Portland Bill outer route

[ashtead]

A fewBrixham pictures -the one thing to be wary of is fishing boats rushing in and out at warp drive to land a Rock eatery but you really just follow the breakwater down to the marina. Ignore the small pontoons in foreground btw as these are sailing club ones and too shallow/unstable . There is a rather good fish restaurant overlooking fishy port

 

[wonkywinch]

Wow, that’s pretty grim dangerous. I don’t think I’d be out.

Only a bit of wind against tide, be alright in a few hours when the flood starts

 

[Muddy32]

Having been based in Portland for almost 20 years earlier and returned at least twice a year since, I have always used the inshore passage.
Don't worry about the South setting eddy to the West, you only need 4 knots to work your way West, as it reduces quickly and you can go across Lyme Bay easily. Coming East aim for the highest point of Portland and then move South when 200m off.
Dartmouth is always an easier destination , only a few stressless miles longer.
As others have said, if it is blowing 6+, stay in Portland; You can anchor cheaply and restock at the new Lidl by dinghy or have a short stay at the marina, [it has the best female bathroom ever.]

 

[wonkywinch]

Downside of Brixham is it's a working fishing port so there are millions of birds singing a morning and evening chorus and then use your boat as a bird bog.

For restaurants, we like Rockfish on the veranda overlooking the fishing boats and also a walk down to Shoals.

Brixham seafood restaurant - Eat sustainable seafood in Devon

Shoals Seafood Restaurant Brixham | Seafood Restaurant Brixham

 

[oldharry]

Agree with Muddy 32, the inshore passage is absolutely fine as long as you follow the timings in anything up to a F4. Last time I did it east bound in a F5 and had a fairly rough ride, but nothing serious. But timing is essential.

The first time I did it, many years ago westbound from Weymouth ina 20 footer with wife and kids aboard (we did that sort of thing when we were young and broke in those days!) Timed it almost to the minute. Everyone with LJ's and safety lines. Kids wedged in their bunks, and adrenalin runing high! Poked our nose nervously round the corner, and found a flat calm, with some old codger swanning round in a little rowing boat lifting his pots!

The kids were most disappointed....!

 

[oldharry]

I thought it was safer to take a point 6 miles off when going outside, but I was lucky never to have to do it in any serious weather.
In the film 'Cruel Sea' about a wartime Corvette, many of the heavy weather sequences were filmed in the race. Worth watching to get some idea of what you might be up against if you get it wrong.... 0.36 to 0.56 in the You tube clip below

 

[stephen_h]

If you don't fancy Brixham in the dark then maybe anchor off Babbacombe - as long as it's not southerly or east'ly winds.

 

[wonkywinch]

If you don't fancy Brixham in the dark then maybe anchor off Babbacombe - as long as it's not southerly or east'ly winds.

Not tried them yet but there is Fishcombe Cove right outside or Elberry Cove nearby.

Fishcombe Cove Anchoring | Cadoha Sailing

Silver Cove| Cadoha Sailing

 

[MontyMariner]

A fewBrixham pictures

and not a Seagull in sight!

 

[jane444blue]

It is also fine to call Portland Coastwatch for an up to date weather /sea state report. They are happy to give conditions there. That time of year just follow the procession inside passage route

 

[Major Tom]

I take the inside passage ... except at night or in a southerly - there are some pots, which if snagged with lee rocks a cable away, could put you in a bit of a pickle. If the current is running, a lot of the pot markers get submerged.
Never had problems going west of shambles - to detour around east shambles and then around Portland race would make for a long day.

 

[mogmog2]

Will be heading West from Portland to Brixham around the 23/24 June. We intend to take the long way round Portland Bill and go 5nm out (prefer not to have the complications of the inner passage first time round). Looks like it will be springs. I think I am correct in saying the advice is to pass E of the Shambles around HW+5 Plymouth (0040 before HW Dover). By my calculations we will be tight on daylight at the other end arriving at Brixham. Just me and my wife and both a bit nervous and really would prefer to have more daylight at the other end to avoid the possiblilty of a night entry. A couple of questions:

1. if one left Portland very early and went against the tide around Portland Bill is this very bad? We will be 5nm out. It is springs, but we won't go in anything but good weather. Are we talking doable but slow? Or is it foolish and unsafe to do this?
2. what is night entry to Brixham like? Does anyone have any advice on how best to do this?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Just thought I'd add our experience of the Bill in our little Centaur.
We were pretty apprehensive about doing the inshore passage. However, with prep and double checking everything, plus also a Portland marina person volunteered us some useful timing stuff for the day we were setting off (detail escapes me now, but I'm sure they'll be just as helpful).
AIUI, the NCI can also advise, but we didn't contact them.

