Passage Plan Help and Advice

  • Thread starter Thread starter JordanBoon
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JordanBoon

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I am planning to sail from Southsea Marina in Portsmouth to Brighton Marina, i am looking at the tidal streams and please can someone confirm to me that i should leave at
Low Water and that would take me the Majority of the way

Anyhelp would be great, looking to leave either tomorrow (Sunday 24th July) or Monday 25th July
 
To be honest, if you have to ask such a basic question on here at such a late hour, perhaps you should not be undertaking such a passage. Get yourself into the chandlers, buy a chart (if you have not got one) a tidal atlas and tide tables. A Pilot book would also be useful. Then work it out for yourself.
 
I'm assuming you don't have much experience of passage planning.

I presume you have charts and an almanac, so you can work out the tides. If you're not confident at tidal heights you can double check at www.easytide.co.uk, but better to make your own attempt first for practice.

You need to start with your destination and origin. Plan based upon a conservative passage speed.

Brighton Marina should be accessible 24 hours a day. Beware it has a reputation for being difficult in strong onshore winds. Make a plan with buoys/lights, especially if expecting to arrive after dark (and if not expecting, plan anyway as it might still happen).

Then look at Southsea Marina. You can't leave at LW unless you get out before the flap closes and wait around.

Then think about the difficult bits on the way, which is obviously the Owers. The Looe Channel is the obvious way to go in good weather. Look out for lobster pot buoys. The tide changes in the Looe Channel a couple of hours early, so adjust your plan to give you a favourable tide.

If you aren't confident the conditions are good for getting through the Looe Channel make a plan for going around the Owers.

You also need to think about ports along the way in case you need to bail out. Littlehampton & Shoreham. Work out tidal heights and prepare plans to get in (if you need to abort your passage it is often not in circumstances when it is easy to plan).

Apart from that there's not a huge amount on this passage. Check the hazards along the way. Few shallow areas between Southsea & the Looe Channel and a few rocks inshore afterwards. Not that much tide after Looe Channel.

Best of luck.
 
Some people are being a bit hard.
We are here to help and encourage sailing, not to sit at home reading books. Doing it is the best experience you can get.
Some may have forgotten their first decent passage. I remember mine and would seek out anyone with some knowledge to check over what I had done to make sure it was right and I had not forgotten anything.
If the OP wants any help at all please email me.(pm sent)
I may not be as knowledgeable as some but I will do what I can.
 
A few facts well worth remembering:

In the central area of the English Channel
  • Current starts to flow to the West at around HW Dover
  • Current starts to flow to the East at around LW Dover
  • HW Dover is around Midday and Midnight on Springs (Full and New Moon)
  • LW Dover is around Midday and Midnight on Neaps
 
You dont say what boat or what speed you hope to achieve

You dont say if you intend going outside the Owers or if you hope to use the Looe channel, weather permitting, to round Selsey bill.

However from Langstone entrance to a point south of Selsey Bill is about 10 miles and the total distance is approx 37 miles Call it 40 miles.

The forecast wind for Sunday is between W and NW at 9 knots so it will be a gentle downhill trip all the way!

I would aim to be at the Looe channel at the start of the east going tide, which is HW Portsmouth +0430 This will mean leaving Langstone somewhat earlier, say 3 hours earlier to allow for the fact that you will have a weak foul tide between Langstone and Selsey at that time.

On Sunday HW Portsmouth is 0543 BST therefore aim to be out of Langstone about 0715 BST, leaving the marina sufficiently before then to be clear of the harbour entrance by 0715 ( The marina cill is open from 0250 to 0850 so no problem there)

From Selsey onwards you will have a fair tide, for about 6 hours with a weak foul tide only for the final stretch. With luck you might even make Brighton before the tide turns

On Monday HW is roughly 1 hour later ( 0649) so aim to be out of Langstone by around 0815.

Your responsibility to check the above ... I may have made a ghastly mistake somewhere.

.
 
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and have your "standby" ports planned, preferably with a paper list and the access waypoints in case you lose power and can't make your planned passage speed.

Got your CG66 filled in, with a shore-based contact ?



Have fun - it should be a straightfoward passage if you plan "towards" rather than "to". :)
 
A concept I was taught an age ago was that passage planning / navigation is about knowing where you don't want to go or be.
 
Well it has been a perfect day for the trip. How did it go?

Wind westerly , give or take a couple of points all day.

F4 and only touching F5 occasionally.

You should have arrived by mid afternoon. If not why not?
 
Hi Jordan,

A sensible approach to passage planning is:

1] roughly work out your route

2] look at the route and work out any concerns ref water depth and calculate how much water you need to be safe relative to LW and HW, eg safe 'windows'

3] repeat above for any areas of fast tidal rates such as Looe channel

4] then take a look at all above in the context of getting as much supporting tide as possible while still meeting above 'windows'

5] determine your waypoints and note them down and/or put them in your plotter

6] finally take a few notes on any harbours of refuge, obstacles to avoid and landmarks to aid.

All this will give you a very robust passage plan, or tell you that your plan isn't viable unless you are prepared to plug against tides.

With time you'll be a bit more relaxed about planning at this level of detail, and will learn which bits to not worry about, but if at all nervous, then a robust passage plan delivers real peace of mind.
 
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