From Chichester you have to beat west, or motor. Rules for comfort.

[LadyInBed]

I would love a new fully battened main and I am sure that would make a significant difference to my pointing ability. Not sure when that might happen.

It would not cost too much to convert your current main. You can use standard mast toggles and it will improve the shape of even a tired sail.

 

[neilf39]

If the wind is SW I find keeping to the North and going through the dolphin best. Can do that in a tack or two in my bilge keel Konsort. I find going to the IOW side the wind becomes more westerly, shifts alot, and can be fickle in lower wind ranges. I beat uppast gilkicker and keep going until I can tack across to make Cowes. It does mean you are in bigger seas but I get west quicker. Also if you are at Chi entrance at HW-1 you get a good couple of knots pushing you west.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Based on the yacht you appear to have, Springs tides and West or WSW wind then I would agree with what others have said above: sail on a Reach quickly against the tide down from Emsowrth area, leave entrance at HW-1 to HW, head over to the IOW shore on first tack to pick up the strongest NW going tide to pull you through the Eastern Forts area. Beat to windward until skipper and crew are fed up with the motion and have had enough excitement, by then you could be either near Ryde or better still by Wotton Creek. Also at this time the wind will probably headed you a little with a more north in it, so drop/furl the sails, put the kettle on, put the cushions back on the bunks, pick up the stuff that slipped on the saloon floor and motor close ish along the IOW shore towards Osbourne Bay, if sheltered in the bay and the west going tide has run out then maybe anchor at the western end of Osbourne Bay close in as depth will allow but not too far west that you get the swell coming around the headland. Settle down for a late afternoon/early evening meal, enjoy watching the world shipping go by in the Solent, over canvased yachts being flattened in the gusts in the mid channel, and watching the weather in the distance passing over the mainland (aka North Island). When the tide/weather changes or later when suits crew and skipper then move on to maybe pop around the corner west to Cowes, Beaulieu, further west or head back home downwind. Or if anchoring for more than a few hours with a bit of movement does not suit those on board then, motor west against the tide around the headland into the new small boat channel into Cowes. On this trip remember to allow for the apparent wind increasing in the deeper water channels and when boat speed increases in flatter water.

Escape options:- Bembridge assuming you get there before the tide falls too much, so do not linger on the first leg or leave Chi' late. Portsmouth of course is the best alternative option for shelter and comfort by far but check the predicted strength of the tide in the entrance for the time you might want to go in, simply blast Reach in (with engine on because of local regs). If in Osbourne Bay and the wind picks up too much for you then it is perfect viable option to blast on a beam Reach back to Portsmouth even at low tide for shelter. If too rough for you and crew when you pass first West Pole at HW, or when looking west it looks too nasty for you, then turn around and go back into Chi immediately before the ebb starts.

Would I do that trip in a proper solid F5 Westerly with my fair weather only wife and a young daughter on a similar boat, no. But I suppose it depends on what they enjoy from sailing.

Cheers Channel Sailor
I think you have nailed it, particularly the final sentence.
As others have said, the reward with Chichester is the following wind on the homebound leg (except we had better, close reaching on a NNE.)

 

[FairweatherDave]

If the wind is SW I find keeping to the North and going through the dolphin best. Can do that in a tack or two in my bilge keel Konsort. I find going to the IOW side the wind becomes more westerly, shifts alot, and can be fickle in lower wind ranges. I beat uppast gilkicker and keep going until I can tack across to make Cowes. It does mean you are in bigger seas but I get west quicker. Also if you are at Chi entrance at HW-1 you get a good couple of knots pushing you west.

Yes, that is the route I normally take in a SW. As you sail a bilge Konsort too I'm interested what wind strength/sail plan you would use at the bottom of a F5 and how close you reckon to sail to the wind (closely guarded secret maybe )

 

[neilf39]

At the bottom of a f5 I have a reef in the main and my full 110% Genoa out, although I may put a reef in that too. I sail at 35 to 40 degrees off the apparent wind.

 

[[3889]]

I like sailing upwind. I know I could improve too. Is your using the furled genoa comment about sailing or motorsailing?
But my initial bit about "Gentlemen don't beat" is really about looking after crew who don't want the heeling over stuff.
It was the sea state and slamming from time to time that was unpopular.

A former Mrs Q didn't like the heeling over stuff and so, on passages of any length or in lively conditions, I sailed and she got the ferry or whatever. It led, at least with regard to boating, to a far more harmonious existence. Doing this you would still have enjoyed the downhill return trip as a family.

 

[FairweatherDave]

At the bottom of a f5 I have a reef in the main and my full 110% Genoa out, although I may put a reef in that too. I sail at 35 to 40 degrees off the apparent wind.

Thanks Neil, that was pretty much my sail plan for quite a while, I did try various tactics.. Not sure how helpful to me it will be but I will retrieve the GPS from the boat and download the track to Google Earth and see what angle I was getting to the wind.

 

[FairweatherDave]

A former Mrs Q didn't like the heeling over stuff and so, on passages of any length or in lively conditions, I sailed and she got the ferry or whatever. It led, at least with regard to boating, to a far more harmonious existence. Doing this you would still have enjoyed the downhill return trip as a family.

