Chichester Bar/entrance

[Teko]

Looking for advice from the collective,

we visited east head yesterday with everyone else from the solent apparently.

we had a great down wind sail from Portsmouth in 8-10 knots and a great time on the beach,
we decided to leave the anchorage at 1500 to catch the last of the ebb out the harbour (but more to get back in time for thie kids supper), LW been just before 1600.
the wind had built to 17/18knots out if the south west and the passage out of the harbour and over the bar was aweful. - wind over tide was the first mistake, i assume the shallow water was the second.
we came out with 2 other yachts a 25ish footer that was constantly burying its bow and a heavy westerly pentland who said they regulary saw our keel, we were bucking so hard the case came off the tri coulour and promptly sank.

what should i have done differently to transit more smoothly?
thanks

 

[prv]

what should i have done differently to transit more smoothly?

Not attempted the Chichester entrance with a stiff southerly breeze over an outgoing tide

It is somewhat notorious.

I know I've abandoned a plan to enter Chichester, and continued to Portsmouth instead, when we arrived on the middle of the ebb in a southerly that was stronger than forecast. But obviously that's an easier decision to make when you're outside with a choice of destination, than inside wanting to go home.

Pete

 

[Teko]

Not attempted the Chichester entrance with a stiff southerly breeze over an outgoing tide

It is somewhat notorious.

I know I've abandoned a plan to enter Chichester, and continued to Portsmouth instead, when we arrived on the middle of the ebb in a southerly that was stronger than forecast. But obviously that's an easier decision to make when you're outside with a choice of destination, than inside wanting to go home.

Pete

Yeah I read before hand it would be dangerous in strong southerly's maybe my inexperience but I didn't expect it to be as bad as it was

 

[Channel Sailor]

Check on Chimet before you depart. It has the wave height. For that time yesterday it says 1.6m the of tide and 0.5m wave height. The bar is usually deemed to be 0.7m at CD. Locals know it can be bigger wave heights nearer the entrance Compared to where Chimet is located. My yacht draws 1.6m so that means I would had a clearance of 0.2m In the trough of a wave out by Chimet on the outer bar area. In the rough parts and where it has less depth on the bar the boat could have been grounded. Add to that 18kts of wind in gusts. Which is close to the Strong Wind advice in the local pilot to only enter near HW ish. Would I have left then, no.
However, there are many parts of the channel where you can find 1.5m at CD so in calm weather and when creeping in at lowish water I tend to follow a set Route on my plotter first the deeper areas. It can be very uncomfortable In a F4 and F5 so yacht’s do sometimes slam and bury bows, but if enough depth and a boat that can make good way in a chop, then it’s OK ish, at the right time and conditions.

 

[Teko]

Thanks CS thats very informative and made me realise I should of spent more time at the chart table before departing.

I knew Lw height was 1.6m and the route I was planning out showed 1.7m at CD so felt comfortable for my 1.6mtr draft. In reality the least I saw below the keel was 1.2m but that didn't feel comfortable at the time

 

[FairweatherDave]

Hmmm. I believe you can assume 0.8 below cd......
Plus it is a direct southerly I'd be more wary of.
However it is often lumpy in the most benign conditions. I suspect that is what felt very uncomfortable.

 

[Teko]

Hmmm. I believe you can assume 0.8 below cd......
Plus it is a direct southerly I'd be more wary of.
However it is often lumpy in the most benign conditions. I suspect that is what felt very uncomfortable.

Cheers Dave.

 

[prv]

Hmmm. I believe you can assume 0.8 below cd......

It varies, which is why the Conservancy commissions regular surveys. Latest one is February - I’d have expected something more recent but maybe covid has disrupted things.

https://www.conservancy.co.uk/asset...ester_Bar_Survey_February_2020-QSjEf4B88d.pdf

It‘s looking pretty good there, actually - weave through carefully and you’d be able to maintain 2m all the way.

Pete

 

[DJE]

Give the kids supper on the boat and leave on the flood. It's a nasty spot when the water's shallow.

 

[Teko]

Give the kids supper on the boat and leave on the flood. It's a nasty spot when the water's shallow.

Lesson learned!

 

[TernVI]

On

View attachment 94965

Cheers Dave.

Probably get a better ride with some sails working.

One of the amusing things about Chichester entrance is that the tide keeps coming out after low water!
At least some of the time.
You can have to wait a fair while after LW for the bar to go quiet, and then you're battling the flood.

 

[Teko]

On

Probably get a better ride with some sails working.

That was the initial intension, but the wind was square on the nose for the first part of the channel and the sail would of beat itself to death, from about halfway out the wind was 30 degrees off the nose but the pitching wasn't inviting me onto the coach roof

 

[Sticky Fingers]

I’ve just read this. That was a disaster in waiting. Didn’t you read an almanac or any other similar publication before attempting this? If not, why not? If you did, why ignore its advice?

 

[ashtead]

Years ago I remember surfing into chi harbour in a Centaur with wind and tide and seeing a larger yacht behind us give up as the depth was rather low he thought. If visiting east head I might plan to have tea on a buoy up the river or a quieter buoy up Thorne channel. Plenty of spare buoys up towards thornham marina to catch up to and then a paddle towards Printead beach on your paddle board or sevlor canoe or other craft for a couple of hours fun while the tide rises a bit.

 

[Teko]

Thanks good idea

Years ago I remember surfing into chi harbour in a Centaur with wind and tide and seeing a larger yacht behind us give up as the depth was rather low he thought. If visiting east head I might plan to have tea on a buoy up the river or a quieter buoy up Thorne channel. Plenty of spare buoys up towards thornham marina to catch up to and then a paddle towards Printead beach on your paddle board or sevlor canoe or other craft for a couple of hours fun while the tide rises a bit.

 

[Lucky Duck]

It varies, which is why the Conservancy commissions regular surveys. Latest one is February - I’d have expected something more recent but maybe covid has disrupted things.

https://www.conservancy.co.uk/asset...ester_Bar_Survey_February_2020-QSjEf4B88d.pdf

It‘s looking pretty good there, actually - weave through carefully and you’d be able to maintain 2m all the way.

Pete

Coming in at one hour after LW last Friday with 1.9m tide height being reported on Chimet the lowest depth of water I recall seeing on the depth sounder was 3.4m.

The bottom was visible from seaward of the West Pole Beacon which was a bit unnerving.

 

[Mark-1]

I can't put numbers on it but add me to the list of people who reckon there's more clearance over the bar this year than the more pessimistic guesses are suggesting. (Not that that helps - you have to assume worst case.)

Also agree that surfing in is a hoot. The only times I've got my little Corribee surfing was entering Chi, without a doubt the most pure sailing fun it's ever provided.

 

[DJE]

Chi Bar is the only place we surfed our old Sadler 29. About 2 hours after HW so plenty of depth, but it was a busy Saturday so at times there were three boats on the same wave.

 

[Elessar]

what should i have done differently to transit more smoothly?

Read the almanac and pilot books.
Heed their advice.

You said that you read it would be bad and ignored it. I don't really need to comment further on that.

You could have been a statistic.

Things you've done right? Sharing it.
That might just save someone else that reads it.

 

[RJJ]

Used to be great practice for tacking and gybing in a Laser, in those waves.

Probably best avoided in any yacht.