Penarth to Windsor

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Newbroom

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Just like to get the views of some of you guys on this trip.

Cant get away till Wed 24th need to be on the Non tidal Thames before Molesey Lock closes for three months at 16.00 28th.

The boat is a Broom 450 new to me but I have had everything that the survey brought up done. She has been out the water stripped back to the bare hull and newly primed and antifouled. The engines have been serviced TAMD 75 EDC.s The fuel has been drained from the bottom of tank and shows no contaminates. Full range of spares are carried and I am reasonably proficient at mechanics.


My experience in the past included delivery work as a delivery skipper to the med and as a RYA instructor.

The plan is to leave Penarth through the Barrage lock at 6.30 am Wed and weather permitting cruise at 20 knots direct to Falmouth hopefully to arrive at Falmouth before 17.00 to re fuel. Weather at the moment looking force 3 to 4 with a 1 m swell. distance of 195 miles.


Leave Falmouth at 5.00 am for Cowes cruising again at 20 knots weather forecast to be SW force 3 occ 5. 197 miles Arrive Cowes by 15.00 re fuel before 16.00.

Weather for Friday deteriorating maybe force 6 so rather than leave Friday leave Thursday night and go non stop to Queenborough the worst of the weather not due in to Friday morning

We are three crew with two of us experienced and one newbie will obviously be travelling slower at night. Once at Queenborough not too bothered what the weather throws at us for going up the sea reach into London.


The weather might not be as bad as some forecasts are making out and in that case we will take it more leisurely but this is worst case proviso.
The alternative is to leave the boat on the South coast for the Winter but would prefer to get back closer to home at Windsor.

Any thoughts guys.

Dave
 
Really to early for weather forecast it’s a long trip in a small window but you sound competent ,don’t take risks and don’t forget safety stuff ,flares etc
 
Doable if forecast stays reasonably OK but very tiring, especially if conditions deteriorate. If it were me I would be looking for an extra hand, preferably experienced, to share the watch keeping. Also beware the various tidal windows where conditions may be tricky especially if the wind opposes the tide.


Have a safe passage.
 
I did Portishead to The Solent in 3 legs. Leg 1 to Padstow, 2 to Plymouth, 3 to The Solent. One of the key issues is the conditions at Pendeen for rounding Lands End. You really need max 10 knots wind. We went round in 8 knots and it was not pleasant. Will you be pushing the fuel range to Falmouth? My max leg was 140 kn.
 
Have two legs of 200 miles or there about. Penarth to Falmouth and Falmouth to Cowes. I Carry 400 galls of fuel and at twenty knots we should have a range in excess of 300 miles. Conditions round Pendeen are one of my concerns the forecast at the moment is just about 10 to 11 knots.
 
Newbroom said:
Have two legs of 200 miles or there about. Penarth to Falmouth and Falmouth to Cowes. I Carry 400 galls of fuel and at twenty knots we should have a range in excess of 300 miles. Conditions round Pendeen are one of my concerns the forecast at the moment is just about 10 to 11 knots.
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Anything above 10 kn will be very unpleasant.
 
Newbroom said:
Just like to get the views of some of you guys on this trip.

Cant get away till Wed 24th need to be on the Non tidal Thames before Molesey Lock closes for three months at 16.00 28th.

The boat is a Broom 450 new to me but I have had everything that the survey brought up done. She has been out the water stripped back to the bare hull and newly primed and antifouled. The engines have been serviced TAMD 75 EDC.s The fuel has been drained from the bottom of tank and shows no contaminates. Full range of spares are carried and I am reasonably proficient at mechanics.


My experience in the past included delivery work as a delivery skipper to the med and as a RYA instructor.

The plan is to leave Penarth through the Barrage lock at 6.30 am Wed and weather permitting cruise at 20 knots direct to Falmouth hopefully to arrive at Falmouth before 17.00 to re fuel. Weather at the moment looking force 3 to 4 with a 1 m swell. distance of 195 miles.


Leave Falmouth at 5.00 am for Cowes cruising again at 20 knots weather forecast to be SW force 3 occ 5. 197 miles Arrive Cowes by 15.00 re fuel before 16.00.

