Portishead entrance

[damo]

Having just had another boat ground on the mud outside the lock I thought I'd post some (nb unofficial - use at your own risk!) pilotage notes for those who haven't seen the place at low water.

There is a large lump of mud near the landward end of the pier which is only just covered at about the time of first lock (5.0mACD approx), so the channel takes a big dogleg.

A spit of mud also comes down to near the end of the pier, with the moorings of the Hole on the marina side of it.

If approaching from seaward then stick very close to the pier until you reach the third obstruction mark, about 3/4 of the way along the pier, then go about 30-40 deg to port towards the moorings to avoid the lump. Straighten up again when in line with the left(east) side of the outer lock wall.

Also note that the starboard(west) side of the lock is at 6.0mACD, while the port side is at 5.0mACD, so if the water depth is a bit skinny come in on the Lock Control (port) side. This is only an issue for the first and last locks of a tide.

I know this will sound a bit naff, but officially "it is the skipper's responsibility to put to sea etc etc" so please take the above info as unofficial and from a fellow sailor. The marina can't be held responsible for what you get up to outside the lock gates /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Sneds]

Thanks Damo, useful post.
Got any pics?

 

[tangomoon]

Good of you to mention it I think the Pilot book does too. Why doesn't somebody drop a buoy on the offending stuff.

 

[orizaba]

never forget our first trip to portishead,a friend who we were sort of travelling with left us behind ,luckily he had shown us pictures of the entrance,but it was coming up to high tide i think so no problem,he had muttered something about "the large channel marker buoy near the royal oak but i wasn't sure what,we dutifully kept it to starboard when it started chasing us,until eventually with much veering off by us it missed us by about 3 metres,and then shot off ito the distance behind us,we were somewhat alarmed and mystified over it ,when we mentioned to him later that it had chased us ,he said "didn't you listen if you see water in front of it go the other side," i seemed to have not understood that bit as all of you from there will know we were being pushed along at about 8 knots towards it. we will never forget our first trip in the channel to portishead.its was a fast learning curve about tides and currents.
another good set of pictures would be the entrance in avonmouth heading up the river to bristol (but there lies another tale) /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[damo]

I will sort out some pics as soon as I can

 

[Sneds]

Cheers! LAT would be nice /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[damo]

14.8m tide on the 29th (15.1m range). Trouble is LW is about 4am, so no pics then! I may be around the previous afternoon, so I'll see what I can do.

 

[Sneds]

Great, that would be interesting

 

[damo]

Re: Portishead entrance - pic

Just found this. Say thank you to the volunteer skipper for demonstrating the shallow bit! The name of the sailing school could be prised from me for a suitable reward /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

The channel can be seen quite clearly close to the pier, then a dogleg (by the third obstruction mark from the end of the pier) to the right side of the shot. Don't go any further across (old wharf timbers) but approach the lock just about in line with the wall.

 

[Sneds]

Re: Portishead entrance - pic

Has the bit the yacht is stuck on allway been that prominent?
I normally go straight over that! Then again, we are a mobo and draw just over a meter.
Thanks Damo, very imformative stuff.

 

[Csail]

Re: Portishead entrance - pic

How nuts is that! we normally hug the pier all the way in! Does the dredger keep changing the layout?

 

[Sneds]

Re: Portishead entrance - pic

Perhaps lack of dredger is the problem?

 

[damo]

Re: Portishead entrance - pic

The channel has been like that for at least the 4 years I have been here, although the depths are decreasing very gradually. There hasn't been any dredging for quite a while, but I don't know about plans to have it done soon.

It is really only an issue near the beginning and end of the locking period ie at first lock out (5m ACD rising), last lock (6m ACD, falling). The mud lump is covered at 4.8m ACD.

The reason the channel is that shape is because of the outflow drainage stream which has created the Hole, where the moorings are. Any ploughed channel direct to the lock would presumably change back to its natural layout as soon as it could.