Start Point sea state

[Seastoke]

So leaving Salcombe this morning about an hour before high water on a spring tide , South easterly wind blowing 12 to 20 knots . Why in these conditions the sea state was awful it got better when going past Datmuf ,

 

[Martxer]

Must be Salcombe has no protection from a southwesterly, what was the wind speed further out?

 

[Seastoke]

I have nothing to measure really , I would say F4

 

[stelican]

So leaving Salcombe this morning about an hour before high water on a spring tide , South easterly wind blowing 12 to 20 knots . Why in these conditions the sea state was awful it got better when going past Datmuf ,

Classic wind over tide?

 

[xcw]

Bit of wind over tide in the Eastern Solent yesterday - classic Solent chop - and then the fog suddenly descended just past Gilkicker - nasty

 

[Sandy]

The coast from Start Point to Exmouth is a bit 'uncomfortable' in anything with an east in it. Lyme Bay gives a long fetch.

 

[LittleSister]

I don't understand your surprise.

You were going round one of the most exposed headlands on that stretch of coast, well known and marked on the charts as having a race extending a mile or so offshore; approaching the time of the maximum tidal current on a spring tide (which reaches 3+ knots) tumbling over the shallow, uneven bottom extending from Start Point, with wind - which speeds up and gets more turbulent around headlands - against tide aggravating the situation significantly. (Reeds suggests giving Start Point 1 mile clearance unless going close inshore, and 2 miles clearance in bad weather).)

Then it inevitably eased when you were over a deeper, flatter bottom and out of the strongest and most turbulent tidal current, and in cleaner wind.

 

[Andrew M]

Yep, basically I agree with the above. Start point is well marked and recorded. Plus, from my own experience I really give it both a lot of respect and distance, it can very easily be very uncomfortable in anything but lovely conditions, in my view it is highly. highly underrated for it's potential for poor sea state.

You are on some really big springs atm, I wouldn't have gone round Start this weekend without a fair distance offshore.

 

[Seastoke]

We were a good 2 mile off shore .

 

[Nosher]

We were a good 2 mile off shore .

You were in the race then.
There’s an inshore passage, close enough to chuck a hobnob ashore, but you can play the gauntlet with pots which can be semi submerged when the tide’s running, just lurking ready to anchor you by your stern gear. Which would be vexing.
Slack water at Start is actually about 2-3 hours after local hw, I can’t remember exactly and I’m too lazy to look it up. But as others have said it’s an area worth treating with respect especially during springs.

 

[Boathook]

Found this site https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/IEASTPRA2/graph/2023-04-9/2023-04-9/weekly

It's at the NCI Prawle Point so fairly high up but gives an idea for winds. 2 miles from a headland like Start isn't far if the weather is iffy, and wind against tide will kick up quite a rough sea.

 

[Andrew M]

I use this link for a quick weather conditions check at Prawle, probably the same info as posted above just a different link.

Weather – NCI Prawle Point

 

[LittleSister]

Slack water at Start is actually about 2-3 hours after local hw, I can’t remember exactly and I’m too lazy to look it up. But as others have said it’s an area worth treating with respect especially during springs.

I think it might actually be a few hours before (it's a long time since I was down there and also can't look it up just now), but the point is well made that in that area high water is definitely not the same time as slack water.