HMP
New member
Having made the decision to move my boat to the south coast for the season, I was just left with the decision of when to move it. The barrage at Swansea would be closed for two weeks from the 14th March 2004; my new berth at Ocean Village was available to me from 1st April 2004, I also needing a lift out on the south coast for antifouling. So with all things considered Saturday 6th March 2004 was the day.
My crew was to be Ian a good friend and boating contractor from Portsmouth who after many years in the boating business would be making his first passage from Swansea and around Lands End. At the last minute I was joined by a long time friend Paul who was newish to boating and making his first trip of over 5nm.
The forecast was for a sunny, but coldish, few days with a northerly wind of Force 4/5; moderate seas in the Bristol Channel and along the Cornish coast from Hartland Point to Lands End, and slight seas along the south coast.
Saturday morning was spent checking, preparing and provisioning for a 14:00hrs departure bound for Padstow.
Once a few miles off the south Wales coast the sea became lumpy and was on our starboard quarter, but progress was at a steady 23 knots and we arrived at Padstow at 17:30 hrs, an hour before the gate was lifted. Ian and I shared the helming, oh yes the autopilot pump had failed and was to be repaired by Ian once at his home port of Port Solent. Paul was finding the going tuff and felling unwell slept for 2 hrs of the 3½ hr trip.
Sunday morning was bright and breezy and I decided to refill the fuel tanks to give me a range of options as to where to head for, I took on 597 litres of fuel having travelled 76 nautical miles the day before, i.e., 7.86 litres per nautical mile. Leaving the fuel berth at 07:30 hrs I was surprised at the state of the sea in the Carmel estuary. Out to sea from the harbour the estuary runs due north and with the wind from the north, force 5, and the sea being funnelled into the estuary this gave a short five/six foot swell, progress was at 7 knots so as not to push the bow into the front of the next wave. Needing to turn to port to round Trevose Head, however, I decided to go due north for a few miles to enable me to make a sharp turn to port and then run with the sea on my starboard quarter rather than a gradual turn to port which would have resulted in a lot of water being lifted over the boat.
This worked fine and once running with the wind progress was at 22 knots in a moderate sea. 47nm later and with the sea now slight, we rounded Lands end. All the headlands along the south coast - Lands End, Lizard, Start Point, Portland and St.Alban’s - were very calm with seas across the bays giving up to a 3 foot wave height depending on the distance we were off shore. Progress now though was at a more normal 27 knots.
One of the more memorable moments of the trip was some 5 mile some west of the Eddystone lighthouse being joined by some 6 to 8 playful dolphins for a mile or so, however, Paul missed this and other highlights of the trip by adopting his now customary activity of sleeping.
Progress was so good and with Paul not a problem due to his comatose state it was decided to make for Cowes. This was achieved at 17:30 hrs, i.e. 233 nautical miles in 9 hrs – an average of 25.9 nautical miles per hour. It was comfortably within the range of the boat requiring 1750 litres of fuel leaving 530 litres in the tanks.
Monday morning and the boat was moved to its temporary home of Port Solent were it will be lifted for antifouling, new anodes and polishing by Ian.
All in all a great trip that Ian and I thoroughly enjoyed and Paul well he slept for 9 hrs of the 12½ hrs we were at sea.
Howard
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My crew was to be Ian a good friend and boating contractor from Portsmouth who after many years in the boating business would be making his first passage from Swansea and around Lands End. At the last minute I was joined by a long time friend Paul who was newish to boating and making his first trip of over 5nm.
The forecast was for a sunny, but coldish, few days with a northerly wind of Force 4/5; moderate seas in the Bristol Channel and along the Cornish coast from Hartland Point to Lands End, and slight seas along the south coast.
Saturday morning was spent checking, preparing and provisioning for a 14:00hrs departure bound for Padstow.
Once a few miles off the south Wales coast the sea became lumpy and was on our starboard quarter, but progress was at a steady 23 knots and we arrived at Padstow at 17:30 hrs, an hour before the gate was lifted. Ian and I shared the helming, oh yes the autopilot pump had failed and was to be repaired by Ian once at his home port of Port Solent. Paul was finding the going tuff and felling unwell slept for 2 hrs of the 3½ hr trip.
Sunday morning was bright and breezy and I decided to refill the fuel tanks to give me a range of options as to where to head for, I took on 597 litres of fuel having travelled 76 nautical miles the day before, i.e., 7.86 litres per nautical mile. Leaving the fuel berth at 07:30 hrs I was surprised at the state of the sea in the Carmel estuary. Out to sea from the harbour the estuary runs due north and with the wind from the north, force 5, and the sea being funnelled into the estuary this gave a short five/six foot swell, progress was at 7 knots so as not to push the bow into the front of the next wave. Needing to turn to port to round Trevose Head, however, I decided to go due north for a few miles to enable me to make a sharp turn to port and then run with the sea on my starboard quarter rather than a gradual turn to port which would have resulted in a lot of water being lifted over the boat.
This worked fine and once running with the wind progress was at 22 knots in a moderate sea. 47nm later and with the sea now slight, we rounded Lands end. All the headlands along the south coast - Lands End, Lizard, Start Point, Portland and St.Alban’s - were very calm with seas across the bays giving up to a 3 foot wave height depending on the distance we were off shore. Progress now though was at a more normal 27 knots.
One of the more memorable moments of the trip was some 5 mile some west of the Eddystone lighthouse being joined by some 6 to 8 playful dolphins for a mile or so, however, Paul missed this and other highlights of the trip by adopting his now customary activity of sleeping.
Progress was so good and with Paul not a problem due to his comatose state it was decided to make for Cowes. This was achieved at 17:30 hrs, i.e. 233 nautical miles in 9 hrs – an average of 25.9 nautical miles per hour. It was comfortably within the range of the boat requiring 1750 litres of fuel leaving 530 litres in the tanks.
Monday morning and the boat was moved to its temporary home of Port Solent were it will be lifted for antifouling, new anodes and polishing by Ian.
All in all a great trip that Ian and I thoroughly enjoyed and Paul well he slept for 9 hrs of the 12½ hrs we were at sea.
Howard
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