Portland Bill

[Prologica1]

We did Gosport to Plymouth non-stop a few years ago on neaps. We were late leaving and just had enough fair tide to get us to Needles Fairway but well south of St. Albans Head and Portland the worst foul tide was about 2 knots. And when we got to Start Point we had lots of fair tide to make up for it.

We did the same passage last year. Not long out of the Solent our 2 guest crew were suffering badly with Mal de mer, although conditions were ok (a tough passage straight off for them though). So the three of us adopted a short solo watch system, 1 hour on, 2 hours off. A bit gruelling coming back on after 2 hours sleep but only 1 hour at the helm before back in the bunk.

 

[Prologica1]

When I kept my boat in Portland I used to use the inshore passage a lot, even for a day sail and trail a fishing line. Down round the Bill with the tide then back again when it turned.
Now, departing from Poole, it makes much more sense to to take the more southerly route.

I'm toying with the idea of buying a handline to trail @LadyInBed Did you have much success? What did you catch and with what lures/technique?

 

[flaming]

Wow @flaming ! 14 hours! Unless my planning is awry, at my standard assumption of average 5 knots, from Gosport I'm planning on the basis of a 23 hour passage! If it's 30+ knots I think we'll be tucking in somewhere! Anyone used Worbarrow bay as an anchorage? I'm assuming Lulworth would be full by the time we'd reach there.

Yes, I remember surfing at 13 knots through the dark wondering if this was fun or silly....

 

[LadyInBed]

I'm toying with the idea of buying a handline to trail @LadyInBed Did you have much success? What did you catch and with what lures/technique?

I use a paravane and put a Red Gill on it. I caught mainly mackerel and occasionally bass.

Wow @flaming ! 14 hours! Unless my planning is awry, at my standard assumption of average 5 knots, from Gosport I'm planning on the basis of a 23 hour passage!

He's a racer!

Anyone used Worbarrow bay as an anchorage? I'm assuming Lulworth would be full by the time we'd reach there.

I always use Lulworth if I'm going to put in a stop and it's not blowing from the South. Most of the visitors in Lulworth are day sailing from Weymouth so if you are arriving late, they have all gone home.

 

[LadyInBed]

Yes, I remember surfing at 13 knots through the dark wondering if this was fun or silly....

Best that I could do in my heavy tub was about 8 knots, but it felt like 18 in the dark, see Summer Cruse 2008 - Voyage Abandoned : Monty Mariner

 

[Rustyknight]

Sometimes it's wise to either go a long long way offshore, or stand next to the wall by the lighthouse....

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Wow @flaming ! 14 hours! Unless my planning is awry, at my standard assumption of average 5 knots, from Gosport I'm planning on the basis of a 23 hour passage! If it's 30+ knots I think we'll be tucking in somewhere! Anyone used Worbarrow bay as an anchorage? I'm assuming Lulworth would be full by the time we'd reach there.

Perhaps flaming has a Dragonfly too. My best from Lymington is just a minute or 2 under 10 hours, but then, having 3 hulls is cheating. The tides dont work out quite as well with that timing, but 15 knots of northerly more than made up for it

 

[Sandy]

Sometimes it's wise to either go a long long way offshore, or stand next to the wall by the lighthouse....

A stunning image.

 

[Rustyknight]

A stunning image.

Thank you.

As you've probably guessed, I was stood next to the wall by the lighthouse when I took the pic.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Thank you.

As you've probably guessed, I was stood next to the wall by the lighthouse when I took the pic.

I think the best place to stand when it looks like that is probably Birmingham.

 

[Robin]

Thank you.

As you've probably guessed, I was stood next to the wall by the lighthouse when I took the pic.

I once took a bunch of pics from there , sadly slides I no longer have. In a winter SW F8 at slack water going west there was NO inner passage just rank after rank of steep and tall breaking waves. I remember holding the camera one handed held out from behind the wall. Driving back from the end spray from the west side was being blown right over the road and my car. If I didn't have a healthy respect for it before I surely did afterwards

 

[Tranona]

Anyone used Worbarrow bay as an anchorage? I'm assuming Lulworth would be full by the time we'd reach there.

Yes. Western end has good shelter except from the east, but tricky to get behind the rocks. Eastern end below the Tout open to the west. Both best with wind off the land. Glorious sense of isolation.

 

[Prologica1]

Yes. Western end has good shelter except from the east, but tricky to get behind the rocks. Eastern end below the Tout open to the west. Both best with wind off the land. Glorious sense of isolation.

Thanks @Tranona I'll bear that in mind if we need to pause our passage.

