Flatter than a flat thing (videos)

jimmy_the_builder

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Wow, what a weekend we've just had. Swmbo and I decided to head west from Brighton on Saturday morning, and see where we ended up. After taking an hour at Brighton to fuel up (Premier Marinas take note: having only one functioning diesel pump, and one member of staff who keeps vanishing for 30mins at a time to open the lock, on a sunny Saturday morning just really is not the way to look after your customers...) we finally got away at 1230.

We decided to route south of the Isle of Wight, thinking of perhaps taking the long way round to Lymington, or maybe running straight on to Weymouth. We took about 90 mins to get to St Catherines Point, where we stopped for about half an hour, and drifted while having lunch. Lovely.

And then we thought ... this sea state is just too good to resist - so let's try for Dartmouth. And that's exactly what we did - flat seas the whole way, bar the tiniest race you've ever seen at Portland, 32kts through the water for the entire trip. Just for a change I thought I'd try the camcorder on the boat, so here are a couple of fragments from Lyme bay to show just how flat it is when it is flatter than a flat thing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1arlRSMZmFc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s9C_ezPOVY

Anyway - after about 140nm, we berthed up at Darthaven. Had a great couple of days, had a brilliant meal on Sunday evening with Hurricane and Mrs Hurricane of this parish (Spice Bazaar does the business once again) and then came back on Monday - not quite as flat as a flat thing this time, but a comfortable 30kts all the way across Lyme Bay, and 32kts once we were east of the Bill. Back on our home berth in Brighton by 5pm. What a weekend!

Cheers
Jimmy
 
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Great stuff. It's really good when they put that kinda gold coloured visual beacon on the water (as in your second clip) so you can just steer straight into it without worrying about the plotter or anything. :D
 
wow that was flat
the last trip I did in so much flat seas was when I was coming down with my current boat from San Felice Circeo South of Rome to Capri
locally this year was always a Force 4 to 5 on most of the weekends, with sometimes getting the occasional Force 3, but who is going to stay inside with so much heat in the central med Malta
 
Great stuff. It's really good when they put that kinda gold coloured visual beacon on the water (as in your second clip) so you can just steer straight into it without worrying about the plotter or anything. :D

Even better, they put the Mew Stone at the end of it so that you get a helpful bump to let you know when you've arrived!

Cheers
Jimmy
 
Great trip, Jimmy

It was great to meet up again - SWMBO and I will be back to that restaurant again - I'm sure.

We followed your progress on Monday morning across Lyme Bay through our telescope. I kept popping back every 10 mins or so - you seemed to be flying along. Visibility was fantastic - we could clearly see you (I recon) about 23 miles out - that would be almost half way across the bay.

Good to hear you got back safely.

Mike
 
Fantastic - the reason we go boating. Not many trips like that, but best one I did was x channel, everything was perfect,oily flat sea, music playing ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh !


- when we had a boat anyway !!!

Thanks for posting.
 
Have you got that 4x4 fixed then Steve?

hi gary..long time no hear etc...no, 4x4 scrapped, and work situation very grim at the mo, so no funds for a replacement but when things improve large amounts of floating time to make up on...thanks for your interest. al the best. steve...
 
When its flat it can be a lovely crossing, our first trip on OUJO was over to Dartmouth in very similar conditions, we even saw dolphins. In the Solent it was also quiet flat, in fact flat enough to water ski behind the jet ski, photos to follow soon!!
Nice to know Huricane was keeping an eye on you!!
FenderGirl
 
hi gary..long time no hear etc...no, 4x4 scrapped, and work situation very grim at the mo, so no funds for a replacement but when things improve large amounts of floating time to make up on...thanks for your interest. al the best. steve...

sorry to hear about the work situation Steve, an all too common reply at present, a saddening situation that I'm fortunate enough not to have experienced to date.... send me a pm if you need a tow down to the water (seriously), I could leave the boat at home and do a weekend with the lads in the tender exploring Christchurch harbour and spend the rest of the time with SWMBO as a general weekend out on the town whilst you and yours get to enjoy your boat... pm me if that'll help you out... it's SWMBO's birthday this weekend so can't do it then I'm afraid... going round the mum in laws intead... doh!
 
Looks too good to be true..What are thoes engines and are they/it realy as quiet as that? All I can detect is the sound made by the hull... A serious question, as I have not had any experiance of modern powerboating.Chris.
 
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