Quite Solent sea area required

[jonjo]

Given a 5 hour excursion and a departure from Portsmouth, where would you go for some hassle free limbering up with a new yacht.

My charts are on the boat but from recollection it is all a bit shallow South of Southsea and Hayling. Further to the SE means tangling with the big stuff bound for Portsmouth. To the South is Ryde Sands. SW lurk the Wooton Creek crazies.

So I think I will head for the Osborne Bay area providing there is no wind shadow over there.

 

[jamesjermain]

Leave Portsmouth, exit the big ship channel in the approvefd manner and head west past Gilkicker towards Norris keeping to the centre of the Solent. You won't have much traffic to contend with, no gtricky wind shadows, and no shallows provided you turn before The Brambles. I fyou want to go further keep 100 yards off Norris and keep going into the western Solent. Beware of calms close to Norris and traffic coming out of Cowes and keep north of the moorings towards Egypt Point.

 

[StugeronSteve]

Not usually too bad if you go out through the forts and hang a right into the patch defined by No Mans Land Fort; Bembridge Ledge ECM; Nab East PHM; Warner PHM.

Keeps you inside most of the traffic, although there may be a bit of shipping at anchor.

Osbourne area is probably a good bet in the week as well. Although, as JJ has pointed out, you can be in a bit of a wind shadow there though.

 

[Evadne]

The only bits you're going to run aground on at LW to the east are just south of Southsea pier, the Horse Sand fort barrier and the sandbank east of the entrance to Langstone. The busiest bit is always Portsmuff harbour, I'd head out along the edge of the channel before heading east through the gap in the barrier for a fairly quiet spot south of Southsea. The only busy bit is in a line from the gap to Chichester bar beacon. I also find anywhere west of Gilkicker quite quiet, and it will be less lumpy in any wind than outside the Solent proper.

 

[snowleopard]

if you take the dolphin passage through the submarine barrier you then have the area off the sea fronts of southsea and hayling where there isn't much traffic. keep between 1 & 2 miles offshore and you should keep clear of obstructions. at the weekend it gets a bit noisy off langstone entrance where the ski brigade congregate.

likewise past gilkicker and lee-on-solent is quiet. pick which according to the tide so you don't end up butting into it the whole way.

 

[jonjo]

Last Sunday I clocked up 10 hours singlehanded sailing around most of the areas mentioned below. Osborne was ok-ish, the Lee-on-Solent area would be quiet mid week but on Sunday morning there was a racing fleet up there, also SunSail had their own racing event off Gilkicker.

In the end I went East out between the forts and had lots of sea room but I got a fright when 4.2m showed up over Horse Sand Spit. This area had lots of space to play in and drift in while I re-routed the main halyard - what a diffence few less degrees through blocks can make to efficiency!