 

[Prologica1]

Planning the start of a summer cruise to the West Country later this month. Aim is to head down to Falmouth/Helford during the first week then a week hopping back to the Solent. Planning to leave the Solent afternoon of Friday 24th June (can't be at the boat before then). Looking at slack water at Hurst Narrows I am thinking to exiting the West Solent around 2000. It doesn't seem to offer much advantage stopping at eg Studland, Worbarrow at Weymouth as these would mean a very late arrival and an early start to make slack water at the Bill. Instead, it looks feasible to head direct for Dartmouth (three experienced crew, watch system). The only issue I see is that if winds are good we might arrive at the Bill an hour or two before the ideal 30 mins before HW Dover slack water at the Bill. I would be aiming to pass the Bill 5-7 miles out and it would be Neaps. Looking at the tidal streams, passing the Bill this far out a couple of hours ahead of slack water should mean a worst foul tide of 0.7kts for a couple of hours before it turns fair again. Any thoughts from others on the viability of this? Thanks

Afternoon All, has anyone headed East from the Solent beyond Poole in the last couple of days? We left Gosport on Friday afternoon but ran into seas belying just "F4 to F6". Took large quantities of green water over the bow and got thoroughly soaked. We diverted to Poole for a night entry. Tried to press on this morning but huge seas even outside the overalls off Old Harry. Crew member took ill so we returned to harbour. Anyone 'weathered the storm'? Are we just being wimps?
Thanks

 

[C08]

Wow @flaming ! 14 hours! Unless my planning is awry, at my standard assumption of average 5 knots, from Gosport I'm planning on the basis of a 23 hour passage! If it's 30+ knots I think we'll be tucking in somewhere! Anyone used Worbarrow bay as an anchorage? I'm assuming Lulworth would be full by the time we'd reach there.

A lot more space in Worborough than Lulworth but it was very rolly on the one occasion i have been in there. We moved to the western coner which was more sheltered that day.

 

[doris]

I've done Solent - Dartmouth quite a few times... If the weather is ok it's a dead easy passage. Exit solent on first of the west going tide, aim south of St Albuns, 5 miles south of Portland and run out of tide about an hour after you pass the bill. Plug it across Lyme bay and arrive Dartmouth normally after about an hour or so of fair tide. Best time I've clocked was about 14 hours from Hamble.

Arriving in Dartmouth after dark is very easy. lots of lovely flashing buoys and 2 handy sectored lights.

If the wind is in the West and you don't fancy 24 hours of bashing then Weymouth is an easy day sail even upwind, and leaving via the inner channel to carry on the next morning is normally easy to time.

The time I had to get it done in one hop (to arrive in time for the regatta) in 30-35 knots on the nose was quite possibly the worst sail I can remember.

Showing off a tad I know but I do remember doing Brixham to Gosport in 10, (yes ten) hours in a 30 footer. Mind you it was a water ballasted Stephen Jones Whitbread 30 in a Northerly 6. Utterly perfect conditions! Very light once we got to the Solent though.
A fun blast!

 

[stuartwineberg]

I'm toying with the idea of buying a handline to trail @LadyInBed Did you have much success? What did you catch and with what lures/technique?

I trail a paravane and with number 1/0 hooks and bright silver tinsel “feathers” got 4 decent mackerel on this trip but only in light airs. I haven’t found them athletic enough to keep up over about 4.5 knots. I note another poster has pulled in bass, never been that lucky. The dolphins round us at the Bill were obviously doing ok as well, amazing.

 

[stuartwineberg]

Afternoon All, has anyone headed East from the Solent beyond Poole in the last couple of days? We left Gosport on Friday afternoon but ran into seas belying just "F4 to F6". Took large quantities of green water over the bow and got thoroughly soaked. We diverted to Poole for a night entry. Tried to press on this morning but huge seas even outside the overalls off Old Harry. Crew member took ill so we returned to harbour. Anyone 'weathered the storm'? Are we just being wimps?
Thanks

No you aren’t. Just come back about a week ago after 5 weeks around Devon and seeing some awfully big seas compared to the wind strength. Fishing charter boats were cancelling and marinas commenting on how beaten up people were looking coming in. I am sure some more meteorological expert people than me can explain it but our trip from Plymouth to Start with a following wind and tide was something I would happily forget. Just to finish, I logged 38 knot gusts tucked up in Clarence marina last Saturday (Gosport)

 

[Pete7]

Yes. Western end has good shelter except from the east, but tricky to get behind the rocks. Eastern end below the Tout open to the west. Both best with wind off the land. Glorious sense of isolation.

Indeed. Big pipe over 1m in diameter runs down the valley through the wreck of the Black Hawk in the middle of the bay and out to sea, best avoided. Charted wreck position is way off btw. Pipe used to carry nuclear reactor cooling water out to sea. Buoy on the end called "Atomic".

 

[Prologica1]

No you aren’t. Just come back about a week ago after 5 weeks around Devon and seeing some awfully big seas compared to the wind strength. Fishing charter boats were cancelling and marinas commenting on how beaten up people were looking coming in. I am sure some more meteorological expert people than me can explain it but our trip from Plymouth to Start with a following wind and tide was something I would happily forget. Just to finish, I logged 38 knot gusts tucked up in Clarence marina last Saturday (Gosport)

Well, we didn't make it to the Fal in the end. Although the big seas abated, light wind forecasts suggested sailing back eastward might become an issue. (in the end the winds didn't turn light until later in the week so we could have gone for it). Then had an engine issue outside Portland. Engineer there sorted us out. Had them to sail direct from Portland to the Orwell direct in 63 hours, only 5 on engine. Great Dolphin Escort off Dorset coast, then greeted by Thames barges returning from Pin Mill match on Sunday. Recovering today!