Portland bill

[Sailorsam101]

Next week i'm hoping to head west to Salcombe from the Hamble...and of course now normal service has resumed with the wind it's going to have wets in it all week and be a F4.

The question is this..I've done portland bill many time sailing so know the best time to get tide etc..but i need to have wind with tide or the ride is too rough. So this means i have to pass portland with the tide against me.

Any ideas of thoughts on this please?

 

[IDAMAY]

Size, type and cruising speed would help. In general you are quite right in not fancying a wind against tide trip round the Bill. Are you planning an offshore passage beyond the Race or cutting in close to the Bill itself where water is somewhat quieter?

 

[Nigelpickin]

Next week i'm hoping to head west to Salcombe from the Hamble...and of course now normal service has resumed with the wind it's going to have wets in it all week and be a F4.

The question is this..I've done portland bill many time sailing so know the best time to get tide etc..but i need to have wind with tide or the ride is too rough. So this means i have to pass portland with the tide against me.

Any ideas of thoughts on this please?

If I understand the question...
We’ve done the trip plenty of times in a motor boat - get there for slack, and then go across
Lyme Bay with wind and tide in the same direction - if you can. F4 wind against the tide across the bay
Will be tiresome at best. If you can’t do that because of the timing, try cutting inshore - it may well be flatter there.
We usually took the offshore route, avoiding the shambles and the race.....but in a mobo, wind with tide....

 

[JerryC]

Are you going direct to Salcombe? The direct route would take you past the Bill a few miles offshore, ie well away from the race. I've been through it a few times but always heading to Torbay, so I try to arrive at the Bill when there is no race, 2 -3 hrs after HW Portland. Going E-W means running into a head sea for the next 1-2 hours once round the bill. Windguru predicts westerly wind next week so there will be wind and tide on the bow therefore a bit of spray over the windscreen but not too choppy.

Some people on here have recommended cutting in extremely close inshore SSW of the Bill but I've seen that passage from on shore, it's littered with pots, so imho not worth the risk of getting fouled so close in. The trip boats do it regularly though.

It's a bit of a trek across Lyme bay but places like Salcombe and Dartmouth make it worthwhile. Have a good trip!

 

[gjgm]

Are you going direct to Salcombe? The direct route would take you past the Bill a few miles offshore, ie well away from the race. I've been through it a few times but always heading to Torbay, so I try to arrive at the Bill when there is no race, 2 -3 hrs after HW Portland. Going E-W means running into a head sea for the next 1-2 hours once round the bill. Windguru predicts westerly wind next week so there will be wind and tide on the bow therefore a bit of spray over the windscreen but not too choppy.

Some people on here have recommended cutting in extremely close inshore SSW of the Bill but I've seen that passage from on shore, it's littered with pots, so imho not worth the risk of getting fouled so close in. The trip boats do it regularly though.

It's a bit of a trek across Lyme bay but places like Salcombe and Dartmouth make it worthwhile. Have a good trip!

Yes..boats do get caught on pots..ask RNLI!
I don't pass close in on full tidal flow but having been that way and close numerous times.. in normal tidal flows you ought to be able to see the pots...so I would def say, do not be put off in a mobo going close in.

 

[Sailorsam101]

Boat is a Targa 33..cruise at 20 kts...

I will be leaving Weymouth and heading for Brixham first.

So i need 3 hours maybe 4 of flood tide with the West in the wind so i get wind with tide..yes it will slow me down but i won't slam as much.

Think i'll head just to the west of the shambles and keep well offshore then tuck in once clear of the bill. So basically about LW portland..what do we think?

 

[Nigelpickin]

Boat is a Targa 33..cruise at 20 kts...

I will be leaving Weymouth and heading for Brixham first.

So i need 3 hours maybe 4 of flood tide with the West in the wind so i get wind with tide..yes it will slow me down but i won't slam as much.

Think i'll head just to the west of the shambles and keep well offshore then tuck in once clear of the bill. So basically about LW portland..what do we think?

Sounds good and you can time your run in that boat from Weymouth for the run. Wave period will be key but you’ll know that...F4 with 10 seconds should be comfortable, otherwise you’ll be busy on the helm
Have a great trip.

 

[JerryC]

Sorry if I'm being thick or missed something, so please explain SS or NP, I'm happy to be corrected but ... round the Bill at LW Portland and you will have 2+ hours of tide flowing East to West. I don't think that's what you said you wanted in para 2, and it isn't what I would choose with the wind forecast to be from the West.

 

[Nigelpickin]

Sorry if I'm being thick or missed something, so please explain SS or NP, I'm happy to be corrected but ... round the Bill at LW Portland and you will have 2+ hours of tide flowing East to West. I don't think that's what you said you wanted in para 2, and it isn't what I would choose with the wind forecast to be from the West.

Yeah, just looked at my chart, he wants to go mid tide. LW + 3hours to get the wind with tide. Or go at slack tide and take the inshore route...

 

[gjgm]

Sounds good and you can time your run in that boat from Weymouth for the run. Wave period will be key but you’ll know that...F4 with 10 seconds should be comfortable, otherwise you’ll be busy on the helm
Have a great trip.

Cant recall.. is Lulworth range closed down in August? Otherwise from the Solent I would just push on rather than detour round the range,into Weymouth and then back out once more...

 

[Sailorsam101]

Thanks for the comments gents but the mrs has seen the weather forecast for the week ahead and decided to go to spain for a week instead

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Cant recall.. is Lulworth range closed down in August? Otherwise from the Solent I would just push on rather than detour round the range, into Weymouth and then back out once more...

Yes, I checked it a couple of weeks ago. It shut last weekend in July and doesn't open again until after first weekend in September, ie Monday 3rd at the earliest though that notice is not yet available.

Link here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lulworth-firing-notice

 

[Switch]

Thanks for the comments gents but the mrs has seen the weather forecast for the week ahead and decided to go to spain for a week instead

Bummer!!!

 

[JerryC]

If you really want to do this trip instead of frying on a Spanish beach you could do worse than visit Crewbay.com although it's a bit short notice for next week.