Portland Race

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dpb

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Had to go to Portland today so drove down to the Bill to see what the Race looked like.
Thought the pictures might be of interest.
Pictures 2 onwards are close ups of what you see in the distance of pic 1.

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Hard to gauge the waves without a reference but no boats out there!
Looks like it could be exciting!
 
Funny enough, i did exactly the same today but on the motorbike!

Not surprising nothing was out in it. Rough is not the word.

There were some very strange large waves to the east of portland which if you were brave enough, you could of surfed on!
 
Jurgen said:
Been in the race when it was worse than that, not a nice experience!
Click to expand...

First experience of the race was when we were total noobs and were picking a new boat up from Portland to take back to Falmouth...can still hear my wife asking why she could see hills in front of us, was I sure I was going the right way...?

Gone through or around a few times now but never had the balls to cut in close to the island...usually loads of boats around the shambles when it cuts up, must be good for fishing...
 
Nigelpickin said:
First experience of the race was when we were total noobs and were picking a new boat up from Portland to take back to Falmouth...can still hear my wife asking why she could see hills in front of us, was I sure I was going the right way...?

Gone through or around a few times now but never had the balls to cut in close to the island...usually loads of boats around the shambles when it cuts up, must be good for fishing...
Click to expand...

We got caught in the Race on our first visit to Portland, took the inner passage on the return which was a little unnerving but uneventfull, the last time we went through in September 2012 it was like a mill pond!
 
overnight trip from Falmouth, I remember waking up when I hit the cabin roof when we misjudged tide...as wind F7/8 on the nose and it had taken rather longer than expected... I think we were alongside Portland for around 4 hours..... that trip was the deciding factor of SWMBO wanting a Mobo...
 
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I want to go west from Weymouth next year for a week or so but the race puts me off all I can think is go out to see and make sure I go around it as going in close worries me a bit too be honest even though lots of people in Weymouth tell me its fine it all depends on the day I suppose would rather go out and around to be sure I miss it
 
lanerboy said:
I want to go west from Weymouth next year for a week or so but the race puts me off all I can think is go out to see and make sure I go around it as going in close worries me a bit too be honest even though lots of people in Weymouth tell me its fine it all depends on the day I suppose would rather go out and around to be sure I miss it
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Pick a calm day, slack water and the inshore passage is a doddle. Why not take a drive out to Portland Bill to take a look on a calm day to reassure yourself?
 
longjohnsilver said:
Pick a calm day, slack water and the inshore passage is a doddle. Why not take a drive out to Portland Bill to take a look on a calm day to reassure yourself?
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That's exactly right, on a good day the inshore route is a doddle, I aim for 1/4 mile north of the tip, then shoot round in a sort of U shape course and off along the way.

to quote that bloody annoying talking meerkat, simples.
 
lanerboy said:
I want to go west from Weymouth next year for a week or so but the race puts me off all I can think is go out to see and make sure I go around it as going in close worries me a bit too be honest even though lots of people in Weymouth tell me its fine it all depends on the day I suppose would rather go out and around to be sure I miss it
Click to expand...

Cut through between the shambles and the race at slack tide and see if you fancy the race when you are close up...
Going around will leave you a great course to cut across lime bay and straight into Dartmouth.
See you in Falmouth next summer!
 
Been through the race and drifted through (fishing) in a 6 metre boat and now an 8 metre boat loads of times. The best place to fish is in or very near the rough stuff so that's what we do. Got wet on a few occasions and have come back bricking it on others but if you pick your time and weather its easy, get it wrong then ....well make sure you have spare trousers :o
 
On one occasion when we rounded the Bill the sea looked like this from a distance:

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It turned out to be like this:

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One of the few times I've had green water flowing into the cockpit. The waves weren't that big - just a steep and confused sea.

This was with about 20kn winds and at a time when the race should have been virtually slack. It must be terrrifying in stronger winds when the race is well established.

Other times we've been there it's been almost flat calm.

The inside route isn't as daunting as it might sound. I tackled it for the first time having been talked into it by a local and it was absolutely fine. You do have to watch for pot markers that may be difficult to spot as they're dragged under by the tide though. I assume they're a hazard for mobos too (or do those big powerful props just slice through the lines?).
 
longjohnsilver said:
Pick a calm day, slack water and the inshore passage is a doddle. Why not take a drive out to Portland Bill to take a look on a calm day to reassure yourself?
Click to expand...

+1. We 'phoned Coastwatch first and they were able to give us a first hand description of conditions. On the other hand a January passage in a Sealine T47 in a F7 was no picnic!
 
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