East coast to the Solent - Summer trip

[gilesfordcrush]

I am hoping to complete a trip from the East coast to the Solent this summer, and would appreciate some tips from those who have already undertaken such a trip. I will be starting and returning to the river Crouch, Essex.. The boat is a Moody 30. I will be sailing with a friend, we both have the Day Skipper. I have completed day sails of between 50-60Nm, and I’ve been to Ramsgate a few times, as well as trips along the Essex coast. This would be the longest trip I’ll have undertaken. The trip would be in May or June, making the most of long days. Leaving the river Crouch on a Saturday, and planning to return on the Sunday of the following weekend, giving 8 full days.

I’m only in the early stages of this, and have yet to look at weeks that would give the most favourable tides. The outline of the plan would be to get to Ramsgate on the first day. Then to Eastbourne on day 2 and Gosport on day 3. Both of these passages are around 60Nm. There are few other options for overnight marina stops, which is our preference. The same passage plan to rertun, giving two days of contingency.

Perhaps this is a little ambitious for eight days, and an additional two days off work might be worth considering – giving a little more time in the Solent, and for weather.

Thoughts and advice much appreciated. I am keen to make this trip. I don’t need advice on alternative destinations – like the continent, or going further up the East coast, all fine destinations in their own right.

Thanks,

Giles

 

[Cantata]

For the Dover to Eastbourne leg, aim to be passing Dungeness around HW Dover. That way you'll carry tide all the way. Same applies coming back.

 

[superheat6k]

These are long legs, especially as you will be going against the prevailing SW wind. Not too many bolt holes, and the Ramsgate to Eastbourne leg seems especially long - the coast is low and apart from Dungeness you are quite a long way off shore.

I did it a few years ago on a delivery trip from the Thames with no auto helm, so manual steering a 60 mile leg was hard work, and that was on a Mobo that could travel in a straight line regardless of the wind direction.

Another option to break up the monotony is to consider stops at Boulogne, Calais, Fecamp or Le Havre, assuming we will still be able to land in EU states by then.

Once past Eastbourne plenty of stop over places - Brighton, Shoreham, Littlehampton, Chichester, although the time you have reached Itchenor you would also have reached Gosport.

Also plenty of places to find a decent secure berth for a few weeks or longer so perhaps leave the boat this way for a while to properly explore and get home on the train.

 

[Champagne Murphy]

Done this more than once. Each leg is a day trip mas long as you get the tide times right, as Superheat6k says, Dungeness is a biggy en route to Eastbourne. Tide is everything on this trip. As is wind direction. More important is where to eat at each stop. Ramsgate-La Magnolia (Italian) or Flavours by Kumar (curry), Dover-eat on board, Eastbourne-eat on board, Brighton-lots of choice.
Trip back is often quicker, wind direction usually helps

 

[Pye_End]

That time of year you have a good chance of easterly wind (around 50%).

South Foreland can be rather bumpy, especially wind against tide. Dover is straight forward to enter, and if tide conditions are not with you then don't feel concerned about using it as a stop. Dover harbour seem to like you to call in even if going past. Tides run quick round there, so if you do go in, take into account strong currents across the entrances. Currents inside can be opposite to the direction outside.

Brighton is often well placed as a stopover, though it would be worth checking if there are current depth issues. In 2016 it was pretty shallow at LW though it was being dredged. Entrance can be easy or virtually impossible depending on wind.

Sometimes destinations are best decided upon on the way round. Just research all the options and keep your plans flexible.

 

[Plum]

I am hoping to complete a trip from the East coast to the Solent this summer, and would appreciate some tips from those who have already undertaken such a trip. I will be starting and returning to the river Crouch, Essex.. The boat is a Moody 30. I will be sailing with a friend, we both have the Day Skipper. I have completed day sails of between 50-60Nm, and I’ve been to Ramsgate a few times, as well as trips along the Essex coast. This would be the longest trip I’ll have undertaken. The trip would be in May or June, making the most of long days. Leaving the river Crouch on a Saturday, and planning to return on the Sunday of the following weekend, giving 8 full days.

I’m only in the early stages of this, and have yet to look at weeks that would give the most favourable tides. The outline of the plan would be to get to Ramsgate on the first day. Then to Eastbourne on day 2 and Gosport on day 3. Both of these passages are around 60Nm. There are few other options for overnight marina stops, which is our preference. The same passage plan to rertun, giving two days of contingency.

Perhaps this is a little ambitious for eight days, and an additional two days off work might be worth considering – giving a little more time in the Solent, and for weather.

Thoughts and advice much appreciated. I am keen to make this trip. I don’t need advice on alternative destinations – like the continent, or going further up the East coast, all fine destinations in their own right.

