2024 April 14th Days 16 - 17, back to Portland Marina and weather bound again.

The weather forecasts are driving me to distraction! As things turned out I could have left Saturday and, with some night sailing and motoring been on the mooring in good weather on Sunday. 

Sunday morning I woke up to no wind and did not check the forecast till past 09:30; the new forecast showed a relatively calm day with strong winds reaching the Hamble after c 04:00 Monday, quick calculations showed if I motored I could be in Hamble by 02:00, tight but possible with Portland Marina a safe fall back, the eco buoys at Studland would not be a sensible option with wind forecast to be F7 occ F8 for Monday.

I was underway within 10 minutes with washing up still to be done and bedding needing to be stored but with calm seas that was soon sorted and I motored across Lyme Bay making better than 6 knots in calm seas.

Typically the wind increased from 8 knots at 15:40 when I was 6 miles off the Bill of Portland with the tide about to turn adverse. By 16:26 it was blowing 16 knots and by 17:26 up to 20 but this time there was less tide and I had the wind and waves behind me and with some gentle surfing was making c 7 knots through the water and quite comfortable.

A rather more direct track eastbound than west bound.

A decision had to be made, Portland or Hamble? According to the met office domestic forecast for Hamble I still had several hours in hand to get to Hamble but it did not feel right, it would mean a couple of expensive nights in the marina but it seemed sensible to go there.

Another decision was to go west or east of the Shambles bank. West is a good deal shorter but would have more adverse tide and goes rather close to the Portland Race. I went east as the safe option but I don’t think it took that much longer because as soon as I turned round the bank I had the tide c30 degrees off the bow rather than dead ahead and I made 6 knots over the ground to the harbour entrance.

Portland from south of the Shambles Bank

Getting onto the pontoon was a big challenge, when I was allocated the berth I was very pleased, I would be almost dead into wind (I had said I was single handed and would not be able to get into a berth down wind) with a slight bias blowing me on to the pontoon, but when the gale arrived I would be blown off. Unfortunately in the 30 minutes it took to rig fenders etc. and to get into the marina the 20 knt wind had veered from SSW - SW to West I was going to be blown off. 

Fortunately the berth master has realised what had happened and came a long way from the office to take my lines; but it was a fraught couple of minutes and two attempts before I was secure.

My route in cutting the corner a bit inside the buoy.

It was a very good decision, by 02:00 the wind was over 20 knots and by 03:00 30 knots, getting onto the mooring in that would at best have been extremely difficult.

The down side is that the forecasts have changed again, on Sunday the gale was to blow through Monday night but as I write on Monday morning winds will keep me here until Thursday 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬!

The gale is also stronger than forecast, the wind gusting to 53 knots at the breakwater at 09:30.

55 nautical miles in nine and a half hours.

Update Monday evening. Perhaps Wednesday?

Selsey Bill to Lyme Regis - Strong wind warning

24 hour forecast: West or northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 or 5 later. Moderate or rough, becoming slight or moderate. Squally showers, fair for a time. Good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Northwest 3 to 5. Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth in north. Showers. Moderate or good.

Click here for what is hopefully the denouement.

2023 June 27th, Day 75 Brixham to Portland

I left at 04:45 for a good trip across Lyme Bay and was kept busy by a wind varying from WSW to SSW and from F2 to F4 and F5 passing the Shambles. 

Like the previous day I ran the engine to make the tide gate around the Bill and Shambles but for less than two hours in total on the 12 hour trip. 

Several boats not that far from me on the run in risked the inshore route in relatively benign conditions and a day before neaps but with a variable wind and potentially a lot coming, which it did shortly after they got round, I decided on the longer route outside of the Shambles but was still at anchor at 17:05.

Facebook Post:

Almost home, another fairly quick trip with quite a few sail changes with the cruising Chute and Spinnaker going up and down several times as the wind changed. Then 20 knots to finish , probably appreciated by some of the wind surfers etc in the harbour. The tides are not that helpful for the rest of the way so I’ll be fighting them at least past St Albans.

Reaching with the 60 square metre spinnaker.

