Lyme Bay

lisilou

lisilou

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Kinda following on from the 'How far' thread..Just how nasty can Lyme Bay get. If we were to hug the coastline, it would add roughly 20 odd miles to the journey (??) but if we went straight across and the weather suddenly turned what's the worst case scenario? It looks fairly innocuous to me on the chart but I've not done it yet so I was just interested to hear any horror stories.
L
 
My own experience of Lyme Bay is limited to fairly benign conditions, and on a yot, at that :eek:

I don't think there's anything particularly de trop about the weather in Lyme Bay - when it's horrible, it's as nasty as anywhere else that has no immediate shelter. The problem is more that there's no real port of refuge, particularly if the wind is onshore. West Bay (Bridport) has what looks like a nightmareish entrance between two lengthy breakwaters and, though I've only seen Lyme Regis from ashore, I don't think I'd like to try getting through the entrance in any kind of a sea. Plus both are tidal (I think? Certainly Lyme is).

It's a psychological problem as much as anything. If you go straight across, you're out of sight of land for quite a long time and quite a long way from shelter. If you hug the coast, at least you can see land, but you're still miles from shelter and it may make for quite an uncomfortable feeling if the weather is tending to push you towards terra firma .

I seem to recall that Robin Knox-Johnson was navigator for Shelley Jory a couple of years ago, in the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race and he opted to go inshore, in quite rough conditions. They fared rather better, and were quicker, than people who went offshore.

Purely imho. Someone who really knows what they're talking about will be along in a minute. :)
 
Just wait for some settled weather and there is nothing to worry about. Made my first trip across straight from Poole to Torquay in a 19' Fletcher . Last year we we spent the night in Weymouth , left at 06.30 and were in Brixham by 09.00 in time for a mega brekkie.. Came back leaving Torqauy at 07.00ish and were past the Bill by 08.30- approx 40nm. Winds tend to be light early in the morning which makes for a comfortable criuse

PS: I am not the someone who really knows what he is talking about as referred in the previous post !
 
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lisilou said:
Kinda following on from the 'How far' thread..Just how nasty can Lyme Bay get. If we were to hug the coastline, it would add roughly 20 odd miles to the journey (??) but if we went straight across and the weather suddenly turned what's the worst case scenario? It looks fairly innocuous to me on the chart but I've not done it yet so I was just interested to hear any horror stories.
L
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Lyme Bay, i have crossed it quite a few time, normally Portland bill to Torquay or Brixham or Dartmouth. and have had it so calm that a 25 knot passage with not bangs or bumps was had, and I have crossed it on a 52 targa that at points was being bounced around like a rag doll, and that boat has a great sea hull.
A lot depends on the wind direction and force and how long it has been blowing for in the same direction, and what the tide it doing, if you have had strong winds with any south in it and a spring tide against, [ebbing], I would not cross it,[unless I had to and then only in something with some weight behind it], I would preferably wait for the tide to turn and then access situation.It would not be a fun crossing, image being in a moving washing machine on a roller-coaster ride is the closest I can describe it.
 
Lyme Bay is fine, the bit to be careful about is rounding Portland Bill, either inshore if from Weymouth or Portland or offshore if from Poole or the Solent. Inshore you need to time the tides for slack at the Bill turning west and watch for the pots. Offshore go 4mls (or more) off and just pass by with the tide (even on a mobo, the tide offshore could be 5kts). Unless the winds are light try to avoid wind against tide conditions, but otherwise Lyme Bay is just a bit bigger than Poole Bay so you are out of sight of land for a while. PB to Dartmouth is 42mls, probably no more than a couple of hours for you but 7 hrs at 6kts for a saily boat! I would avoid the detour to Weymouth or Portland personally and go straight from Poole or say Yarmouth if in the Solent. Denting a seahorse head in Studland as a stopover anchorage works well too in westerly winds.
 
As others have said it all depends upon wind direction and tides. We did it one January in a Sealine T47 from Weymouth with winds NE F7. We cut inside the race at Portland Bill at approx slack water and then direct to Brixham. I can't say it was a lot of fun but downwind and tide in a Sealine T47 it wasn't a problem. We didn't drop below 15 kts all the way. In benign summer conditions (if we get any!) it is more boring than problematical.
 
lisilou said:
Kinda following on from the 'How far' thread..Just how nasty can Lyme Bay get. If we were to hug the coastline, it would add roughly 20 odd miles to the journey (??) but if we went straight across and the weather suddenly turned what's the worst case scenario? It looks fairly innocuous to me on the chart but I've not done it yet so I was just interested to hear any horror stories.
L
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Think you might find it a bit more than 20 NM longer if you hug the coast.
 
rotrax said:
Think you might find it a bit more than 20 NM longer if you hug the coast.
Click to expand...
Yes, certainly I would never do that, see no point; absolutely no 'port in a storm' pretty well all that route. I'd have to be desperate to try to get into one!

Think we've crossed from Poole to Brixham about nine times now - three crossings last year. Try to get the tide with you between St Aldhams Head and Portland Bill. The whole journey usually takes us six or seven hours. Best not mention the cost of the diesel used!
 
On a good day, it's quite good fun to stick to the coast and stop for a beer at Lyme Reggis, especially if the wind is blowing off shore. The main problem about Lyme bay is, it's just boreing, but there are the occasional bits of rougher stuff, for whatever reason. But with a decent boat they wont be a problem. So if you get about 5 miles past the bill and it gets a bit rough. Dont worry, it will calm down again.
 
