Solent to the River Dart in December

Dockhead said:
12 hours?! Weymouth to Torquay is 52 miles, and I did it in 6 1/2 hours in July with a little help from a spring tide . . . I do have a 46 foot waterline, but still - 12 hours from Portland would be like 4 knots. Surely he can do better than that. You shouldn't discourage him.
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Thanks for the reprimand but I'm being realistic and not discouraging him at all.
He's already said that his length is 20 ft and he estimates his speed to be 4kts. At that speed he won't get any benefit from the tides as he'll get one ebb and one flow so 12 hours is more than likely. Allow for a bit of buggeration and it could easily be 14 hours.

Did you bother to read his post before you made your pronouncement? :mad:
 
I did a trip from Lymington to Suffolk in January a couple of years ago, single-handed in a 17'9" LWL boat. It's an easier route for finding stops than yours, mind. I deliberately chose settled weather, reckoning that though it would be cold, I wouldn't be being thrown about so much and making tea and meals en route would be much easier, and though temperatures would be lower, the wind chill would be less. I also didn't want to end up getting stuck half way because of excessively strong wind.

An autohelm would be the one item of kit I'd recommend if you haven't got one. That way you can be making hot drinks, or sitting sheltered in the companionway, rather than being wholly occupied on the helm all the time.

It was bloody cold - ice on decks every morning, but I kept adequately warm with ordinary thermal long johns, wooly socks, jogging pants and a few layers of fleeces/pullovers under my ordinary sailing waterproofs. A thin thermal 'wooly hat' under an ordinary one, and Sealskinz mittens completed the outfit. I was certainly fine for whole days like this, not just the two hours someone mentioned.

I did the trip in roughly daylight length hops. A little catalytic gas heater made the evenings of the stopovers more pleasant, but it was a blessing to go one night to a restaurant for a meal and to the cinema to warm through properly. I slept in a sleeping bag under a duvet and a blanket.

As regards your route, you will be have the twin constraints of very short daylight hours and important tide gates. They may not coincide well unless you plan carefully.

If you're thinking of doing a long haul, if I remember correctly if you can keep up 5 knots you can have the tide with you at both Hurst Narrows and round Portland Bill. Once round the Bill the tides in Lyme Bay are generally weak. (We don't usually average 5 knots but we gunned the engine for hours one trip to achieve that tidal advantage.)

If the weather is not too bad you can anchor or pick up a buoy (are they still out this time of year?) off Lyme Regis. Although it's a bit out of your way it might be useful for a night's break.

Enjoy your trip.
 
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Rigger Mortice said:
Thanks for the reprimand but I'm being realistic and not discouraging him at all.
He's already said that his length is 20 ft and he estimates his speed to be 4kts. At that speed he won't get any benefit from the tides as he'll get one ebb and one flow so 12 hours is more than likely. Allow for a bit of buggeration and it could easily be 14 hours.

Did you bother to read his post before you made your pronouncement? :mad:
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Sorry! You're right, of course, if he does his self estimated 4 knots. I still think he'll do much better if there's any wind!
 
Just out of geekyness, what is the boat? A 20' waterline could easilly be a folkboat derrivative with a little diesel inboard, inwhich case this seems a straight forward trip, but it could just as easilly be something like a Bendytoy 21.7 in which case this is madness; with all stops inbetween!
 
Judders said:
Just out of geekyness, what is the boat? A 20' waterline could easilly be a folkboat derrivative with a little diesel inboard, inwhich case this seems a straight forward trip, but it could just as easilly be something like a Bendytoy 21.7 in which case this is madness; with all stops inbetween!
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I think we're looking at a Sadler 25.
 
A1Sailor said:
weather and daylight... Sailing - if possible.
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Bit of a catch 22, short days so you won't get too far, so if it blows SW you would be better going round Lyme Bay. That way you get the anticlockwise current flow.
If it blows Easterly then a lot of the stopping spots are a bit inhospitable so you might be better going straight across the bay.

East of Portland, Studland and Swanage are good with SW wind but you would be better tucking in west of Brownsea Island or Chapmans Pool if it blows Easterly.

You need to pick up the start of the west going current round the Bill, so I think a stop in Weymouth is almost unavoidable. The bright side is a hot shower, good takeaways, a good nights sleep and power to run a small fan heater.
 
Pots, pots and more pots!

A1, in addition to the well known lobster pots south of Portland Bill in the Inshore Passage, there are (or there were when we sailed the route in August) lines of pots east of Portland Harbour, just on the course that takes you to the north entrance, on passage from St Albans Head.

It's just another wee hazard to look out for as you head for Portland for the night stop with a glorious setting sun on the bow!

Good luck and stay warm.
 
Did exactly the same trip 3 years ago, it was freezing but we were lucky with the forecast. As all have said dress correctly and its no problem coupled with plenty of hot drinks and bacon sarnies and of course a fair wind. We did Hamble direct to Dartmouth (24 hours) then to Falmouth (13 hours) and then on to Scilly (11 hours) all in just a few days.

 
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