Portishead Marina

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FirstLady

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Hi, first post on here after about 3 years- had to re-register as I couldnt remember my login details! I currently have my 24' Fairline on the River Exe which is not getting much use due to time restraints etc, as we live in Bristol.

I am considering a move to portishead for convenience- but to be truthful the huge tidal range and fast flows in this area strike the fear of God in me!!- I have been used to the relative safety of the East coast in times gone by. I would love some feedback on what its really like to boat in the Bristol Channel.

Hopefully I may hear from some of you......
 
Muddy, choppy and massive tides but you will learn quickly and if you CAN manage to do it you will be able to sail anywhere!
 
I can offer only limited advice as I am just beginning my second year of motor boating.

I am based in Cardiff and in the past year have been out in the Bristol channel around 30 times on various trip/ outings.

I usually go out with the family and the majority of trips we have completed to date have been a great experience and have left us with some great memories. During these trips the sea conditions have been good enough to allow a 26ft boat get on the plane and cruise along at 20Knotts if we wanted to. The weather conditions have been dry and visibility moderate. (I was surprised how quick the visibility could change out there particularly on one trip to Watchet when an unpredicted pea soup fog descended 5 minutes after we had arrived and safely berthed up.)
Wind conditions during these good times have always been below a F3.
During the first few months of boating I had problems interpreting the weather forecasts produced by various sources and missed a number of good sailing days due to sometimes being over cautious. I gradually learned to use a number of different sources (Including sticking my head out of the window) and now feel more confident in myself in being able to make a balanced judgement on weather to go out or not.
I have always studied charts before any trips but even then being a relative newbie have always ensured that there was plenty of water beneath us on our departure and arrival (to allow for error) so have fitted in with the tides accordingly.

As mentioned above the majority of trips have gone well. There have however been a minority of times when things were not so comfortable. With the benefit of hindsight I can see that this was always down to me setting my mind on going and not being willing to take the decision to call off the trip, something I do easily now. The worst occasion was on a trip from Cardiff to watches, we had arranged to travel in company with another 5 boats. We arrived at the marina where it was blowing f5/6. Testosterone took hold and all the vessels captains decided to go ahead with the planned crossing despite conditions. Well the crossing was pretty rough in a 26ft sports boat and nearly put SWMBO off before I had even got chance to enjoy my newfound hobby. Fortunately everyone arrived safely and since then I have never been afraid to turn back or call off, no matter how disappointing, a good lesson for me.

So the key to us for happy motor boating in the Bristol Channel is to ensure as far as reasonably possible that weather conditions, sea state and tides are suitable for any proposed trip and it is working for us.

Last year despite the weather we managed to get out on the boat most weekends even if it was just to mess around Cardiff bay, or travel up the river Taff or Ely for a tranquil afternoon. But I can say without doubt the best days we had were the days when conditions allowed us to go out into the Bristol Channel.
 
Provided you keep a carefull eye on the weather and allow for the tides the BC is no more difficult than other boating areas. I find it much more relaxing here than for example on the Solent where its busy and you need to be constantly alert.

The tide turning can have a big effect on the sea state,20 knots of wind with the tide say between Cardiff and Bristol can be fine but the same wind against the tide can produce some nasty seas.

Dont be too ambitious at first and your confidence will grow as you gain experience.
 
I can only echo the previous posts.
We keep our boat in Bristol so an eye on the clock is allways at the top of the list! (There is only a 3 hour window to lock in!
Portishead has a much wider window and really is a nice marina, the loos and showers are clean and well kept and the "Galley" snack van does a mean bacon roll.
The staff there are all very helpfull and seem keen to please.
As long as the westher is good, and you avoid strong (F4+?) wind over tide you should have no problems.
A chart is essential and a chart plotter useful, oh by the way, get a depth sounder or fish finder that works!
Come and have a look first, see what you think, we're a pretty bunch.
Sorry, pretty friendly bunch!
 
we moved our boat round from the south coast last year and our only regret was not doing it sooner!

upstream of the second severn crossing things can get 'interesting', but if you only go there when the conditions suit you can't go far wrong: OK, so the tide can run fairly strong (but not as strong as portland bill), the channels can shift a little (but not as much as the exe), there's a few sand banks (also found in the solent) and the water's brown (as it is on the east coast). On the plus side it's well sheltered in the estuary, everyone's friendly and it's not overcrowded.

