Single handed Lyme Bay crossing

[PhillM]

I am planning to join our club sail in company in July, which includes crossing from Portland to Dartmouth.

Most of the other boats are in the region of 30 - 45 foot and manage 6-8 kn. Paean is 24.5 foot with 19 foot waterline length. We usually cruise at 3-4 kn through the water (sail or power) and manage 100% tacking angle. It is fair to say we plod along. I use white sails only. Hanked on Jib which can be hard to change at sea due to a small deck space and no guard rails, so I try to pick a sail for the trip and stick with it.

I shall be single handed. I have a tipper pilot but tend not to use it in the Solent as its too busy.

Am I mad for even thinking about it, or silly to be even think feel the need to twice about it because its a doddle.

Oh and on the way home, I am seriously considering coming back via Cherbourg. Again Single handed.

Currently I have (and wear) a life jacket and an Epirb, flares, VHF with AIS receive, Plotter, but no life raft.

Comments please.

 

[RupertW]

I have happily singlehanded both ways in a 24 footer (although a GK24 which is faster than yours). With a tiller pilot I would be very happy doing it as long as you are ok with the tide times for your joint crossing, given when you are likely to arrive at Dartmouth, so if thats in the dark and you are ok with that then fine. My one reservation (assuming the weather is ok) is trying to stick with just one sail all the way across - you might be tempted to choose a smaller sail than you need just in case. For a long crossing like that you have all the time and all the sea room to change sails so I would be a bit more ambitious in your sail choice than normal then reef down when you first think of it, and that might need a bit of practice.

 

[dragonvc]

I have done this several times two handed in a 23 ft Minitonner similar speed to GK24 the problem if a SW to W wind it can be a long trip with spring tides,do not forget that there are fishing boats regularly in Lyme Bay which can be pretty erratic avoiding junk on the sea bed.If I was to singlehand that trip either wait for right wind direction or at very least have autohelm and a reliable engine if the wind dies.Good luck plan carefully,we had similar safety gear,with luck dolphins will visit,if things get too tough neither Lyme Regis or West Bay are attractive in heavy westerlies so back to Portland or Weymouth will be outside Portland Race unless tides are kind.When you make it you will be much more satisfied with your passage than the 35-40 ft boats.

 

[prv]

The singlehanded part wouldn’t concern me at all. If anything, I’d probably be more relaxed on my own because I wouldn’t be worrying that my crew (aka guests) were bored and wanting to be in port . It’ll feel like a long old slog in a slow 24-footer (eg our previous boat) which is the same whether crewed or not, and I’d consider a reliable autopilot to be essential.

Pete

 

[PhillM]

Thanks guys. I shall get planning

 

[SimonFa]

When I first started reading this forum after buying Venezia someone pointed out that you can be more than 12 miles offshore when crossing Lyme Bay (its around 20 half way across) and that falls foul of some insurance policies.

 

[PhillM]

When I first started reading this forum after buying Venezia someone pointed out that you can be more than 12 miles offshore when crossing Lyme Bay (its around 20 half way across) and that falls foul of some insurance policies.

Good point. I checked and I am covered from Bergen to La Rochelle. No single handed time restrictions either.

 

[Seajet]

PhillM,

one tip; when singlehanding west outside the Solent ( I don't cross the Channel solo, too much fatigue from Studland to St Peter Port, my usual route ) - I take a light but strong and long line - signal halliard stuff is fine - and tie it to the ram of the autopilot, up over the pushpit and over the stern with a key float on the end.

If I go over the side, I have the chance to grab the line, dislodge the autohelm and she should round up.

How I get back aboard is another matter, but there's a folding step near the waterline on the transom...

When going around Portland inner passage - as I imagine you plan - keep an eye out for lobster pots dragged just underwater by the current.

Crossing Lyme Bay I usually go from Studland and outside the Race - and definitely so on the way back eastwards.

Cherbourg sounds a little ambitious to me, re the No.1 enemy, fatigue; it's not rocks, big waves or fog that'll get you, it's fatigue.

I carry a few big cans of Red Bull in case I find myself needing a boost; I don't like the stuff and pay for it afterwards, but it might help for a while.

 

[alant]

I am planning to join our club sail in company in July, which includes crossing from Portland to Dartmouth.

Most of the other boats are in the region of 30 - 45 foot and manage 6-8 kn. Paean is 24.5 foot with 19 foot waterline length. We usually cruise at 3-4 kn through the water (sail or power) and manage 100% tacking angle. It is fair to say we plod along. I use white sails only. Hanked on Jib which can be hard to change at sea due to a small deck space and no guard rails, so I try to pick a sail for the trip and stick with it.

I shall be single handed. I have a tipper pilot but tend not to use it in the Solent as its too busy.

Am I mad for even thinking about it, or silly to be even think feel the need to twice about it because its a doddle.

Oh and on the way home, I am seriously considering coming back via Cherbourg. Again Single handed.

Currently I have (and wear) a life jacket and an Epirb, flares, VHF with AIS receive, Plotter, but no life raft.

Comments please.

