Hildich
New Member
Hi,
Thinking of making a run upto Lydney one weekend, has anyone got any tips/advice?
Regards Mark
Thinking of making a run upto Lydney one weekend, has anyone got any tips/advice?
Regards Mark
Portishead to Lydney
- Thread starter Hildich
- Start date
trapezeartist
Well-Known Member
Better to go on a neap tide as it makes entry and exit to Lydney harbour easier.
Check the gate opening time with the harbourmaster and plan carefully to arrive dead on time (approx HW).
There is no slack water. The tide just stops dead and shoots back in the opposite direction.
You cross from the other side of the estuary to Lydney across the tide. There will be 30 to 45 degrees difference between your heading and COG. It's easier if your chart plotter will display course vectors. Aim for the end of the wall on the upstream side. Just as you get into the entrance the tidal stream switches off. Phew!
Remember Portishead HW is about half an hour before Lydney so the time is quite tight to lock out of Lydney and get in to Portishead. Especially if you have a deepish draught and can't do the last lock-in. Don't dawdle.
It cuts up a bit choppy between the bridges when there is wind against tide.
Check the gate opening time with the harbourmaster and plan carefully to arrive dead on time (approx HW).
There is no slack water. The tide just stops dead and shoots back in the opposite direction.
You cross from the other side of the estuary to Lydney across the tide. There will be 30 to 45 degrees difference between your heading and COG. It's easier if your chart plotter will display course vectors. Aim for the end of the wall on the upstream side. Just as you get into the entrance the tidal stream switches off. Phew!
Remember Portishead HW is about half an hour before Lydney so the time is quite tight to lock out of Lydney and get in to Portishead. Especially if you have a deepish draught and can't do the last lock-in. Don't dawdle.
It cuts up a bit choppy between the bridges when there is wind against tide.
Q
quimby
Guest
Plus this, may help!
Lydney Docks
Boating information for Lydney Docks including locking and mooring charges.
The outer entrance of Lydney Dock is 10m wide, with depths over the sill of 3.5m
at high water neaps.
The outer basin is 82m long and 22m wide. The lock is 27m long and 6.5m wide,
with 4m over the inner sill.
The inner basin is 231m long and 32m wide with depths of 3m.
Vessels will be required to give SIX HOURS NOTICE before arrival or sailing on
tides predicted to be 8.4m or over at Sharpness. On tides predicted to be less
than 8.4m, 24 hours notice will be required.
Contact information
Tel: 01684 864388 or 07768 861282
Out of office hours 0800 807060
VHF channel 80 during tide time
Vessels sailing should be ready to enter the lock one hour before high water.
Vessels arriving should aim to be off Lydney 20 minutes before high water.
Charges for locking and mooring
A charge of £5 will be made for locking into the dock, and the following
additional mooring fees will be charged:
For vessels up to 9m length - £5 per week
Between 9m and 15m - £8 per week
Over 15m - £10 per week
Persons in charge of vessels bound for Lydney should take particular care not to
arrive off the entrance too early on tide, and should ensure that there is
sufficient under
Lydney Docks
Boating information for Lydney Docks including locking and mooring charges.
The outer entrance of Lydney Dock is 10m wide, with depths over the sill of 3.5m
at high water neaps.
The outer basin is 82m long and 22m wide. The lock is 27m long and 6.5m wide,
with 4m over the inner sill.
The inner basin is 231m long and 32m wide with depths of 3m.
Vessels will be required to give SIX HOURS NOTICE before arrival or sailing on
tides predicted to be 8.4m or over at Sharpness. On tides predicted to be less
than 8.4m, 24 hours notice will be required.
Contact information
Tel: 01684 864388 or 07768 861282
Out of office hours 0800 807060
VHF channel 80 during tide time
Vessels sailing should be ready to enter the lock one hour before high water.
Vessels arriving should aim to be off Lydney 20 minutes before high water.
Charges for locking and mooring
A charge of £5 will be made for locking into the dock, and the following
additional mooring fees will be charged:
For vessels up to 9m length - £5 per week
Between 9m and 15m - £8 per week
Over 15m - £10 per week
Persons in charge of vessels bound for Lydney should take particular care not to
arrive off the entrance too early on tide, and should ensure that there is
sufficient under
zlod
Well-Known Member
I spoke to one of the Lydney massive who sails a Corribee and he was of the impression that going at neaps is a bad idea as there is sometimes not enough water to get out at neaps.
