Stuck at Ilfracombe

[penfold]

The wind has dropped and is blowing in the right direction more or less to get you to Cardiff. Saturday looks like a good day, dry with light winds, although you need a bit more wind to get her going than is forecast. If you can't make Cardiff, Barry is open 24 hrs. Trucking it back will be expensive. Good luck whatever you decide.

Given the OP's experiences so far light wind and motoring all the way will be a rest cure, they just need to take enough fuel to do it comfortably.

 

[SaltyMoose]

The wind has dropped and is blowing in the right direction more or less to get you to Cardiff. Saturday looks like a good day, dry with light winds, although you need a bit more wind to get her going than is forecast. If you can't make Cardiff, Barry is open 24 hrs. Trucking it back will be expensive. Good luck whatever you decide.

Yeah, I’ve been keeping my eye on the weather to hopefully find a window of opportunity but more concerning for me is what’s going on in the Atlantic.

It seems to be pushing in 2m-3m waves in to the Bristol Channel on most days up until the end of the month.

Given the OP's experiences so far light wind and motoring all the way will be a rest cure, they just need to take enough fuel to do it comfortably.

Got plenty of fuel on board, not so much the wind and heeling that bothers me it’s mostly the waves.

I’ve just got back first quote on getting it put on the back of a truck and they want £3,000 to do it. At that price I’d rather wait for the Bristol Channel to freeze over and I’ll skate it across!

 

[Tranona]

Yeah, I’ve been keeping my eye on the weather to hopefully find a window of opportunity but more concerning for me is what’s going on in the Atlantic.

It seems to be pushing in 2m-3m waves in to the Bristol Channel on most days up until the end of the month.


Got plenty of fuel on board, not so much the wind and heeling that bothers me it’s mostly the waves.

I’ve just got back first quote on getting it put on the back of a truck and they want £3,000 to do it. At that price I’d rather wait for the Bristol Channel to freeze over and I’ll skate it across!

Not far out. I had a boat trucked from Neyland to Poole 2 years ago. Came to £2500 including taking out mast, cranes either end. That is with on site cranes so getting a suitable crane to where you are could be very expensive.

Hope you manage to get across to Wales. I bottled out of doing it the other way with a recently purchased, neglected boat (although it had been in use that year), hence the £2500 bill. Wise decision for me.

 

[jwilson]

Whilst dried out I'd clean the hull and especially the prop as much as you can.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Thank you again and I hope your son and wife make a quick recovery! Wish you and yours all the best!

Thank you. Hope the weather is treating you more kindly.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

She’s now tied off to the wall at Ilfracombe harbour, the people here are fantastic, very helpful and very kind.

She’s almost fully dried out now, I’m stood here watching in fear, never done this before but so far so good!

Put in very long springs or get someone to help you. Maybe near twice boat length if you can as the surge is fierce. The breast ropes are the least important part there IMHO

The take solace in the Pierhead or Ship& Pilot if you can

As you cant get into or out Portishead till near high tide, I would go for Cardiff, with great lagoon inside lock gates and excellent nightlife (quite unlike P head)

Mumbles is even nearer ( and better for your final run) and Swansea Marina has much to recommend, though you will have to wait safely tucked up in the river Taw until the tide is high enough for the locks

PS the waves are often easier further out to sea. The sea between Ilfracombe and Bull Point is like a washing machine till about half a mile out. So coast hugging can make matters worse.

Wind seems to ease early next week, Good luck

 

[Emmark]

Swansea isnt to bad for tides unless your draft is very deep. Mines 1.7m, I dont go in/ out within 2.5 hours of low water when its dropping or 2 hours of low water when its rising. Your usually okay 8/12 hours unless a very low tide.

Keep more to starboard as you enter the river and when you reach the brick building with marina written on it head for the orange buoy. I usually radio the lock channel 18 as I enter the river. Its quite a big lock so plenty of time just get a midship line ready if single handing.

I thought Cardiff couldn’t be reached on low tides either, have never sailed there but walked across the barrage many times?

 

[38mess]

Swansea isnt to bad for tides unless your draft is very deep. Mines 1.7m, I dont go in/ out within 2.5 hours of low water when its dropping or 2 hours of low water when its rising. Your usually okay 8/12 hours unless a very low tide.

Keep more to starboard as you enter the river and when you reach the brick building with marina written on it head for the orange buoy. I usually radio the lock channel 18 as I enter the river. Its quite a big lock so plenty of time just get a midship line ready if single handing.

I thought Cardiff couldn’t be reached on low tides either, have never sailed there but walked across the barrage many times?

