Hamble to Tor Bay??

lisilou

lisilou

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Having been inspired by Marks video of Elberry Cove near Brixham, I really fancy giving it a go. We've got a Monterey 250 with single diesel engine just for your info. Given that the farthest we've been is Studland, am I being fool hardy even thinking about it (we're in Hamble River) or is it perfectly do-able without too much concern? I've looked briefly at the chart (need to get a larger scale chart for more detailed planning) and it's just short of 100 miles :eek: by my reckoning. Should we do it in stages and stop overs or in one go which would take what?...5/6 hours 15-20 knts. might be well out there but thats going by the 1 1/2 hours it took us to Studland. Any advice would be much appreciated and much needed. Please be brutally honest. If u think I'm being a pr**t for even considering it, please just say :).
Thanks
Lisa
 
Perfectly doable.

Pick your weather carefully.

When we head west we go and sit in Yarmouth the day before, takes off 20 miles and is a nice place to sit and wait.
 
Hamble to Studland - you know.

Studland to Weymouth - not a lot further - follow the coast along - may have to go out if the Lulworth ranges are in use but Weymouth would be a good next place to aim for.

Most who set out from the Solent to Torbay only get as far as Weymouth - mainly due to weather.

Lyme Bay is probably the biggest challenge for a boat of your size. Do-able though IMO and only if the weather is on your side.
If you've stopped at Weymouth, take a very close route around Old Bill (Portland)
Not much point in working your way round Lyme Bay - there arent many places to hide from the weather.

Expect to leave the boat somewhere if the weather turns.

Otherwise, a great challenge - go for it.

Whats your fuel range?
 
hi lisiluo....i have taken Thanks Mum (S24) from swanick to dartmouth in 2003/4 nonstop..so what you want to do is very do,able. my boat has a kad32 and on arrival we took on just over a 3rd of a tank.....remember not to take any more FRESH water than you need for the trip (its dead wieght)...pick your weather carefully, weymouth would be my choice of "halfway legstretch" if needed and has fuel if required...i would also pass within touching distance of portland bill because it saves a lot of "rock n roll" just keep A GOOD WATCH FOR POTS N MARKERS...........and above all else ENJOY and post lots of pics here!!!!
 
Thanks so much for the advice and (as ever) encouragement. We'll get to Weymouth then and judge it from there on then. Seems to be a good plan to me, thanks.
Steve, please tell me you have a vid for that one, would love to see it.
Hurricaine, fuel range...i'm a little embarrassed to tell you i'm not sure :o. We have a tank capacity of 291 litres which is about 64 gals i believe. We got to studland and back on just short of 1/4 tank so i guess we would plan to fill up at Weymouth, again somewhere nearer destination and same back. Think maybe I should swat up on the more technical bits of our boat (she says, burying head both in shame AND in the engine manual :o)
 
Regarding Lyme Bay, is it best perhaps to hug the shoreline rather than head straight across? Did you mean there was little point in doing that Hurricane coz the sea states the same either way due to lack of shelter?
 
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lisilou said:
Having been inspired by Marks video of Elberry Cove near Brixham, I really fancy giving it a go. We've got a Monterey 250 with single diesel engine just for your info. Given that the farthest we've been is Studland, am I being fool hardy even thinking about it (we're in Hamble River) or is it perfectly do-able without too much concern? I've looked briefly at the chart (need to get a larger scale chart for more detailed planning) and it's just short of 100 miles :eek: by my reckoning. Should we do it in stages and stop overs or in one go which would take what?...5/6 hours 15-20 knts. might be well out there but thats going by the 1 1/2 hours it took us to Studland. Any advice would be much appreciated and much needed. Please be brutally honest. If u think I'm being a pr**t for even considering it, please just say :).
Thanks
Lisa
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Do-able, but you are now into different boating, as you have tides,overfalls, sea swell, out of sight of land and more serious wind over tide etc.
You have safe harbour options down to Weymouth, but as Hurricane has said, then you have Lyme Bay, and Portland Bill.
Get calm seas and neap tides, and good timing, going west is do-able. Getting fair seas down is one thing; getting them back as well would need good fortune. I might say, extremely good fortune.
You did Poole in some good weather I believe. I suggest you try Poole and maybe Weymouth in some less benign conditions, and see what you think of it all then in 25ft.
I have had some not so nice ones back from Poole, some inexperienced times off headlands where I was too scared to turn round,got stuck for a week and more hoping for a weather window to get home, and horrible journeys across Lyme Bay. I ve been ten miles off Portland and it was still horrible.
So, yes, of course it can be done in a 25ft, but for your own enjoyment, I strongly suggest you keep building your experience. 4-5 hours across Lyme Bay bcz its worse than you expected or was forecast will not be fun. That I can ssure you ;)
 