What we found anyway was that, although we set off earlyish (to make sure we got there in time) we became aware of a number of other boats catching us up and this gave us a lot of reassurance. We were all making a leisurely pace but the convoy got slower as we approached the Bill until the time was right then, almost as the start of a race, everyone sheeted in & were off. The passage itself was a bit of an anticlimax (in a good way), although we were a bit subdued as we weren't sure if there were any googlies in store... As it was, it was a lovely sail as you can see in the pic, and our passage round St Alban's had more disturbed water than Portland.
Other friends who have done it also reported seeing a procession of masts at departure time - so you get lots of cues as to when to leave.

I don't consider us to be overly intrepid but would say that, if the weather is reasonable, you don't need to add all that extra distance.

I would suggest that coming back is the time to go out wide, as the timing is harder to predict (we went nearly 10m off as we had a F5 in front of a blow coming, and we wanted to be sure )

Brixham.
FWIW, The Admiral was anxious about entering Brixham at night as it was a new place to us, so we detoured via Lyme. I can thoroughly recommend going straight to Brixham.
Although we then entered Brixham in daylight, it is pretty straightforward & I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it at night (assuming at least a modicum of competence) and we both wish we'd gone straight there with a night entry.

Whichever route you choose, enjoy.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Ha ha, the joys of Lyme Regis. We dry out very nicely, it’s not too bad for us. But anchoring out in deep water is a recipe for a restless night. The harbour has many perils itself though. Our kids caught the worst head lice of their lives there. Nit combing a 4 yr old and a 7 yr old on a 26ft DF800 we had at the time, not so good.

 

[oldharry]

Ha ha, the joys of Lyme Regis. We dry out very nicely, it’s not too bad for us. But anchoring out in deep water is a recipe for a restless night. The harbour has many perils itself though. Our kids caught the worst head lice of their lives there. Nit combing a 4 yr old and a 7 yr old on a 26ft DF800 we had at the time, not so good.

Agree, anchoring off is a no-no even in a calm. I'm not sure you can blame Lyme Regus for the headlice though? Horrid things, but it takes a few days for it to develop? Been there many times and never an itch....

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Agree, anchoring off is a no-no even in a calm. I'm not sure you can blame Lyme Regus for the headlice though? Horrid things, but it takes a few days for it to develop? Been there many times and never an itch....

It was the correct time later, and I blame the massive communal crabbing all the kids did together.

 

[wonkywinch]

Going from Portland to Brixham will add around 5-6 miles by taking the outside route. If you are worried about Brixham in the dark, you could always moor up on the visitors pontoon (just inside, big wide open space, enough room to turn) then move the boat when it gets light.

 

[Muddy32]

Just thought I'd add our experience of the Bill in our little Centaur.
We were pretty apprehensive about doing the inshore passage. However, with prep and double checking everything, plus also a Portland marina person volunteered us some useful timing stuff for the day we were setting off (detail escapes me now, but I'm sure they'll be just as helpful).
AIUI, the NCI can also advise, but we didn't contact them.

What we found anyway was that, although we set off earlyish (to make sure we got there in time) we became aware of a number of other boats catching us up and this gave us a lot of reassurance. We were all making a leisurely pace but the convoy got slower as we approached the Bill until the time was right then, almost as the start of a race, everyone sheeted in & were off. The passage itself was a bit of an anticlimax (in a good way), although we were a bit subdued as we weren't sure if there were any googlies in store... As it was, it was a lovely sail as you can see in the pic, and our passage round St Alban's had more disturbed water than Portland.
Other friends who have done it also reported seeing a procession of masts at departure time - so you get lots of cues as to when to leave.

I don't consider us to be overly intrepid but would say that, if the weather is reasonable, you don't need to add all that extra distance.

I would suggest that coming back is the time to go out wide, as the timing is harder to predict (we went nearly 10m off as we had a F5 in front of a blow coming, and we wanted to be sure )

Brixham.
FWIW, The Admiral was anxious about entering Brixham at night as it was a new place to us, so we detoured via Lyme. I can thoroughly recommend going straight to Brixham.
Although we then entered Brixham in daylight, it is pretty straightforward & I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it at night (assuming at least a modicum of competence) and we both wish we'd gone straight there with a night entry.

Whichever route you choose, enjoy.

View 6 --=. too far off, get in closer.

 

[wonkywinch]

Another inner passage ticked off today.

 

[mogmog2]

Nice day for it

 

[mogmog2]

View 6 --=. too far off, get in closer.

Not sure what you mean?