windy (more than F6) then I would have probably postponed a Channel crossing anyway, so the issue doesn't arise.

 

[LadyInBed]

As my boat is so slow, I've decided to get an early start, so will be crossing this weekend
Heading down to Wareham today and will probably cross Friday.
If anyone is around Cher / CI's and wants to meet up, let me know.

BUM!
just looked at forecast and it looks like there's ont much wind till Monday, so a delayed start already!

 

[jamieo]

If I'm going out through the western Solent then I'll have the tide with me. If it is springs, all the better.

If it is a bit blowy (say F5 or bottom end of 6) then it would be unlikely to alter my plan of exiting the Solent by heading west, but I might opt for the North Channel instead of the Needles Channel if blowing from S, SW or W to avoid strong wind over tide. Adds a couple of miles because you are doing two sides of a triangle, but still quicker for me than going out through the forts if the tide is ebbing. You can still have a few minutes of rough water off Hurst Castle, but that is quickly behind you (and Angele's is big enough for it not to matter too much - possibly a bigger issue in a boat with less freeboard).

If it is very windy (more than F6) then I would have probably postponed a Channel crossing anyway, so the issue doesn't arise.

This is all really helpful - wish I could make it

So riding the ebb through the western Solent I presume you're getting to Hurst around Portsmouth HW+2 to HW+4?

And simply, when you get to Hurst, if it's a (W/SW/S) F4 or greater the go through the North Channel (and add a bit of distance but less bumpy) but otherwise go straight through the Needles channel?

I've only been through twice, both times as crew and I'll admit I wasn't paying attention, either asleep off watch or busy with other things. It's meant it's an area/passage I've always had some in trepidation about. I just need to do it

 

[Angele]

So riding the ebb through the western Solent I presume you're getting to Hurst around Portsmouth HW+2 to HW+4?

Probably more like arriving at Hurst between HW+1 (having set off from Hamble as the flood is easing) and HW+5 (just as the tide is turning), but yes.

And simply, when you get to Hurst, if it's a (W/SW/S) F4 or greater the go through the North Channel (and add a bit of distance but less bumpy) but otherwise go straight through the Needles channel?

My decision as to whether to go out through the Needles or take the alternative via the North Channel is influenced by the combination of wind strength and tidal flows - so, more likely to do the North Channel if the wind is strong AND it is springs. More likely to go out via the Needles at neaps or at HW+4 or HW+5, even in relatively strong wind.

The good thing is that you don't have to commit which way you are going until you get to Hurst itself. So, if you don't like the look of it at that point, then just steer right.

I've only been through twice, both times as crew and I'll admit I wasn't paying attention, either asleep off watch or busy with other things. It's meant it's an area/passage I've always had some in trepidation about. I just need to do it

Yes, you do. Much of the time it is really very benign and you wonder what all of the fuss is about. But, as with much of sailing, it is good to have a plan B.

 

[the-drifter]

HI there
Talulah Ruby will be attending, as i now have crew. please book in 2 for dinner.

 

[WestWittering]

Crew Available - if anyone would like an extra crew member I have now confirmed a dog sitter

I am a novice Day Skipper, looking for more practice. I went to Cherbourg on my own boat last year, but she is a little slow, so I would prefer an opportunity to go with someone else.

Non-smoker, good in the galley, and I don't get seasick

Di

 

[the-drifter]

Sent PM

 

[Ehecatl]

Lift to Poole

If you are near the M3/M25 let me know and I can ptovide a lift to Poole.

 

[LadyInBed]

At last! I'm on my way.
Well, so far Wareham to Studland, looks like a nice steady E4 for tomorrow.
All things being equal, Cher Monday evening