Sailing west from Southampton with little children

Be conservative, don't push it, and enjoy your holiday.

You have undoubtedly heard about all those blokes who sail on their own? It's usually because they pushed the sailing too hard and the wives (and children) decided to go to Butlins next year instead.
 
The balance of advice here is to take it slow and make it enjoyable for the little ones - and if you want to avoid bumps then work the tides and routes carefully, and work with what the weather actually offers rather than a hypothetical scenario.

Otherwise get a mate or paid-hand to crew for you on the 'delivery-trip' and, by standing offshore once out the Solent, you'll easily get the boat to Dartmouth within 24 hours. The wife and kids can always take the train to meet you there (there's a lovely steam-train for the last bit from Paignton). You can then all stop in these Dorset places on your way back from Devon and Cornwall, probably downwind.
 
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We did exactly this trip last summer in a 40ft boat, with kids 5,6,9.

We went overnight, so they woke up at 6-ish, and we got into Salcombe at 11am, after 18 hours. We hired a guy to help me overnight, so SWMBO could be up and sprightly with the kids, but that isn't necessary. If she had been up for standing a watch to give me just a few hours sleep, I'd have happily done the rest. It depends how long you have for the whole trip - we just wanted to get down there and enjoy day sails from Salcombe.
 
Thanks, everyone! If only we could follow the advice! We can't leave Southampton until Saturday 12/8 mid morning- just in time to make the Needles passage at slack but then if pushing hard to Weymouth will have to do St Albans ledge wind over tide- have a 2.3m draught: question 1 - inside or outside if crossing at 430/5 pm
Question 2- if we need to anchor after St Albans, any suggestions?
Question 3- is anchoring at Studland very exposed for a boat our size?
 
1. Look at chart/almanac for details/timings of the race off St Albans, also for inside passage.
2. West of there, you'll be fine to anchor in Lulworth Cove - so long as the wind has no south in it.
3. Studland is an ideal calm anchorage for any boat in winds from SSW to say WNW.

Here's an illustration of the Studland/StAlbans area:

Screen Shot 2017-08-09 at 17.27.23.jpg

Here's the likely weather:

Screen Shot 2017-08-09 at 17.27.11.png
 
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Claribel said:
Thanks, everyone! If only we could follow the advice! We can't leave Southampton until Saturday 12/8 mid morning- just in time to make the Needles passage at slack but then if pushing hard to Weymouth will have to do St Albans ledge wind over tide- have a 2.3m draught: question 1 - inside or outside if crossing at 430/5 pm
Question 2- if we need to anchor after St Albans, any suggestions?
Question 3- is anchoring at Studland very exposed for a boat our size?
Click to expand...

According to the Imray Tides Planner app, and I've never had reason to doubt it and do occasionally check its accuracy, tide doesn't turn until about 20:00 so you should be OK getting through the St Albans inner channel. Stay as close as you can, its a bit hairy because the cliff feels right on top of you, but there's plenty of depth close in. If you aren't comfortable with that I usually cross at about the DZ 'C' can when the range is open and its generally OK and get me he right side of the exclusion zone.

I've never used it but just round the corner is Chapman's Pool. I've seen it from the cliffs and it looks lovely. Don't expect any 3G or 4G coverage there.The next opportunity is Mupe Bay (and Worbarrow at a push), it can be quite nice there and you may even pick up[ some mobile coverage. Finally Lulworth, which has already been mentioned. I'd be surprised if you can get in at that time in the evening. What tends to happen is the Mobo's set off in the morning and fill it up and then local sailing vessels head there for the evening, its also likely to have sailing boats staying there for a few nights. All those anchorages are quite difficult with any south in the wind.

I'll be on my boat on Sunday finishing off a service of the macerator if the parts arrive. If you're still in Weymouth you're welcome to pop round and have a look at my Shell Channel Guide to plan the rest of your trip. PM me if you're interested.
 
Claribel said:
Thanks, everyone! If only we could follow the advice! We can't leave Southampton until Saturday 12/8 mid morning- just in time to make the Needles passage at slack but then if pushing hard to Weymouth will have to do St Albans ledge wind over tide- have a 2.3m draught: question 1 - inside or outside if crossing at 430/5 pm
Question 2- if we need to anchor after St Albans, any suggestions?
Question 3- is anchoring at Studland very exposed for a boat our size?
Click to expand...

Well you've lucked out there then! Winds forecast light/moderate and moving into NW. The sea will be flat, the Portland Race will be modest with the swells dying, Lulworth and Worbarrow Bay should be wonderful resting places, the rain will have stopped and with winds forecast to be <10kts on Sun Lyme Bay will be calm.

Just fill up your fuel tank and enjoy the sail :encouragement:

Agree with Babylon's advice and would simply add to avoid the inshore Portland route if the daylight isn't good and the tide slack. Too many lurking pots for safety. Better to check Reeds which accurately depicts the moving patches of rough water, stay out a little, and go around them.
 
At this moment crossing Lyme bay! First stop Poole, with trip to beach, then Weymouth with trip to amusement park, then round the Bill- which like our experience with St Albans, you would never have known if we didn't know already- smooth like glass! &#55357;&#56842; Hopefully we'll be in Torquay by nightfall &#55357;&#56842; Thanks again for your help!
 