Weather for Friday deteriorating maybe force 6 so rather than leave Friday leave Thursday night and go non stop to Queenborough the worst of the weather not due in to Friday morning

We are three crew with two of us experienced and one newbie will obviously be travelling slower at night. Once at Queenborough not too bothered what the weather throws at us for going up the sea reach into London.


The weather might not be as bad as some forecasts are making out and in that case we will take it more leisurely but this is worst case proviso.
The alternative is to leave the boat on the South coast for the Winter but would prefer to get back closer to home at Windsor.

Any thoughts guys.

Dave
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I used to sail out of Penarth and have done Solent to Windsor quite a few times. Never done penarth to Windsor though.

Solent to Windsor is an OK 2 day trip. I overnight at Ramsgate.

If you are going to Windsor are you MDL? If so you can stop at Plymouth, Torbay, Poole, the Solent and Chatham for free.

There are many reasons you could miss the lock, so why not make the most of the trip and miss it deliberately? Enjoy a few weekends in some places you won’t normally/easily be able to go. And finish the trip when the lock opens again.

Notes :
Obviously fully allow for tidal flows in the Bristol Channel. They make a massive difference even at 20 knots.
Don’t underestimate sea reach in an easterly., even in a very capable Broom. The forelands can be entertaining too.
Don’t forget tidal calcs for air draft at Hammersmith.
 
Thanks for that.
Have done Solent to the Thames and Thames to East coast South coast many times. I really would like to get the boat to Windsor for the winter as I have quite a few jobs I would like to do through the winter and Windsor is very local for me.

More concerned about the first legs than the last.
At the end of the day I should know by the time I get to Cowes whether I am going any further.

I wont be taking unnecessary risks getting to old in the tooth for anything over force 4 -5
 
Good luck and natural wish to bring her back under your own steam.
Unknown boat.
Wrong time of year regards weather.
Lands End
Some long stretches between refuges.
Not a lot of daylight.
Cost fortune in fuel/marinas/ etc.
Get you home mentality not the best frame of mind. ?
Some poor so and so has got to drive you lot there and get back home.


Truck it.......about £2K and 8 hours gets it home. ?
 
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Some good points most of them very valid but definitely don't suffer from get you home mentality.
Boat has been well prepared and trialed
The poor so and so driving me there married me for her sins
 
Not very helpful I'm afraid but we are in Penarth as a visitor this weekend, think I may be moored next to your new boat, she looks fantastic

Good luck with the trip but unless you have time to kill, really fancy the trip and want to motor around I would truck it, loads of firms in the South East, you mat even get a return load?

But would be a great adventure if you go for it

We used Dave Bevis, Came from Southampton to pick the boat up in Chertsey and delivered us safely to Cardiff, great price and great service
 
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I was based in Penarth and if the boats name begins with C , then I know it well. Super boat and owner absolutely cherished and cared for the boat.

As some others have said the cost of fuel and marina fees would make transporting by road a no brained, especially this time of year and stress free.
 
My concern is that the fixed deadlines could make it tempting to 'go for it' when ordinarily the trip would be delayed.

And whilst the boat has just been serviced, all it would take is one or more of the following; an autopilot failure, some rougher than expected weather, higher than anticipated fuel burn and/ or a sea sick newbie crew member to make the trip a miserable and potentially hazardous one.

Unless the OP has a particular desire to do the trip by sea, putting it on a low loader would make more sense to me.
 
Newbroom said:
Just like to get the views of some of you guys on this trip.

Cant get away till Wed 24th need to be on the Non tidal Thames before Molesey Lock closes for three months at 16.00 28th.

The boat is a Broom 450 new to me but I have had everything that the survey brought up done. She has been out the water stripped back to the bare hull and newly primed and antifouled. The engines have been serviced TAMD 75 EDC.s The fuel has been drained from the bottom of tank and shows no contaminates. Full range of spares are carried and I am reasonably proficient at mechanics.


My experience in the past included delivery work as a delivery skipper to the med and as a RYA instructor.

The plan is to leave Penarth through the Barrage lock at 6.30 am Wed and weather permitting cruise at 20 knots direct to Falmouth hopefully to arrive at Falmouth before 17.00 to re fuel. Weather at the moment looking force 3 to 4 with a 1 m swell. distance of 195 miles.


