New to the Bristol Channel

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boatingdave

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Folks - presently moored on the Thames but hoping to move the boat to the Glos/Sharpness canal for a while to explore the Severn and Bristol channel. Not very experienced on tidal so wondered if there were any groups of individuals that could provide guidance? I have family in Penarth so aspire to go there one day too! Boat is a Princess 415 so boat very capable, just the skipper that's lacking. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Dave
 
If you are heading off out of the sea lock at Sharpness for the first time then your destination will either be Portishead or Cardiff. Once you leave the lock at Sharpness you have to go down the channel - you can't pop out for a spin as the tide dictates that you have to make the passage. The lock at Sharpness operates once per tide and if you don't go down past the bridges the water will disappear!

It will be a baptism of fire for you. You need to learn about pilotage and to be able to correctly follow the marks down the channel. It's all very rewarding once you have done it.

The point being that it's not like being on the river - each passage should be planned and you should only depart once you are sure that the tides and the weather permit. It is quite possible that you will wait around for the right day to make the passage and then have to wait at either Portishead or Cardiff/Penarth for the right conditions to come back. It's not really a weekend event and I would expect that going out the sea lock is normally only undertaken with a week off work.

The greatest challenge is timing your arrival to be back at Sharpness at exactly the right time for the lock. If you are too early then you will run out of water, too late and you will miss the lock. It shouldn't be a problem with your boat though as you have the speed.

One other thing to bear in mind - you will require a BW river AND canal licence for the Sharpness canal. This makes it quite expensive. Also the use of dinghys is not allowed on the canal.

I hope this helps.
Ian.
 
Welcome to ther forum.Theres a huge amount of experience avail;able to tap into here. Any questions you have will no doubt attract some usefull replies.

When will you be taking the boat to Sharpness?
The upper reaches of the Estuary between Avonmouth and Sharpness are quite a challenging bit of water even for an experienced skipper.You could consider employing a Sharpness pilot to assist you on this part of your delivery journey.
 
Welcome to the best kept secret in the wonderful world of water. Great place, beauty is a bit more than skin deep. Read the pilot and ask - loads of knowledge on this corner.
Good luck
 
I'm sure someone will be happy for you to "follow" them down from Sharpness, when you get to Portishead we'd be quite happy to follow in our boat or even come with you for a ride out.
Feel free to ask loads of questions as, previously stated, loads of knowledge on here and we are all learning all the time.
The main thing to consider is........make sure the the tide's in /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
The tide, by the way, is the brown stuff that's a bit more runny than the mud.
 
The only difference between the Bristol channel and other places, like, for instance, the Thames estuary, are the tides. As they are totally predictable, I have never seen them as a problem. It won't affect you as much as it affects us raggies but for me going with the tide means that I can travel much further on one trip than without it.
Have a great time and enjoy your new area, just don't tell too many people about it or it will end up like the Solent.
Allan
 
[ QUOTE ]
The tide, by the way, is the brown stuff that's a bit more runny than the mud

[/ QUOTE ]

you mean this stuff? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

SP4.jpg
 
Graham - thanks for the response. It's not a delivery, moving the boat to try a new area. Seem to have had a huge variation of opinion for the area below sharpness. :-)
Cheers
Dave
 
Oh very funny. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif My Dad used to build boats (at Penarth) and I kinda grew up with the nice clean water of the bristol channel. I have my day skipper, just paranoid about getting the tides right. Forgotten it all after the 'calm' of the Thames. Thanks for the reply and great picture.
Dave
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The tide, by the way, is the brown stuff that's a bit more runny than the mud

[/ QUOTE ]

you mean this stuff? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

SP4.jpg


[/ QUOTE ]

Yes. The tide is out in that picture. Er, or is it in?
 
Ian - thanks. I'm getting confused who I haven't replied to and who I have! Sorry all, responses has been great. Hoping to keep the boat at Gloucester for now (for personal reasons) so probably not the best place to keep it if I want experience of the channel. I'll keep an eye on this part of the forum and try and let folk know when I'll be out. It would be great if I make it to Portishead and some kind soul can share some of the secrets - looking forward to making some new friends!
 
welcome thamesboater, we go out of sharpness for long weekends with planning and weather with you, if its bad go up the sharpness cannal or the severn lots of nice little pubs try the coal house on the severn if the tide is right
waiting the night before at sharpness [image]http://
CIMG0422.jpg
[/image]
going out of sharpness [image]http://
CIMG0281.jpg
[/image]
the brown stuff [image]http://
100_01056.jpg
[/image]
and we sometimes lock in and out with these [image]http://
100_0136.jpg
[/image] heres to a good summer /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif and look forward to seeing you up here sneds
 
Thanks - we've been to the coal house by road (had considered mooring on the moorings next to the pub). Food was really nice. A little worried about to being able to find moorings on the Severn - the Thames is pretty good for moorings but I suppose this is what all the fun is about finding out. Sounds as if we will have fun both up and down! Used to keep an old Fjord 27 on the canal but never ventured out (although did go up the severn a short distance). The Princess is a very capable boat, looking forward to the opportunity to open the engines up and give the turbos a chance to spin up.
I take it from your comments that you may moor on the canal? I've had real trouble finding a mooring. Have the offer of one in Victoria basin -ahem, online now finding out the costs for a decent alarm system!

If I can work out how to paste a picture in I'll do it /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
As they are totally predictable, I have never seen them as a problem.

[/ QUOTE ]

Errm....check with lock control at Portishead if you are intending to make the last lock on neaps. The tide is often nearly an hour ahead of prediction, and up to 1m lower at last lock time. So you may not get in /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

OOOPs...
mudlump.jpg


But welcome anyway Thamesboater, it is often like this /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif .... pretty pics
 
When did you install those convenient white lines? It will make it easy to keep in the deep water now... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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