Portland Race Heavy Weather Query

savageseadog

savageseadog

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If you had a 38ft fully crewed racing yacht, what would your wind limit for the inshore passage be given spring/neap tides, slack and fully running tide?

Obviously this will be very much a matter of opinion and experience and I've seen the video!
 
I tend to ignore the state of the tide and always take the inshore route, so close you almost need fenders out, sufficient power to give you 4 kts and not really confined by wind force, If it is blowing 6 from the west , I don't want to cross Lyme Bay in any case. Coming back, same applies but Easterly 6+ on the flood is a real bitch.
 
Mudisox said:
I tend to ignore the state of the tide and always take the inshore route, so close you almost need fenders out, sufficient power to give you 4 kts and not really confined by wind force, If it is blowing 6 from the west , I don't want to cross Lyme Bay in any case. Coming back, same applies but Easterly 6+ on the flood is a real bitch.
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By "sufficient power to give you 4 knots" do you imply you tend to motor round ? If so, does it never worry you being that close to a dangerous shore if the engine stops or prop fouls?
I always feel very exposed with just engine close to shore
 
The main thing is to make the right approach so that you can stay in the inshore passage. In an old copy of heavy weather sailing Adlard Coles retells when he beat through the race in a rising f7(?) in Choe 3(?). When I was an apprentice working in the coast guard station I did see a yacht sink in the race F5-6ish but got in to the very confused race and just fell in to a large four sided hole and never came up again. It was swamped: had the hatch and companion way open. Thank fully they where towing an inflatable dinghy which they got picked up from by the lifeboat and the old sealink ferry provided some lee.

So I wouldn't go through there in more than a 7 and would want to arrive at the correct time. Having sailed to Dartmouth several times from Poole/Solent have probably equal times going around outside or on inshore passage. Pre GPS poor vis was more likely to send me south of the race and in all honesty I have never been around in more than a 5.
 
lenseman said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiiK0fyIyDA

and before anyone asks, no it isn't speeded up or time-lapse! :eek:
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Incredible. Been there (on shore) watching similar waves a few years back - awesome. Meanwhile the junior squad sailors were out sailing in Weymouth Harbour quite unfazed - which could have given a false sense of security to anybody thinking of heading round.
 
After 40 years of sailing in and around the Portland Race in various weather and tide conditions I don't believe it is possible to say that it is always safe even in flat calm weather inshore. In a sailing yacht, it is so easy to get caught out and swept into trouble even if you try to power your way to safety. Best to go South of the Shingles every time.
 
mainsail1 said:
After 40 years of sailing in and around the Portland Race in various weather and tide conditions I don't believe it is possible to say that it is always safe even in flat calm weather inshore. In a sailing yacht, it is so easy to get caught out and swept into trouble even if you try to power your way to safety. Best to go South of the Shingles every time.
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We used the inshoreroutemany times but only if going either way east or west via Weymouth or Portland, otherwise we always went outside about 4mls south of the bill, a tad closer if under power say in a flat calm. We also went down a few times by car to look at the race and the inshore passage in bad weather wind against tide and it was horrendous, lines of vertical walls of water and no apparent easy inshore rote howver close ( and we always went close in when rounding by boat.
 
Can someone please explain "the inshore route"
Looking at that video the waves inshore look like any other beach with breaking waves. I would have thought it better to keep clear
Also when rounding " offshore" what is the sensible distance
Why does the "approach" have anything to do with the inshore route
Is the Portland Race any harder than the Alderney race , the chenal du four or the Raz de Sein or come to that Bafleur or point de Penmarch in adverse conditions
 
Daydream believer said:
Can someone please explain "the inshore route"
Looking at that video the waves inshore look like any other beach with breaking waves. I would have thought it better to keep clear
Also when rounding " offshore" what is the sensible distance
Why does the "approach" have anything to do with the inshore route
Is the Portland Race any harder than the Alderney race , the chenal du four or the Raz de Sein or come to that Bafleur or point de Penmarch in adverse conditions
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The inshore route is a 'biscuit toss' from the rocks, i.e. not more than a cable. "The approach" is the reason why the Portland race is potentially more dangerous than the others you list. The tidal stream tends to run broadly southwards at most states of tide. Hence, when heading west for example, you need to hug the coast from the Grove onwards and then head up to the Pulpit once round the Bill rather than turning directly west. Straying off track or engine failure has been the downfall of many boats: you'll be swept into the race in no time.

All that said, at slack water and lightish winds, it's nothing to worry about.
 
savageseadog said:
If you had a 38ft fully crewed racing yacht, what would your wind limit for the inshore passage be given spring/neap tides, slack and fully running tide?

Obviously this will be very much a matter of opinion and experience and I've seen the video!
Click to expand...

Depends on wind direction and how long it's been blowing.
If it's been blowing SW hard for the last few days, there will still be swell coming in and mixing with everything else even if the wind has dropped a lot today.
Whereas if there is North in the wind, it will be a lot flatter even in F6.
So I would base my decision more on the sea conditions, if the middle of Lyme Bay is rough, forget Weymouth, go 10 miles south.
Going West from Weymouth, I have generally reached the Bill just before the tide turns to get max W tide across the bay, always found the inshore passage very benign.
I can't immediately think of enough people I'd want to be with there in over F5 to constitute a 'fully crewed 38ft racing yacht' though. It might depend whether you are talking Sigma 38 or Prima 38.
Timing is all. I have been there in F4/F5 in an Impala 28 2 hours before I should have been and acquired a lasting respect for the place.
But I still think St Aldhelm's is the real thing.
 
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