Falmouth to Fowey: maiden trip tomorrow, all advice gladly received!

[sniffyjenkins]

Hello everyone

So after 6 months of refitting our new (to us) Golden Hind 31, she was put in the water at Flushing on Saturday. After a bit of engine weirdness we got going and have been at Mylor since. We're starting our 2-week gentle trip back to Sussex and the first leg will be to Fowey. The wind being N/NE today is no good so we're planing on leaving tomorrow. Today we'll have a wee sail out of the harbour, get Marschallin's sails up for the first time, potter about a bit then pick up a mooring at Falmouth Yacht Haven for the night.

We would love to hear any advice anyone has about the passage and/or staying at Fowey. Wind tomorrow looks to be N/NW 3 or 4 then variable.

All and any advice about anything is most gratefully received. Thanks guys

 

[Robert Wilson]

Nice gentle 22nm trip, providing wind not in the east.
Dodman Point - go well out or "right in"; almost touching the rock distance.

In May last year I called ahead to Fowey Harbour to reserve a mooring near Pont Pill/Polruan. £15 for the night, HM came round in a RIB to take my money.
There is a pontoon in Pont Pill, but its not attached to the shore.
Further up is Boddinnick (spelling?), but that's attached to the east shore, with access to the town by dinghy, or the ferry.

I made Dartmouth the next day, a long held ambition and well worth it - but the £COST

Good luck.


PS
Look out for the China Clay carriers coming down river. They are a "non negotiable" scenario - fast, large and limited in manoeuvring ability!!

 

[jonjo]

The weather is on the change after an extraordinary period of sustained NE airflow associated with a stuck high pressure.

You need to be around Portland Bill within 4 days because after that we could be in for a few weeks of turbulent lows arriving from the Atlantic.

Shakedown sail today upto Fowey. See if you can make Dartmouth tomorrow. Then if you have still 48 hours more of settled weather, rest up for the day and cross Lyme Bay overnight. Its very quiet with little shipping to worry about. Once in Weymouth/Poole you can complete the rest of the voyage to your home port in small weather windows.

p.s. it is very very cold, put a rediculous number of layers on.

p.s.2. At this time of year there is no such thing as a gentle 2 week trip back to Sussex. You are doing an offseason delievery trip, if conditions are right and you feel ok just keep going. Studland Bay is only 30 hours away and forget all the precision inshore timing around the Bill, go wide go far.

 

[doug748]

You will probably be getting unfavourable tide for much of the trip, my guess is that you may end up motoring. The tides are generally weak but pick up around The Dodman, as already mentioned. There are no navigational problems that are not well marked.

If you want to go ashore it will be a dinghy job, although you could go alongside for a few hours for a meal, which should be no problem at this time of year. Lots of swinging moorings available which will be handy for an early morning start, which will be required if Dartmouth is your next target.

Lovely trip, wrap up well.

 

[{151760}]

I concur with the advice regarding Portland Bill. Pass at least three miles south of it. The inshore passage requires very careful timing. Going the long way will add an hour or so to the passage, but it's much less stressful.

 

[[2574]]

The first time I went past Portland Bill I was so far south that I couldn't see it! Over the years I've come in closer and in fair weather go right through the barely perceptible race, but strategy agreed, go south young man!

 

[dunedin]

Good advice about choosing weather window to get round Portland Bill.

But think Jonjo is being a bit pessimistic to refer to late March / early April as "out of season" - days are getting much longer, and arguably we had better sailing weather in March / April last year than in July / August. And now passing but been superb spell of (light wind) sailing weather for last two weeks in some places. Weather changes so just need to look at forecasts and plan, just as if doing trip in June

 

[TiggerToo]

All and any advice about anything is most gratefully received. Thanks guys

If you want a REALLY quiet night in Fowey, carry on well past the China clay docks. You may find a free mooring, or even a pool to drop the hook. Harbour masters may not come to collect dues up there... but could lie in wait when you make your way back out of the harbour the next day.

Of course, that means a long row in the dinghy back to the flesh pots of Fowey town, itself. But you could drop in at Golant, as an alternative.

 

[Robert Wilson]

I concur with the advice regarding Portland Bill. Pass at least three miles south of it. The inshore passage requires very careful timing. Going the long way will add an hour or so to the passage, but it's much less stressful.

Extract from my 2015 Log. 23rd May (As a first-timer down that way):-

" I have heard many a story about the Portland Race, and how to deal with it. I knew my timing wasn't perfect, so to be on the safe side I decided to head well out from Portland Bill. I reckoned five miles would be enough and then when past the notorious Race I could turn in northwards to the Shambles cardinal mark and make for Portland or Weymouth harbours.
Just after three o'clock, with sails setting well and making good speed I was close to the Race. The tide was against me, and making. A fishing boat crossed my bow and made straight in to the western side of the Bill. I really didn't fancy another Bishop’s Rock bashing so I stayed out. But I wasn't out far enough. Although I wasn't in the race, the tide-against was fierce. With sails drawing and the engine on at full revolutions I was making just over one knot over the ground, but more than six knots through the water. For more than two hours I battled the current, seeming never to get any closer to Portland Bill.
I inched onwards trying desperately to convince myself that the marks on land were in fact closing or crossing."

It wasn't particularly rough but it was certainly a very tiring experience.

Good luck.

 

[Tranona]

Going well south makes sense if you are heading straight for Poole or the Solent but if planning Weymouth or Portland going inside - and getting the timing right is much preferred.