Thankyou all for your replies. Good to know all views coz I've a feeling we will be crossing it at some stage this season.
L
:)
 
Right now, on comp. and on Chesil Beach and listening to the wind, it is blowing a gale from the SW and sea is pretty rough.
West Bay would be a port in a storm but rollers come into the outer harbour so the pontoons snake about but it is non-drying. The inner harbour is calm and is drying with only the centre part against the eastern wall keeping any depth. Use the pontoon and get B&B on land!
Lyme Regis really dries out inside the harbour walls. They have a pontoon arrangement that may be usable in the outer east side harbour.
Last time we went we tied up walked down the pontoon and met 7' of sea! They have an extra bit now that connects to the jetty!
Not been out far except in good weather but Portland race is something to be avoided unless you know what you are doing. Even 7 miles out there are choppy, disturbed areas mind you some cool dudes were sitting in the middle of it fishing when we came back from Brixham!
Cojones or what! It made me feel a whole lot better.
 
I crossed Lyme bay last August for the first time, it was in fact the first time since I started coastal boating that I got out of sight of land, it was a bit daunting but I read the almanacs I took advice, I read the forums,planned it, completed a passage plan and prepared for the trip; we had a holiday planned for August and I wanted to visit Salcombe, Dartmouth and then Weymouth on the way back, we left our berth late in the afternoon and anchored just inside the Beaulieu, left early next morning and it was flat calm, We crossed over to anvil point and the wind had picked up, passed Portland bill inshore at about with the tide with us, then out in to Lyme bay, the wind picked up further and also the tide was with us so we had a following sea, it started raining quite hard and it Went quite misty, you can probably imagine it wasn't the best of conditions, we finally made Dartmouth where I struggled slightly to find it by sight as the visibility wasn't very good, eventually made it, the sun came out and we picked up a bouy at Ditisham further up the river and had a very large scotch, did salcombe and returned later that week to Weymouth in quite a big following sea, made an interesting trip.

Having done it now I wouldn't have an issue with doing it again, as long as the weather was right, loosing sight of land was a little daunting at first but after a while I liked it, it felt sort of being totally free, if that makes sense.

Next the channel islands

Simon
 
Not sure if this helps, or not: from last year, SWMBO helming as we went sort of downwind in an F4.
Wind noise completely obscures the "yee haah" near the start.



What I did find was that that going westwards, it seems to take ages before you benefit from the shelter from the land - things only calm down properly in the last few miles. Taking the "inshore" route might work better in nasty conditions, but then again, if it's that bad, you probably shouldn't be out anyway.

Conclusion: shouldn't be a big deal in sensible weather in a chunky boat like an SC35 :)
 
I hate the place.Should be filled with concrete and used as a car park.The last time i crossed it was in 2008 in a 35ft Stoerbro (still have it) Blew the port engine and my good lady was nearly dying with seasickness--we just got caught out,the weather was the worse id seen i many years.It had started out fine and bright with a good outlook but within around 2 hours became seriously bad.In 30+ years i cant recall seeing such confused seas what a horrible place.
 
lisilou said:
Kinda following on from the 'How far' thread..Just how nasty can Lyme Bay get. If we were to hug the coastline, it would add roughly 20 odd miles to the journey (??) but if we went straight across and the weather suddenly turned what's the worst case scenario? It looks fairly innocuous to me on the chart but I've not done it yet so I was just interested to hear any horror stories.
L
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It is an open stretch of water, no real boltholes, out of sight of land, and can be pretty grim, especially wind over tide, and it is several hours. If you are heading west,you have three good places to head for, but if Dartmouth, it can get more lumpy still around the headlands and as the sea swell from the west Atlantic starts to come into the shoreline, a swell going into the river, and as someone else said, not that easy so find the entrance , so put plenty of waypoints in. If going east, and it is lousy, you know you have even worse to come at Portland.
So, there are reason to be thoughtful, but just be sure you want to cross before setting off, and mark off the safe passages around the headlands, as you will not be able to do anything bouncing about half way across. There will always be another day to cross, so there really is no need to put yourself where perhaps you dont want to be.
Of course it can be just fine, in which case go along the coast, but it is a surprisingly long way, and often somewhat jarring from Lyme Regis to Torbay.
 
lisilou said:
Kinda following on from the 'How far' thread..Just how nasty can Lyme Bay get. If we were to hug the coastline, it would add roughly 20 odd miles to the journey (??) but if we went straight across and the weather suddenly turned what's the worst case scenario? It looks fairly innocuous to me on the chart but I've not done it yet so I was just interested to hear any horror stories.
L
Click to expand...

Lyme Bay has been my stomping ground for more than 20 years, nothing much to add to what others have said, BUT if there's any north in the wind it's definitely worth sticking close inshore, lots of shelter from the cliffs.
 
The so-called "terrors" of Lyme Bay are grossly exaggerated, IMHO.

It's no less "sheltered" than coastal cruising along the Devon or Cornwall coast: the only "nasty" thing about it is that it's forty miles across, with no realistic port of refuge if something breaks.

And 40 miles is a lot less than a X-channel passage

Personally, I'd go straight across unless there were strong northerlies, in which case the flatter water that you get by staying close inshore might give you a quicker and more comfortable trip, but a lot depends on the boat: In a Grand Banks I'd go straight across, in a small sports cruiser I might go round the edge.
 
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