Passage Plymouth - Chichester - August

[tomski]

G'day all, I recently became an owner of a Wing 25 which is a (almost) full keel sloop currently located in Plymouth. She needs some TLC and I need to purchase an outboard for her as her original lump has been removed by previous owner (who used to live aboard) but she is seaworthy etc so will spend a few weekends sorting her out and intend to sail from Plymouth to Chichester.

Its been a few years since I've sailed but have a few years of inshore and offshore experience, did the yachtmaster courses plus a few years general seamanship experience (owned a couple of yachts, crewed on a few and was a submariner for a while) but have somewhat limited experience on the UK shores (hail from Australia so in UK did a couple of round the islands and a few runs to France).

So looking for any suggestions/ recommendations/ pointers etc for the passage. I plan to sail toward the end of August so going through the motions of planning it now and reading up on guides and almanacs etc. I will probably have a one or two mates to give me a hand though uncertain at this stage

Thanks in advance for any pointers

 

[wiggy]

I'd go Plymouth, Salcombe, Weymouth, Poole/Studland, Cowes, Chichester. Take inshore (close) routes at Portland Bill and St Albans Head, unless too windy to be near an lee shore.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Don't know how long you have and wether you are making a trip of it or just a quick delivery.

So:
Plymouth to Dartmouth

Plymouth to Yarmouth Longish haul and once inside the Solent you may prefere to push on direct to Chichester probably 24 to 30 Hrs sailing.

Plymouth to Weymouth splits the journey but is about 50 miles so 12 to 14 Hrs

Dartmouth to Swanage (anchor overnight or for a day) if weather permits. 60ish miles avoids Weymouth

Swanage or weymouth to Solent 40 or 20 miles allows you to get the tide spot on for the Needles and the Solent.

Pick your port or anchorage or straight on to Chichester.

Done the journey both ways several times but the smallest boat was a 27 footer and on each journey went port to port shortest time 18 Hrs longest 27 foot Vancouver 27 23Hrs

 

[bobgoode]

Plymouth..Salcombe
Then Salcombe ...Brixham

Shake down completed.

Brixham...Wemouth
Weymouth...Poole
Poole ...Yarmouth
Yarmouth...Pompey
Pompey ,.. Chichester

 

[tomski]

Hi All,
Thanks for the great replies...well was hoping/thinking of a shortish trip rahter than quick deliver but obviously conditions etc pending...

Doing it in 2 legs ie Plymouth - Weymouth then Weymouth - Cowes (or there abouts) sounds great, also Plymouth - Dartmouth - Swanage - Solent is also a good one...I guess I would go with best parking for the night (ideally close to town center etc)... obviously weather/conditions pending but would plan to do it over a long weekend and ideally this August long weekend

So per option 1 or 2, can you suggest better parking spots? Also Wiggy why do you suggest close to shore on Portland Bill etc?

Thanks again in any case

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Weymouth obviously has town centre parking, Swanage is a couple of hundred yards in the dinghy never been alongside there don't think it's practical, So for the break go to Weymouth it will then be possible to get the tide right at the needles and if you have time stop in thye Solent or push on with another longis day to Chichester.

 

[Twister_Ken]

No worries as long as you avoid overfalls off the headlands. Sometimes you can do this via an inshore passage, sometimes you want to be well out. Your critical headlands will be Start Point, Portland Bill, St Albans, Anvil Point, Peverill Point, St Catherine's Point. You'll also want avoid going into the Solent through the Needles Channel against a spring ebb, or against any ebb if there's a strong SW'ly and into Chichester Harbour against a spring ebb, or against any ebb if there's a strong southerly blowing.

Do it one, or make as many stops as you fancy.

 

[Seajet]

Personally I'd suggest keeping offshore at Portland - ie at least 5 miles off.

Work your way to Brixham -taking in the Yealm if you have time, lovely spot, maybe Dartmouth too.

From Brixham straight across the bay, waypoint 5 miles off the Bill then angle in for Anvil Point ( the lyme gunnery range is closed in August ) and anchor in Studland.

