Sea breeze - Solent

[npf1]

Quick question ... is this warm weather sufficent to generate a sea breeze in the Solent and, if so, what time is it likely to start to build?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Boathook]

The other Saturday the sea breezes in Poole bay seemed to build up in the afternoon. The Solent is another matter and this even varies between east and west and the wind direction to start with.

Hurst Castle wind
http://www.weather-file.com/hurst/

 

[npf1]

Thanks. Mainland coast of the western Solent is the area that I was considering.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Thanks. Mainland coast of the western Solent is the area that I was considering.

Often doesn't come in until early-mid afternoon even in mid-summer. Needs to wait for the breeze to build on the southern shore of the island, then find its way across.

 

[flaming]

Thanks. Mainland coast of the western Solent is the area that I was considering.

In the spring this can be as early as 12 in the Western Solent, and peak at over 20 knots on the best days. This time of year, when the land is not as cool at night and the water is significantly warmer the effect is a lesser sea breeze, possibly later.

A good rule of thumb in the mid Solent seems to be that the sea Breeze will appear 2-3 hours after the first puffy white clouds are visible over the mainland. And the seabreeze does seem to develop first in the Western Solent.

 

[l'escargot]

Strength and direction can also be very localised. I have been on a run in the western Solent before and looked across and seen a boat out in the middle running in the opposite direction.

 

[alahol2]

Always seems to be about 2 o'clock for me.

 

[Roberto]

Temperature difference sea/land is maybe among the most important factors for breeze formation, then its behaviour (time of onset, change in strength, areas of calm, areas of stronger wind, change in direction, etc) is very dependent on gradient wind direction.

If you are interested in a practical analysis of the various scenari, may I suggest David Houghton "Wind strategy", at the end there is a section about wind (mainly breezes) behaviour at different racing areas, and he devotes three interesting pages to the Solent.


As an example of the type of info, he writes:
"[...] its ability to offer simultaneously strong winds from totally different directions.
[...]
During the development of a sea breeze with a NW gradient wind. The SW sea breeze builds over the west solent (Plan Solent2) while the band of strong NW winds persists down Southampton Water and across the East Solent. The NW band is reluctant to give way, but eventually the SW breeze breaks through and pushes across to Hill Head and Lee on Solent, leaving the remains of the NW to be mopped up by sea breezes in the East Solent (Plan Solent3) [...] "



Addition
I never sailed in the Solent so cannot comment about his analysis of this specific areas, however the general techniques of wind/breeze analysis he describes are generally agreed/shared by quite a few other authors

 

[npf1]

Thanks for all the replies. Just trying to fathom if there's any chance of sailing on Sunday as the weather forecast makes me think only the 'iron sail' will get used.

 

[Evadne]

Always seems to be about 2 o'clock for me.

2pm at Southampton and there is a gentle onshore breeze kicking in.

 

[Blueboatman]

While waiting for a breeze, as it were, the spring tide wind( ooh 3 knots wow) is pretty good practise at finessing the light weather handling.
And finessing ones patience of course.

And then just as you get the boat moving, the wake from some far far off powervessel comes over and knocks the wind out of the sails. Repeat as much as you want!

 

[alant]

Quick question ... is this warm weather sufficent to generate a sea breeze in the Solent and, if so, what time is it likely to start to build?

Thanks in advance.

No sea breezes in western solent from this warm weather + very strong tides running thru Hurst in afternoon.

Good motoring, but little sailing.