Went round Selsey Bill today

[FairweatherDave]

We don't get out much , out of the Solent that is. Went round the outside of the Owers rather than the Looe Channel but even in the deep water 18-20 metres it was very lumpy indeed. It was a southerly force 4 to 5. Saw two boats go through the Looe channel and wonder if that actually was easier? By the time we were off Worthing the swell was 2-3 metres. My poor wife felt green for 5 hours and did not want to helm or anything. But this thread I want to know if I should have predicted the unpleasant waves. Also a Spring tide which saw us bowling along at 8 to 9 knots SOG once round the bill and onto a reach, maybe about 10am

 

[johnalison]

Not being local, I'm no expert, but we have been through the Looe Channel fairly often in e last twenty years. I've never had a problem in the sort of conditions we go out, but that includes up to F6. It can clearly get nasty, but it is plenty wide enough and many people are a bit too concerned about going through.

 

[FairweatherDave]

I suppose what I am asking is should I have been able to predict todays swell, the last forecast I had seen forecast a SW 4 to 5, (maybe a bit SSW)? And secondly does the Owers reduce a southerly swell so that the Looe channel is actually calmer than round the outside. In effect I chose to slog out to windward first of all motor sailing creating a longer aswell as a more lumpy course.

re. going through the Looe channel I was concerned if it was a bit rough the markers might be hard to spot, and I don't use a plotter (not trying to open that subject up though). I have been through in calm conditions navigating comfortably

 

[Ehecatl]

Looe Channel

Went there some years ago, recorded a gust of 54Knots and had a blade fly off the wind generator. SCARY!

 

[Uricanejack]

I am not going to pretend I know the area, I don’t.
Should you have been able to predict the conditions might be rough. Probably yes. Predicting it takes knowledge and experience.
You just gained something valuable “experience“. Good or bad it’s a “leaning experience“.
Think about the conditions you encountered. Remember them and you have the knowledge to use next time.
Check what the tide was doing Flood or ebb.
Compare to the wind.

Also worth looking a the depth particularly if there was a change.
Read the pilot book or sailing directions.

Making a wild guess, what you experienced was possibly wind against tide in an area where the stream was significant.
Slack water or no tidal current you will just get the normal wind induced waves for the wind strength.
The Beafort scale is worth a look at it will give you an idea what to expect from a sea state in open water.
In open water there is often or almost always at least one underling swell which is generally not to bad unless its just after some bad weather.

Add in a current to a tidal stream and things change.

Think of it this way flood tide plus a flood wind. Or ebb tide plus ebb wind not to bad if both the wind a current are going the same way it might actually be better.

Mix the two.

Flood tide plus an ebb wind or vice versa. It can get nasty. Some areas it be nasty enough for warnings to be printed on chart or in pilot books as areas to avoid.

Generally if the wind is against the tide. The waves will be steeper, closer together and possibly a bit bigger in some case the can start to break.

So remember the forecast, the tide and what you experienced. If you head out that way again you will know what conditions may be best to avoid.
If you head out some place else you could predict the possibility of those kind of conditions by looking to see if they exist and if they do plan your trip to avoid them.
Its quite a common phenomena of head lands, river mouths, in narrow channels between islands or headlands.

 

[Fourbees]

We are based locally and have often rounded Selsey Bill - almost invariably taking the inner passage. This has always been fine, but you have to watch the depth (I once encountered a diver who was standing on the seabed with the water only up to his waist, just outside the channel!) and finding Boulder and Street buoys can be tricky without using a waypoint. We have a waypoint on our plotter nowadays. Last time we went round the Outer Owers (chickening out) it was VERY rough - waves breaking over cabin top, that sort of thing - and we rather wished we'd stuck to the Looe....

 

[FairweatherDave]

Thanks Fourbees. It is the local experience I am particularly after and pretty much what you say confirms my thoughts that the deep water route, although safer in terms of sea room, is rougher. I've just downloaded my track and we were well away from the shallows,and as I say the depth remained 18 to 20 metres. Uricanejack, the wind was pretty much 90 degrees to the tidal flow. And it is the learning experience which is why I posted. Specifically why I got it wrong for my wife. Force 4 to 5 southerly didn't ring alarm bells. And for many sailors the trip would not have raised an eyebrow anyhow. I felt fairly comfortable but she did not. I suspect that there was some left over swell coming up the channel and a southerly direction is the most exposed for that trip.
The one thing I learnt overall was that I thought deep water would be more comfortable. And it wasn't.

 

[Daedelus]

Went round them as you described in F6 and yes, it was lumpy, but had avoided the Looe Channel on advice of the pilot book which said avoid in strong winds. As we added at least an hour to our journey I saw a yacht coming through the channel and not seeming to bounce around. Cracking sail though. However, I did have wind against tide and the delay worked in our favour as when we got to Brighton the marina told us that they didn't have enough depth for us to come in for another half hour. I'd have been well peeved if I'd had to wait an hour and half.

 

[dslittle]

We don't get out much , out of the Solent that is. Went round the outside of the Owers rather than the Looe Channel but even in the deep water 18-20 metres it was very lumpy indeed. It was a southerly force 4 to 5. Saw two boats go through the Looe channel and wonder if that actually was easier? By the time we were off Worthing the swell was 2-3 metres. My poor wife felt green for 5 hours and did not want to helm or anything. But this thread I want to know if I should have predicted the unpleasant waves. Also a Spring tide which saw us bowling along at 8 to 9 knots SOG once round the bill and onto a reach, maybe about 10am

We have done both a number of times. I too have gone outside in forecasts similar to yours and seen yachts in the Looe Channel seemingly sailing quite comfortably BUT we did once through the Looe in a relatively benign forecast and were tossed around as if we were in a tumble drier... I still cannot understand that one, we were on slack water and there didn't appear to be any great sea running from the Channel.
As said above, if you had wind over a spring tide it would have been quite lumpy but I think that you would have had tide with you? I would still have chosen to go outside for safety's sake. Hope the wife recovers!!!

 

[FairweatherDave]

Cheers Daedelus. It was a cracking sail once we got sail up at South Pullar. Lovely feeling bowling along at 9 knots SOG and then surfing at 11, all except my wife felt so lousy which took so much of the edge off it. I've also used the outside route so that I don't arrive at Chichester too early for my mooring. But I wouldn't do an onshore force 6 for that length of time, I can go green too......

 

[FairweatherDave]

Thanks dslittle. Yes, the tide was with us, it was a spring tide and crudely the wind was at 90 degrees to the tidal flow......Given I was effectively single handing I think I made the right call safetywise. But my head is still going up and down looking at the PC . I really hope she recovers too........

 

[NDG]

We've done the Looe a lot of times. It seems to always be unpleasant at springs, especially if there is anything more than a 4 blowing from the SW. The tide runs quite hard and at varying speeds and directions, as it is being forced through a gap in the shoal which extends seawards from Selsey Bill. This generates confused wave patterns which are made worse by the wind, which seem to extend a good 5 miles to the east toward Brighton.

We got knocked flat once, heading east in a SW6, caused by a steep wave rather than by a gust.

The passage is easy from a nav point of view, but it always seems to be rough especially on the flood.