Portland Bill E to W

[aslabend]

I'd take the inshore route if weather allows, use the tide across the bay and if you on schedule push on to Dartmouth (as people have said, it's an easy entrance..... just watch for the big ship mooring buoys if it's dark) but if not do a short stop at Torquey or Brixham (both a couple of hours nearer) and an early morning hop round to Dartmouth on the tide. If you stopped at Brixham you could almost walk to Dartmouth and check it out......

 

[Anonymous]

...do a short stop at Torquey or Brixham (both a couple of hours nearer) and an early morning hop round to Dartmouth on the tide. If you stopped at Brixham you could almost walk to Dartmouth and check it out......

I'm not so fond of Torquay but Brixham is a nice stop, anyway. I was there in 2002 and listening to Ch16 in a bit of a blow.... "Brixton CG, Brixton CG, Brixton CG, this is SillyB, SillyB, SillyB...."

 

[Allan]

Last year I delivered my boat from Poole to Cardiff and rounded the Bill from Weymouth. We followed the advice of locals and went round at slack water with the tide pushing us across Lyme bay. The harbourmasters office gave us the phone number of the watch station, which I rang as I approach the bill. They were very helpfull and very reassuring to hear from someone who could see the conditions. It had been very gusty passing Portland harbour so I expected the same as we rounded the end but it never happened. After reading and hearing lots of advice I would use the inner passage in all but the worst conditions.
Allan

 

[forgotmyfrekinuserid]

Many thanks.
Folks, thanks for persuading me against my first plan of putting in all the south I needed on Thursday.

All things being equal, I'll round the bill on Tuesday morning and will cross the bay in one, getting into Dartmouth in time to leave the boat and get home - ready for a family 10 day holiday in Devon starting the following Friday.

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/marine/weather?1&LANG=en&WIND=grbr&CONT=ukuk&TIME=2009072109&LEV=01

Thanks again.

Charlie.

 

[Anonymous]

After reading and hearing lots of advice I would use the inner passage in all but the worst conditions.

I haven't done the inner passage myself (always virtually single-handed and conditions not ideal) but I think it was Fishwick (or could have been Cunliffe or even Reeds) who wrote that it is wind against tide that is the problem and the tide really runs fast there.

 

[Anonymous]

All things being equal, I'll round the bill on Tuesday morning and will cross the bay in one, getting into Dartmouth in time to leave the boat and get home - ready for a family 10 day holiday in Devon starting the following Friday.

You'd better book a space.

 

[VicS]

You'd better book a space

I cannot claim to have rounded the Bill many times and not at all for a good few years but surely it has not become that crowded round there. Half price day for OAPs?

 

[forgotmyfrekinuserid]

Dart HM have assured me that I will have space - being there hasnt been a worry, just completing the first 6 or 7 nm !

 

[Anonymous]

Dart HM have assured me that I will have space - being there hasnt been a worry, just completing the first 6 or 7 nm !

Have fun and safe passage. There are three marinas... one on the right as you enter, the town quay (public) and the one by the chain ferry. The town quay is nice but they can move you around so our choice is the one by the chain ferry when aboard but when we left the boat for a week or so, the one on the right gave the best deal.

 

[Danny]

All things being equal, I'll round the bill on Tuesday morning and will cross the bay in one, getting into Dartmouth in time to leave the boat and get home - ready for a family 10 day holiday in Devon starting the following Friday.

If you can round the Bill (inshore passage - close as you can) at about 11:00 BST on 21/07 and really make 6 - 6.5 kn you'll be going past the Mew Stone by about 17:00 BST. Even at 5 kn you'll be there around 18:30. Enjoy the trip.

 

[forgotmyfrekinuserid]

Danny thanks for your post. I have become amazed at the speed my boat seems able make through the water since I paid for a good quality genoa a year or so ago. So I think, given the promise of a beam reach or a fetch across Lyme bay with a F4 blowing then she'll easily cruise at 6 knots.

The difference the sail has made is shown in my round the island race results. Most years, we were consistently placed between 350th and 400th until the new sail, when we made 141st overall.

Who knows, if the wind veers and comes with some east in it, I'll get the kite up and will go so fast that I'll take a troupe of waterskiers behind me!

Incidentally, I just went to the bill. With the ebb in full flow someone was about a mile offshore getting thrown around whilst for say 250m off the bill itself the water was surprisingly calm.

 

[temptress]

Was this summer?

So did you go?

My delivery to Lowestoft turned into a cruise in the Solent with F7/6 gusting F8. Now re-thinking plans......

BTW - the calm bit around the BILL is as you say from the rocks to about 300m off but not in an onshore blow.