Cheers Mr. Q.... Yes that is an option we have used, with the ferry from Portsmouth to Ryde. Haven't investigated Portsmouth to Cowes. Have also used the train to meet at Poole and Portsmouth.. Part of the issue was a failure on my part to interpret the forecast, part was an overzealous desire to get to Cowes and part was the completely unanticipated migraine she developed, which was simply miserable for her. So ferries can be a most excellent solution.
She doesn't mind heeling for a while once she is used to it but heeling combined with the SLOW progress was the pleasure killer.

 

[dom]

Thanks Neil, that was pretty much my sail plan for quite a while, I did try various tactics.. Not sure how helpful to me it will be but I will retrieve the GPS from the boat and download the track to Google Earth and see what angle I was getting to the wind.

Trouble is you won’t see much given the complication of the tidal effects. Keeping it simple, I’d say a bilge keel Konsort will struggle beating into a choppy blow and I’m not sure it’s worth worth spending on laminate sails, fully battened systems, etc.

Personally I’d catch the max tidal effect and live with the wind over tide chop that creates in a SW. First out towards the New Ground Cardinal, tack along to No Man’s Land Fort, then push up to the Island where flatter waters can be found. Finally, cut in close to the Shrape Beacon and into the Cowes small boat channel.

If too rough, your still stuck in a beautiful harbour

 

[lw395]

Cheers Mr. Q.... Yes that is an option we have used, with the ferry from Portsmouth to Ryde. Haven't investigated Portsmouth to Cowes. Have also used the train to meet at Poole and Portsmouth.. Part of the issue was a failure on my part to interpret the forecast, part was an overzealous desire to get to Cowes and part was the completely unanticipated migraine she developed, which was simply miserable for her. So ferries can be a most excellent solution.
She doesn't mind heeling for a while once she is used to it but heeling combined with the SLOW progress was the pleasure killer.

If you're not enjoying it, stop.

OK, TurkTown is not the most fashionable destination, but TBH out of season Cowes is often a bit dull unless there's something special happening. Portsmouth Harbour can be worth a cruise around (see the navy in their natural habitat...) even a bit scenic further up. Stop in one of the marinas, ferry to Gunwharf for food and shops.
Likewise Southsea Marina is worth a thought. It's a fair walk to actual Southsea, but you could always get a taxi back.

There must a be a limit to how many times you want to go to Bembridge or Itchenor.

I've taken the bus to Cowes from Yarmouth but never Bembridge FWIW.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Okay, the turn around question. I was definitely of the mindset that once close to shore of the island the sea state would improve. But being WSW it simply made little difference, the swell was unimpeded by and large. From what I remember it had been pretty blowy the day before. So marginal improvement on the island side, and the migraine only struck maybe off Osborne Bay, so pointless to turn round. Also I knew the tide would get more helpful, we had simply set off an hour too early. On other days I might easily have turned for Portsmouth. Or Bembridge.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Hi Fairweatherdave,

I also was in Chichester for a year, loved being in the marina and the harbour generally, but much less so the beat west. And my boat went brilliantly well to windward, in stronger winds F5/6 under blade jib only, sometimes with a roll or two in that. Despite that ability, we motored a lot.

However, we eventually moved to the costly and less attractive Swanwick... it made a big difference as we usually wanted to be in the Solent anyway, and so we had a 30 minute trip instead of several hours. Having said all of that we've now sold up to move to the dark.

Maybe the clue to your strategy lies in your Forum name...

 

[FairweatherDave]

Hi Fairweatherdave,

Maybe the clue to your strategy lies in your Forum name...

Correct.

The truth is my appetite for the rough stuff is tempered with a fear of sea sickness. But my wife's forum name would be Swimming or Nothing Ange......
Hence we love Chichester harbour in the summer (particularly 2018 summer). If she wasn't so mad for the swimming we could migrate west. A catamaran would be our solution to the heeling issue .....

 

[Sticky Fingers]

fair enough. Always try Newtown Creek as an alternative swimming spot.

 

[Channel Sailor]

Okay, the turn around question. I was definitely of the mindset that once close to shore of the island the sea state would improve. But being WSW it simply made little difference, the swell was unimpeded by and large. From what I remember it had been pretty blowy the day before. So marginal improvement on the island side, and the migraine only struck maybe off Osborne Bay, so pointless to turn round.

Agreed, in a west or sometimes in a SW F5 gusts to 6 it is only a marginal improvement (but enough to make a difference for me) until you get close in (take care of ledges if you go really close in, refer to Solent Hazards book). But I have noticed it can get gusty as you head from Wootton towards Osbourne close in. Also I would add that when it roughs up in that area on my little yacht I tend to want to be reducing time spent in the middle of the main shipping route because I would rather be tacking when I planned rather than being forced to tack unexpectedly mid channel or puzzling over exactly where a large vessel on a gradual turn might end up. The route Main Passage to Cowes, if direct, does mean rather a lot of time in the shipping channels. Whereas the route close in to No Mans Land Fort to Cowes means you are away from the Portsmouth traffic and you can tuck in south of both N Sturbridge Cardinal and Mother Bank port buoy to stay out the way of the big stuff. Sure, you have to cross the ferries plying to Ryde and Wootton but their track I think is more predictable close to the shore.