I've tried to get up that far several times and always failed. I think there are several issues:
- the wind often seems to die above the old Severn Bridge
- we've always tried it either with a headwind or a tailwind and I suspect that going on a beam reach is going to be more helpful getting there
- I suspect that there are some significant tidal eddies that we get stuck in. I suspect that the tide flows "the wrong way" at the big bend just above Beachley and it is better to cut across the sands (but then you need to make sure you have enough depth)
- I'm not convinced about the guidance relating to the time when you need to leave the Avonmouth area in the pilots / Reeds. There doesn't seem to be enough time
I guess the way to ensure success is to make liberal use of the motor when appropriate, but that kinda feels like cheating.
The furthest we've got to is a buoy called Ledges. The wind died and the tide turned and we scurried back to Portishead.
I've tried to get up that far several times and always failed. I think there are several issues:
- the wind often seems to die above the old Severn Bridge
- we've always tried it either with a headwind or a tailwind and I suspect that going on a beam reach is going to be more helpful getting there
- I suspect that there are some significant tidal eddies that we get stuck in. I suspect that the tide flows "the wrong way" at the big bend just above Beachley and it is better to cut across the sands (but then you need to make sure you have enough depth)
- I'm not convinced about the guidance relating to the time when you need to leave the Avonmouth area in the pilots / Reeds. There doesn't seem to be enough time
I guess the way to ensure success is to make liberal use of the motor when appropriate, but that kinda feels like cheating.
The furthest we've got to is a buoy called Ledges. The wind died and the tide turned and we scurried back to Portishead.
Allan
Well-Known Member
After crossing past Thornbury there is a green buoy, just after that there is a mark on the bank. When we were up there for the Lydney rally I took the picture below, which shows a direct route of slightly deeper water from that mark to Lydney.
Allan
Allan
trapezeartist
Well-Known Member
I think that's the route I took coming back from the Lydney rally. A local sailor suggested that we could just head straight from a point just off Lydney down to the leading mark at Beachley. I started out trying it but bottled out when the depth started dropping rapidly. So then I turned across on the route you suggest. Even then the depth dropped to 3.1m which was getting a bit uncomfortable. (I've no idea what the depth was when I crossed from Berkeley on the way up: I was far too busy trying to point in the right direction!).
Zlod, in my vast experience (I've been there twice) I haven't noticed a reversal of the tide near Beachley, but it certainly weakens considerably when you're right in the corner.
Allan
Well-Known Member
I don't have any charts at home but I assume the leading mark at Beachley is the mark leads you across the river near Thornbury. At low tide I saw a deeper part that looked like it went all the way down that side of the river to the mark. It was not straight though. A guy from Lydney told me there is a way down there but it could be complicated. I saw someone sailing that way when we left but would not dare to go that way without having walked down the bank at low tide first.
When we arrived for the rally I crossed from around the mark show in my picture. I got to the other side about 100m downstream of the lockgates and drifted up to the lock. After looking at low tide I saw there is a mud bank extending from the shorter of the two harbour walls, which I must have crossed. On my next visit I will probably try to do the same but aim to drift further out before heading into the harbour.
My vast experience is exactly half of that of Trapezeartist. I'm sure there must be some pattern to the tide but it just seemed fast and confused on the way up and not quite so fast but just as confused on the way back. I'm sure there must be eddies all over the place.
Allan
When we arrived for the rally I crossed from around the mark show in my picture. I got to the other side about 100m downstream of the lockgates and drifted up to the lock. After looking at low tide I saw there is a mud bank extending from the shorter of the two harbour walls, which I must have crossed. On my next visit I will probably try to do the same but aim to drift further out before heading into the harbour.
My vast experience is exactly half of that of Trapezeartist. I'm sure there must be some pattern to the tide but it just seemed fast and confused on the way up and not quite so fast but just as confused on the way back. I'm sure there must be eddies all over the place.
Allan
Hildich
New Member
Thanks for all the info, you've given me something to mull over.
I will give it a go sometime, just not in the next couple of weeks as I was originally planning.
Regards Mark
I will give it a go sometime, just not in the next couple of weeks as I was originally planning.
Regards Mark