Claribel said:
At this moment crossing Lyme bay! First stop Poole, with trip to beach, then Weymouth with trip to amusement park, then round the Bill- which like our experience with St Albans, you would never have known if we didn't know already- smooth like glass! �� Hopefully we'll be in Torquay by nightfall �� Thanks again for your help!
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Good stuff. Great to hear that you didn't try to push it too hard. The funfair might be at Torquay. Make sure you go into Salcolmbe (ideal beaches for kids). A mackeral fishing trip from Brixham always goes down well too.

Have fun.

Bob
 
Well done!

It's 1830, Lyme Bay for us has been slight and we'll make Dartmouth in about an hour! Used the cruising chute in delightful conditions most of the way since St Albans, having left Studland at 0545 and taken both outside passages, now motor-sailing to enter before dark... and because I'm thirsty!! Also have two mackeral gutted and in the fridge for a pan-fried lunch tomorrow... as we've got a date with a pub tonight!
 
Hi friends from Fowey! Had very bumpy journey here yesterday 17/8 from Salcombe- our 6 year old was sick &#55357;&#56873;Gusts up to 20 as we tried to cross north from outer passage into Fowey. Rough rough rough crossing Bidbury. Thinking of trying for Falmouth tomorrow 19/8- 13 wind av speed at 255 angle- will this passage be similarly rough? Worth the trouble or best staying put?
 
It's going to be upwind with wind over tide and breezy. It's been blowing well over 30 kts in Plymouth today. I would leave Monday, if you can afford the time.

A dinghy trip up the river to Golant for lunch would be very pleasant and you may be able to carry the tide both ways. Lerryn is more of an adventure but worth the effort
 
Stay well put till everything calms down.

We did Dartmouth to Swanage yesterday - 13 hours of corkscrewing with the wind on our quarter was grim, and being a bit slower than planned had a tough slow claw under power to clear the foul tide off St Albans. Now properly tucked up in Poole, having reached here earlier this afternoon with just the staysail giving 4kts. Lots of other boats holed up too.

So give everyone a break, and wait for southerly on Monday.
 
If you go long distance sailing you will see many yachts, of many nationalities, with young children. They have lessons on board and they are the best educated and personable children I have ever met. My favourite was little Rosie, who we baby sat when her parents went diving, she one year old on the day we left the Canaries to head across to the Caribbean. If children can cross the Atlantic I don't see a problem with day sailing.
 
I don't imagine people get so seasick on long ocean swells as they do in choppy Channel waters. Also it takes a week or two at the start of any cruise, in various conditions of wind and sea and points of sail, to really get used to things and settle down.

That's why I felt so rubbish corkscrewing for 13hrs up-Channel the other day, whereas my crew, who'd just done a delivery from Northern Ireland to La Rochelle, just puked and got on with it.

Off now for a long walk today!
 
>I don't imagine people get so seasick on long ocean swells as they do in choppy Channel waters...that's why I felt so rubbish corkscrewing for 13hrs up-Channel the other day, whereas my crew, who'd just done a delivery from Northern Ireland to La Rochelle, just puked and got on with it.

Crossing the Atlantic we had large waves and a 12 foot swell from behind, a 4 foot swell from a gale in the North Atlantic and a three foot swell from a gale in the South Atlantic. The corkscrewing was awesome all we could do was hold on, no food no sleep. Neither of us was sick and it lasted for just over 24 hours, it was a nightmare.
 
Just got back from 2 week holiday, in a 45 footer.
Two boys 4 and 6 but with an extra crew (very tolerant of children) on board!
We went down channel and around to South Brittany - left 3pm Friday afternoon, catching slack at the needles and then straight past Portland Bill in one tide and down through the Raz - first stop Lesconil on Penmarch late Sunday afternoon.
Other years we can have gone to Scilly - stopping at Dartmouth and Fowey.
Got back yesterday two roughish crossings from Perros to Braye through the Swinge and then yesterday back to Portsmouth via the needles.
The kids were fine - a bit sick on the first day but they recovered quickly. They just ask for the bowl and give it back!
We find the key is that if Mum if fine and treats everything as absolutely normal - so do the kids.
We try to cook as normal, bed time stories etc....
We have films they can watch, tablets which were not used once, books and lots of familiar toys.
Duplo and tinker toy are invaluable. They spend alot of time making dens in the forecabin when not too rough.
They play quite happily on the floor of the main cabin - generally getting in the way!
We have fitted seats for them under the sprayhood which they find very comfortable. It is getting a bit tight for the eldest though.
For rough passages, we find a regular supply of ginernuts works well. This year lots of sea shanties on the stereo.
 
Claribel,

while you are there in the west get to the Seal Sanctuary at Gweek on the Helford River one way or another, if dodgy to sail maybe there's a bus from Falmouth ?

Or a taxi would be worth it, one look at the residents, and children and SWMBO will forgive you any rough passage, THAT will be their abiding memory of the trip; try to get ' feeding time ' for the pups. :)

http://www.sealsanctuary.co.uk/corn1.html
 
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