Portland Race

[VicMallows]

Book is by Peter Bruce.

He's also the author of 'Solent Hazards' and 'Wight Hazards' which anyone sailing these waters should have. Available nearly all chandlers.

Vic

 

[Anita]

Thanks Robin. Looking at the tides, think we may put our departure date back a few days then go for the Studland to Brixham run. Our speed will depend on the wind, we can usually guarantee 4 knots and average 5 on a good day. Once we've rounded St Albans, will our heading keep us free of the firing range?

 

[Robin]

[ QUOTE ]
Once we've rounded St Albans, will our heading keep us free of the firing range?

[/ QUOTE ]

Pretty well yes, even if they are still firing because they tend to stop over the busy season. Look out for the buoys marking the outer limits though because they tend to sneek up on you whilst the mind wanders on the scenery!

From Studland give Old Harry a bit of clearance and pass close to Peveril Ledge buoy south of Swanage, then go close in off Anvil Point and along the coast closely to St Albans (watch out for pots all the way). If you leave Studland 1.75hrs before HW Dover you will be at St Albans about 30 mins before HWD and about slack water. Because it is slack water the race will be quiet and unless it is windy you may be able to turn off (a bit more south) earlier to your waypoint (say) 4mls south of the Bill, otherwise pass very close to the rocks off the head, any white water will be just west of the head. You will then find very little tide for a while until you eventually pick up the increasing west going stream and you will have up to 4kts of it with you as you pass the Bill on springs, this will carry you nicely into Lyme Bay. The tide tends to set you north into Lyme Bay a bit and especially so once it turns foul, so you might want to think about aiming left a few degrees course through the water in anticipation.

The back eddy really is useful because it adds 1.5hrs more of favourable tide to the usual 6hrs and in this case 7hrs because it turns later farther west, all in you will have either favourable or neutral tidal stream for up to 8.5hrs, quite a boost and much more than the loss from foul tide when it does turn.

Robin

 

[bilbobaggins]

The excellent 'Inshore Along The Dorset Coast' is by Peter Bruce, who also edited Adlard Coles 'Heavy Weather Sailing'.

It has superbly detailed tidal diagrams all the way, spot-on advice about where and when to go/not to go ( echoed in this thread ) and sources of more local info. A 'must have', IMHO. If the weather is moderate, there is no good reason not to go outside The Race. Your boat will manage that quite well enough.

Quite a lot of small vessels have become entangled in unmarked crab pot lines close inshore along this 'fast-tide' stretch of coast. Having one's prop or rudder snarled up within 100 metres of the Portland rocks is not my idea of fun.

There is a National Coastwatch lookout on the hill above Portland Bill, and they listen out on Ch 16. They are not permitted to respond, but they'll be listening, watching and logging. You might also pop into the RNLI shed in Weymouth, and ask the guy on duty how many 'shouts' they go out to for small boats snarled up on unmarked pots....