Portland Bill Rounding Tips

wonkywinch said:
I'm surprised there isn't a lock to go through from inside Portland. That would be handy!
Click to expand...
Clearly you have never seen Chesil beach in a storm. The area is not called deadman’s cove for nothing

The spill trenches on the eastward side indicate the wave overspill potential. Any lock would take a heck of a battering in bad weather and risk discharging any yacht onto a dangerous Lee shore
 
oldmanofthehills said:
Clearly you have never seen Chesil beach in a storm. The area is not called deadman’s cove for nothing

The spill trenches on the eastward side indicate the wave overspill potential. Any lock would take a heck of a battering in bad weather and risk discharging any yacht onto a dangerous Lee shore
Click to expand...
Ah yes. Fair point...


Example ⤴️
 
Last edited:
C08 said:
After a blow I was stunned to see the size of rocks on the pub roof!
Click to expand...
My family have a hut/chalet just before The Bill. There used to be a sea stack maybe 15 or 20m tall in the middle of the bay (bucket emptying) before the crane, and my father came out of the hut after a blustery night and discovered it broken and lying on its side.

The blowholes are fun in storms. The little one by the fishermans crane whistles and shoots 3 meters in the air, the bigger one by the quarry crane used to hurl rocks until they put a massive grid on top of it.
 
Any thoughts on rounding eastbound in 15-20kt easterlies as we have at present?

Planning tomorrow or Monday morning but couldn't see anyone who did it this morning. A vessel has just been round on the late ebb but looked far out to me.

Planning on HW DVR-45 as usual but wondered how rough the inner might be just after a wind against tide flood for previous 6 hours.

Boat that just went round ..

ONE STEP BEYOND Current position (Pleasure craft, MMSI 235067557) - VesselFinder
 
Last edited:
wonkywinch said:
Any thoughts on rounding eastbound in 15-20kt easterlies as we have at present?

Planning tomorrow or Monday morning but couldn't see anyone who did it this morning. A vessel has just been round on the late ebb but looked far out to me.

Planning on HW DVR-45 as usual but wondered how rough the inner might be just after a wind against tide flood for previous 6 hours.

Boat that just went round ..

ONE STEP BEYOND Current position (Pleasure craft, MMSI 235067557) - VesselFinder
Click to expand...
Hi Wonky, we're wondering the same thing, currently stuck in Torquay and hoping to get to Weymouth on Monday.
 
wonkywinch said:
Any thoughts on rounding eastbound in 15-20kt easterlies as we have at present?

Planning tomorrow or Monday morning but couldn't see anyone who did it this morning. A vessel has just been round on the late ebb but looked far out to me.

Planning on HW DVR-45 as usual but wondered how rough the inner might be just after a wind against tide flood for previous 6 hours.

Boat that just went round ..

ONE STEP BEYOND Current position (Pleasure craft, MMSI 235067557) - VesselFinder
Click to expand...
I have no experience of it, but my gut instinct says absolutely not. From Torbay, I’d sit on port tack til I could see France, I think😂
 
dolabriform said:
Hi Wonky, we're wondering the same thing, currently stuck in Torquay and hoping to get to Weymouth on Monday.
Click to expand...
Just spoke to Brixham to cancel our booking, they had a few turnbacks yesterday and today. There's probably a lot of fetch over Lyme Bay, especially if beating into it.

Saw another yacht that tried to get back to the Solent, turned back, went into Weymouth, tried to go into Portland (presumably to catch the tide tomorrow), they turned straight back from Portland and are now back in Weymouth.

Any curry house recommendations for tonight please?
 
We are trying to get East, and the first opportunity looks like tomorrow (Tuesday).

Looking at the possible window, I want to aim for Portland, but having not crossed Lyme bay before I’m apprehensive.

Would staying 5 miles south of the bill then turning north once clear be doable in the lull on Tuesday?
 
Just my opinion.... but if you could get to Portland by 13 30 you could get in close. Unfortunately you'd be punching tide across Lyme Bay but it will be wind with tide. Is your intention to visit Portland/Weymouth?
 
dolabriform said:
We are trying to get East, and the first opportunity looks like tomorrow (Tuesday).

Looking at the possible window, I want to aim for Portland, but having not crossed Lyme bay before I’m apprehensive.

Would staying 5 miles south of the bill then turning north once clear be doable in the lull on Tuesday?
Click to expand...
If standing off, I find it more time efficient to carry on to Studland. From 5nm south of the Bill to Portland/Weymouth is 12.5nm. To Studland is 25nm.

From Weymouth to Studland is 23nm and if you're already south of Portland, you can easily remain south of St Albans and Durlston which can be rough in certain wind/tide.

If following the route Torbay-Studland, I time it to be an hour west of my "5nm south of Portland" at LW DVR so I can then hop on the conveyor belt/flood tide all the way to Studland at sailing yacht speeds.
 
Thanks both,
I was thinking or Portland as a stopover on the way east,

The problem I see with Studland is that the wind goes east again later which would make Studland untenable unless we went into Poole .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

T
Notices to Mariners - Week 50
Replies
2
Views
653
tillergirl
T

Share this page

Top