Felixstowe -> Portsmouth as Day Sails; Possible ?

[HappyHurley]

Has anyone done this [or similar] ?

I don't have Reeds or The Channel Pilot to hand, so I'm not able to check distances.

26', modern, deep fin. Assume 4 knots average speed ?

New to me boat, Coastal Skipper with Day Skipper as crew.

Relatively time unconstrained, so can, within reason choose benign conditions and leave the boat in a marina to break the trip.

Safe havens seem few & far between on this stretch of coastline. Ramsgate, Dover, Newhaven [?], Brighton [understand this is weather constrained ?].

 

[MoodySabre]

Having only been a day sail person I bought a boat in Plymouth and sailed it back to Bradwell. So it is possible - the main issue is that going westbound you only get 5 hours of tide with you. So some long days might be necessary.
Eastbourne is another stop to add to your list.
Pick your weather window, be happy to stop and wait if necessary.

 

[Sandy]

Have a play with Navionics online, everything is possible with a bit of planning.

Navionics ChartViewer

 

[LittleSister]

Yes, I've done it, or the reverse, in a 23 footer.

I'd probably go Felixstowe - Ramsgate or Dover (or both if you want to make it easy/relaxed tide-wise either side) - Brighton - Portsmouth. You'd want to get your tides right, and in daytime, to make it easier. I assume you have an engine, in case the wind falls very light or is otherwise adverse.

Other possibilities, in addition to those and the ones you've mentioned, that spring to mind are Eastbourne and Shoreham.

Access to Brighton is not, in my experience, weather constrained, except in severe weather, and you've said you can organise to avoid that.

 

[jimi]

I'd go Felixstowe to Ramsgate (make sure you get the favourable tide near Ramsgate), Brighton, Portsmouth. You'll have some long day sails and you are against the prevailing wind.

 

[sailingmartin]

As above I have done it in reverse at a leisurely pace with stops at: Littlehampton, Brighton, Eastbourne, Dover, and Ramsgate.

 

[pyrojames]

I have done it many times. Ramsgate (marina or anchoring just to the south), Eastbourne, Brighton ( although not in the last 5 or 6 years, then the Solent. Sometimes anchoring off Dungeness if the tides' foul.

Eastbourne Brighton is a bit of a breather leg!

 

[Habebty]

I have done Orwell to Solent many times solo. Work the tides right and do Harwich - Dover, Dover - Brighton, Brighton - Gosport. And as Pyrojames says above, throw in a short breather leg Eastbourne - Brighton if you like.

 

[Gary Fox]

Definitely doable in day sail hops; how about Shoreham and Littlehampton, a bit more interesting than big marinas and you can still make them fit the tides.

 

[V1701]

You'll need to time your arrival at Brighton if using it, couple of hours either side of low water, you won't get in at low water...

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[pvb]

You'll need to time your arrival at Brighton if using it, couple of hours either side of low water, you won't get in at low water...

Nice little video, thanks. The last time I visited Brighton Marina, I went aground immediately after leaving the visitor berth! The main channel wasn't deep enough for my 2m draught.

 

[Halo]

As you are relatively un time constrained it would be a great shame to go right past the Thames Estuary and not go up it to London.
Ramsgate to Queenborough overnight then Queenborough to St Kats or Limehouse then on via Queenborough again

 

[TernVI]

Against the prevailing wind, splitting a trip into 'day sails' is making life hard for yourself.
It's a lot easier to pick two out of three from 'wind, tide and daylight' than to hit the jackpot.

Would it be possible to gain a few night hours before this epic voyage and gain more flexibility?

 

[Adios]

If the wind is right anchoring at sea either side of Dungeness is an interesting often overlooked option. Nicely placed between ramsgate and the solent with no tide worries of getting in and out of somewhere. Last time I anchored there it was like a mill pond in the morning and so much more peaceful than a marina:

 

[mattonthesea]

We did Ramsgate, Eastbourne, Shoreham, Portsmouth in day sails with winds like present. NE F7. Really, we started upstream form Queenborough. After, we went on to Weymouth, Exmouth, Torquay, Newlyn, Padstow, Lundy, Cardiff, Bristol. Not quite; Bristol VTS called us to say that we'd missed the lockin and so we stopped at Portishead. A F8 and knackeredness kept us in Weymouth for a day and Torquay-Newlyn was 24 hour motor.

 

[Kwik Decision]

We day sailed from Fox's (Ipswich) to the Solent, on the final leg of our Round Britain, in 3 days in a bilge keel Sadler 29. They were quite long days though. First leg was planned to be to Ramsgate, but as we were approaching, we still had 2 hrs fair tide, so continued to Dover. 13.5 hrs, 62 NM logged, NE 5 blowing for a lot of the time, and to quote the log, we were going like a train. Second leg was Dover to Brighton, 11 hrs, 52 NM logged, wind N or NW 3-4. Third leg Brighton to Cowes. 10 hrs, 42 NM, wind NW 3, inc W 4, engine used for over half the passage (we didn't tack!). So yes, quite possible, especially if the wind plays ball!

 

[johnalison]

The first time we went west Of Dover other than on the French side was in a Sadler 29 fin, in about 1989. To get a good start we set off from anchor south of Mersea Island with an a light easterly that veered with our passage. We passed Doverat about 2.30 and decided that it wasn't worth stopping and continued to Brighton, arriving at 2.30 am with a rising S F6. The Dover-Eastbourne/Brighton bit is likely to be the most exposed leg and the only one where the tides don't really work for you, so it is usually a case of having a flexible plan if day-sailing is your intention. We have usually planned to round Dungeness with the last of the tide and pick it up again before Beachy Head. If you are committed to sailing, there could be occasions where a crossing to Fecamp and return to the Solent gives better sailing.

 

[HappyHurley]

@Kwik Decision & @johnalison very useful hard data

How was/is the entrance to Dover ?

 

[johnalison]

@Kwik Decision & @johnalison very useful hard data

How was/is the entrance to Dover ?

You need to check harbour plans before entering a strange port. The one in Reeds would be adequate. There are two entrances. Coming from the east you will normally enter the eastern one, or 'Eastern' as they call it in harbour-speak. It is normal to call them about 20 mins before getting there, when they will usually ask you to call again when you are a few cables from the entrance, when you may be allowed to enter, or to wait to the north of the entrance. When there is a slot between ferries they will call you again if you are waiting and told to make 'best speed' across the harbour to the marina. I imagine that this is the same with the new marina.

Things are much the same with the western entrance except that there is only occasional shipping here. Be warned that in westerly winds it can get very rough just outside the western entrance as waves reflect off the mole.

 

[Gwylan]

Never been N of Ramsgate and Swale but have experience of going west.

Given our experience of 24 footer I would think 4 knots could be ambitious.

Do plan your arrival at Ramsgate for the best of the tide. Or be very patient.

I'd suggest - Ramsgate, Rye Bay anchor. Assuming the weather is good. Off Pett Levels in about 5m. Or heave to have a meal, few hours kip and move on when the tide is in your favour.
Going into Rye would be fun, but will eat up a lot of time.
Alternative Ramsgate to Dover, then that gives you the time window to get to Eastbourne.

Eastbourne then Brighton or Shoreham. Both require timing for arrival. Only been to Shoreham once.

Littlehampton is a good spot to time getting best of the tide to get to Portsmouth.
Enjoy it anyway.