I usually stay over in oxwich bay instead of Swansea, you can pick up a spare mooring bouy, then leave earlier on the flood to get to Cardiff. You should be able to do it in a tide, getting around the rannie point before the tide changes is what to aim for. But if you can't Barry is available 24 hours. Coincidentally the last time I did Swansea/ Cardiff was in a dufour aparge. Cardiff is ok to get into low tide neaps but not springs. Some suitable weather next week

 

[oldmanofthehills]

I usually stay over in oxwich bay instead of Swansea, you can pick up a spare mooring bouy, then leave earlier on the flood to get to Cardiff. You should be able to do it in a tide, getting around the rannie point before the tide changes is what to aim for. But if you can't Barry is available 24 hours. Coincidentally the last time I did Swansea/ Cardiff was in a dufour aparge. Cardiff is ok to get into low tide neaps but not springs. Some suitable weather next week

The OP is trying to get finally to aberystwyth so mumble or swansea more on route. One can anchor or pick up mooring in mumbles bay and wait the tide if unsure about depth in river by waiting pontoon. As one could only get to Cardiff on a rising tide it would be ok to enter but it needs two tide and is unhelpful for final destination. Swnsea or mumbles is almost cross tide from ilfracombe though leaving ilfracombe on rising one would get to mumbles bay on falling. I might consider leaving just before I dry out on falling tide then rise all the way to swansea. Should be a pleasant 6 hour trip

 

[38mess]

The OP is trying to get finally to aberystwyth so mumble or swansea more on route. One can anchor or pick up mooring in mumbles bay and wait the tide if unsure about depth in river by waiting pontoon. As one could only get to Cardiff on a rising tide it would be ok to enter but it needs two tide and is unhelpful for final destination. Swnsea or mumbles is almost cross tide from ilfracombe though leaving ilfracombe on rising one would get to mumbles bay on falling. I might consider leaving just before I dry out on falling tide then rise all the way to swansea. Should be a pleasant 6 hour trip

For some reason I thought he wanted to get to Cardiff. Just re read his op thanks for the correction

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Hi 38: As you know the Bristol Channel is a nightmare on the English & Cornish side so the sooner the OP gets to the welsh side the better and even Cardiff gets you away from worst of it. Lots of ways to do but for a newish sailor short handed, the shorter passages and simplist anchorages or ports work best, and ports with good transport links if boat then left there- once injured arm and weather are right.

So that rules out Porthcawl, Oxwich and possibly Tenby itself. Ilfracombe to Swansea very practical then Swansea to Milford fairly practical with fair wind, stout engine or willingness to anchor off Caldey if progress slow

 

[Birdseye]

Put in very long springs or get someone to help you. Maybe near twice boat length if you can as the surge is fierce. The breast ropes are the least important part there IMHO

The take solace in the Pierhead or Ship& Pilot if you can

As you cant get into or out Portishead till near high tide, I would go for Cardiff, with great lagoon inside lock gates and excellent nightlife (quite unlike P head)

Mumbles is even nearer ( and better for your final run) and Swansea Marina has much to recommend, though you will have to wait safely tucked up in the river Taw until the tide is high enough for the locks

PS the waves are often easier further out to sea. The sea between Ilfracombe and Bull Point is like a washing machine till about half a mile out. So coast hugging can make matters worse.

Wind seems to ease early next week, Good luck

The PS above is particularly relevant.On one memorable o0ccasion our rubber dinghy attached by rope took off in Combe harbour but when we left and got decently offshore the conditions were fine for a trip to padstow.

There is good shelter in Swansea and Milford. The trip round the corner to Aberystwyth is quite exposed so you need to grab your opportunities when they come, as of course they will. I wouldnt recommend going anywhere else and certainly not to Portishead or Cardiff which are well out of your way and leave you with even further to bash against prevailing westerlies. Combe to Swansea is an easy 24 miles whilst Combe / Milford is 48 so mabe Combe to Swansea and then to Milford. Milford to Aberywstwyth is 80nm and the only possible IMO stop is Fishguard. Never been impressed by the latter when I have stopped there, but 80nm is a long way for a single hander in a boat thats new to him.

I'd be tempted to overwinter the boat in Milford

 

[KeelsonGraham]

It’s late in the season to be poking one’s nose out into the Atlantic swells. Surely better to stick with Plan B and hole up in Cardiff for the winter?

OP, we often (myself included) get fixated on the wind forecast and forget to look at the wave forecast. Wind is rarely a problem of itself, it’s the waves that cause the problems - as you’ve discovered.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

That is picture of us taken from the pier by the crew of Coral B of us leaving Ilfracombe in a top end F4, though it had been maybe F5 the day before. We and they had a fine sail down to Lundy.

We love Milford and having gone there for Seafair we borrowed mooring for 3 summer seasons so we could explore. Skomer South Haven, North Haven via Jack sound, Ramsey either via Jack or round Skomer, Solva to dry out on the wall, or just a pootle to Broadhaven - and if weather bad one can just play in Milford sound.

