St Albans Ledge

daveweeks

daveweeks

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Hello,
I'm new to the forum
I have a 20ft Scarani ( Diesel Inboard Motor 120BHP )and want to go from Poole to Weymouth, but I have been told that there is a danger with races at the St Albans Ledge. Can any body give me more information. Is there a limit to boat size crossing this point, or is there a time relating to Tide that allows a safe crossing.
Regards
Dave.
 
Great cruise - should be ok in good conditions with appropriate charts.

Suggest you get the book "Inshore along the Dorset Coast" it has tidal advice and details all the features of your intended route.
 
No problems doing that trip in a boat of that size.

The two options are to go close in (inside passage) or 5 miles out to avoid the race entirely (not entirely, you can still get some rough water even out there)

You want to time the trip so you go through when the tide is slack (buy a tidal atlas which shows the streams, or look in an Almanac like Reeds for the tidal streams).

What you don't want is to go when the wind is against the tide, as this is when it gets roughest
 
Hi Dave and welcome to the forum,

As has been said above time it right and there's no problem!

last year I did Portsmouth to Falmouth in something that sounds very similar (21ft cuddy with Merc 1.7 Diesel) Outbound I went ~5 miles out and into Weymouth for an overnight stop on the way back again stopped at Weymouth but took the inside route home.
 
Welcome to the forum David.

As Brendan says it's the wind against tide that you need to avoid.
The main reason that 'warnings' are given about this particular area is that they can change very quickly and for people heading out of Poole to Lulworth or Weymouth for the day and returning late afternoon spring tides tend to be ebbing hard into the prevailing SW late afternoons at weekends. This means that you head out and around in beautiful conditions, little seems to change in the day and when you return you find this area of pretty large overfalls (for a small boat) extending 4 miles or so out (ie as far as you can see). Many small petrol boats will then imediately face a fuel issue as well in doing anything but ploughing on, crews will want to get home etc etc and every year you get one return to Poole minus it's windscreen (or worse).

The inshore passage (stay about 30yds off the rocks along the headland but watch the pot dhans) - will be fine in just about any conditions that you are out there in for your boat, and the high freeboard will give you a significant degree of comfort here and around Peveril and Anvil points.

If you are based where you bought the boat then look me up - I'm on the end of the pontoon behind the Scar29
 
Dave

There are a number of headlands on the way that can cause trouble. Pick your tide and conditions and you'll be fine.

You can always turn back, as I have done in the past, and you'll have learnt two lessons, one what your boat can handle, and that safety is more important.

Regards

Mark
 
I had a 22ft boat with a Volvo 5.0Gxi duo prop, I went past there 4 miles out and all I can describe it as was like being in a washing machine prior to death /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Now I am a pretty steady individual having been there seen it done it in another life, but I must say the thought of quickly writing a will and putting it in my waterproof phone pouch more than once crossed my mind /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I was with a good mate and when we realised that we had made a mistake it was a choice of turn back or carry on through, being near the middle we both decided to carry on as the boat seemed to be coping quite well discharging the greenish water that was coming over the top and in the sides by the bucket full /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif We arrived at Weymouth soaking wet where we were meeting with a group of others, moored up and went and got very drunk /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Be very careful, I survived by the skin of my novice teeth, however I have been back again with my family on board and hugged the jagged cliffs, that was a lot less stressful than the near death experience of being 4 miles out with nobody in sight and the boat dipping down so low that as you looked up you thought you were spinning around in a watery hole, that happened about every 30 seconds for 40 minutes or so /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

It has not affected me at all, I just stay in the marina now and watch telly on the boat /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Yes, definately, lesson learnt /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Being scared of going out further in this instance (being a novice) put me in greater danger, but hey, I survived to tell the tale /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

You can never know enough in this game /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Duncan's right If you've got through the race at Anvil Point then the inside passage at St Albans Head won't faze you at all. Watch out for the lobster pots and also for boats coming the other way as the inside passage is not very wide! I have a 6.5m RIB and the overfalls off the point are my playground but they can sometimes be pretty awe inspiring!
 
The ledge can be uncomfortable and under some circumstances dangerous. At other times it can be quite benign and harmless. I assume from your post that you are not experienced in coastal passage making. If that is the case, I would advise you to undergo some training courses both practical and shore based. If you still want to make this trip, can you find an experienced person to accompany you on your boat or alternatively beg for another boat owner (experienced) on this forum to cruise with you in company? I'm sure someone will volunteer - they are quite a nice bunch.

You need to be aware that if you take the inshore passage you may be 'requested' by the range control boat to go several miles out to clear the Lulworth firing range if firing happens to be taking place at the time which will involve a certain amount of navigation on your part and in poor visibility could mean you lose sight of land.
 
[ QUOTE ]
You need to be aware that if you take the inshore passage you may be 'requested' by the range control boat to go several miles out to clear the Lulworth firing range if firing happens to be taking place at the time which will involve a certain amount of navigation on your part and in poor visibility could mean you lose sight of land.


[/ QUOTE ]

If heading West in this area at weekends you should establish if the ranges are fireing before leaving Poole! JUst call the CG in Portland by VHF or phone before you leave. If it's a spur of the moment trip then you will clearly see the red flag flying above St Albans once you round Anvil Point. You are 'allowed' to pass into Chapmans Pool even when fireing is taking place - in fact you can be bloody minded and pass straight through whatever causing them to cease fireing.
In practice Weymouth is little further via the outer route if you start the offshore heading from Anvil - Lulworth however becomes a long old slog best avoided. Fireing only takes place on 4 weekends a year and never on bank holiday ones or in August. They used to keep other school holiday weekends clear but the degree of variation on these now has meant some can be affected.
 
Many thank's to you all for the valid information.
I will leave this trip for a while, as there is someone from the boat yard that I can take with me for the first time.
Regards
Dave
 
Ever considered doing a course contact www.rya.org.uk to find a school near you. This would improve your boat handling skills ,introduce you to passage planning , tides and the rules of the road to name a couple of subgects covered. It will also take the stress out of any journeys you wish to take, another option would be to cruise in company with more experienced boaters lots of get togethers organised by the RYA or Pathfinders and this forum.
What ever you choose boating is meant to be fun so a small investment in training will pay dividends in the long run.
 
Those ranges bemuse me. 9/10 times if I phone and ask if they are firing, they say yes, but no signs of firing, and no range boats out. The recorded message they had on the phone last Thursday now includes the information that they will be following you on radar - where exactly is their radar???????

We went 5 miles out on the basis they would be firing, and the guy on the fuel pontoon at Weymouth also told us they'd be firing that day, and that he used to work there. No firing, as usual, despite calling the actual range control phone number, not the public advertised one.

Only a few times when they've said they'd be firing have the range boats been out when I've been past.
 
the radar is at about 150ft up set into the cliff to the East of Lulworth - I understand it's pretty sophisticated etc

they were certainly fireing Friday evening last week on the ranges

agree it's a bit ridiculous if they say they are firing when they aren't - although they may have intended to but had a techinical hitch!

I gave up calling the range officer as I rarely got through.
 
I'll have a look for the radar next time. Never spotted it before.

I can understand technical glitches, but when there are no range boats out, suggests that isn't a technical glitch, but not firing at all.

The number of times I've been past there when no signs of firing or range boats despite them saying they were, suggests something wrong with the system somewhere.
 
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