Thanks,

Giles

I did the same trip (almost, Blackwater to Cowes) last summer although in a smaller boat (and singlehanded) and the critical thing is maintaining sufficient boat speed to carry the current. I did a short day from Ramsgate to Dover to improve my chances of a favourable current but still did not get to Eastbourne before the current turned so had to sail very close to the Bexhill coast to make progress for the last hour. Then I got weatherbound for two days in Brighton marina (the entrance is no fun in strong wind!). Also, although Chichester harbour (Sparkes marina) is a good first stop in the Solent if you can't make Gosport, if you have made the most of the current to get there you will probably then be faced with a hard slog against the ebb to get into the Chichester entrance. Shoreham and Littlehampton are good stopping places with pontoon moorings if needed. Coming home is so much quicker probably with just two overnight stops.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Toutvabien]

Trying to head towards the Solent from the East Coast in my experience can be very weather dependent so with this in mind my suggestion would be that if you have a weather window then exploit it to the maximum and keep going. Once you have been going for 12 hours, say 60 miles, if things look ok and the crew are up to it do another tide and see where you get to. Leaving Brightlingsea a couple of years ago we were planning to go to Ramsgate but instead did Brighton non stop, last year we made it from Ipswich to Roscoff non-stop as we kept going as long as the weather was reasonable.

As long as you are comfortable with passage making at night, and have a suitable crew of at least two people who know what they are doing, you can knock off much longer distances if you can just keep moving.

 

[Bru]

We've done this trip (essentially) three times including the last two years running

On the first occasion we made Chichester in 4 days without any problems. But I wouldn't have been wild about turning round the next morning to do four days straight back

That was several years ago

The last two years we've lost days to no go weather. And the days we have gone have involved punching an F5/6 on the nose with a short steep sea also on the nose and it's been anything but fun

Two years ago we had to delay departure from the Crouch for a day (gale warning) and then lost a day in Dover (F6/7 westerly). We then had an unpleasant day to Eastbourne followed by another lost day before a long and tiring slog under motor to Portsmouth (scheduled crew change)

Last year we again lost days before departing, another in Eastbourne and then put in a non stop overnighter to St Peter Port to meet crew flights

We've also had two pretty hairy entries into Dover - once two years ago East bound when we surfed through the Western entrance with the helm spinning freely in my hands and then last year West bound when we staggered through the Eastern entrance being rolled virtually onto our beam ends.

A fair quantity of that which calms the nerves was needed on both occasions

We also encountered thick, and I do mean thick, unforecast fog off Dungeness for several hours which I'd have hated to be in without radar and AIS

And all of this was in the summer months

I could go on but the bottom line is that I wouldn't consider a down channel passage to be a pleasure cruise, it's a means to an end afaic. And coming back isn't a whole lot better!

And eight days is only just enough to do there and back unless you're setup and confident to do overnight passages if necessary and even then you could conceivably fail to make it back

 

[Toutvabien]

And eight days is only just enough to do there and back unless you're setup and confident to do overnight passages if necessary and even then you could conceivably fail to make it back

I would agree with Bruce, who offers what sounds like a recent personal experience, and I would say that you really need to be prepared to do the longer passages if you are going to have a high chance of making it. My success rate on heading west has been about 75%, but only because when we had a weather window we gave it a really good kicking. I have also spent several holidays stuck in Ramsgate or Calais when the rats got at the plans most recently a couple of years ago when, despite a good weather forecast capable of taking us towards the Channel Islands, we stopped in Calais for a bit of dinner when heading toward Guernsey, and were still there three days later before giving up and heading over to Southwold.

 

[RupertW]

We did the same last year but overnighted from Dover to Gosport even though that missed out the pleasures of Brighton. Eating out - Bon Appetit in Ramsgate and Cullins Yard in Dover are must stops for us. And Brighton is a very regular haunt with such a huge choice.

Otherwise echo the previous comments - hit those tidal gates and stop if and when you miss them.

 

[Bru]

and be aware that Brighton (which I dislike) gets VERY busy in "season" if the weather turns.

Although the entrance has been dredged the marina is badly silted up once away from the berths near the entrance and when we were weather bound there last year on the way home from the Channel Islands (which I forgot to mention!) they were really struggling to accommodate all the boats on passage trying to find shelter

Much reshuffling of boats, rafting up, people having to wait outside in unpleasant conditions etc. Credit to the staff who did their best but it was a right palaver (which we avoided by taking a berth in the silted up main marina accepting that we'd have to wait for the tide to get out again)

 

[Rafiki]

I've done this the last two years. In 2017, we ended up spending rather too long in Ramsgate due to strong westerlies on the way out and just plain strong winds on the way back.
My 2 pennyworth is as follows:
Day 1 Try and get to Dover. The reason is that Ramsgate to Eastbourne is a long way in one hop as you need to be at least 3 miles off Dover unless stopping there
Day 2 Either Ramsgate to Dover or Dover to Eastbourne
Day 3 Eastbourne to Brighton ( a short day but the alternative of Eastbourne to Solent in one day in that direction is difficult)
Day 4 Brighton to Solent or Chichester.
Returning is much easier as tides flow eastwards for longer, so last summer we did;
Day 1 Yarmouth I of W to Eastbourne ( was a long day, but we needed a complete day off there for the World cup QF)
Day 2 Eastbourne to Dover
Day 3 Dover to Orwell ( but starting needs to get tide right to sweep you up past N Foreland)

So in conclusion, if you want to do day sails in the light, then even with good conditions you are likely to need more time.

