Crossing in front of Portsmouth Harbour ?

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Boo2

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Portsmouth Harbour is entered by yachts via the Small Boat Channel about which Reeds says :
Craft may not enter harbour on the E side of the main channel and must not enter the SBC on its E side...
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This would seem to preclude passing in front of PH any closer than the No 4 Bar buoy if on passage from E to W (eg from Chi to S'ton. Is this interpretation right ? Of course there would be no particular need to go as far N as the No4 buoy and probably easiest to stay S of Spit Sand Fort.

How would you cross in front of PH ? Obviously carefully, but what route would you take ?

Thanks,

Boo2
 
Always cross the main channel South of No4 buoy and preferably well South.
North West of No4 buoy you've got the shallowest bit of Hamilton bank to contend with.

Plank
 
Unless you launched a small boat from Southsea Funfair, I don't see how you could find yourself in a position of wanting to cross the main channel east to west from anywhere north of Number 4. If you're coming from Chichester you'll have come through either between the forts or via the Dolphin passage, and all the complications of the entrance will be well to the north of you.

Pete
 
Boo2,

for a start anywhere near crossing Portsmouth entrance I listen to VHF 11, ' QHM - Queen's Harbour Master ' to find out if anything big is coming out.

Also watch for the funnel & superstructure of any fast cross Channel ferry emerging, they really don't hang about and one doesn't want to bother them in the narrow channel.

If crossing one is usually going from the Dolphin Passage in the submarine barrier to a point off Gilkicker, or vice versa; this will keep one clear of the Hamilton Bank & Spit Sand fort.

If one hears on the VHF " request Swashway " that means an IOW car ferry or another pro' mobo coming on the inshore passage parallel to the western side of the entrance.

For that see the chart, but the bearing is line up Southsea Memorial with the left edge of the dark lift machinery room of the high rise block on Southsea common - it used to be ' line up the war memorial with the church spire at the SE of Portsmouth entrance ' but then they built that tower block !

The shipping channel is narrow and well buoyed, so one can time a sprint across it when no ship is coming.

In fact it's easy, just be considerate to the poor sods trying to get big ships in & out, if in any doubt you can make it well in front of a ship, just circle & wait outside the channel and make it obvious so the ship knows what you are doing.

Finally The Golden Rule;

If you see a ferry, look around 180 degrees for his chum coming the other way !
 
As the other have said you'll not be near No 4 on any sort of east/ west passage

You'll be crossing from somewhere between Spit Sand and Mary Rose to the "dolphin ", passing south of Boyne and Spit Refuge bell buoy.

Keep a good watch on the entrance though as you approach, esp from the west, as even the big stuff is pretty well hidden from view until it pops out into the open.
 
Its the Wooton Bridge ferries you have to watch as they use the inner swatchway, the outer swatchway or the main channel and it is hard to predict where they are going to turn out of the main buoyed channel!
 
ahabdonal said:
Its the Wooton Bridge ferries you have to watch as they use the inner swatchway, the outer swatchway or the main channel and it is hard to predict where they are going to turn out of the main buoyed channel!
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Surely they have not been allowed to use the inner swashway for ages ( ever since the establishment of the SBC IIRC)

When tde allows they use the (outer) swashway between the Hamilton bank and Spit Bank and in my experience turn spot on the transit whether or not you are in their way!
 
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ahabdonal said:
Its the Wooton Bridge ferries you have to watch as they use the inner swatchway, the outer swatchway or the main channel and it is hard to predict where they are going to turn out of the main buoyed channel!
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The Wooton ferry doesn't use the inner swashway as VicS says. Coming out of harbour it hangs a right near #4 (accompanied by car alarms). Shouldn't be an issue for anyone coming from Chichester until they're well past the main channel out of Portsmouth
 
Boo2 said:
Portsmouth Harbour is entered by yachts via the Small Boat Channel about which Reeds says :


This would seem to preclude passing in front of PH any closer than the No 4 Bar buoy if on passage from E to W (eg from Chi to S'ton. Is this interpretation right ? Of course there would be no particular need to go as far N as the No4 buoy and probably easiest to stay S of Spit Sand Fort.

How would you cross in front of PH ? Obviously carefully, but what route would you take ?

Thanks,

Boo2
Click to expand...
Yes you need to cross the channel S of 4 Bar.
It very often pays to stay fairly well North in a small boat, as there is much less East-going tide north of the (outer) Swashway.
There is an inshore 'small boat passage' through the 'blocks' off Southsea.
You'll need a butcher's at the chart, it's shallow inshore E of the blocks at LW.
 
Often people end up further North than originally planned if waiting for traffic to clear in the main channel before crossing.

My personal bug bear is people travelling South past the Ballast Pole leaving it to Starboard.
 
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laika said:
The Wooton ferry doesn't use the inner swashway as VicS says. Coming out of harbour it hangs a right near #4 (accompanied by car alarms). Shouldn't be an issue for anyone coming from Chichester until they're well past the main channel out of Portsmouth
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As I was entering this year one coming out turned across in front of me into the small boat channel and really surprised me as I was expecting it as you say to (normally) stay in the main channel and then use the outer swatchway. No real problem as I was watching him but anything going fast or not paying attention could have had a problem.
 
ahabdonal said:
As I was entering this year one coming out turned across in front of me into the small boat channel and really surprised me as I was expecting it as you say to (normally) stay in the main channel and then use the outer swatchway. No real problem as I was watching him but anything going fast or not paying attention could have had a problem.
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Absolutely

From QHM ( Portsmouth) Direction 7/10

9. Inner Swashway. The Inner Swashway is closed to vessels of over 20m in length. Vessels over this size are to remain in the Approach Channel between the entrance to the Harbour and No 4 Bar Buoy. They should not enter the Small Boat Channel at any time except that they may do so when taking action to avoid collision under the COLREGS. A Red Beacon is sited ½ cable to the south of Fort Blockhouse. Small Boats transiting between the Inner Swashway and the Small Boat Channel are to leave this to port.


11. Contravention of the rules contained within this General Direction is a criminal offence.​
 
ahabdonal said:
As I was entering this year one coming out turned across in front of me into the small boat channel and really surprised me as I was expecting it as you say to (normally) stay in the main channel and then use the outer swatchway..
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Inner swashway (i.e. north of hamilton bank) or just cutting the corner at #4? Cutting the corner they definitely do depending on the tide.
 
laika said:
The Wooton ferry doesn't use the inner swashway as VicS says. Coming out of harbour it hangs a right near #4 (accompanied by car alarms). Shouldn't be an issue for anyone coming from Chichester until they're well past the main channel out of Portsmouth
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I know the ferry should not use the inner swatchway which is why it caught me by surprise when it cut across me just by the beacon at the blockhouse. I was outside the bouyed channel perhaps only 60m from the beacon and expected the ferry to carry in the channel to 4 and pass me on my starboard side. I am just making the point that it is not only small boats that do strange thing at Portsmouth Entrance!
 
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