Another member of the RAFYC passing me in Minkie 

2 miles off Portland

Track around Portland.

54 miles in twelve and a quarter hours.

Click here for the final leg of this cruise.

2022 Celtic Circuit, Day 42 Salcombe to Portland

Force 6 winds had disappeared from the forecasts the previous evening and I left at 05:40 with light winds increasing to fresh as I approached Start Point, it was then mainly NNW F4/5 until I was south of Portland but varying from N to NW so I was frequently changing sail, varying from two reefs in both sails to one reef in the main and full headsail, it is a good job both systems work without too much effort!

A 400 metre container ship east of Start Point heading towards
Brixham to pick up a Pilot, one of her sister ships was heading
to the same point from Portland.

The first challenge was a 400 metre container ship on a converging course. AIS showed a Closest Point of Approach (CPA) of about a mile, although that varied down to almost nothing as the wind was gusty changing my course and speed. It took some time to establish, by checking the ships bearing from AIS, that it was passing astern, not my favourite as I would be crossing her bow leaving me vulnerable if there was a sudden problem, so care was needed. 

The wind increased but I did not want to lose speed whilst I reefed so pressed on rather overpowered but making good speed. Ducking behind was of course an option but it was a big ship and a way off. In the event I crossed her bow by over 2 miles and she passed a mile astern of me.

A further complication was a French yacht, I was again stand on vessel
but he was having control problems running with a small boomed
out jib the boat was unbalanced and broached a few times. Half an hour
later the skipper gave up and headed up to a broad reach.

I had timed my departure well, helped by a calm sea and offshore wind making the Salcombe Bar a non-issue I had left just after low water and the tide turned favourable as I passed Prawle Point with the fresh wind I made excellent time and carried the tide to south of Portland averaging a fraction under 6 knots over the ground.

The final part of this leg was annoying, as I headed up to pass east of the Shambles Bank the wind suddenly gusted and veered from NW to NE, fast enough that the SeaFeather wind vane steering almost lost the plot only just avoiding having the boat flat aback with too much sail up. I had hoped to get further under sail but the tide was turning against me at a little over a knot but in a couple of hours would be much stronger and sailing I would not make any progress and could be going backwards towards the Portland Race so on went the engine. 

The new plan was to motor to the East Shambles Buoy then I should be able to sail to Portland Harbour. That did not pan out as the wind went back to the NW, dead on the nose so I ended up motoring the rest of the way. With a strong west going tide largely helping once I was past the buoy and the rough water just north of the bank at least it was quick.

Track from Salcombe to Portland, I went well south so that when
I headed up the tide would not push me into the notorious Portland Race.

70 miles in less than 14 hours.

To Studland and Hamble.

2022 St Kilda Day 84 Beer to Durdle Door and Studland

I left Beer with no clear idea as to where I would end up or which route I would take, it would all depend on the weather and the tidal gate around Portland. The inshore (inside) route around the Bill would open after five in the afternoon so would clearly be practical but would probably mean anchoring up somewhere, probably West Bay, to wait for the tide. On the other hand the tide would turn westward on the offshore (outside) route at around twelve by which time I really needed to be past the East Shambles, especially as it was only a day off of the spring tide. That would require an early start and almost certainly given the weather forecast extensive use of the engine.

If I went the inside route I would go into Portland Harbour to anchor, if the outside route my target was Chapman's Pool just before St Alban's Head with Lulworth Cove and Worbarrow Bay possibilities. But if the Lulworth range was active and as I did not want to exercise "my right" to ignore the range and barge straight through disrupting operations (not a few do), Worbarrow would only be accessible with the range closed and Chapman's Pool awkward to get to, although that was likely to be less of an issue as the range tends to close around 17:00 and if there is night firing it reopens at dusk which would be late.

The plan was therefore not to set the alarm and to set off when I woke up and see how things went. As usual at this time of year on the boat I woke early and was off at 05:30 with 12 knots of wind from the north, quickly freshening to 15 knots, with the tide turning favourable I was making good progress but it could be tight for the outside route and I would be very early for the inside route.