Beware lobster pots especially if taking Portland inshore - not recommended as the weather can change by the time you get there going East - and all along this coast.

If you can bother with a dinghy and all suits there is a walk from Studland beach to the pub, great garden & views.

From there to say Lymington ( Yarmouth will be crowded ), next stop Chichester.

Whichever way you go, have a good trip.

 

[NealB]

Hi Seawing,

Joscelyn and I have been taking a very leisurely cruise from Plymouth to Burnham on Crouch.

We've been taking it very gently, and have reached Brighton so far (taken nearly two weeks, whereas we have done Weir Quay to Harwich in 2 days before now)....it's been a very enjoyable cruise (strangely, made more satisfying because our gps refuses to talk to us).

You have loads of options, there's no one best route.

We went: Weir Quay, Mayflower, Bow Creek (Dart), Torquay (disappointing), inshore round Portland to Weymouth, Folly Inn pontoon, Emsworth Quay, Brighton.

Whichever stops you make, I hope you have as much fun as we've had.

(PS...I have a 9.9 hp Yamaha long shaft, high thrust, 4 stroke outboard in my garage. If you're interested, send me a pm. It's a totally genuine reason for sale.)

 

[richardbrennan]

I have done this trip on several occasions and the key point, as Twister Ken mentions are the critical headlands or, as I would call them, tidal gates. You really do need to hit the various headlands with a fair tide especially if the usual SW wind is blowing, otherwise you might get a real hammering and over the August Bank Holiday the tides are coming up to Springs and HW Dover is around the middle of the day. This means that unless you split the trip into days of about eight hours on the water, you will be sailing partly in the dark which may or may not be appealing to you.

When I bought my boat it was also in Plymouth and I neede to sail it back to Portsmouth, a pretty near identical trip albeit in a 33 foot boat. I went Plymouth to Torquay, Torquay to Weymouth and Weymouth to Portsmouth. Having done the trip a few times since, I would probably recommend Dartmouth rather than Torquayand it's a toss up whether you go Dartmouth to Weymouth, or to Poole/Studland or to Yarmouth/Lymington. The problem with going into either Weymouth or Poole is that it adds a lot of miles compared to the direct track to the Solent. If you miss the tidal gate at the Needles, it's worth considering going south of the island if you are aiming for Chichester.

I hope this helps?

 

[tomski]

Thats great information...still debating if I should go out..now France came into the picture lol...got a few days so perhaps we could make it a jump to the french coast then back to chichester east of iow...food for thought still cant make up the mind...but thank you very much all for the great info!

 

[pugwash94]

If I'm not too late - I go this way fairly frequently and suggest if yo are looking for a break with nice parking but a reasonably quick passage:

Plymouth - Dartmouth
Dartmouth - Weymouth
Weymouth - Lymington
Lymington - Chichester

In each case you can have town centre parking.

Portland Bill
Always the great debate - The pilot books make it look dire and it is in the wrong conditions. Most suggest keeping outside the Shambles however in reasonably settled conditions there is no reason why you should not pass between the Bill and Shambles. Also, providing the wind is westerly and 4 or less you can go much closer in than the 3 - 5 miles recommended - I haven't been further out than 1 mile for several years.
I have learned this having spoken to the Coast Watch Station people on the Bill. If I have any doubts I give them a quick call on my mobile and they give me a steer.
When going from Dartmouth or Torbay it is pointless trying to time it for the inshore passage because you will be punching foul tide as you cross Lyme Bay and will negate any benefit of the shorter distance.
That said, earlier this year I came from Exemouth, Wind NNE 3. The Coast Watch person I spoke to suggested that the Inshore passage was what he would use even though the tide was still setting South down the eastern side. I used it and it was no problem - no overfalls of the Bill but fascinating surface effects where the two streams met. I carried on due East (steering hard on the wind - Course steered about ENE until beyond the strongest of the south setting current.

Salcombe has been suggested as a stopping point but it has the disadvantage of a bar and it will be low water or there about when you want to set of. There is a way out over the bar at low water but not if the wind is onshore at any strength.

Finally you could consider Dartmouth - Alderney - Chichester