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Sunday 14th June Ref: 2015/9
This was our first leg of our cruise along the South Coast of England scheduled for June 2015. It followed a windy and unsettled period of weather that took place after our return from the very successful Dunkirk 75th Little Ships Anniversary Cruise and then a period of essential shore leave. The weather was very benign with little wind but that came at the cost of poor visibility and having to start the cruise in thick fog!
Again, fine weather, comfort and economy were the watchwords and so, given this leg would take some 7-8 hours at 8 knots, some pretty calm conditions were called for and, after waiting some time, the day of Sunday 14th June was identified as providing it. A very start was called for (after we had locked out of the Ramsgate inner basin the day before) which took us past the headland after Dover and gave a following tide for the part of the trip and then one later that was not in opposition to the prevailing slight breeze forecast. We had just receive the fantastic news that my older daughter Debbie has given birth to her third child and first daughter Rebecca Jane but 'time and tide waits for no man' and so we needed to complete this cruise in order to get back soon for a cuddle!
The weather as viewed on Saturday evening, the night before, could not have been better; very light winds, warm temperatures and reasonable visibility. I wanted the cruise will start at first light (c 5.00am local time) and therefore be completed by mid-afternoon in order to round the headland and pass the narrowest part of the Dover Strait before the heavy tidal flow begins. I had recognised the hazard of starting and ending the cruise at low water such that care will have to be taken. In the event the poor visibility and other logistics such as walking Max dictated that we set off at 6.00pm local time.
The weather we actually experienced was: 13degC-21degC; RH 81%-44%; 1012-1015mb rising steadily; 0.2-0.3m wave-height, smooth/slight seas, very poor (fog) to moderate viz, wing 6-9 knots wind gusting 14knots (mainly SW)
It was intended to cruise on to Brighton but Notice to Mariners warned of shoaling in Brighton harbour entrance and berths such that vessels of over 1m draft are recommended not to enter =/- 1.5hrs either side of LW!!! We therefore decided to stop off at Eastbourne until Tuesday, the next period of calm weather forecast.
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Tuesday 16th June Ref: 2015/10
This was our second leg of the cruise along the South Coast of England which we plan to complete in this month of June 2015. In the previous passage, we had stopped short of cruising the whole way to Brighton because it meant arriving at low water, which they cannot accommodate for vessels with <1m draft these days (!) and it would also have meant a passage of more than ten hours in total at our fuel-saving speeds. Conveniently, the weather was fine two days after we arrived in Eastbourne, leaving the intervening day for rest and recuperation.
Fine weather, comfort and economy were again the objective but this was planned to a relatively short passage of 3 hours at 8 knots and therefore, on these long June days of maximum daylight from an 'all-tide' port, we could choose a time of departure to carry the tide and arrive at the Brighton Marina, Black Rock, at least 3 hours before low water. In fact the 12 noon LT lock got us out of the Sovereign Harbour Moles early and so we cruised at 7knots, for 3hrs 30mins which was even more economical.
The course took us SSW past the headland and then the long leg in shallower water to the marina entrance. The waypoint chosen is one for longer passages and so we cut the corner as conditions were so calm as just predicted
The weather could not have been better; very light winds, smooth seas, warm temperatures and good visibility.
The weather details were: 28degC-31degC; RH 31-39-31%; 1026/7 mb steady; 0.2-0.3m wave-height, smooth/slight seas, good viz, wind 4-8 knots wind gusting 8 knots (variable)
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Thursday 18th June Ref: 2015/11
The third leg of our South Coast cruise and a voyage that took us into the Solent. Conveniently, the weather was again fine two days after we arrived in Brighton, leaving the intervening day for rest and recuperation.
The weather was so good on the day that we decided to undergo this medium length passage at only 7 knots in a time of just over 6 hours hours, leaving Brighton Marina, Black Rock, close to high water and arriving at Haslar, Portsmouth (Gosport) at around low water.
The course took with the Spring tide along the south coast and then past the Selsey Bill headland on a close transit through the Loo Channel at around slack water to minimise sea state and then past the Horse Sand Fort and into to the Solent, before turing to starboard and adhering carefully to the 'Boat Channel' outside the port markers of the Portsmouth shipping lane.
The weather could not have been much better again ; very light winds, smooth/slight seas, mild temperatures and fair visibility but the direction of the breeze defied predictions and ended up mainly from the SSW. This made the sea state our passage with the tide reach slight rather than smooth but it was eventually completely calm upon arrival
I had no luck raising Gunwharf Quays on VHF 80 or telephone and so we put into Haslar on G pontoon for the first night, a location that reasonably further in than the normal visitors berths as shelter from the numerous passing ships and ferries. This marina is huge these days with expansive inter-linking pontoons and is close to the Gosport to Portsmouth ferry for convenience. We then took the opportunity to cross over and moor at Gunwharf Quays for the second night at more cost but with even more convenience.