 

[BelleSerene]

Ramsgate to Eastbourne is a long way in one hop as you need to be at least 3 miles off Dover unless stopping there

Really? I never am when I pass those parts. What is it that I don’t know?

Totally agree with your advice though, and the OP will want more time if he’s not to feel he needs a holiday afterwards. I guess there’s always the option of taking a train home and enjoying four weekends’ cruising back in the summer.

 

[Major_Clanger]

I'm another advocate for allowing more time. Or perhaps plan it as a cruise down channel and leave the boat there for a while before returning. You could easily get stuck somewhere due to weather, especially going around the corner of South Foreland.

It's not a time-pressed delivery, so enjoy the trip without the temptation to compromise sound decisions due to pressure. Apart from anything else, it would be a real pity to arrive in the Solent just in time to turn around again!

 

[laika]

Others will have more experience than I of the badlands east of eastbourne but eastbourne->solent in one hit is a pretty long day in a 30' boat. As Brighton is my home port these days I've never done eastbourne-solent but I'm guessing you'd look to take the last of the ebb round beachy head then fight the tide and have it fair round selsey bill? That wouldn't be helped by a westerly forcing you to tack against a foul tide and you do always have the risk of a pesky easterly on the way back (and of course another westerly won't be helpful unless you're a kite fiend and it's neither too strong nor too gentle). That leg has flat, dull coastline and strikes me as a long passage without the sense of adventure of similar length passages crossing the channel or Lyme bay.

 

[Bru]

you need to be at least 3 miles off Dover unless stopping there .

You only need to be one mile off, not three (per sailing directions repeated on the relevant Admiralty charts)

I'd also monitor Dover VTS from about 5 miles off to get a picture of the shipping movements - it's not that unusual for the ferries to use the Western entrance which could spring a surprise on the unsuspecting passing sailor

I've only sailed past Dover once, in the night heading East when the ferry traffic was light (and the bars were closed!) I should imagine it could get a bit interesting trying to dive between the near constant stream of inbound and outbound ferries during the busy periods

 

[BelleSerene]

You only need to be one mile off, not three (per sailing directions repeated on the relevant Admiralty charts)

I'd also monitor Dover VTS from about 5 miles off to get a picture of the shipping movements - it's not that unusual for the ferries to use the Western entrance which could spring a surprise on the unsuspecting passing sailor

I've only sailed past Dover once, in the night heading East when the ferry traffic was light (and the bars were closed!) I should imagine it could get a bit interesting trying to dive between the near constant stream of inbound and outbound ferries during the busy periods

Thanks. It's not a requirement to be offshore though. You can perfectly well kiss the harbour wall on your way round. In fact, FWIW you get much better warning of who's coming and going if you are close in. Certainly, on the way round and if not stopping in Dover even to anchor briefly in the outer port, I would sail close to the gates. It's really not worth adding miles to your passage to go offshore on that already convex coastline. By all means call Dover Port Control on (is it?) Ch74 from a couple of miles off as you would if planning to enter the port, and just let them know you're approaching to pass but not inbound.

I once got seriously befuddled by a dredger operating out of the Western entrance at night. Lights glaring everywhere and no way of telling which way was forwards or what the thing was.

 

[jac]

Some good advice on the passage there and back.

My 2p.

Take more time off.

Unless your objective is just to tick the box and say you've sailed to the Solent and back I would look to take maybe a week more and actually explore the area. There are lots of places to explore in any weather which is why it's so popular.

You could even consider doing something like 3-4 days onboard to deliver the boat there ( possibly over a weekend if holiday is an issue) - Leave the boat on a suitable mooring for a week or two, back for a week ( or even odd weekends) then take the boat home, either at the end of your week or as a separate journey.


Remember with the prevailing winds, the return journey is likely to be quicker.

 

[ditchcrawler]

Having done this several times you have been given some very good advice. I would concur that it is likely that whatever the weather forecast says a few days before, make allowances to be stuck somewhere if the weather turns. I have been holed up in Ramsgit more than once and almost everyone I know who does this trip has similar stories to tell.

 

[Nauti Fox]

Just a word of warning, as you get beyond Hastings on the approach to Eastbourne try and do it in reasonable light, I was astounded by the amount of pot markers (some good, some not so) on that leg, they are even clustered round the safe water mark just outside Eastbourne. When we were there the lifeboat was out a couple of times to help release.
This was the summer of last year on a similar trip, Medway to Dorset, but with a mobo.