Cross Channel from Weymouth or Portland

YES it does !

Unless in VERY calm conditions, you'll have to steer SE for a good 5 miles to avoid The Race, keeping an eye on GPS Crosstrack Error to ensure you are not being dragged into it - and the forecast is going downhill rapidly, as it would on a bank holiday.

Ideally, set off a while before slack water and the eastgoing flood; and at the other end, whatever your passage speed is, aim to arrive say 1 mile uptide of destination, so if suffering a plotter / electrics failure you should know which way to look.

NB The Race is where they filmed ' The Cruel Sea ' sequences of the warship in heavy seas, as they couldn't find anywhere else rough enough to simulate the North Sea convoys in winter; don't mess with The Race - I don't know where you're aiming for but the same advice with knobs on if around Alderney, either the Race or Swinge.

Cherbourg is a pretty straightforward approach, just allow for tidal offset and keep a lookout BEHIND for ferries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6wLAALViEg
 
Back in the 80's I used to keep my 22 footer in Portland Harbour.
Looking back at my log for that period I see that when heading for Cherbourg I always went E of E Shambles buoy whether leaving from PH or Weymouth (shortest distance) and depart just after HW Dover to get the assistance of the S going current.
Heading for Alderney I went just W of W Shambles buoy, same for St PP and headed W of Casquets. Departure time was calculated to arrive at HW slack for Alderney and start of S going current off the Casquets for St PP. Which again effectively meant leaving somewhere near HW Dover.
The Portland race never really featured in the calculations as at that time (HW Dover) it was close to slack off the Bill. If I was running a bit late, I might have put in a bit of Left hand down when just past W Shambles buoy to counter the W flow, but never much.
So I'm afraid contrary to the purls of wisdom offered by Seajet, I would say No, the race doesn't impose any particular limitations on departure times when heading cross channel, as the important factor (not limitation) is the arrival time off the French coast.
Hope this helps to put your mind at rest!
 
Actually the phrase is ' pearls of wisdom ' :)

Anyone saying Portland Race and tide times aren't significant when leaving Portland planning a cross Channel needs all the four -leaf clovers they can find, and maybe do a bit of reading up on the subject, Adlard Coles for instance.

What is it about YBW that when someone asks advice and gets a genuine reply based on over 40 years experience, some berk always has to go into combat argumentative insulting mode instead of discussing it ?

No wonder we're better off on an alternative site, where despite zero regulation we have sensible discussions...:

Good luck, just don't ' choose the easiest forecast / opinion ' as Portland Race will BITE :rolleyes:
 
Litttle Grebe, we met briefly in St Peter Port last August, our departure time for Portland was based on the depth over the sill to leave the marina. Heading for East Shambles meant the race had no effect, so I'm guessing if the journey was reversed the same would be true?
Why would you need to navigate the Race?
 
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Coming at it from the other way, from France to Weymouth / Portland is a different matter as one can steer well clear from the outset; but one would be wise to ensure the tide at ETA is not dragging one through the Portland Race; or just ignore it and have a ride which makes Alton Towers seem like a trolley trundle around Waitrose...:rolleyes:
 
colhel said:
Litttle Grebe, we met briefly in St Peter Port last August, our departure time for Portland was based on the depth over the sill to leave the marina. Heading for East Shambles meant the race had no effect, so I'm guessing if the journey was reversed the same would be true?
Why would you need to navigate the Race?
Click to expand...

The other half mentioned your perfect departure from the pontoon just the other day :)

We headed out the next day as the tidal predictions were suggesting we were about to be neaped

When heading out West via the inshore passage our departure times seem to have matched those boats which appeared to be heading across the channel so I wondered if there was a particular constrain or advantage to be gained due to the 'interesting' tides in vicinity
 
Surely it depends on the destination?

If you're heading to somewhere on the French coast vaguely East of Cherbourg then whilst you need to allow for the tide it's hardly a constraint. The OP was asking does it place any limitations on departure / leaving times.

If you were heading to say Brittany then your direct route will go round the Bill and the race becomes a constraint.

That said, it hardly affects your departure time, just your passage plan as it becomes another hazard that you need to plan around.
 
Seajet said:
What is it about YBW that when someone asks advice and gets a genuine reply based on over 40 years experience, some berk always has to go into combat argumentative insulting mode instead of discussing it ?

No wonder we're better off on an alternative site, where despite zero regulation we have sensible discussions...:
Click to expand...

Blimey.
 