Just as with all sailing, pick your weather & should be ok.
The Cherbourg trip will need concentrated watchkeeping, particularly near the traffic lanes around & in the TSS, so make arrangements for lots of time on deck.

 

[[70521]]

Have a great trip, last time we did the west bound passage from Portland to the Exe we ambled along in a F2, more like a drift really, but a fantastic day.

 

[dom]

Phil,
Main prob on Lyme Bay is psychological: looking at the Dartmouth Day Mark for hrs! Otherwise an easy crossing, though watch that swell if its blowing from the S/W as it'll put you on a drenched fetch which can be a PITA.

As for Chbg; I'd be a tad careful. As others say crossing the shipping lanes in a slowish boat can be challenging, all the more so if you don't have AIS (tx+rx) and ARPA. If settled weather and you feel like it, no prob, but do fit/hoist a decent radar reflector: passive or active. If passive, there are many duffs inc the ubiquitous Firdell Blipper. You MUST be seen!

If you don't want to fit one, then borrow a spare for the trip: I cld lend you an Echomax if you're stuck.

Enjoy

 

[Seajet]

A day smoke flare is always handy, and a tip I picked up from the late David Blagdens' series ' Plain Sailing ' is that if one needs flares, you need white collision warning ones a lot faster than distress ones; I've been in this situation in fog on my first Channel crossing as we passed the Channel light vessel in the separation zone, we could hear ship engines all around us - then one came insistently louder until we could hear the bow wave; I jumped for the engine and motored flat out away from the noise; we never saw a sign or light of the ship but we were very soon rocked by the bow wave, too close.

We had the masthead light on and I had our then only white flare ( we were broke 17 yr old students ) and I'm not ashamed to say my hands were shaking - I should have fired it, but I very much doubt the ship crew would have spotted even that.

I now have two white flares ready by the cabin step.

Personally I would not go across the Channel singlehanded; the Atlantic maybe, but the Channel by our bit of coasts is just too busy and tiring - also though much less important, check your insurance re singlehanding; I asked mine and they extended it to 24 hours which I can understand, but it would be easy to get delayed beyond that and become uninsured.

 

[[70521]]

Personally I would not go across the Channel singlehanded; the Atlantic maybe, but the Channel by our bit of coasts is just too busy and tiring - also though much less important, check your insurance re singlehanding; I asked mine and they extended it to 24 hours which I can understand, but it would be easy to get delayed beyond that and become uninsured.

It is a personal choice, we have several members of our local club well into their 70's who regularly cross the channel single handed, I hope to do so at that age.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

I can endorse seajets advice. Crossing shipping lanes in the dark single handed is no fun, indeed off the French coast its never nice, and the passage time could well extend beyond 24 hrs so fatigue starts to be an issue. I would suggest that a reliable engine might be a good safeguard. Bulling against the tide on iron-topsail may not be purist but it gets you to harbour or away from lee shores

 

[Stemar]

Bulling against the tide on iron-topsail may not be purist but it gets you to harbour or away from lee shores

But not necessarily off Cherbourg - the currents there can be fierce!

When I crossed the channel on a slow boat, before leaving, I set a waypoint 10 miles off Cherbourg and one for each of the main entrances to the harbour. I worked out what the tide would be doing for several hours either side of my ETA, so once at my "Off Cherbourg" waypoint, I could decide with some degree of confidence what would be happening when I got to the harbour, and aimed for the upstream one. You don't want to miss the entrance, it's a fair way to the next port!

 

[Ningaloo]

I almost envy the challenge ahead of you and the satisfaction of completing it. My own first singlehanded passage was also Weymouth to Dartmouth in an MG Spring 25. Possibly quicker than your boat but somewhat light for open water passages.
On my crossing I relied on the tiller pilot until it gave up half way across. Then I got a riding turn on the main halyard trying to reef.
But nothing beat the feeling of entering Dartmouth and having the river (and shelter) open up before me.
Good luck with your passage. As long as you are confident in your own abilities and are sensible about the weather you will have a great time.

 

[Seajet]

Obviously a reliable autopilot is worth its weight in gold.

A handy crew who can stand 3 hour watch keeping a lookout even moreso; especially if they're suitable for a cuddle at the destination !

 

[LadyInBed]

I can endorse seajets advice. Crossing shipping lanes in the dark single handed is no fun, indeed off the French coast its never nice

That, IMO is rubbish. At night before AIS, you knew when you have crossed a ship's path as you see his navigation lights change colour. Now, the OP has AIS so he can see the state of play with ships.

 

[Seajet]

That, IMO is rubbish. At night before AIS, you knew when you have crossed a ship's path as you see his navigation lights change colour. Now, the OP has AIS so he can see the state of play with ships.

Then it is you and your opinion which is ' rubbish ' - and why did you use such a term, you could have simply said you disagree.

 

[ip485]

Without being flippant - if you feel you need to ask etc.

Ultimately only you can decide whether you feel comfortable with the passage. Is it doable, well of course it is, will you survive even poorly pepared - almost certainly, will you enjoy the passage, probably, but only if you like spending a good about of time in your yacht, arent worried about getting too exhausted standing watch and feel you can cope with whatever is thrown at you.