Harwich to Portsmouth - Tidal Strategy

[dolabriform]

Hi all

We're planning to head to Portsmouth and beyond tomorrow evening (Tuesday 8th ), and I'm trying to decide the best tidal strategy as we normally work our way down with Day sails, so this is the first non stop passage.

Planning is at 6 knots.
My current thinking is leave around 2000 and take the outside route via Long Sand Head. ( No discussions on route please! We might take the inside depending on weather ). This will get us to N. Foreland around 0300 which will be a couple of hours before the tide starts to tuen. This is my normal strategy for Ramsgate.
Heading down to S Foreland, we will have adverse tide, but then should reach Dungeness as the tide starts to turn in our favour.
If I have my calculations right, we should then pass Beachy Head with the last of the west going tide.

Alternatively, leave at 0200, and then reach N. Foreland at 1000 as the tide starts to go S, and then have the adverse from Dungeness but then the west going tide picks us up past Beachy Head.

I'd be grateful for any thoughts / advice / criticism !

Thanks

David

 

[wingdiver]

Hi. When we've headed to Gosport non-stop, we've gone via Long Sand Head/Kentish Knock and aimed to get to Dungeness for the tidal change. That way you get tide with you both to and from Dungeness. The 24 hours passege can give you nearly 18 hours of positive tides.

 

[johnalison]

The trouble is that you have to do the Dover section against the tide, which can run at over three knots. I have only done it as far as Brighton or Eastbourne and carried the tide to Dungeness and picked it up again at Beachy Head, though I don't know if you can take it as far as the Looe Channel; I rather think not.

 

[Biggles Wader]

Looks like headwinds or very light winds for most of it.

 

[wingdiver]

The trouble is that you have to do the Dover section against the tide, which can run at over three knots. I have only done it as far as Brighton or Eastbourne and carried the tide to Dungeness and picked it up again at Beachy Head, though I don't know if you can take it as far as the Looe Channel; I rather think not.

We've had tide with us from Kentish Knock to Dungeness and then again from Dundgeness Westwards. You do run out o postive tide as you approach the Looe Channel

 

[johnalison]

We've had tide with us from Kentish Knock to Dungeness and then again from Dundgeness Westwards. You do run out o postive tide as you approach the Looe Channel

I think you mean Beachy Head. I don't seem to have heard of Dundgeness.

 

[biffandkatie]

I think you should go for the 20.00 option as the 02.00 sounds awful!!!!

 

[Gargleblaster]

I'd agree with johnalison. The bit where you really want the tide with you is South Foreland to Dungeness and if possible from North Foreland to Dungeness. Tide is strong also at Beachy Head and you can either go further south to reduce it. but if you go close in and the tide is adverse it is only about a mile and a bit of really stron tide, particularly if after rounding Beachy you then head up towards Newhaven.

Of course we are close to springs and the current will be stronger than normal which can be a good thing of a bad thing.

 

[dolabriform]

Hi all

In the end we left at 2000 and sailed straight to Alderney. Once the rain cleared and the wind picked up we had cracking sail, with some adverse tide near Dover and then after Beachy Head.

40 hours from Shotley to Braye, with an amazing overnight channel crossing from St. Catherines Point to Alderney.

Thanks for everyone's help.

David

 

[johnalison]

I hope you have a great time over there. The CIs were always one of my favourite cruises. With our then Sadler 29 we used to do Blackwater-Brighton then Brighton-Cherbourg. We could do the 90 miles to Cherbourg in 15 hours routinely because you can work the tides in your favour with only a few hours adverse. Later on we used to go via the Solent for no good reason that I can think of.

 

[PeterWright]

Looks like you timed it just right, foul tide at Dover is not too bad, especially if you overdo the standard 1 mile off - it's more important to avoid the ebb between N Foreland and S. Foreland. After Beachey Hd. a bit of flood doesn't hurt too much and you don't need to do Looe channel if you're heading S of IoW - St Catherine's is the next tide gate.

Enjoy the Channel Islands - we were last there 3vweeks ago.

Peter.

 

[dolabriform]

I hope you have a great time over there. The CIs were always one of my favourite cruises. With our then Sadler 29 we used to do Blackwater-Brighton then Brighton-Cherbourg. We could do the 90 miles to Cherbourg in 15 hours routinely because you can work the tides in your favour with only a few hours adverse. Later on we used to go via the Solent for no good reason that I can think of.

Thanks John

 

[Lightwave395]

I may need to take a boat from Harwich to the Solent soon, I'm fine from Ramsgate onwards but having never sailed in that area any suggestions (or warnings) for the bit from Harwich to Ramsgate would be welcomed, it looks 'interesting'...

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I may need to take a boat from Harwich to the Solent soon, I'm fine from Ramsgate onwards but having never sailed in that area any suggestions (or warnings) for the bit from Harwich to Ramsgate would be welcomed, it looks 'interesting'...

Get hold of a copy of Crossing the Thames Estuary, invaluable.

 

[johnalison]

It’s almost a straight line from Harwich to N Foreland if you go via the Little Sunk and Foulger’s Gat. It’s straightforward so long as you do your homework.

 

[sailorman]

Hi all

We're planning to head to Portsmouth and beyond tomorrow evening (Tuesday 8th ), and I'm trying to decide the best tidal strategy as we normally work our way down with Day sails, so this is the first non stop passage.

Planning is at 6 knots.
My current thinking is leave around 2000 and take the outside route via Long Sand Head. ( No discussions on route please! We might take the inside depending on weather ). This will get us to N. Foreland around 0300 which will be a couple of hours before the tide starts to tuen. This is my normal strategy for Ramsgate.
Heading down to S Foreland, we will have adverse tide, but then should reach Dungeness as the tide starts to turn in our favour.
If I have my calculations right, we should then pass Beachy Head with the last of the west going tide.

Alternatively, leave at 0200, and then reach N. Foreland at 1000 as the tide starts to go S, and then have the adverse from Dungeness but then the west going tide picks us up past Beachy Head.

I'd be grateful for any thoughts / advice / criticism !

Thanks

Davidleave harwich q athwas the leg to dover is mainlyx

Tide, pick up the nxt flood around sandwich which willsweepyou arounsouthforeland to dover. Thnxtedtidal gate isdungeness, dont issthat one

 

[morgandlm]

I recently did the passage from Portsmouth to The Orwell in one go. It's roughly 180 miles and took just over 32 hours. We used Foulgers Gat (in the dark) on the last night and found it very straightforward and quite good fun. Then up Black Deep to No 2 and across to Medusa. It was a period of neap tides and we timed it to get a favourable tide for the last section from North Foreland and up the Black Deep. You are inevitably going to get at least a couple of periods of foul tide so it pays to be selective where they are and perhaps avoid springs if you can.
David Morgan

 

[dolabriform]

I may need to take a boat from Harwich to the Solent soon, I'm fine from Ramsgate onwards but having never sailed in that area any suggestions (or warnings) for the bit from Harwich to Ramsgate would be welcomed, it looks 'interesting'...

Do you need crew?