Isle of Wight - which way around..?

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DerekC

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In preparation for a lads' sailing weekend I am contemplating going around the Isle of Wight.

We'll be setting off from Gosport on Saturday morning - can't leave too early as we arrive late on Friday evening and we need to check the boat out before we leave. And we have booked a berth in Cowes for Saturday night (the lads want a curry in the evening...).

The forecast for Saturday is force 3 (6-13kts), Northerly - North-westerly

How long would it take?
Could/should we stop for lunch? If so, where?
Which way around? All the accounts online seem to go anti-clockwise.
Is it worth it?

I appreciate there are so many variables and personal opinions, but any advice broad or narrow would really be appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Derek
 
If you depart Gosport Saturday morning you have fair tide West until 10:30, should be well through Needles Channel depending upon the hangover and then nice Beam Reach SE with the Easterly tide until 17:00 then pick up flood North back into the Solent. HT Bembridge is 7pm much better than Cowes!
 
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If you are leaving from Gosport then leave as early as you can Saturday morning and go clockwise. The earlier you go the less tide you will have against you between st Catherine's point and the Needles.
 
DerekC said:
I appreciate there are so many variables and personal opinions, but any advice broad or narrow would really be appreciated!
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In the deosil vs widdershins debate when you have an approximate departure time in mind isn't there pretty much one variable: the tide (modified by the boat speed you expect obviously). Almanac/NP337/Winning tides....
 
I'm favouring this approach - and we could motor this leg to get past the needles, and be with the tide on the way back to Cowes

greggron said:
If you are leaving from Gosport then leave as early as you can Saturday morning and go clockwise. The earlier you go the less tide you will have against you between st Catherine's point and the Needles.
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The direction round will be totally dependant on the direction of the tide at the time you choose to leave on a specific day. Get it wrong and you are going to have a long trip. The only places to stop for lunch, as in going ashore for a beer at any state of the tide, are Cowes and Yarmouth - will you be near either of them at lunchtime? Don't know what you're sailing but unless it is pretty fast, you won't make Cowes in time for a curry unless you leave early. Bit of serious planning needed I think...

Edit:
Clockwise Gosport to Cowes - 50+ miles
Anti-clockwise Gosport to Cowes - 65+ miles
 
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I can't help with the direction, but my preferred curry house in Cowes is the Bahar Tandoori. It's the one with a Richard Branson photo in the window, to immortalize the great day many years ago when he chose to eat a curry there :)
 
Anti clockwise and get your tides right...

If you get them wrong through hurst you will regret it...get them wrong through the forts and you will slow down but still be OK.
 
Anticlockwise would be my suggestion without any real evidence that the other way is slower. I suspect it's a function of your speed and the time you leave...probably a complicated quadratic equation would supply a definitive answer. However I personally would favor almost any other voyage other than that one unless you are preparing for the Round The Island. Have you considered any other voyage options?
 
In general one would say anti-clockwise as it makes tidal planning better. It is no fun in the western solent and needles if the tide is against you - much less important anywhere else (except maybe St Caths).
However if you are aiming for Cowes in the evening then you are better going clockwise as it saves you a fair distance - going anti-clockwise you have a couple of hours to Cowes and then a full circuit. That means you would be really struggling to get to Cowes in time for a good meal.Looks as if a reasonable start on Sat gets you past St Caths on the last of the west going tide and should allow a fair tide up the western solent as well.


You don't mention what boat you have but as a rule allow 9-12 hours to get round the island in reasonable wind. If you can leave Gosport by 8 and go clockwise you would hope to be in Cowes around 6
 
paella said:
...Have you considered any other voyage options?
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This one falls into the "is it worth it?" category...

It's not for race prep, we just want to have some moderate sailing experience without it being a structured lesson.
As we have not done this yet and we can... would it be fun? I think I would love it as I'm doing the route planning and tide calculations etc. but I suspect it might be a bit too serious/dull for more casual sailors.
I am certainly considering staying in the Solent and finding good spot for lunch - perhaps some indirect route between Gosport and Cowes.

As it stands we have managed to swing a boat checkout at 8:20 pm tonight, so much will depend on the size of the hangover at 7am tomorrow morning.

FWIW: I found this software (http://www.neptunenavigation.co.uk/neptunedemosPPP.htm) really useful. The trial version chart includes the Isle of Wight so I was able to calculate both clockwise and anti-clockwise routes and times.
 
DerekC said:
As we have not done this yet and we can... would it be fun? I think I would love it as I'm doing the route planning and tide calculations etc. but I suspect it might be a bit too serious/dull for more casual sailors.
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I've only been round the island as part of the famous race (once, in a chartered tub :) ) but it wouldn't be my first choice of route for this sort of jolly. The part down the Solent is fine, but the long flog round the back will probably be a bit boring for the others. And if people do start getting a bit bored (or even sea-sick?) there's not a lot you can do about it except plug on. You also end up timetabled by the tides - all very seamanlike, but possibly a bit annoying for an outing in which the pub and the curry-house are just as important as the sailing :).

Personally I'd keep things relaxed and plan to stay on the Solent side of the island, choosing a course as much by the style of sailing it gives (whooshy broad-reaching, energetic short-tacking, etc) as by the destination, and probably anchoring somewhere for lunch.

Pete
 
Have a serious look at a simple passage down to Chichester - I think the tides should be favourable with a nice afternoon sail back to Cowes. You'll get some good experience and if you are in the mood some tacking up the Chichester channels with some nice places to stop for lunch. Just an idea?!
 
for newbies I wouldn't go round. It's a sixty mile passage give or take and that's long. Wind also look light - F3 most of the time, maybe 4. and northerly and cold which could make it a really long passage.

My advice would be to sail up and down the solent. Go to see the needles then maybe anchor inside hurst for lunch or even pop up to lymington town quay for a short stay. then another sail back finishing in cowes between 5 and 6. Leave them wanting more.
 
jac said:
for newbies I wouldn't go round. It's a sixty mile passage give or take and that's long. Wind also look light - F3 most of the time, maybe 4. and northerly and cold which could make it a really long passage.

My advice would be to sail up and down the solent. Go to see the needles then maybe anchor inside hurst for lunch or even pop up to lymington town quay for a short stay. then another sail back finishing in cowes between 5 and 6. Leave them wanting more.
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Isn't N F3 excellent for going round?

Reaching all the way gybe at Bembridge, tack at the needles and that's it :)
 
EdWingfield said:
... You won't learn unless YOU do the research.
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I've studied the tide, charts, estimated wind speeds and the capabilities of the crew and boat. I used simulation software ( see post #13 ) to work out probable sailing times for both way around. I've even gone as far as asking people who have done it before...
 
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