Britain's best kept boating secret - just don't tell anyone else!
 
"the huge tidal range and fast flows in this area strike the fear of God in me!!"

That was my thought when I first started here, but the reality is a lot more comfortable. As the others have said, keep an eye out for the conditions (but that is the same anywhere). The advantage of a fast tidal flow is that in a sail boat you can get a lot further /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

...you may need to get more chain if you like to anchor though /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

And further down - Devon, Lundy, Gower etc - the sea is blue and uncrowded, the coasts are beautiful, and some of the best cruising areas in the UK (but don't tell everyone /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)
 
Fantastic post Steve- It is really good so hear how much you have enjoyed the boating and adapted to the challenges- Next trip Bristol then!

I also echo the positve comments from the other locals. Every area has it's own hazards and you just have to adapt to suit. The only downside really is that there are less places to visit than the South coast so the passage distances can be longer
 
Well- thankyou to all who replied, all seems positive on the whole!! The biggest problem with having the boat on the Exe is finding the time to get down there- as we live in Bristol, Portishead is only about 30mins away- so I could go and 'tinker' after work!!

Are there any organised cruises for 'stinkie' boats throughout the season? The one thing I really miss from the East coast is cruising in company.
 
Me and Sneddon will go crusin anytime! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Any excuse to get out on the water.

I am new to Portishead (And boating), but cant praise everyone enough for the help they have given.

You will be made most welcome.

I dont find the tides an issue, you just get used to it. Cardiff is a great place to go as is Bristol.

I can be on the boat in 15 mins from home, so we get to use it fairly often.

Better than a 2 hour+ crawl through the traffic on a Friday night. Only to find weather changed and the whole weekend ruined. Then Crawl back home on the Sunday afternoon.
No way... I am not into that.
 
Oops- didnt mean to alude to excluding saily boats- was brought up on them and was still sailing until only 5 seasons ago before I was lured to the dark side!! Seriously tho- I have no favourisism- were all taking part in the same hobby after all!

Well- if I make the move up in the coming weeks, I will be seeking further advice from you guys! Thanks again for all the positive comments- I feel quite at home already!
 
[ QUOTE ]

Are there any organised cruises for 'stinkie' boats throughout the season? The one thing I really miss from the East coast is cruising in company.

[/ QUOTE ]

There are relatively fewer stinkies here than the south coast and fewer cruising - not least because a much higher proportion of the places you would want to go to here are drying. And many stinkies have stern gear to protect.

But this is changing. There are many more marinas now than there were 15 years ago when I started sailing here. And plans for more yet.

The tides really arent a problem as long as you dont simply ignore them. So you learn quickly to check tide times and entrance windows, but thats not exactly rocket science. In fact its much easier here than in the Solent.

Prevailing UK winds are west to south west and the Bristol channel is open in that direction. So you dont get as much shelter as you would on the south coats and particularly the east coast. No problem - you get a weather forecast and make sure you dont go out if the forecast is F6 from the west against a spring ebb. Or if you do go out, you remember not to the next time.

I've sailed extensively on the south coast and the east coast as well as here. TBH, I would chose the east coast if I lived in the middle of the UK, but I dont. And the advantages of having the boat near at hand are great.
 
Well- after many weeks of deliberating, and all of your advice over that last few days- I have booked the move for early June to Portishead!! Went down earlier today and saw a few boats locking out- all looked very pleasant.

I look forward to maybe seeing some of you guys around in the coming months.... thanks again for all the welcoming responses.

Brian
 
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