Where to wait if miss locks (Portishead)

[vodzurk]

Hey guys, just wondering about an ongoing niggle I have..

Where would you guys hang if you missed the last lock in?

We've previously waited when we were early for an hour outside and around the corner in Clevedon. Being a small mobo, a small bit of chop can get uncomfortable after a few hours. Plus, anywhere anchored near shore when the tide picks up had me wanting to keep the engine idling in case of dragging (engine has never failed to start, but it is 35yrs old).

I think if the weather was bad, I'd pop into the Avon (if there's 2m+ at low tide, in the pool by the control tower).

One chap I spoke to said to pick up a buoy in Portishead Pool and take the ground... but if we miss by an hour, it'd already be dry.

Any thoughts?

 

[solitaire11]

If it were me I'd head into the Avon and drop the hook/pick up a bouy at the PCC or head back to Cardiff and try again on the next tide ?

 

[Gwylan]

Never done that myself of course.
There were some pick up buoys in the pool. Normally the lock keepers are very helpful.

 

[TOKOLOSHI]

We used to just sail onto the mud, put the kettle on and have a kip until the water came back!

 

[Birdseye]

Sure but this is a stinkboat with its only means of propulsion below water. We're talking of an old industrial area with all sorts of rubbish in the mud. Plus shopping trollies, old bikes maybe even the odd stolen car.

 

[vodzurk]

Yup... taking the ground without knowing it very well or maintained could be a bit dangerous. There's all sorts of garbage and wrecks laying around the BC. Plus random mud channels... where if you're anchored unlucky, I imagine you could roll down a mud wall as it exposes.

This is what the "pool" looks like... not sure how I get the boat into it if I arrive when it's like this... maybe some tractor wheels?



At one point we were having engine issues which prevented us from getting over ~10kts... so we couldn't get the mobo onto the plane as a result. This had never been a problem previously, when we could easily throttle up to 20kts+. But being very early for the lock and riding out the mid-tide outside Portishead was a nightmare... it felt as though we were maxing out the engine just to remain in position! Without fighting it, the Portishead Outer Marker buoy rocketed "past" us at a 45degree angle, easily doing 10mph relative to us (and I wound't be shocked at 15mph+).

I've heard people rubbish me for the 10mph+ currents... but it might be the local eddy around Portishead, or something. We know we can't just drop anchor there and wait it out. We have done at Clevedon, which even in VERY gentle waters (like the vid below) can be a bit rough to wait for extended periods in a 21 foot mobo (I actually don't mind, but the missus got sick, and manually hoisting anchor (harnessed) was a bugger whilst trying to keep balance on my knees!)... A total nightmare if slightly rough!

 

[Lioness]

I may be wrong here but isn't the Portishead pool waiting area at the port side end of the lock entrance pier but inside the Starboard hand channel marks? The picture shown in your post is of the small craft moorings location which is different?

Either way no one would want to be anchored in either area in anything more than F3 weather. And at 50 cm draft if I could not get into PHQ I would probably not be able to go into the Swash channel/River Avon

So my plan B If I were to run out of water for PHQ would be to call Bristol VTS to sit out low water on Avonmouth/Portbury dock wall- would they say no and if so why?

 

[vodzurk]

I may be wrong here but isn't the Portishead pool waiting area at the port side end of the lock entrance pier but inside the Starboard hand channel marks? The picture shown in your post is of the small craft moorings location which is different?

Either way no one would want to be anchored in either area in anything more than F3 weather. And at 50 cm draft if I could not get into PHQ I would probably not be able to go into the Swash channel/River Avon

So my plan B If I were to run out of water for PHQ would be to call Bristol VTS to sit out low water on Avonmouth/Portbury dock wall- would they say no and if so why?

Hi,

You are indeed right, my mistake... my picture is of The Hole, not Portishead Pool...



If the tide tables are showing a 2m+ LW over datum, my first thought would be to consider hoping into the spot marked on the Avon here, though it's quite a narrow pool... maybe against the wall?



