New Era - Delivery Trip Advice

[Morpheous]

Hi All

Not posted for a few years but starting a new era now. Just sold the motor boat and bought a yacht. I shall be sailing it back from Dover to Cardiff bay starting on the 11th May fingers crossed.

I recall on this forum many years ago some articles about passage planning a sail from west to east but I can't find it now. I'm intending to break up the south coast legs for 2 reasons: I will be having some crew changes and I never sleep under way so can only do so long before the need to sleep takes over. The Navionics planning shows you could do Falmouth to Cardiff in under 48 hours but it doesn't seem to take tides into account.

So if any one has any advice on final leg back in terms routes, whether to anchor or just push on regardless. My current thinking is to try to get to 6 hrs from Cardiff at low tide....

And yes Sneds, people do go from Mobo to sail, this is a return from the dark side for me

Russ
Formerly of Excalibur

 

[LittleSister]

Some relevant info on potential stopovers on this current thread:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?519923-Milford-Haven-to-Falmouth

 

[Sneds]

Saw Excalibur up on the hard and guessed she had sold, good luck with the trip and the new boat

 

[Morpheous]

Saw Excalibur up on the hard and guessed she had sold, good luck with the trip and the new boat

Hey Ian, hows tricks? I saw your thread about mobo owners going to sail - well here is one. Key thing for us is going from 4 berth to 8+2, ok new one is slightly longer (40ft). Younger members of the family are objecting to sharing.

Cheers

Russ

 

[oldmanofthehills]

First of all you must get from Falmouth on outgoing tide in time to get tidal gate at Landsend and then round the corner. There are odd back currents and sneaky inside passages. Then you need to get to St Ives to anchor or pickup moorings unless you head straight onto Padstow. You can push against the tide that far down the Bristol but it will slow you. Depending when you get to Padstow and the Doom Bar you will have to wait (You can anchor by Stepper Point before the Bar, but the other kind of bar in town always appeals to me). And again leaving Padstow you cant get out at LW so have to leave well before. Similarly if you stop next at Ilfracombe, (though you can anchor in Combe Martin) however as you cannot push the tide above Foreland leaving Ilfracombe (or Combe Martin) before LW get you to Foreland at LW or a bit before and you get the rising tide all the way to Cardiff.

 

[Morpheous]

First of all you must get from Falmouth on outgoing tide in time to get tidal gate at Landsend and then round the corner. There are odd back currents and sneaky inside passages. Then you need to get to St Ives to anchor or pickup moorings unless you head straight onto Padstow. You can push against the tide that far down the Bristol but it will slow you. Depending when you get to Padstow and the Doom Bar you will have to wait (You can anchor by Stepper Point before the Bar, but the other kind of bar in town always appeals to me). And again leaving Padstow you cant get out at LW so have to leave well before. Similarly if you stop next at Ilfracombe, (though you can anchor in Combe Martin) however as you cannot push the tide above Foreland leaving Ilfracombe (or Combe Martin) before LW get you to Foreland at LW or a bit before and you get the rising tide all the way to Cardiff.

Thats great thanks, looking at some of the other threads it seems Newlyn may be the stop before roounding lands end. I can't find much on the tidal gate times, what state am I looking for to go round?

 

[oldmanofthehills]

The easiest tidal gate at landsend is to go down south cornwall coast on ebb tide arriving near slack and then take the rising tide up the north cornwall coast. There are other currents inshore which your tidal atlas will show you (Reeds or Bristol Channel Pilot), and slack is not exactly at low water.

 

[Uricanejack]

It’s a great many years since I did the trip.
We left Falmouth for Lundy. Lundy was a neat place to stop if rather exposed anchorage.
From Lundy to Barrry the next day.
Two days under 24 hrs each. Barry to Bristol. The next day.

I would guess Lundy would be a good stop on route to Cardiff if the weather was suitable. The anchorage was sheltered from the west but not from the east.

 

[Birdseye]

Hi All

Not posted for a few years but starting a new era now. Just sold the motor boat and bought a yacht. I shall be sailing it back from Dover to Cardiff bay starting on the 11th May fingers crossed.

I recall on this forum many years ago some articles about passage planning a sail from west to east but I can't find it now. I'm intending to break up the south coast legs for 2 reasons: I will be having some crew changes and I never sleep under way so can only do so long before the need to sleep takes over. The Navionics planning shows you could do Falmouth to Cardiff in under 48 hours but it doesn't seem to take tides into account.

So if any one has any advice on final leg back in terms routes, whether to anchor or just push on regardless. My current thinking is to try to get to 6 hrs from Cardiff at low tide....

And yes Sneds, people do go from Mobo to sail, this is a return from the dark side for me

Russ
Formerly of Excalibur

Done that run albeit a few years back for the Dover to Solent bit. Its an easy trip though how long it takes in a sailing boat is very much size dependant and you dont mention size.

Some thoughts.
1/ May and early June its quite common to find easterlies along the channel so your timing could be good.
2/ At the start the key tidal gate is Dungeness where the tidal flows split ie you can get tides flowing in opposite directions towards Dungeness and joining up to head south
3/ The next tidal gate of note is Portland bill but you can usually avoid the races by going really close inshore.
4/ After that its a straightforward run to Falmouth which is a good place to stop, provision and time it right for the tides.
5/ Best way round Lands End is via the inshore passage at the longships. The tide for the inshore passage changes before it does outside. I have often set off from Penzance about an hour after the lock gates shut which is nice timing for the inshore passage. Work that back to a Falmouth time if you are going from there. I've rounded the Lizard dozens of times and never yet found it rough but thats more a tribute to my caution than the kindness of the lizard
6/ the north cornish coast is not a good place to get caught out so dont take weather risks here.
7/ The strategy is to get clear of lands end with a favourable tide and to flog the ebb up the cornish coast. You have 70 NM from cape cornwall to hartland which likely will mean approaching Hartland on the last of the Ebb. Go close inshore and then ride the flood up to cardiff.
8/ I cannot remember my best time Falmout to Cardiff without looking through past logs but my best time the other way ( 35 ft boat) was 27 hours and I am sure that its a bit quicker in reverse. But as I said earlier, it depends on size.
9/ Its far far easier to crew up and just go for it rather than break passage. You get into a rhythm
10/ Good ports to stop Brighton, Poole , Brixham, Plymouth, Falmout, Penzance, Padstow, Cardiff. I avoid Newlyn because its like a marine version of Rotherham. Eastbourne is a big housing site for oldies. St Ives and places like Combe Martin, Lynmouth, Porlock are fine if you are pottering with time to spare but no good for passage making and no good in bad weather. Brighton requires you ...... no I wont say.