Sailing Out Of Portsmouth Etiquette! Sails Up Or not?

Zagato

Zagato

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 Sep 2010
Messages
2,813
Location
Chichester Harbour
Visit site
I recently spent a couple of days in Haslar Marina watching yachts sail past but was advised later not to have my jib up when I exited Royal Clarence Marina as it is frowned upon. I did furl my jib out of respect for the fellow sailor who asked me.

I will be using the Gosport marinas quite a bit so need to get it right. Can you sail through the entrance or is it just in the Harbour that is looked down upon? :confused:
 
Zagato said:
I recently spent a couple of days in Haslar Marina watching yachts sail past but was advised later not to have my jib up when I exited Royal Clarence Marina as it is frowned upon. I did furl my jib out of respect for the fellow sailor who asked me.

I will be using the Gosport marinas quite a bit so need to get it right. Can you sail through the entrance or is it just in the Harbour that is looked down upon? :confused:
Click to expand...

My understanding is that you must have your engine running and be in the small channel when you exit or entrance the harbour. I often have my jib up but it often backs where I pass close to the shore.
Now someone is going to tell I've been droning to wrong for 10 years!!

Del Buoy
 
There's always somebody ready to frown on you whatever you do! But the only reason I can see for having any sail set when exiting a marina is if you are not using your engine; otherwise it would impede visibility and a sudden gust might cause problems. If you are skilled enough to sail in and out of marinas under sail then you have my deepest respect - I like to see people manouvering under sail.
 
Yes engine on. I doubt wether my sailing companion in another boat thought my engine was off and that I would just sail out. I have forgotten who he said doesn't like people having their sails up :confused:

Sorry Parsifal, I wouldn't sail into a marina but maybe up to a mooring but not single handed obviously which I mostly am...
 
Last edited:
There appears to be a Solent convention that the engine is not running if the jib is up/ unfurled; and that the engine is running and gear engaged if the jib is furled. Though neither of these is necessarily true.
 
parsifal said:
There's always somebody ready to frown on you whatever you do!
Click to expand...

So true, on which thought...

Zagato said:
I wouldn't sail into a marina but maybe up to a mooring but not single handed obviously which I mostly am...
Click to expand...

Why on my Trident 24' single handed under sail was my preferred method of anchoring/ mooring.

As for Portsmouth Entrance on the Trident sails up was easier. On this boat sails down just cause I like more space to get sails down, I am sure with time that will change...
 
Talulah said:
Whilst you can have your sails up you are required to use your engine between the Ballast Pile and No 4 Buoy.
(Note: 'Use' engine. Must be engaged.)
Click to expand...

What Talulah says. Do make sure you're familiar with harbour regs, particularly the small boat regs here:
http://www.qhm.mod.uk/portsmouth/regulations/small-boat

Nothing I'm aware of to stop you sailing further up the harbour (up by Clarence) so long as you stay away from the grey ships and keep a good lookout
 
"All craft fitted with engines, when navigating in the Approach Channel to Portsmouth Harbour, are to proceed under power between No 4 Bar Buoy and the Ballast Beacon."

You can indeed sail north of Ballast Pile and south of No 4 Bar Buoy.
 
Giblets said:
You can indeed sail north of Ballast Pile and south of No 4 Bar Buoy.
Click to expand...


I can attest to the fact you that you can sail between them if your engine fails in front of the continental fastcat during the ebb on springs. The harbour patrol were quite insistent in fact :D
 
lustyd said:
I can attest to the fact you that you can sail between them if your engine fails in front of the continental fastcat during the ebb on springs. The harbour patrol were quite insistent in fact :D
Click to expand...

You were lucky. If I'd have been on duty it would have been the old grappling hook into your foredeck and full ahead both on the patrol boat! :D
 
Giblets said:
You were lucky. If I'd have been on duty it would have been the old grappling hook into your foredeck and full ahead both on the patrol boat! :D
Click to expand...

I did ask. He said I looked like I had everything under control! I didn't necessarily agree but figured the cat looked harmless enough...LM might even fit under it...
 
Also, very funny winds under HMS Thingamijig - the building which flanks the small boat channel. Being under sail there and taken aback or chinese gybed could be expensive with a bricky shore about a couple of boat lengths away. Also, tide can be pretty fierce. I usually have main up, jib furled, engine in gear and ticking over if enough wind to sail in.
 
It appears then that if there are no regulations not to have a sail up, my companion must have been presuming I didn't have the engine on. Thanks for clearing that up. I quite often motor sail with the stay sail up in tighter spots, port entry/exit etc as it all helps and the sail can be withdrawn quickly without having to go into wind and visibility is still OK so couldn't see why it should be a problem.
 
I usually find somewhere quiet inside the harbour for hoisting and dropping the main. I'm always amazed by people who leave it until they are outside and then seem surprised when it's rough. Or those who come out of Haslar and round up in small boat channel next to Ballast pile to hoist a sail in front of half a dozen yachts and a pilot boat more often than not. Main up engine on and headsail furled for the entrance is the order of the day. And only about 1% of vessels so rigged show a motor sailing cone.
 
Pinnacle said:
They are the ones on an RYA course or doing an exam!:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I don't doubt it...

I spent a week at Fort Blockhouse (HMS Thingamajig) last year happily watching people motor past (or trying to, depending upon the tide) and during that entire week I only saw 2 yachts correctly showing a motoring cone...believe it or not one of them was a Belgian yacht.

@DJE: Main up engine on and headsail furled for the entrance is the order of the day

+1. Main up before departing if necessary, provides stability without hindering visibility.

Incidentally I was on the helm yeaterday as we departed our mooring under sail (Main and Roller Genoa) - it is strangely gratifying to leave the marina so quietly. Just like a dinghy.

I agree that it played havoc with my forward visibility so I had someone at the bow as a lookout to ensure I did not run into anything.

The local rule is normally not to raise the genoa inside the harbour however it was quiet, nice gentle F2 blowing, risk assessment done etc etc..........

Andy
 
Last edited:
I would not expect people to be raising motoring cones for entering/leaving the harbour where use of engine is required.
The use of the motoring cone is to avoid ambiguity where a sail boat motoring may be interpretated as sailing.
 
Pinnacle said:
They are the ones on an RYA course or doing an exam!:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I generally don't bother to hoist a cone in the Solent if motoring with main up and no headsail, in calm conditions. It should be clear to everybody that we're under power then. But if actually sailing and engaging in a bit of motor assist, I do quite often rig the cone. Only takes a few seconds, and it's not like I have anything better to be doing, so why not do things properly?

On the other hand, I have never known a motoring cone be hoisted on Stavros, nor even seen one stowed anywhere. In most respects her officers (who are mostly commercial seafarers on tugs, bulkers, container-ships, etc when not sailing square-riggers) are punctilious about doing things correctly - the bell gets rung for each shackle of chain, the anchor ball goes up the moment the anchor is on the bottom, etc - so it's surprising that the cone isn't used.

Pete
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top