Dartmouth to Cardiff any tips?

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jams

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Bringing my yacht up from Dartmouth in a couple of weeks. I'll be single handed so going to stop off in Falmouth for a snooze. Have studied the charts and almanacs and am reasonably happy. It's my first time round lands end and i have no safe haven between Falmouth and Swansea due to 10ft draft (its an open 50). Any tips/things to watch out for from people who have done this trip, or one like it, before would be appreciated.

Cheers

James
 
I guess its a fairly speedy boat but unless your endurance is way greater than mine, I wouldnt suggest Falmouth to Swansea in one. Personally I wouldnt suggest Swansea anyway but thats because I hate the barrage system there.

Best route would be Penzance to Padstow and Padstow direct to Cardiff. Leave Penzance as the gates are shutting and take the inshore passage past the Longships. You will likely arrive in Padstow in time to go ion to the inner harbour and buy a pastie. Leave Padstow again as the gates shut and particularly with a spring tide and a decent breeze, you will make Cardiff in one. If you have neeps and no breeze, you might consider anchoring off Lundy providing there is no wind in the NE to S quadrant.
 
We did a similar trip earlier on this year and also our first time round Lands End.
The only tip I can offer is to look at the charts for Lands End and familiarise yourself with them in detail. We were caught out by large swell, breaking waves and a wind picking up to about 25Kts ..........heading towards Kettle's Bottom at 9kts ......... intended to take the inside route between Longships and Lands End but got a bit too unsure about Kettle's Bottom in the middle there and so opted for the bouncy outside route ....... no problem, just lost a bit of time.

Sticking to the Cornish coast is very pretty and helps keep one awake IMHO.
I agree with Bosun Higgs, Swansea in not the best of locks to go through with a boat your size, but it depends on your boat manouverability really. The inside lock is a strange shape and propwalk to port is very handy.

Lands End to Padstow can be done in 5 hours or less, then onto Cardiff in another 10 hrs assuming you can average 10kts :)

Finally, if you are in Cardiff (or even Portishead) for long .............. any chance of "having a go on your open 50" please ??
 
Inside or outside, do the Lands End up the Channel in daylight - saves the hastle with fishing boats off the English Coast.

Anchor off Lundy and wait for the tide to give you the lift. Or outside at Ilfracombe, but you might be pushed for enough water.

Skip Swansea - nice place, I was born there, but.
Big detour into the bay and getting into the lock - seems to work 'office hours' so you can be stuck for getting the best tide up to Cardiff.

Have fun, lots to see and do, but depends on your draught
 
I agree with the Bosun. If you wish to do the trip quite quickly, going off course into Falmouth or Swansea would add lots of time to the trip. I think the same thing applies to Padstow. With a boat like yours, the trip from Lundy to Cardiff should be possible without too much time pushing the tide. Much will depend on the the wind direction, for instance, with the south east wind we have had recently, the big buoy off Clovelly may be a better place to wait for the tide.
Allan
 
Gwylan has reminded me - dont be tempted to do any motoring up the N Cornish coast in the dark - there are loads of pots with no flag or stick. Pots more or less stop after Ilfracombe

The inshore passage round the longships saves as much as an hour and the tide turns favourable about an hour earlier than outside the longships. but its again not a trip to make in the dark for the first time.
 
Bosun Higgs said:
Gwylan has reminded me - dont be tempted to do any motoring up the N Cornish coast in the dark - there are loads of pots with no flag or stick. Pots more or less stop after Ilfracombe

The inshore passage round the longships saves as much as an hour and the tide turns favourable about an hour earlier than outside the longships. but its again not a trip to make in the dark for the first time.
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I would be tempted on calling at Lundy, then straight to Cardiff - going straight up the centre of the Bristol. To date I have not come across any pots mid channel!

Avoid going close to the coasts for the reason given by Bosun Higgs - good advice!
 
Freshbreeze said:
I would be tempted on calling at Lundy, then straight to Cardiff - going straight up the centre of the Bristol. To date I have not come across any pots mid channel!
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Neither have I. The last pot I am aware of is one off Foreland, no stick and often just under the water swept there by the tide.
 
Ignore Swansea....loads of wasted sailing time. Go via Padstow. Approach Cardiff close to Flatholm (not too close) On approach to barrage at Cardiff follow the buoys and you should be ok.
 
jams said:
Bringing my yacht up from Dartmouth in a couple of weeks. I'll be single handed so going to stop off in Falmouth for a snooze. Have studied the charts and almanacs and am reasonably happy. It's my first time round lands end and i have no safe haven between Falmouth and Swansea due to 10ft draft (its an open 50). Any tips/things to watch out for from people who have done this trip, or one like it, before would be appreciated.

