Towing my boat on the IOW ferry.

J

jimbouy

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 Aug 2003
Messages
1,257
Location
Sailing.. Solent. Home..Bucks
www.bluemoonlight.co.uk
Does anyone have experience og towing a boat across on the IOW ferry.

Sounds daft I know but keep in mind that my little Leisure 17 is my first boat and she will be kept in Ryde harbour.

I really don't think a solent crossing is ideal for my first trip or as sea trials following her "winter refit"

So I am wondering how helpful the ferry staff will be.

Will I be allowed to carry flares across.

Any other "polite" comments

Jim

<hr width=100% size=1> "It is a pleasure to give advice, humiliating to need it, normal to ignore it"
 
Don't know the IOW ferry but towing a boat is just like towing a camping trailer so I cannot see you will have a problem. Don't start complicating the issue by asking about flares. The flares are unlikely to go off whilst you are on the ferry unless you get them out and start playing with them. They might be more concerned about your calor gas cylinder. Paul

<hr width=100% size=1>" there is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats".
 
Expensive! But staff are extremely helpful I have always found (I occasionally take minibuses full of disabled people across for the day) so you should have no problems.

But a Solent crossing is no big deal if you pick your weather and tides - even in a 17 footer, assuming you are setting out from somewhere nearby like Portsmouth or Chichester. I have to admit my first crossing WAS rather rash though, heading out of Portsmouth to Ryde in a Canoe.... but I was only 17 at the time!

Bite the bullet, watch the weather forecasts and save yourself a load of cash - and get a first taste of the elation every one of us feels at the end of a succesful passage! Theres nothing quite like it.

Keep a watch out for the odd Wightlink ferry, who can be less than -er - understanding at times, and remember that if anything big is coming up the Solent, it can't get out of the way as easily as you can. Big ships cannot manoever much, and travel quite fast, so if anything is close enough for you to be able to see it clearly, let it come past before you try to cross the ship channels.

Inside Portsmouth keep close in to the small boat channel west side of the entrance. An MOD launch will come and shout at you if you dont and there is anything big on the move.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
No plans to ask wightlink about flares, or to play with em.

But I don't want to be turned away if they ask about flares.

Little boat with no big gas cylinder so that'll be OK.

<hr width=100% size=1> "It is a pleasure to give advice, humiliating to need it, normal to ignore it"
 
I'm coming round to the idea.

Actually as a teenager I sailed mirror and topper from bembridge to with in a spits of southsea. Much to my parents dismay.

Any suggested conv. launch sites
What about Langston or Hayling?

<hr width=100% size=1> "It is a pleasure to give advice, humiliating to need it, normal to ignore it"
 
Does Haslar have a slip? It would only be a 4nM run from there.

<hr width=100% size=1>
ladybug_zigzag_md_wht.gif
 
Jim,
Just take someone experienced along with you, and go by water. There will be plenty of volunteers here if you ask nicely. Much more rewarding to take it across under her own steam so to speak, than to trail. It's not a long trip by any standard, and if you want to sail from Ryde, you'll get used to those waters quickly enough, so might as well get used to it early on .

Brendan

<hr width=100% size=1>Utinam logica falsa tuam philisophiam totam suffodiant
 
What! Those slow old things? Only time they'd tow me is if I'd broken down. It's great fun to race past them, and wave to all the peeps onboard who video you. I need a big placard on side of the boat, with email address, so I can get a copy of some of those videos shots! <g>

<hr width=100% size=1>Utinam logica falsa tuam philisophiam totam suffodiant
 
Ooh! might take some water on board!

Better to sail over leisurely and enjoy the experience, not everyone wants to get saily boats planing first time out, though if anyone wants to get saily boats planing, I believe either tcm or I are willing to take time out to teach special techniques involved.

<hr width=100% size=1>Utinam logica falsa tuam philisophiam totam suffodiant
 
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk>http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk</A> might help. According to that there is a slipway at haslar but it is described as a "shingle and mud hard" which doesn't sound too good and the photo kind of confirms that... anyway there are lots of other places around there.


Chris

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Hello Jim
Here is a little story to consider when thinking of towing your boat across to Ryde!
The Portsmouth/Fishbourn crossing has often been described as the most expensive ferry crossing in the world. The total distance from the Camber to Fishbourn is only some 5.5 nautical miles but the average price of a one way ticket is around 35 pounds. (or 6.3 pounds per mile).
Now, remember that russian millionaire who, some years ago, paid NASA 6 million quid to be lauched into orbit and back?......Well if you work out how many miles he actually travelled, for the amount he paid, it still worked out cheaper per mile than the I.O.W ferry!!!!
Seriously though, I have 'filled' in many a time down there during the summer season working on the both the Cats and the RO-RO's so should you do decide to trailor it across, i know the boys down there will be very helpfull!
Simon

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
If you're going to Ryde then the best place to launch is Stokes Bay. There's a free slip by the Inshore Rescue Service station at the eastern end of the bay. Since they use it as well it's wide and well maintained. You'll only run out of slip at the bottom of a spring tide. It's listed as Stokes Bay Angling Club on the boatlaunch web site. This is the one I'd go for since you'll only have to cross the shipping lane through the Solent and will avoid most comercial traffic into Portsmouth. I use this one all the time.

If you fancy a longer run then there's another free slip at Easney next to the Eastney Cruising Association. Tides can rip through at quite a pace there though so make sure you don't try to get out on a flood tide. I've used this quite a bit too. Check the chart since from Eastney there's a sand bar outside to the east and the west. There's also the submarine barrier stretching from Southsea to Horse Sand Fort.

I'd avoid Portsmouth harbour entrance for the first run since it can get quite crowded with everything up to aircraft carriers.

Wherever you launch, make sure you have enough water to get into Ryde though. Ryde Sands is never a very interesting place to spend time - unless you're into sand that is.

Enjoy it.
Dave.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
There's a public slipway at Hardway (Portsmouth Harbour) where I assume you can launch - the trip from there to Ryde would be shorter and more sheltered than launching in Chi or Langstone Harbours.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Jimboy. Take OldHarrys advice. Pick your weather and enjoy your first crossing. I did mine from Itchenor to Fishbourne (Wooton Creek) in a 14 foot West Wight Potter. Took 4 hours and the sense of elation at making it has never left me.

<hr width=100% size=1>A day not spent on my boat is a day in my life wasted.
 
Ditto; my first trip 'in command' on my first boat, Micro 18, was Hamble to Cowes. In hindsight, must have sailed across Bramble Bank. I don't recall any subsequent landfall being quite so sweet.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Expensive?

Colintraive to Bute ferry run by CAL-Mac is £5.30 for car and £1.50 for each passenger - single.

The total distance covered is - wait for it - 200 yards.

Its about a pound a minute.

That works out about 0.1 of a mile.

Donald



<hr width=100% size=1>
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

R
My boat trip hopefully in May Around Scotland
2 3 4
Replies
65
Views
2K
RobBradley
R

Share this page

Top