Sailing to Brighton

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woody001

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Of to brighton this weekend, I have never sailed there.
Iam based in southsea, it there anything hidden i should be aware of?
Dont have a chart on me but i think its about 35 miles from nab tower. The only marina i can stop into if something happens is shoreham? I dont think i can sail into littlehampton? - 2m draft.
any hints/tips would be cool.

simon
 
Hi.First tip is buy a chart. 2nd tip is go via teh Looe Channel but get the tide right. Carful on the approach to Brighton Marina as it can be very lumpy going in. Follow the buoyed channel once you enter straight and then to starboard. Keep in the middle of teh channel if very low water. Good trip to catch mackeral. Takes me about 8 - 10 hours in a 27' Albin Vega (also Swedish).
 
All the main navigational tips seem to have been covered above - but watch out for Lobster Pots through the Looe Channel - we came across pots with about 10 - 20 foot of floating line at low tide (actually with floats attached to the top part of the line!) about 2 weeks ago.

Also as you enter the Looe channel watch out for at least two magnificent dolphins that we have seen twice in the same spot over the last couple of weeks - they seem to take great pleasure in frightening helmsmen by jumping out of the water within feet of the cockpit - they certainly add something special to any trip.

Have a good trip.
 
Nothing much further to add- takes about 10 hours in my MacWester 26; you can catch the first bit of east going tide out of the Solent to give you 7-8 hours of tide with you. Agree about the dolphins- seen em' on 3 occasions now right bang in between the Street and Boulder bouys. It is a bit lumpy just outside the marina entrance, and don't stick too close to the green bouys going in- that's the shallow side. I'll probably be down there sorting out my shredded jib over the weekend- I'll look out for you!
 
a) Beware of long lines and also pot lines .......... when I delivered my boat to new owners a few years back it was murder staying clear of them ..... s straight line point to point seemed to land slap bang in the middle of them.
Second was that the wind absolutely died and I had to use outboard all the way .... I had large 12 litre tank + 2 5 litre tanks to run my Merc 7.5 sailpower. I arrived with vapour in the tanks ... after a long boring slog .... the new owner who was on there was sick and laid out in the cabin - bobbed up at last moment to demand that HE take her in ... his pal who was supposed to know how to sail couldn't hold a course for longer than about 5 minutes ..................

Boy was I glad to get of and go home ....

I love Brighton - as a teenager / young man spent many a happy hour there ....... as a boat destination ?? Why ? I would consider it a stepping stone to east bound only ...

Sorry to all you 5 Gold Anchor Berth holders .... but where do you go from Brighton ?? Not exactly centre of a yacht area really ....

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
yo woody,
get your timing right through the Looe and resist staring at the littlehampton gas holder, there are a fair amount of trawlers here thet tend to do runs parallel with the shore, they also tend to work in tandem abreast, and may get quite close to you before altering course, in good vis you will able to see devils dyke and the ditchlin beacon ( right on your port bow, they are basicly your destination) as soon as you round Selsey. 2-3 m ss.e. of Worthing, there are strings of markers that run for a hundred yards a time, crossing between the runs seems ok but I wouldnt cross the string itself.Near 'express' - 0.17 w right in front ofand 2m s. of Shoreham, the pots are in greater numbers, a mixture of black and orange markers. Shoreham itself - keep an eye open for freighters leaving/entering if you are there any time nr highish water. Resist going right in close in front of Brighton esplanade, breakers and swimming area and the odd rusty pier remains, 200 yds out is cool.
You are right about the lack of alternatives to run for. there is a level of commitment involved with your draught, the tide along here rarely exceeds 1.5 kts going west, but the whole area can get pretty lumpy ' cos it aint that deep overall.
I did this same route last month in an E 6 <>7 with w.bound tide and it took seven hours from the looe, and that bloody blue gas holder was just there, the same all day,just there.
The entrance to the outer harbour can be 'exiting', well worth radioing in for advice re;depth.Your mobile will work if you wish to stay off air, boats leaving harbour appear quite suddenly, advise you stay hundred yds. out if bearing 090 - 110 on approach.
g'luck man
 
I just left brighton for ichenor having spent a year there, it's pretty lumpy near the entrance, keep your main up untill inside, there's plenty of room to round up and drop inside. Deeper water near west retaining wall and it dries near the inner harbour wall inside at lw springs. It has been dredged recently. Staff are helpful and the yacht club welcoming if a bit basic. There's plenty to do in the town and a regular bus service to get you there. It was all a bit to developed and concrete for me.The worst bit is the sea outside, it bounces off the walls and can get confused close in. good approach is from the south about half mile off, not to pleasant in strong s/se winds. I met the dolphins in the the Looe channel, very playful.

Brad
 
Remember that in the entrance to Brighton the "channel" is extremely close to the West harbour arm. So much so that it instinctively feels wrong - it isn't, all of the deeper water in the channel is in the outside edge of the curve - where you'd expect it with a little thought. Stick to the bouyed channel once in the entrance - if you try to cut the corner you could "park" youself a little earlier than you intended.

Shall hopefully stopping off there tonight for a few hours over a foul tide.

Shoreham seems to be a easy entrance to get into - turn right for the marina behind the lock, but bear in mind that they are not an all tide marina, so you may end up waiting to get in.

Regards, Jeff.
 
I'd second that about the sea outside. The last time we were there it was blowing a bit (F6) from the SW and a big wave broke across the boat just as we got up to the breakwater. For ages (it seemed) all I could see was the mast and SWMBO clinging to the guardrail surrounded by white water. Another boat leaving at the same time did a prompt U-turn!
 
My missus, has sailed almost entirely in/around Medway, been brought up on boats, dinghies little yachts,bigger yachts. First outing out of this harbour, at the entrance she fell to bits, got freaked out by the bounce and was in no fit state to continue, we went back in.
My son who only sailed a couple of times in a wayfarer and topper on the local docks previously, now takes the bounce in his stride, has the ability to look beyond the confines of the boat, remaining upright and in control.
It's like learning to drive in Cornwall then taking your test in London, but I feel it makes a stronger sailor who is more confident in all conditions.
Nigel asked - why would you base yourself here? theres nothing around!
Exactly, - it's pretty tough prevalent conditions, without the extra hazards of a million other boats, dozens of sand banks, big boats (virtually)unmanned bridges, a fair sized 'flat area' in which to learn the principles of real sailing. To go for
anywhere of 'interest' requires an overnighter/weekender and all the planning and prep that goes with that, again instilling good practices and the fact that it's gonna be at least an overnighter is just great with me - more time away!
I'll wager my boy clocks up more hours, sailing from here, than if we were in either Essex or Kent, or Solent based, if we want to go to these places we can be there in a little over ten hours, east or west. To base in east we'd never see the west and vice versa. This and of course all the women.........
 
It certainly clears out the cockpit drains! Still, we were glad to get inside and I'm not sure my wife would have relished the extra time taken to get to Newhaven, having been a mite ill since the Looe channel.
 
Don't be put off going there, it's mainly strong winds that cause the problem and this weekend looks like light winds and it's worth a stop off.

Brad
 
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