Local knowledge please Gosport

[Cathy*]

The final leg of our journey from Plymouth is Haslar marina to Northney. The weather for this looks best on Monday. I'm thinking to leave Haslar between 1 and 2 hours before high tide Portsmouth to arrive at Chichester bar roughly high tide Portsmouth. I have planned to go around Horse Sand fort but the dockmaster here says go through a gap in the submarine barrier. I wonder if that route is best left for when we're more familiar with the area. Thoughts please?

Thanks

Cathy

 

[ST840]

I don’t know that area I’m based more central solent. But if your not confident with a potential tricky route for you then just act with caution and go the route which feels best for you !

 

[colhel]

As long as you know where the gap is, you'll be fine. (Ive only done it once but it was foggy and im not a local).

 

[PaulR]

gap in sub barrier is clearly marked and is our preferred route - there is one gap very close inshore but the one we use is mid distance between shore and fort and is marked by post on shore side and a tall tripod type structure on island side - advantage of using it is it is shorter distance than going around the fort and avoids any shipping other than in crossing the deep channel into the harbour - if you can leave a bit earlier than 1 hour before hw will have tide slack or with you on way to chichester entrance

 

[Cathy*]

gap in sub barrier is clearly marked and is our preferred route - there is one gap very close inshore but the one we use is mid distance between shore and fort and is marked by post on shore side and a tall tripod type structure on island side - advantage of using it is it is shorter distance than going around the fort and avoids any shipping other than in crossing the deep channel into the harbour - if you can leave a bit earlier than 1 hour before hw will have tide slack or with you on way to chichester entrance

Brilliant thank you

 

[ashtead]

The extra distance going round the fort is nothing . If worried take that route . We are a Haslar boat and generally I would go through gap even though we draw 2m . The only risks going through apart from missing it are oncoming traffic and I have seen a stray lobster pot buoy once. The real thing is to ensure that tide is with you going in to chi along with wind ideally or at least not adverse to tide. Always use the mid channel gap and it’s on the chart plotter so just position that waypoint to get you near the tripod and then eyeballs to see way through. It really turns on weather though as to risks . Looks ok today from up here in Surrey but maybe more breeze tomorrow. I would be more worried about space in northney but assume you have booked your berth and have looked at pilot book. Not as tight as Sparkes though.

 

[Offshore57]

its called the Dolphin Gap...well marked and easy to see.....wide enough for reasonable sized boats to pass in opposite directions if necessary.....we us it all the time going from Southsea Marina to the central and western solent and back..even in the dark on one or two occasions..

 

[Lucky Duck]

The extra distance going round the fort is nothing . If worried take that route . We are a Haslar boat and generally I would go through gap even though we draw 2m . The only risks going through apart from missing it are oncoming traffic and I have seen a stray lobster pot buoy once. The real thing is to ensure that tide is with you going in to chi along with wind ideally or at least not adverse to tide. Always use the mid channel gap and it’s on the chart plotter so just position that waypoint to get you near the tripod and then eyeballs to see way through. It really turns on weather though as to risks . Looks ok today from up here in Surrey but maybe more breeze tomorrow. I would be more worried about space in northney but assume you have booked your berth and have looked at pilot book. Not as tight as Sparkes though.

Unlikely to make much difference to a motor boat but if you leave somewhere around two hours before HW Portsmouth you will have the last of the East going flood taking you to the West Pole Beacon and a fair tide/slack up to Northney.

 

[prv]

If you're near the top of the tide as you plan to be, you'd go straight over the top of the barrier even if you somehow missed the gap. There is no depth for them charted, but the blocks only break the surface at lowest springs, so with four metres' rise of tide there's a decent margin. Nobody ever does that for some reason, but it might give you some peace of mind to know.

The dolphin gap is really obvious - a dirty great concrete structure (the dolphin) on one side and a pile on the other - and no trouble at all. You don't need any local knowledge to use it - mk1 eyeball would be fine, but a plotter will make certain sure.

Pete

 

[XDC]

Just to add a picture to the words:

Stay on the starboard side of the channel as you leave Portsmouth, you will have to watch out for ferries using the Swatchway ... the hovercraft just seems to avoid you.

At Spit Refuge cross to the green Boyne buoy and head pretty much due east ... you will see the gap right in front of you as per this chart.

 

[XDC]

If you're near the top of the tide as you plan to be, you'd go straight over the top of the barrier even if you somehow missed the gap. There is no depth for them charted, but the blocks only break the surface at lowest springs, so with four metres' rise of tide there's a decent margin. Nobody ever does that for some reason, but it might give you some peace of mind to know.

The dolphin gap is really obvious - a dirty great concrete structure (the dolphin) on one side and a pile on the other - and no trouble at all. You don't need any local knowledge to use it - mk1 eyeball would be fine, but a plotter will make certain sure.

Pete

Spring low ???

 

[Cathy*]

Just to add a picture to the words:

Stay on the starboard side of the channel as you leave Portsmouth, you will have to watch out for ferries using the Swatchway ... the hovercraft just seems to avoid you.

At Spit Refuge cross to the green Boyne buoy and head pretty much due east ... you will see the gap right in front of you as per this chart.

View attachment 98948

It took me a minute to work out I was looking at your chart 180 out to what I expected. That's really helpful thank you. We've just been out to see what the tide looks like at this time. ? Hopefully with less wind it will be more user friendly.

 

[XDC]

?? North up.

When you get to Spit Refuge you'll realise that you don't have to actually go to Boyne, I only said it to give you a reference ... you can obviously head straight from Spit to the gap and you're crossing the channel at better angle.

 

[U4]

As others have said, its extremely straightforward to go through the gap. Its very easy to see, wide enough to pass through without breaking a sweat and well marked on the plotter

 

[Lucky Duck]

I have a friend who, if the main channel is clear, crosses earlier taking the 'aircraft carrier' green pile close to port and then onto the gap.

However he is a bit of an anarchist and has been known to both sail into the harbour with a fair wind and to let his soup boil in order to deliberately impair the flavour.