I'm not overly confident on industrial ports being friendly. After a bit of a scare (thought engine was on fire) and subsequent main engine failure near Port Talbot, the Coastguard were asking them if we could hold position inside their walls whilst we recouperate and determine what to do next (check aux fuel, tidal flow around Swansea, upcoming weather, update our emergency contacts route plan, etc)... and were effectively told to buggeroff. I don't know how friendly Portbury and Avonmouth are though.

If push comes to shove though, and conditions really turn, it'd be sitting against their wall (out of any traffic flow)... hopefully with permission!

That said... if conditions stay > F3, it might be ok for those cargo ships to enter/leave... how much of a bow-wave could they kick up leaving harbour? Might be enough to ruin a tiny 21-foot mobo's day!

 

[bitbaltic]

I’d say never arrive after the last lock at Portishead. In my experience the only shelter when waiting for a lock is within the breakwater in westerlies. Easterlies it is all awful and I imagine much the same for northerlies. Dunno about southerlies I guess you get a wicked jet out of the lock gates.

Dunno how far a fin keeled yacht would get up the Avon at lows but it might be some option- understand you have a shallow draft mobo of course.

This is the sort of stuff that makes the BC challenging. Cardiff is the only port of refuge for small craft (all weather all tide) for a reason.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

There is still water in the mouth of the Avon at low tide and though my electro chart on isailor shows it as drying up to the M5 you certainly cant walk across it, and low tide you can see all the shape of the channel. I draw 1m and have anchored both above and below the bridge. The entrance to the various docks might be better as definitely shown as not drying and they wont be using it at LT. Have a spare anchor and croppers in case you discover you have fouled something when trying to leave. When you get your bigger boat you might be more comfortable at anchor in Portishead pool but shelter is best

 

[Lioness]

Hi,

You are indeed right, my mistake... my picture is of The Hole, not Portishead Pool...

View attachment 75416

If the tide tables are showing a 2m+ LW over datum, my first thought would be to consider hoping into the spot marked on the Avon here, though it's quite a narrow pool... maybe against the wall?

View attachment 75417

I'm not overly confident on industrial ports being friendly. After a bit of a scare (thought engine was on fire) and subsequent main engine failure near Port Talbot, the Coastguard were asking them if we could hold position inside their walls whilst we recouperate and determine what to do next (check aux fuel, tidal flow around Swansea, upcoming weather, update our emergency contacts route plan, etc)... and were effectively told to buggeroff. I don't know how friendly Portbury and Avonmouth are though.

If push comes to shove though, and conditions really turn, it'd be sitting against their wall (out of any traffic flow)... hopefully with permission!

That said... if conditions stay > F3, it might be ok for those cargo ships to enter/leave... how much of a bow-wave could they kick up leaving harbour? Might be enough to ruin a tiny 21-foot mobo's day!

When you were trying to get help from Port Talbot did you consider calling a PAN PAN ? After all you were in need of some assistance? I wonder if you did call a PP whether they are then more obliged to help?

 

[vodzurk]

When you were trying to get help from Port Talbot did you consider calling a PAN PAN ? After all you were in need of some assistance? I wonder if you did call a PP whether they are then more obliged to help?

No, I didn't put it down as a PAN PAN... by the time we were in the vacinity of Port Talbot, it was more a breathing space and get our act together (which is hard crouched over the aux, half soaked on the swim platform, strapped to the railing). In fairness, I think the Coastguard was asking them if we could dock, but I'm not entirely sure. As a non-emergency situation but with a boat that might be knackered, they weren't keen and hence the buggeroff. All communication was via CG, and 9 months back, and involved plenty of stress so might not be fully accurate.

We weren't under any immediate risk (after confirming the engine wasn't on fire... which would have gone straight to DSC MAYDAY and abandon ship due to petrol explosion risk... something I need to work out our plan for if it ever happens again!)... as we had an Aux and sea conditions were good. With that in mind, I radio'd CG for advice. They set up 30 min position checks with us... and offered to tow us. Our aux was doing its job, so politely declined the tow (I hear it can be stresfull on your cleats?). CG were 100% lovely and nice to speak to, I can't rate them highly enough! As we came closer to Swansea, we noticed that a lifeboat was chilling in the distance of the bay... I think they might have been keeping an eye on us at various points . It was nice to know they had our back.