Torquay bay, swashing machine sea

[markcw]

As it my last day off for a while we decided with the oncomeing poor weather that a visit to torquay was needed.(Plus no kiddies)

Well what can i say the idea of going to dartmouth or babacombe went out the window very quickly when we left the harbour entrance sea in the bay was like a washing machine, peaks and troffs everywhere, horrid, tried motoring over it, no good, tried slow cruising speed, got soaked, just found it impossibe to pick our way over to brixham, but we did and soaked in the crossing.

On the way back things were even worse very lumpy more windier, realy struggled in the wind and knowing what was the best method in these seas, nose up made slight inprovement, but found the best was rideing across the waves and in the truffs. rather than over 90 deg

Any advice did i do wrong or right


mark

 

[hlb]

Bigger boat??

 

[MapisM]

Bigger boat??

Staying put would be a tad easier, I reckon...

 

[hlb]

When going out, always do a circle and see what it's like going the other way.

What seems smooth could be a night mare going back.

Also about force 4 to 5 seas are normal., So most of the time need to cope with that.

20 ft is not really very suitable for sea, except for short distances and very sheltered..

However going slowly enough, you could easily got to Dartmouth. No idea about the weather of course.

 

[markcw]

20 ft is not really very suitable for sea, except for short distances and very sheltered..


Why is a 20. (20.9 actual size) not suitable for seas

 

[gjgm]

Well, it educates you a bit more what you and boat can do, if you have to!
If it was bad in the bay, chances are it would have been alot nastier to Dartmouth, once you round the headland. No need to freak yourself;its supposed to be fun after all.

 

[jimg]

20 ft is not really very suitable for sea, except for short distances and very sheltered..


Why is a 20. (20.9 actual size) not suitable for seas

I think you just found out!!

I use a 20 foot White Shark for fishing and messing about. Took it to Salcombe last Friday with my son and met 3 foot chop which was fun . Went fishing between Dartmouth and Brixham on Saturday, no problem.
Yesterday I did not not even think about going out of the river, stuck to the dory for crossing the river!!

In other words choose your weather carefully.

 

[CX54WEK]

20 ft is not really very suitable for sea, except for short distances and very sheltered..


Why is a 20. (20.9 actual size) not suitable for seas

You just need to pick your weather and sea state window in a smaller boat. Our boat is 25ft and at times we have wished she was bigger but she has always managed to get us home safely and in one piece. Maybe not as comfortable ride as a bigger boat but mostly fun all the same.

 

[NoviceRod]

I agree yesterday was choppy where there was exposure to a F5-6 SW. Torbay will do that, and Torquay Harbour will collect the worst, although not as bad a a South Easterly. That is definitely 'stay at home' weather.

However, once you would have got round Hope's Nose to Babbacombe it was quite sheltered. We took the Grandchildren to the beach at Maidencombe, where it was dead calm, yet a mile off-shore was Moderate Sea.

I looked at the forecast on Tues, and decided that was the better day for boating, which it was, and we decided not to venture out on Wed. It should have been good for fishing, but dolphins in Lyme Bay put paid to that - just one mackerel!


The windguru site and YBW forecast are good supplements to the Met Office Inshore Waters, and the Torbay Coast Station confirms the actual windspeeds and direction.

 

[markcw]

Thanks for reply.

We did a search on line for the weather, but im still learning for the torquay area, what weather gives what conditioins.

Passage finder gave very low swell conditions between 13.00 and 18.00, but the wind was increaseing in speed late evening. The wind direction was showing blowing across to babacombe from dartmouth,(easterly?) but when on the boat the wind was straight offshore in late afternoon, and a swesterly midday.

So i did do my homework inc web cams checks and all showed calm conditions, but something happened between leaving Bridgwater and arriving at torquay.

Also getting into the harbour entrance was exciting at 1630 with the swell backwash from the harbour wall.

Boat did very well dont think size is the issue here, more ability in varying condition. hence why we decided to continue and try and learn from the experience, but not knowing what is the correct format of boat settings in these conditons.

mark
wellcrafty

 

[Sandyman]

Bigger boat??

with sails....................lol

 

[jimg]

Boat size is always an issue, unless you own a cruise liner!!

You always have to look at the conditions and consider is it suitable for a boat of my size and my experience.

It is all well and good loking at lots of general weather web sites, but for local conditions look at the 2 local NCI websites for ACTUAL weather.

http://www.torbaynci.org.uk/
http://www.nci-frowardpoint.org.uk/weather.htm

With the Dartmouth site you can look at graphs of the windspeed and direction for the last 24 hours and that will give you a good indication of what to expect.