This resolved itself when the wind died to almost nothing, did not look like returning and was not predicted to do so on the 07:00 inshore waters forecast. I stuck at it for a couple of hours but if I was going to use the engine I might as well do so in time to make the tide past the Shambles, so when I calculated that it was the latest moment to get through at a sensible cruising speed on went the engine.

Just west of the Bill as close as you are likely to see it from the
offshore route on a spring tide.

Just east of the Bill. The ripples on the water were caused by
the tide, not a wind!

Rounding the Bill, the blue shading to the east is the Shambles Bank.
 The westward drift in my track was the tide turning and rushing SW
between the Shambles and the Bill.

It is recommended in the Pilot, Reed's etc. that you should either pass within c300 yards of the Bill (during a narrow time window and hugging Portland for at least 2 miles on the east side and on the west side when going eastward) or between three and five miles and much further out is usually preferred in bad weather. The Shell pilot (Ed Tom Cunliffe) describes the Portland race as the most dangerous open stretch of water in the Channel, worse even than the race of Alderney and those along the French coast, so it deserves respect!

A day off of springs in very benign conditions I opted for 3 miles although a motor boat went round inside me, I was hoping that I would get a good push north as the tide turned but I was perhaps half an hour to late for that to be a major factor. 

I now had to decide what to do next. The range was active, the tide foul and the sun hot so I decided to park up for a while and move further east to Chapman's Pool when the tide turned at around six. It would also give me a chance of diving to see if the propeller was fouled, since Cawsand I had noticed a lack of oomph at low speed and a bit of vibration. I decided on Durdle Door as on a hot day I suspected Lulworth Cove would be chock full of boats.

Durdle Dorr (right) and the main beach. I had planned to anchor
off this beach inside of some large rocks but there were paddle
boarders all over the place and it would be noisy so I went to
the east beach.

Durdle Door, why anyone would want to jump from the arch
I have no idea. It is easy to see why so many are badly injured
and some killed doing so.

Durdle Door from the east where I anchored, not something to do
unless it is very calm, the bottom is largely rock but in these
conditions the weight of anchor and chain would probably hold the
boat even if the anchor did not bight. 

A cooling swim was now in prospect, but I did not need that much cooling so on went the emergency wetsuit, fins etc. but in such calm weather for a quick inspection I did not bother with the crash helmet (three and a half tons or more of boat coming down on your head when there are waves is not recommended),

As I thought, easy to remove by hand its is surprising how weed
can stay attached with the shaft turning. Subsequent analysis showed
that fuel consumption increased dramatically, probably between 30% and
50%, whilst the weed was there. Nice to see little erosion of the zinc
anodes, the Galvanic Isolator doing its work. 

Also nice to see that the antifoul has been doing its work with only
a light covering of dead growth. I suspect a month or so on the
Hamble, the highest fouling area in the country according to test
by Practical Boat Owner magazine, will soon change that.

The water seemed much colder than on my 05:30 dive off of St Ives, it was refreshing but I did not stay in any longer than necessary!

I had gone to the east beach for peace and quite but an hour later there were three inconsiderate people playing loud music, one very loud from a newly arrived powerboat. I noticed on AIS that a range guard boat was heading back to Portland so I gave him a call to see if the range had closed, it had, so I left earlier than planned against the tide but well timed because when I reached St Alban's Head where the tide gets strong, it had changed and I decided to press on and go to Studland for the night, that would put me in range of the Hamble on Thursday so I could get home to fetch the car on Thursday or Friday and not have to risk public transport at the weekend.

St Albans Head, Anvil Point in the distance.

As I rounded Anvil Point a breeze came up from the southwest so I put the cruising chute up (it had been sitting on deck for most of the day after a brief use earlier) and sailed quickly on to Studland where I picked up the last available free "Eco mooring" recently installed (by Boat Folk marinas) to help protect the sea grass beds and the Seahorses that live in it. 

Studland is very attractive but I would like it a lot more if people stopped driving noisy powerboats through the anchorage at high speed, their wake threatening to spill my sun downers.

