St Albans Head & Portland Race

It's one of those areas which can seem incredibly benign at times, leading people to think the stories about it are exaggeration.

It's only if you visit regularly you start to realise what it can actually be like. I've been around in the inside passage in rough conditions, which although uncomfortable, a view of what it was like just 10's of meters out convinced me that the inside passage was a very viable alternative, and if transitting to W Country without stopping at Weymouth, I'm very happy to stay many many miles out.
 
Re: benign

How right you are, when conditions were right a day sail round the Bill and back trawling a fishing line made for a perfect day out. Out on the back end of the West going flow and back on the East flow, but when it is uppity the only place to see it is from dry land.
 
Steve. don\'t be put off!

I hope these posts haven't put you off visiting. It's honestly not a place to avoid, just somewhere that needs to be treated with some respect. You'll know from this thread and links when to avoid. Othertimes it's a lovely cruise around, and well worth visiting
 
Re: Steve. don\'t be put off!

I agree entirely Brendan. In the same spot as old Falaise was leaping around, the first time i did the inshore passage there was some bloke in a rowing boat paddling around doing a bit of fishing...

Felt a bit of a prat having done a full heavy weather stow, insisted everyone was clipped on, heavy weather gear, life jackets et al. Crew decidedly unhappy and mutinous as it was a hot day!
 
Thanks to all!

Loads of info. I'll have to take some time to digest it all, but first impressions are:

ST A: Stay less than 100 yds off and go with the tide in calm conditions or wait for slack water. If there's significant wind over tide go 3 miles off or say goodbye to my fillings. If it's F5 plus, I won't be out there, but if I am, it's outside.

PB: If I can't hit the shore lobbing a Fray Bentos, I'm too far out. (more seriously, about 50 yards?) Only go if the tide's right, otherwise 6 miles out - 15 if I'm wishing I'd stayed at home.

In both cases, watch out for pot markers.

Does this sound about right?
 
Re: Thanks to all!

St Albans. No pots worth worrying about. Stay 5+ miles out if rough,

Portland. 50 yds is seriously way too far out. The comments about being hit by stone from shore are true - I don't know any kid that can throw a stone that far. May be this is where some of sceptics fail in their not beleiving there is an inside passage, they are simply too far out. Putting it in simple terms, if you are more than 20' off the cliffs, you are way to far out, and you are going to have a very uncomfortable time if it's rough. Stay inshore, even though instincts say you are too close to land. Stay at least 7 miles out, double that in high winds.
 
Re: Thanks to all!

20'? Blimey!

I was going to ask what happens if I meet someone going the other way, but with the tide, I suppose that's unlikely - unless it's a big MoBo? Gulp! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Re: Thanks to all!

Erm in this case dangerous exageration .. at 20' off Portland a yacht would have run aground! FWIW I keep between 50 yd and 100yds off and I've been fine the last 3 times I've been round inside.. always going west though. Going East I set a waypoint fot 8 miles off, if the wethers crap I keep to it if its good I'm happy 4 miles off. Unless one specifically wants to go to Weymouth you're almost as fast as going to Studland.
 
Re: Thanks to all!

Think he will have mown down half the local dog population, lilo's, brats and even sand castles at that range!! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Anyway, my method is. I stick my little cross on the end of Portland. Not sure excactly where it is, cos my chart plotter dont zoom in there and I'm looking at half of england on my little screen. Anyway when I get there I just sort of splosh about a bit, then turn left.

You all do seem to make it very complicated!!
 
Re: Thanks to all!

Agree with Jimi: 50 yards off Portland if conditions are indifferent, but time it right on a decent day, and you will wonder what all the fuss was about....

If it was so rough you needed to be within 20 feet, the sea would push you up on the rocks anyway, if you hadnt already hit them. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
Re: Thanks to all!

Got to disagree with the St Alban's comment re pots - there are always a few tight in to the head in the 'inshore passage'. Normally well marked with flags but there are some designed to go down with the tide that will only be a hazard around slack water.
At it's narrowest, to the West off the tip, the channel is about 30 yds wide when the race is kicking up, widening to about 80yds. In calmer conditions you do get a little bit of a gradient into the rougher water so it appears wider.
Only UW hazard is some rocks and weed again on the tip about 10yds out and showing 1.8m on my sounder at worst (lowest I have recorded not lowest tide!) - and I think thats mainly weed!

Te most important thing to me is that it can get v rough but there is a calmer passage inshore if you need it. Equally if you really expect it rough you should simply head well offshore.

I always find Durlston and Anvil headlands a good indicator as to whether St Albans may pose a serious concern - Peveril will always kick up a touch on the ebb so it's a bad indicator.

On the other hand I have spent a whole day drifting about on St Albans ledge without seeing a ripple...........regardless of tide run!

Understand the former and hope for the latter!
 
Re: in practice Sunday...........

was absolutely classic on St Albans ledge.......

beautiful sunny day had more boats around transiting the ladge than I have seen for a long time plus rather large tide!

morning and it's a pussy cat inshore on the flood, with the wind largely from the NW and sheltered. move out 200yds and the overfalls were nasty but not dangerous to a large boat but some holes would have been bad for smaller craft..... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif we were drifting the leading (west) edge for bass and didn't venture into the overfalls until later in the tide when the drift speed had fallen below 2 knots. however boats (under power) were merrily holding thier course into this despite the flat water closer in (but still well off the headland) - all but one reducing speed and getting a serious shaking; yachts, flybridge MBs etc. obvious elements of 'my boat can handle this, my boat can handle this........er no the crew can't!'

later in the afternoon the wind went West and the tide ebbed ..........up she came leaving a very narrow passage indeed and even that was only 'relatively' flat. We were throttling up to head back as a large Sealine came out of Chapman's Pool and, as we were clearly going across him and tighter than he was planning he slowed to let us go first (wave of thanks from us) then he followed us across a few yards off - probably a lot tighter than he would have done otherwise! You wouldn't have wanted to be a hundred yards off - 7 miles maybe!
 
Great advice Dude!! Im new to sailing, just bought my first boat and will be sailing to Dartmouth this summer. Looking at your tide times, Im assuming your using portland times? As I have read that one needs to be approaching the bill at 45 minutes b4 HW Dover.
What about St Albans head, how should I time the tide / streams?

Thanks
Arty.
 
Arty_Sax said:
Great advice Dude!! Im new to sailing, just bought my first boat and will be sailing to Dartmouth this summer. Looking at your tide times, Im assuming your using portland times? As I have read that one needs to be approaching the bill at 45 minutes b4 HW Dover.
What about St Albans head, how should I time the tide / streams?

Thanks
Arty.
Click to expand...

welcome to the forum

No need to resurrect a 13 year old thread. This subject comes up regularly and although it is useful to hear of the experiences of others the advice is always to buy a pilot book such as the Channel Pilot and an almanac such as the PBO one. Both of these have instructions on the best times to transit the headlands and in particular the pilot discusses the alternatives and when to use them. In particular you need to be aware that the weather has a big influence on the strategy on any given day.

There is no one best way and typically in a passage along this bit of coast it is difficult to have everything in your favour and the skill you need to learn is how best to plan your passage in your boat given the capability of the boat (and crew).
 
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