sorry lisilou but i did,nt have the camera then !!!!!.......there is not much benefit in hugging the coast round lyme bay unless it MEGA MIRROR CALM and you want to see the jurassic coast first hand, it also adds a long way to the journey..lyme regis is a bolthole in an emergency, but the harbour dries out.. also dont forget in your fuel calculations that running with the tide saves loads of fuel and can be more comfortable if you get it right.
 
sorry lisilou but i did,nt have the camera then !!!!
Steve, I'm disappointed in you! lol but good advice anyway and cleared up my question about Lyme Bay ...thankyou :).
Gavin,(hope i got ur name right) I think maybe you're right. I would definitely be the one waiting for the fair weather window on return and who knows how long that would be...so changeable hour to hour never mind day to day. My sense of adventure is growing with each trip but as you say, my furthest was on a very sunny, calm day. Perhaps Weymouth might be the more sensible next stretch.
 
lisilou said:
Regarding Lyme Bay, is it best perhaps to hug the shoreline rather than head straight across? Did you mean there was little point in doing that Hurricane coz the sea states the same either way due to lack of shelter?
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I came home from Tq last year in a NE 5, so I hugged the coast all the way round to find flat water, it worked very well but I can tell you its a bloody long way!

Pick your weather window well and you'll be across in 2 to 3 hours from Portland.

BTW, Dartmouth is the lovliest place to go and only about ten minutes longer than Tq.
 
lisilou said:
Regarding Lyme Bay, is it best perhaps to hug the shoreline rather than head straight across? Did you mean there was little point in doing that Hurricane coz the sea states the same either way due to lack of shelter?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I wasnt clear.

It seems to me that its a long way round Lyme Bay and there's only Lyme Regis that has any kind of refuge from the weather. If I remember correctly, Lyme Regis is a drying harbour and wont be much help anyway.
So, in your case, I think I would set out from Weymouth - keep tight into Portland Bill (and I mean tight in - a cpuple of hundred yards off keeps you inside the big overfalls) and then straight to Torquay/Brixham. If you have any problems its a return to Weymouth of carry on to Torbay.

My house looks over Lyme Bay (Torquay side) so if I'm at home when you plan your crossing, you would be welcome to phone me for an update on conditions before you leave. Maybe even meet you down in Torquay harbour to catch your lines.

I dont think I'd worry much about springs vs neaps - but get the tide right at Portland - strong wind blowing over any tide at the Bill would be a mistake.

Thinking back, we've had some fantastic crossings across Lyme Bay (not with our current boat) with strong winds and waves behind us so as lond as yo plan it carefully it can be great fun.

Hope this is helpful
 
burgundyben said:
I came home from Tq last year in a NE 5, so I hugged the coast all the way round to find flat water, it worked very well but I can tell you its a bloody long way!

Pick your weather window well and you'll be across in 2 to 3 hours from Portland.

BTW, Dartmouth is the lovliest place to go and only about ten minutes longer than Tq.
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Thanks Ben. I quite fancy your Yarmouth idea too.
 
Hurricane said:
Sorry, I wasnt clear.

It seems to me that its a long way round Lyme Bay and there's only Lyme Regis that has any kind of refuge from the weather. If I remember correctly, Lyme Regis is a drying harbour and wont be much help anyway.
So, in your case, I think I would set out from Weymouth - keep tight into Portland Bill (and I mean tight in - a cpuple of hundred yards off keeps you inside the big overfalls) and then straight to Torquay/Brixham. If you have any problems its a return to Weymouth of carry on to Torbay.