Sandbanks and Bournemouth from Studland anchorage.

60 miles in twelve and a quarter hours.

Click here for the last leg.

2021 Late Summer Cruise, Days 23 & 24, Salcombe - Portland.

The weather forecast indicated that this was likely to be a frustrating day, and so it proved, but I did not expect the wind to start off from the NE then veer right round the compass back to NE before settling down at the forecast westerlies or never to get to the F4 mentioned in the forecast. Nor did I expect fog, and I hoped the "possible thundery showers" would be further west and not involve lightening, at least near me.

I left at 04:15 for the best tides past Prawl and Start Points and out into Lyme bay. Shortly after dawn what appeared to be a light shower appeared in the SE (the wind was NE) rather than pass clear it came very close, growing in intensity. Then the lightening started, fortunately not that close and all I got was rain. Another system followed at 10:00 but with less lightening.

Thunderstorms!

The display shown above shows a thunderstorm from 2 to 6 miles ahead (left, the bright white circle is 8 NM out) and another close aboard (right, white circle at 0.75 NM), displayed on an iPad replicating the chart plotter display. The doppler radar shows things with relative movement towards the boat in red, moving away in green and anything stationary or moving slowly in blue, rain filters are switched off. To protect them all other portable electronic items were in the cooker acting as a Faraday Cage. As the storm got closer this one went in as well.

With the inshore route around the Bill unavailable due to the timing of the tides and darkness, you have to stay well clear of the race and over-falls before skirting the dangerous Shambles bank that extend 5 miles east of the Bill.

Yes I did go backwards for quite a while.

With very light winds, a choppy sea and, close to springs, well over two knots of adverse tide even clear of the Bill, I spent a lot of time going backwards (over 4 miles in one go) or at best holding my ground. With shortness of fuel (see below) the dash for the harbour under engine round the Shambles bank needed to be timed right to take advantage of strong helpful tides there, I hit that about right with 4 - 4.5 knots largely helping as I went south of them.

Going around the Shambles bank making better than 8 knots
over the ground at times. I was about half a mile east of the East
Shambles Buoy, I could have gone a bit closer but with 4 knots
of tide heading NE it was best to let the current take me quickly past
into slack water before heading for the harbour.

A bad day with Fuel

With the fuel tank due to be replaced I did not want to take a lot of fuel, the tank would need to be emptied and I would need cans to store the fuel and may calculations showed sufficient for 120 miles. In my previous post I foolishly wrote:

"[a disadvantage of a bladder tank is] an inability to measure how much fuel is in the tank (I keep a detailed fuel log which has worked so far but it does require the tank to be filled right to the top every now and again to confirm the calculations)"

Until Wednesday.

At 13:10 I updated the fuel log (in Excel) that showed, to be on the safe side, I needed to put more fuel in the tank with in a couple of hours. 10 minutes later, whilst I was having a coffee prior to transferring some fuel, the engine began to stutter, fuel starvation is always a good bet on a diesel so I quickly stopped it for investigation and sure enough a pump of the lift pump showed no fuel coming out of the bleed in the final fuel filter. So I put most of my reserve in the tank, bled the system at the filter and the engine started and ran fine without having to bleed the high pressure pump or injectors, stopping the engine quickly certainly helped there.

Checking the calculations and the high implied fuel consumption if the tank had run out, together with the fact that only few pumps were needed to bleed the system (indicating the primary filter was not empty), I now believe there was some fuel left but that the pitching of the boat prevented the fuel coming out of the tank, a bladder tank has no baffles and is not necessarily smooth and level. I have on a few occasions run the engine with low fuel levels but iirc always in calm water.

The remaining problem was that I had half the fuel that I thought and an emergency reserve is what it says. Staying up all night to sail on in light winds does not count as an emergency so it was going to be a long day.

Update: When I got back to Hamble I removed the bladder tank ready to install the new steel one, calculations showed that there should have been 10.7 litres of fuel remaining. I pumped out 47 litres so I have been carting around at least 30 litres, almost 30Kg, of unusable fuel and I "ran out" because normally usable fuel could not consistently get to the tanks outlet in the choppy sea and with the boat rolling.

