steveej
Well-Known Member
but its a much more risky plan! think about it. What are you going to do if you miss the gate?
Weeks cruise from Cardiff
- Thread starter Dutch01527
- Start date
steveej
Well-Known Member
sit at anchor for 7 hours? or head towards porlock.
Of course the winds need to be low and the right side of west.
Of course the winds need to be low and the right side of west.
SteveSarabande
Well-Known Member
I see lots of motor sailing to meet the gate time.
bitbaltic
Well-Known Member
Do bear in mind there is not really any such thing as slack water in the BC. Here is a snap of a high-res tide model (Tidetech) for HW (10.30 BST) Saturday morning. Along your planned passage (barry>watchet) the water is flowing north between 0.5-1kn and it does so until the tide really starts moving out at HW+1. So you may carry a foul tide an hour or two longer than expected.
This sort of stuff doesn't mean it's not do-able but is one of the reasons it is more marginal than it looks on paper. If, for instance, you only get 4kn through the water from Barry to Watchet and have 3 hours to cover 11Nm, well, that gets you there about 15 minutes before the gate closes. Bear in mind the ebb is not really with you but is a cross-tide that you need to push up in to to some extent.
With the light winds predicted at the moment I agree with Steve that it will be motor-sailing anyway. If you are confident in motoring your engine at cruising revs for several hours it is achieveable; actually I think most boats of modest size need to motor-sail to use this passage plan. But it does put the emphasis on a strong reliable engine.
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Dutch01527
Well-Known Member
I am not adverse to motor sailing to maintain momentum if required. In the event of missing the gate a diversion to Porlock and anchor off is a good call.
I am aware that the trip is somewhat marginal but there is a bigger picture behind the plan. I want as short a duration trips as possible to help my wife settle in to cruising. If that means motor sailing for part of the way so be it.
I am aware that the trip is somewhat marginal but there is a bigger picture behind the plan. I want as short a duration trips as possible to help my wife settle in to cruising. If that means motor sailing for part of the way so be it.
Allan
Well-Known Member
I think, whatever your plan is, there's one extremely important thought. Keep monitoring your progress and ensure you are far enough uptide to get prepared for your entry into Watchet. I can almost guarantee that you will be pushing the tide just before your entry, most people do.
Enjoy your trip.
Allan
Enjoy your trip.
Allan