Leave Falmouth at 5.00 am for Cowes cruising again at 20 knots weather forecast to be SW force 3 occ 5. 197 miles Arrive Cowes by 15.00 re fuel before 16.00.

Weather for Friday deteriorating maybe force 6 so rather than leave Friday leave Thursday night and go non stop to Queenborough the worst of the weather not due in to Friday morning

We are three crew with two of us experienced and one newbie will obviously be travelling slower at night. Once at Queenborough not too bothered what the weather throws at us for going up the sea reach into London.


The weather might not be as bad as some forecasts are making out and in that case we will take it more leisurely but this is worst case proviso.
The alternative is to leave the boat on the South coast for the Winter but would prefer to get back closer to home at Windsor.

Any thoughts guys.

Dave
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Even though you will be almost at your destination, a few things to mention about the tidal Thames:

Your arrival at Richmond will be dependant on height of tide due to water depth and the odd bridge height plus you will want to go with the current so may I highlight a few things that can upset your planned timming and spoil the very last part of your voyage.

1) Although there are speed limits on the tidal Thames through and beyond London, which you can plan for, the Port of London Authority will tell you to slow down if they don't like your wash (even though many of the commercial vessels will be making more wash than you!)
2) The Thames has some significant bends above Tilbury and the London VTS will tell you off if you cut corners to save time.
3) Once you get to the Putney area and onwards you will frequently meet rowing skiffs with less than 100mm freeboard so you will frequently need to slow down to a snails pace avoid swamping them with your wash.
4) This time of year you are likely to do part of this leg in the dark. Make sure you know what the flashing lights on the bridges mean and note that above Putney the channel navigational marks are very small and the lights on them are very dim so at night, particularly in the rain, the final 8 miles can take a surprising amount of time.
5) There is nowhere on the tidal thames after Ramsgate to get Diesel at weekends so you don't want to be running low and start worrying and slowing down to save fuel, you will be doing a lot of this leg at displacement speeds. During the week, daytime only, there is only one company selling Diesel and their main customers, commercial vessels, can take a long time to refuel. If in doubt, pop into Ramsgate to refuel (daytime only!)

Have fun!
 
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Thank you Plum its appreciated but the Thames part of the trip I know well I do at least 5 or 6 trips back and forth the tideway every year. Got no intentions of doing that part in the dark in fact the Tides at London Bridge could be better with a late midday or thereabouts HW.
 
petem said:
My concern is that the fixed deadlines could make it tempting to 'go for it' when ordinarily the trip would be delayed.

And whilst the boat has just been serviced, all it would take is one or more of the following; an autopilot failure, some rougher than expected weather, higher than anticipated fuel burn and/ or a sea sick newbie crew member to make the trip a miserable and potentially hazardous one.

Unless the OP has a particular desire to do the trip by sea, putting it on a low loader would make more sense to me.
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They are the very issues I have wrestled with. but on weighing all the facts up I would much prefer to take her by sea. I have never resorted to a lorry believing I bought boats to use myself. As I said earlier I did delivery work back and forth to the Med for a number of years so I am calculating the risks carefully as I had to then. If the weather comes in earlier it should at least be closer to home if I abandon the passage. I am also not afraid to turn back if the conditions dictate I should.

In saying this I appreciate every bodies comments as it crystallises some of the issues for me. The final decision to go or not will be made Monday night when I have the very latest info. and weather.
Thanks again all
 
Newbroom said:
They are the very issues I have wrestled with. but on weighing all the facts up I would much prefer to take her by sea. I have never resorted to a lorry believing I bought boats to use myself. As I said earlier I did delivery work back and forth to the Med for a number of years so I am calculating the risks carefully as I had to then. If the weather comes in earlier it should at least be closer to home if I abandon the passage. I am also not afraid to turn back if the conditions dictate I should.

In saying this I appreciate every bodies comments as it crystallises some of the issues for me. The final decision to go or not will be made Monday night when I have the very latest info. and weather.
Thanks again all
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Don’t forget cruise report and photos and safe trip
 
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