 

[Seajet]

The weather is on the change after an extraordinary period of sustained NE airflow associated with a stuck high pressure.

You need to be around Portland Bill within 4 days because after that we could be in for a few weeks of turbulent lows arriving from the Atlantic.

Shakedown sail today upto Fowey. See if you can make Dartmouth tomorrow. Then if you have still 48 hours more of settled weather, rest up for the day and cross Lyme Bay overnight. Its very quiet with little shipping to worry about. Once in Weymouth/Poole you can complete the rest of the voyage to your home port in small weather windows.

p.s. it is very very cold, put a rediculous number of layers on.

p.s.2. At this time of year there is no such thing as a gentle 2 week trip back to Sussex. You are doing an offseason delievery trip, if conditions are right and you feel ok just keep going. Studland Bay is only 30 hours away and forget all the precision inshore timing around the Bill, go wide go far.

+100, Couldn't agree more.

Remember Fatigue Is The Killer & cold & long nights = fatigue.

 

[dom]

Going well south makes sense if you are heading straight for Poole or the Solent but if planning Weymouth or Portland going inside - and getting the timing right is much preferred.

Totally agree; and even if bound for Poole or beyond the Jurassic Coast is simply stunning, especially when the sun decides to properly light it up! Moreover if the wind has any North in it the water will be almost completely flat.

 

[jimi]

with that sort of forecast Dodman will no be an issue at all. as regards tidal planning, its helpful if you can time it to get the ebb out of Falmouth , bit of kick past the Dodman and the flood into Fowey, but its not essential. As others have said the big legs on your trip will be across Lyme Bay and Solent to Eastbourne. Personally, I'd leave at the crack of dawn and if all was going well I'd crack on to Dartmouth or Brixham and attempt to get across Lyme Baybefore thers a change in the weather.

 

[Seajet]

As I found out the hard way, if heading East from say Dartmouth it is foolish to commit oneself too far north into Lyme Bay.

I did exactly that, with a perfect forecast - we actually set off from Dartmouth motoring in a F1-2 - so considering the tides went north into the bay; on our first, naive crossing we'd been swept straight through Portland Race and I was quite keen not to repeat this !

Despite the forecast the wind built up to a SW F6-7 + and we had an interesting time ( ie most frightening of my life ) getting round the inshore passage.

Now whenever heading east from Dartmouth/ Brixham I keep well south, forget Weymouth and slant in for Studland - Poole.

 

[jimi]

also worth bearing in mind that if going south, the long way round Weymouth is not much different than carrying on to Studland, plus you can also aim to clear St Aldelms with has a greater expanse of rough water than Portland. Tidal planning really is required for Portland and east. I must admit further west I never really bothered about the tides, just came and went when it suited me.. although headlands can have a bit of tide off them.

 

[Chris_Robb]

One potential problem on an older boat - which is new to you, is that the fuel tank may have accumulated a lot if gunk in the bottom over the years. If you have a rough crossing, this may stir up the gunk and result in a rapidly blocked fuel filter - and no engine.

So if you have not time to check the fuel tank before you leave, at least take a couple of spare filters.

Some tanks have a drain sump at the bottom, some even have an inspection hatch. At some point you need to find out as it would be unusual for an old boat to have a clean tank (if original).

I know this because the maiden voyage of my first yacht ended with water in the filter and no engine - in rough a very rough north sea! On inspecting the tank - it was filthy.

 

[dom]

Agree about getting going if OP is happy his boat is seaworthy and generally ready. I'd also suggest popping into a local store to purchase a couple of cheapo inner gloves, so one is always dry. Also a balaclava hat is great, or your face will be fecking freezing, a couple of those plastic chemical hand-warmers are always nice and take a couple of big flasks of hot soup. It's always a faff warming stuff up at sea. Finally full thermal underwear is a must if not the greatest attraction to the opposite sex!

I sail all winter and would say that you'll love it once you're warm. But to second Seajet's advice, yes if cold or fatigued don't fall foul of "target fixation". Take a break, have a kitkat and wait for a weather wind. This isn't December and they'll almost certainly come along.

Good luck :encouragement::encouragement:

 

[lw395]

Going well south makes sense if you are heading straight for Poole or the Solent but if planning Weymouth or Portland going inside - and getting the timing right is much preferred.

You have to be a very long way off not to get significant foul tide, which makes it a long way to Weymouth or Poole.
Personally I would suggest keeping options open.
There are several strategies that can work well, depending on the wind direction and speed of the boat.
Sometimes avoiding the worst of the W tide in Lyme Bay, then carrying the E tide all the way to Yarmouth IoW is good.
But if the wind does not deliver the progress, a stop in Weymouth can be an option.

You could consider 'cheating' on your Lyme Bay crossing by starting from Brixham. One less headland and a bit less distance, makes the timing easier if you fancy Weymouth.
From Weymouth, timing as you approach Hurst is the key, you want E tide all the way to Cowes if you can.


I think Mark Fishwick's book West Country Cruising is still a good guide for tides and so forth?

 

[Seajet]

Another important factor is that lobster pots are shamelessly bestrewn along the Portland inshore passage; it's dodgy enough in daylight and good weather - the tide pulls the marker buoys just under the surface - but the idea of becoming pinned by the prop' or rudder there on a rough night doesn't bear thinking about...

 

[lw395]

I would certainly prefer to do he inshore passage in daylight.
If you are near the start of the tide, the pot markers are much less likely to be underwater than when the tide's at its strongest.