Cheers

James
Click to expand...

Would you like a crew member to help?

Sounds like a nice little sail, if I am available I will be interested.
 
Two of us brought a boat around from Plymouth to Cardiff last week. It was much more of a light airs boat than yours but again no problem. We stopped off a couple of times but went around Lands End to Lundy and then straight to Cardiff. There not too many pots on the course direct to Lundy from off Longships. There were a few as we approached Lundy but they were well marked. I'm not sure if you have done the trip yet but hope this helps. If I can help more just ask.
Allan
PS, Loads of dolphins between Padstow and Hartland.
 
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Made it! Cheers Allan.

Here's a tip for future viewers.........Dont round Hartland point in a force 10....if you have to, do it at night......it was a godsend not being able to see those waves!!
 
It was probably the best sail I have ever had. What a stunning boat! I could not imagine enjoying sailing in a force 10 gale before we bought her round from Dartmouth. Many thanks for the opportunity.
Allan
 
Allan or jams> Do you have any more details about your trip? It sounds like it would have been a pretty wild experience.

I thought there were strong westerlies all that week, so I don't really understand how you got round Lands End (obviously you did) as that would have been going to windward in some pretty strong winds. Maybe open 50s are up for that sort of thing.
 
Below is part of the post I put on our club forum.

In the morning we set off on the big bit of our trip. The passage plan was to leave at the right time to take us to Cardiff in one. It would also give us Padstow as a refuge, should things turn nasty. The Fal to Lands End, past the Lizard was done in very light winds, not good in a 14 ton boat with an 18 HP engine, which seemed to like to chew up alternator belts. Two hours past Lands End Falmouth CG put out a Securite warning for changes to the weather forecast. Instead of the 7 to 8 we had left on, it was going to be S-SW 9 to 10 veering to W 11 later. We gybed and started to plan our route to Padstow. Due to the light winds earlier, we realised we could not get to Padstow before the gate closed. Lundy would be a good refuge but only if the wind veered early. We continued up the coast, making a final gybe when we decided Lundy was not on. From that gybe, just south of Hartland, across Bideford bay was the most "interesting" sail I have ever had. The luckiest thing was that the very low black clouds, which were racing from the south, meant all around us was completely black. As the wind built we first took down the main, then started reducing the genoa. The only plan I could come up with was to head for off Ilfracombe and stick close to the north Devon coast. The theory was that, with little fetch for the south wind, the waves which were pushing us around would be lower. In the middle of Bideford bay, at approximately 3am, we saw 65 on the wind instrument, after that, it stopped giving any sensible readings. The genoa was now down to a little over a metre and we were still making nine knots. Off Ilfracombe the waves dropped and we were able to head along the coast, as planned the waves were less but I didn't dare get close enough to the coast to reduce the wind by much. By the time the sun came up we were off Porlock and could go inshore to get out of the wind. We then zig zagged along past Blue anchor, not fancying heading out into the wind again, we had decided to head into Watchet. When James started the engine he noticed that the alternator belt had shredded. We then sorted a plan for entry into the marina. I would take us to the entrance and James would then start the engine again and take in the rest of the genoa as I went into the marina. I had already spoken to the marina and had their permission to enter on red if needed.
Everything went well and we tied up to the hammerhead on pontoon B, with help from the marina staff who came down to meet us.
I went up to the office on Friday morning to get the weather forecast, when I saw it was for S-SW force 7 to gale 8 I thought, fine not a problem. I will need to get back into the Chausey mindset before I take her out next! After fitting a new belt we started to leave but while waiting for the lights to change the engine alarm came on and we went back to the pontoon. This alarm was caused by a blocked water intake but by the time we had sorted it, we decided it too late to leave.
Friday evening we set off with just the genoa and headed straight across to Cardiff in well under 3 hours. It was agreat feeling to finally tie her up just above the new footbridge in Cardiff marina.
Maisey Star is a great boat, at 19 years old she won the 2005 OSTAR with Steve White, of Toe in the water fame, at the helm. Even when being thrown about, I never felt anything but confidence that she would get us through. All in all a great trip on a great boat.

I hope that gives some flavour of the trip.
Allan
 
Thanks for the update Allan. It sounds like an inspirational trip: not exactly the sort of thing I'd be trying in my boat, but it probably feels good in an open 50.
 
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