My house looks over Lyme Bay (Torquay side) so if I'm at home when you plan your crossing, you would be welcome to phone me for an update on conditions before you leave. Maybe even meet you down in Torquay harbour to catch your lines.

I dont think I'd worry much about springs vs neaps - but get the tide right at Portland - strong wind blowing over any tide at the Bill would be a mistake.

Thinking back, we've had some fantastic crossings across Lyme Bay (not with our current boat) with strong winds and waves behind us so as lond as yo plan it carefully it can be great fun.

Hope this is helpful
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Mike, you were clear, it was me just double checking. A great help, thanks and may just take you up on your offer :). And by the sounds of it, I envy the view from your house. I still have a lot to learn but hopefully this trip won't be too far off.
Lisa
 
STEVEDUNSTABLE said:
lisa.. sorry to drift the thread, but what was the result of the prop problom a week or so ago???... if it was posted i mist it !!!
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The boats still out of the water but the prop can be mended apparently and there are a few drive parts on order (please dont ask me which parts they are or what they do :o). So it was an insurance job but it all seems to be going smoothly so far, fingers crossed. Miss having her in the water even if it is just to sit on her in the marina. Feel like ive lost a limb!!
 
Webcams...

May not help as conditions obviously change, but I posted some local webcam links on the South Devon Group - http://www.ybw.com/forums/group.php?do=discuss&group=&discussionid=323 Hopefully others will add some more too.

Even though picture when you leave Hamble may not seem relevent, if you have the chance to check when you get to Weymouth, they may be useful. Many of the NCI sites have weather stations too.

Dartmouth definitely worth the extra few miles as already mentioned! Perhaps a trip worthy of a few days as there's plenty to take in if you've not done before... :)
 
Also be careful how you time St Albans Head. We caught it wrong a few weeks back (spring ebb, wind from the NW) and there were five-six foot standing waves, plus holes no doubt, right to the cliff face and we had a large swell on the approach. The kids were getting quite scared at the swell, and I had to turn back once the size of the waves had been seen.

I would normally plan to avoid such a situation, but on this occassion our plans had gone awry and we decided more or less on the spur of the moment to make a dash for Weymouth. Aside from scaring the kids I also ended up wasting £50+ of diesel for the privilege of doing so :(
 
Those webcam links are great. Its always good to have some forsight. I'll be storing the link. It's funny, I always take a look at the Hamble Pont one but never even ocurred to me to look up elsewhere...duh!!!
 
When you do it i will be thinking about you, what a great challenge weymouth would be a lovely stop off, or stop off ar the ospray key inside portland outer wall were the olypics is being held, great facilities. . never been passed portland in our boat as the race around the tip has but the fear of god in me so i want venture anywere near it.

secondly they are useing the riffle/missel range at east fleet heard and seen it last week.

May the forces be with you and the weather of course and if you do have problems give me a call and i would try to help. you may inspire me now to come over to hample again, (by trailer only)

best and luck and ill be watching


mark
 
We used to have the same boat as you and I agree with the comments. Pick your weather and conditions carefully and you'll be fine. Go straight across if you can, its a lot quicker than hugging the shoreline! If you do feel you want to travel next to the coast as you and the crew feel better that way - no matter as its very scenic all along there IMO, but it takes a fair bit longer. If you go inside at the bill, go in close otherwise stay well off - but everyone will tell you this! If you look at the charts, you can see where not to go and some plotters will also show you recommended routes around/through. You can also call the coast watch stations to give you a current view of what the seas are doing from where they are. As has been said, a lumpy crossing of lyme bay is a long process (in ours we used to go down to 12ish knots if it lumped up, but at that speed, she was very good and felt stable enough) and can use more fuel than you expect, so make sure you have plenty when you do it - ask me how I know!!

Do indeed visit the Dart if you do come, its worth the trip. Plenty of places to stay on the Dart too if you fancy an overnight there. We are based in Torbay and can recommend it as a worthwhile trip.
 
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