The weather today was : 21degC-25degC; RH 41-46-32%; 1020-1021 mb steady; 0.7-0.3m wave-height, smooth/slight seas, good viz, wind 6-10 knots wind gusting 14 knots (mainly SSWly) F2/3
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Saturday 20th June Ref: 2015/12
The fourth leg of our South Coast cruise and this one represented a voyage further into the heart of The Solent. Now we are in this shelter, the weather was not quite so important but it was still fine enough after a couple of days' rest in Portsmouth for us to continue our journey to a marina which would be happy to accommodate Lady Martina for a week's shore leave at reasonable rates. It was another well-planned and executed cruise taking advantage of the tide and also arriving at Itchen Marina at HW Slack to be able to manoeuvre into a very tight berth at a pontoon where tidal eddies can be a problem... We fielded complements on our skill...
This was essentially a very short cruise from Gun Wharf Quays for we had left Haslar, Portsmouth (Gosport) the day before and moored in this much more central location; close to the major shopping outlet complex and at the centre of the tourist trade. We had intended to put into Gunwharf the day before that but they had failed to read our VHF signals on 80 and it transpired that they only use hand-held sets, and work until 5.30pm weekdays, which could explain it. Also being the other side of the main channel from the small boat route, prior consent was needed from Portsmouth QHM (Queen's Harbour Master) to cross and you have to call from the Ballast Pile (beacon FlR.2.5s)
The course this day took us across the main Portsmouth shipping channel again (Ch 11 QHM) to the Ballast Pile and then back along to the 'Boat Channel' outside the port markers of the Portsmouth shipping lane, before heading west along the Solent until traversing the north side of the Bramble Bank and then heading up Southampton Water until the mouth of the Itchen. With high water planned for thr Itchen trip, we were expecting no problems as we then pass Ocean Village Marina on the left and then under the 23m Itchen Bridge to Graham's Towage yard on the left where a berth has been found for us on the inner of the second pontoon in.
The weather was forecast fine again ; light winds, smooth/slight seas, mild temperatures and fair visibility and so everything was set for a comfortable 18nm cruise
The actual weather we experienced was : 24degC-27degC; RH 45-55%; 1022-1023 mb steady; 0.3-m wave-height, smooth/slight seas, good to mod viz, slight drizzle wind 5-10 knots wind gusting 16 knots (mostly WSW) F2/3
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Sunday 22nd June to Wednesday 1st July Ref: 2015/13
We would have liked to have cruised across to Cowes the day before, but the 'Round the Island' Race had made Cowes the busiest place to be in the world and so we stood much more of a chance to getting an overnight berth if we cruised over later in the weekend when other boats would be vacating the marinas. We had booked into Yarmouth for a shore-access pontoon a little later so as not to be similarly disappointed.
These final legs of our South Coast Cruise promised to be the easiest with just local passages within the very sheltered Solent. The weather was forecast fine again ; light winds, smooth/slight seas, mild temperatures and fair visibility and so everything was set for a comfortable week's cruising
Trip 1. A high water exit from Itchin marine and a short leg down Southampton water and round the Brambles sandbank with the jostling for position upon arrival being expected as the biggest navigational hazard on day one! In the event, our departure from Southampton and arrival at Cowes corresponded with the Cunard flag ship The Queen Mary II closing fast from behind and we suffered the indignity of the Harbour Master's vessel racing over and forcing us out of the Precautionary Area! We seemed to be well clear by our estimation but we realised afterwards that there is a moving 1nm 'Moving Exclusion zone' ahead of vessels displaying a black cylinder when they exceed 150m in length in that channel regardless. We made East Cowes easily and the marina was nigh empty and we took our pick of berths on Pontoon B(ravo).
The weather was beautiful and East Cowes marina very quiet and smooth but a Barratt's housing development in the 70's had taken up all of the nearby land and the residents had a very exclusive approach of blocking everything off and so it was no place for visitors with a dog on board. We visited Osborne House this morning, which was on this side of the river, and then moved Lady Martina on to the Town side of the River Medina by moving easily across to the Cowes Yacht Haven the next day to stay two nights, as this was much more enjoyable
The weather we experienced approaching Cowes was : 22degC-23degC; RH 66-59-65%; 1007-1018 mb steady; 0.4-m wave-height, calm/smooth seas, poor viz, fair with wind 9-11 knots wind gusting 12 knots (SSW) F2/3
Trip 2 The trip from Cowes to Yarmouth (IOW) was judged to catch the following tides with an ESE breeze off of the land and following for once which was even better. At a slow speed of 8 knots, the 18nm could be achieved in less than two hours and at a cost of less than 30 litres of fuel!
The forecast was the freshest we had experienced in recent days with some 10-11kn from the ESE (gusting 15kn), 0.9nm waves from the South and pressure 1010-1011 steady and very warm temperatures of 23-24degC forecast