Seajet said:
What is it about YBW that when someone asks advice and gets a genuine reply based on over 40 years experience, some berk always has to go into combat argumentative insulting mode instead of discussing it ?
Click to expand...

Well, indeed.

It's not quite 40 years since LadyInBed's 1980s experience in his 22-footer kept at the location in question, though :rolleyes:

Pete
 
Seajet said:
What is it about YBW that when someone asks advice and gets a genuine reply based on over 40 years experience, some berk always has to go into combat argumentative insulting mode instead of discussing it ?
Click to expand...

I would hardly describe LiB's post as combat argumentative or insulting. Surprised you see it that way. His comments were based on looking back on his logs, which is highly relevant and useful.

I don't think anyone is saying you can ignore the Portland Race. But, if heading to Cherbourg (rough direction SSE) it is perfectly easy to avoid entering the race by heading SE from Weymouth (maybe E for a handful of miles from Portland) before turning onto the rhumb line. That might lengthen the passage a bit. But, on a 65-70 nm hardly significant. I happen to know the OP's model of boat and it is perfectly capable of stemming a foul tide to the east of the race (not in the race itself) that is unlikely to be more than 2kts in a south westerly direction.

So, yes, Seajet you are right. No one can ignore the race. But the OP's question was whether it has any particular departure timing implications. It does. But only very minor. And a lot less than if you were leaving from the Solent via the Needles say.
 
Little Grebe, to put my previous reply in perspective, I kept my 22 ft boat on a swinging mooring in PH for 16 years and used to cross to Cherbourg and CI's often twice a year, so I think it's fair to say that I have a reasonable experience of that crossing. Plus I used to do 'day sails' round the Bill and back when the tide times and weather were right.
I don't know how long Seajet kept his boat in PH or Weymouth for him to gain his knowledge of the area, but I'm sure he will let us know. :)
 
LadyInBed said:
Little Grebe, to put my previous reply in perspective, I kept my 22 ft boat on a swinging mooring in PH for 16 years and used to cross to Cherbourg and CI's often twice a year, so I think it's fair to say that I have a reasonable experience of that crossing. Plus I used to do 'day sails' round the Bill and back when the tide times and weather were right.
I don't know how long Seajet kept his boat in PH or Weymouth for him to gain his knowledge of the area, but I'm sure he will let us know. :)
Click to expand...

Wouldn't have thought the Race would have much effect on an A22 travelling ar warp speed.
 
prv said:
Well, indeed.

It's not quite 40 years since LadyInBed's 1980s experience in his 22-footer kept at the location in question, though :rolleyes:

Pete
Click to expand...

Seems like a perfect opportunity to have a Log competition.

Maybe ask both to submit their logs of passages from Weymouth/Portland to France and we can judge who has the better approach to passage planning and execution.
 
LadyInBed said:
Little Grebe, to put my previous reply in perspective, I kept my 22 ft boat on a swinging mooring in PH for 16 years and used to cross to Cherbourg and CI's often twice a year, so I think it's fair to say that I have a reasonable experience of that crossing. Plus I used to do 'day sails' round the Bill and back when the tide times and weather were right.
I don't know how long Seajet kept his boat in PH or Weymouth for him to gain his knowledge of the area, but I'm sure he will let us know. :)
Click to expand...

To be fair, your post seems to say, 'no the race doesn't dictate when you leave Weymouth, because you always leave at time x relative to HW for another reason'.

Clearly it's possible to leave Weymouth at any time and sail east in the bay and avoid any W-going tide taking you into the race.
Alternatively, a Dazed Kipper passage plan CTS from just outside Weymouth to say Treguier might take you into Portland itself, never mind the race.

Sensible planning IMHO would be to bear in mind the E/W tide when you are leaving and steer clear of the race and the Shambles.
 
lw395 said:
To be fair, your post seems to say, 'no the race doesn't dictate when you leave Weymouth, because you always leave at time x relative to HW for another reason'.

Clearly it's possible to leave Weymouth at any time and sail east in the bay and avoid any W-going tide taking you into the race.
Alternatively, a Dazed Kipper passage plan CTS from just outside Weymouth to say Treguier might take you into Portland itself, never mind the race.

Sensible planning IMHO would be to bear in mind the E/W tide when you are leaving and steer clear of the race and the Shambles.
Click to expand...
If heading E of Shambles you will see on my link that the current runs either SW or NE so you are cutting across it whatever time you leave
You are right about my leave time, I was and still am more interested in what the current will be doing when I get to the other side.
More detailed images of PB, Shambles and the race can be seen HERE and at the bottom of that page.
 
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