All of which will give a relative novice plenty of practice for the big run, which must be 14 hours I guess, and its worth going through Ramsey to avoid the Bishops. Didnt find Fishguard that bad, though it was boring

 

[oldmanofthehills]

It’s late in the season to be poking one’s nose out into the Atlantic swells. Surely better to stick with Plan B and hole up in Cardiff for the winter?

OP, we often (myself included) get fixated on the wind forecast and forget to look at the wave forecast. Wind is rarely a problem of itself, it’s the waves that cause the problems - as you’ve discovered.

Cardiff is the wrong way for OP and twice as far from Ilfracombe, and still exposes OP to the outer Bristol Channel slop for much of the way.

Windguru is your friend for waves but there are others. The problem in the BC is short seas, ie chop

 

[TwoHooter]

...The problem in the BC is short seas, ie chop

If I may be so bold, being a mere motorboat skipper, I would say the biggest problem in the Bristol Channel is wind over tide, at least in the upper reaches where the tidal flow is strongest. When I have made passages westward with the tide the darn wind always seems to blow towards me and I saw the biggest waves of my life on one such passage. Bruddy frightening but as usual the boat just bobbed up and down and it was only the skipper who was perturbed.

Question for SaltyMoose - what would you like to do, get to Aberystwyth this year or get a winter berth somewhere else and tackle the trip in the Spring? It does make a difference.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

If I may be so bold, being a mere motorboat skipper, I would say the biggest problem in the Bristol Channel is wind over tide, at least in the upper reaches where the tidal flow is strongest. When I have made passages westward with the tide the darn wind always seems to blow towards me and I saw the biggest waves of my life on one such passage. Bruddy frightening but as usual the boat just bobbed up and down and it was only the skipper who was perturbed.

------

Indeed an issue: the OP needs to head west on westward falling tide for most of the journey and the wind is usually SW. A stout engine is your man to back you up, and not too strong a wind, unless you love tacking for 12 hours. Easterlies are rare, Northerlies cold. A good southerly would suit nicely but unlikely this time of year

 

[Dellquay13]

We love Milford and having gone there for Seafair we borrowed mooring for 3 summer seasons so we could explore. Skomer South Haven, North Haven via Jack sound, Ramsey either via Jack or round Skomer, Solva to dry out on the wall, or just a pootle to Broadhaven - and if weather bad one can just play in Milford sound.

All of which will give a relative novice plenty of practice for the big run, which must be 14 hours I guess, and its worth going through Ramsey to avoid the Bishops. Didnt find Fishguard that bad, though it was boring

There are worse places to overwinter in the BC than Milford. It might be a distance to visit the boat, but there are usually plenty of winter weather windows to get some local day sailing in to get to know the new boat in the shelter of the Haven. I daysail my 24 footer in good weather through the winter there. It is also liveaboard friendly if that is preferred to simply berthing there.
A couple of days with reasonable wind from the N to NE should see conditions settle down enough for a beat or reach to Milford making the most of a falling tide

 

[steveej]

The challenge he has got this time of year is getting a weather window.

Does he have a day job / family to get back to / retired? - can he get to the boat at a moments notice?

I had flat millpond conditions on passage from Cardiff to Porthcawl in mid november between the two covid lockdowns so it is possible to get a window, but that was locking out at midnight and anchoring for enough water to get into the drying harbour at porthcawl. He will need to sieze the opportunity at a moments notice and he could be waiting some time at this point in the year.

With limited experience he really needs a helper of some sort, even if he has to pay a commercial skipper.

I would want to be getting off the wall at Ilfracombe wall as soon as possible and getting to somewhere safer on the welsh side - location depending on sea state, wind strength / direction and duration of the better conditions before they turn for the worse - I wouldnt particularly care where, but this means he may not get the boat back to Aberystwyth any time soon - possibly not until next Spring.

He needs to avoid the overfalls and wind overtide as much as possible and it is getting darker so night sailing highly likely.

And how reliable is the engine? He may be able to motor sail - but does he know how?

The other issue he has got is he will need most of the flood just to get out of the harbour at Ilfracombe, which makes heading west easier than heading east, but the passages are longer and the prevailing wind is south west, which makes for wind over tide.

If he gets a window, he could motor over to combe martin and anchor there before catching the flood up to Porthcawl and get into the marina there. Then Swansea, then Milford.

Lots of ways to do it but they all depend on the weather.

It aint like driving a car!

From Ilfracome.....

Porthcawl 21 NM
Swansea 24 NM
Milford Entrance 46 NM

He could stay at all these for the winter if needed but all will allow him to do shorter hops westwards when the whether allows.

 

[PCUK]

My advice in this situation is to go and have a look outside as the sea conditions can often be favourable even when the forecast is awful. There's no shame in coming back!