 

[Scubadoo]

I think you have probably learned a lot on that trip, put it down to experience. If it were me I would have turned around and gone back, however I wouldn't have done 20years ago with my inexperience. You remind me of a trip from Brixham to Dartmouth in my 16ft Fletcher, great condition (flat sea) going, but 5 hours later it had changed completely and surprised the hell out of me when I got around the headland and encountered waves towering above me. On that day I remember seeing the RNLI helping so many.

The one thing that goes through my mind is, what if the single engine fails.

 

[enterprise]

Learn to enjoy what ever the weather

Don't get disheartened, it's a sad fact that many a time the forcast in Torbay is for better weather than actually arrives (and vissa versa), so the thing to do is have an alternative plan when you have seen it first hand.

Take a quick look over the breakwater before you launch, if its blowing south easterlies (or anything with east in it) and the seas are choppy take your rig round to Galmpton and launch into the Dart for a relaxing day on the River (tides permiting).

If it's blowing hard southerly, or Swesterley, launch at Brixham and stick over towards Fishcombe and Elbery.

If there for a weekend, grab a visitors berth in Torquay/Brixham Marina, it often calms down later in the day, if it doesn't then possibly early next morning, however you will still enjoy some relaxation while tied secureley alongside.

Don't forget a little more preparation could help, wind and tide in the same dirrection will be better than opposing directions so check wind and tides before you launch, what maybe choppy now could well flaten out when the tide turns later etc

What I'm trying to say is there is more than one way to enjoy a day with your boat, even if limited by the weather, 20ft is easily good enough for Torbay, just pick your spot accordingly.

PS give us a shout if you need more ideas.

 

[MapisM]

Boat size is always an issue, unless you own a cruise liner!!

Exactly the point behind my previous suggestion to stay put.
Not to mention that the ocean can and does get hairy even for cruise liners...

Don't worry Mark, a 20' is suitable for the sea.
Not for each and every sea conditions of course, but then again, neither is a Princess 35...
...Or any pleasure boat, for that matter.
With the only possible exception of some ice rated steel trawlers, built even stronger than a life boat, but there aren't many around.

 

[hlb]

Exactly the point behind my previous suggestion to stay put.
Not to mention that the ocean can and does get hairy even for cruise liners...

Don't worry Mark, a 20' is suitable for the sea.
Not for each and every sea conditions of course, but then again, neither is a Princess 35...
...Or any pleasure boat, for that matter.
With the only possible exception of some ice rated steel trawlers, built even stronger than a life boat, but there aren't many around.

He was asking. What am I doing wrong.

No one has answered.

I doubt if he was doing much wrong. Except going out in the first place.

The only thing that will get him out in less than ideal conditions is.

A BIGGER BOAT.

 

[markcw]

Ok
Spoken to wife about a bigger boat and she she told me bluntly F>>> off
so i added to the deal she can sexualy abuse me for a whole year every day,
"Still no deal then i asked, reply NO

so boat has to stay i said "yes" she said, i then tried to mention that bigger things are better, she replied" Agreed but not all of us can have bigger and better like me ive had to put up with wanting bigger.

mark

 

[enterprise]

Like Iv'e said previously, nothing wrong with a 20ft'er in sheltered surroundings, bigger isn't necessarily better either, you can easily move a smaller trailered boat to a completely new and sheltered location, not so easy with a bigger boat.

Fwiw, there will be times when it's just not comfortable what ever the size of boat, so being realistic where do you stop?, we have a 5.5 ton 28ft'r but still been marina bound by the 20+mph winds of late, only venturing out later when things have calmed down.
Boat is marina berthed, just sitting onboard is pleasure enough as most of you will know, so when conditions are not 100% just need to do something else, like relax onboard.

Finding conditions that are less than perfect, well don't launch, move boat to somewhere more comfortable or wait until they are better and then launch, no good fighting with the sea, it will always win, don't feel because you have turned up at the slipway you have to launch no mater what, you do have a choice, although it might be a bit disappointing there's no point taking risks or scaring the family altogether, better to call it a day and come back again tomorrow.

 

[ari]

20 ft is not really very suitable for sea, except for short distances and very sheltered..

What a bizarre and sweeping statement.

A forty foot canal barge wouldn't be suitable on the sea, but people have crossed the Atlantic in 20 footers.

As far as the boats we're talking about here go, a 20ft cuddy cabin speedboat is absolutely fine on the sea, albeit more consideration must be paid to the weather than may be so in a larger boat.

 

[markcw]

Have read all comments thanks.

Will check the conditions i think by ringing up the harbour office and ask for there input.

mark