A bad day with Halyards.

Once upon a time (in 2018) raising the mainsail whilst coming out of Plymouth Sound the boat went hard into a wave, the main Halyard swung forward of the mast above the spreaders and wrapped itself around the radar reflector (the can shaped thing on the front of the mast in the picture). Getting it untangled took some time, a boat hook and going a few steps up the mast. Since then I have been carful to keep it taught as much as possible and it has not happened again.

Until Wednesday.

When I was hoisting sail after motoring out of Salcombe the boat hit a wave left over from strong winds the previous evening and in the few seconds it took to get from releasing the halyard at the mast back to the cockpit to pull it up the halyard went forward and was trapped.

Fortunately it went to port over the spinnaker halyard and I was able to use that to flip the main halyard forward and off of the reflector. a coupe of minutes and it was sorted.

Much later when I was hoisting the mainsail for the third time that day (motoring into a head sea with no wind made the sail slam around so I had taken it down), it happened again but this time it had gone to starboard and there was no halyard to pull it away and after a considerable time trying to free it I gave up and decided to use the topping lift as a halyard. This is a bit of a pain when reefing as there is nothing to support the boom but no big deal and I had deliberately used a rope (8mm with a Dynema core) strong enough for the job but thin enough not to cause problems in normal use.

And blow me, it happened again! 3 times in one day and only one previous occurrence in c 8,500 miles!

Again I could not use another halyard to free it and I was not going to go up the mast in the still choppy sea. I worked out that if I could throw the heaving line over the spreader I could haul the halyard or topping lift forward, free it from the radar reflector, then pull it back. That sounds easier than it was, I don't have a strong throwing arm but the main problem was the small target swinging from side to side as the boat wallowed, using the engine would have reduced the roll but I could not risk the heaving lie going over the side and getting wrapped around the prop.

It took an hour to get the topping lift back, unfortunately the main halyard had followed a different path so could not be pulled through at the same time. I got it one way but could not get it back so exhausted, with my arthritis hurting and my temper getting frayed I gave up and set sail with the topping lift as a halyard. Later when I had recovered, the sea had calmed a bit and the wind was strong enough to stabilise to boat under sail I managed to finish the job.

This winter I'll look at running a wire from the radar reflector to the mast to stop anything getting in.

A bad day with fog.

When I was SE of Portland Bill the visibility began to deteriorate to the point that I could not see a large well lit cruise liner (c 300 metres long) until it was less than a mile away despite having it on AIS and radar. As I passed the East Shambles Buoy the visibility was not much above a quarter of a mile and getting worse. A seconded cruise liner coming from Portland went by less than half a mile and not clearly visible. 

Although I was confident in having fuel for the rest of the trip I turned the engine off and sailed under headsail only in a light westerly wind at about 3 knots and in the quite listened out for small boats that might not show up on radar or have AIS. The pier head lights on the eastern entrance that have a nominal range of 5 miles showed up dimly at a quarter of a mile. 

Navigating by radar and GPS I made the north entrance following an old track (not really an issue with a well charted area like Portland harbour but  following a track you know to be good is generally better than relying on the cartography), again the lights showed at about a quarter of a mile but I never saw the pier heads themselves even though the entrance is quite narrow.

Entering the harbour, the breakwaters were never visible.

The lights on buoys marking the channel through the harbour showed up at 400 feet by GPS & radar (the modern "broadband" doppler radar with pulse compression works very close in, to about 8 metres, unlike old pulsed radar) and I saw nothing else except a single anchor light before I anchored. The radar was a big help showing a number of buoys and boats.

I anchored shortly before midnight, tided up the deck, filled in the log and pored a glass of wine, by which time, at most 15 minutes, the fog had lifted and I could see 1/2 a mile. By the time I was ready for a second glass (not long!) I could see right across the harbour.

Next morning I moved into the marina to take on fuel, get a shower, a meal at the café and some supplies from the supermarket not far away.

79 miles in 20 hours.

Click here for the last leg and summary of the trip.