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Sailing to the Solent

Started by Old Forum, April 08, 2014, 10:42:09 AM

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Old Forum


Julian Swindell
Username: Julian_swindell

Registered: 03-2007
   
Posted on Monday, September 03, 2007 - 05:28 pm:      
We had a real adventure last week. My friend Desmond and I (he's a genuine master mariner, I don't take risks) sailed from Poole to the Hamble. I feel I am a real sailor now. We spent the first night at Poole Quay Haven (£14), which allowed us a full english breakfast ashore before setting out. Then motoring into an East wind we reached Chrischurch Harbour, where we went in on top of the tide to pick up an empty mooring for lunch. The entrance is complicated. It doesn't seem possible that the channel markers can be so close to the shore, but they really are. The outgoing ebb tide reached nearly 7kt.
Then we carried on motoring to Yarmouth via the North channel, just in time to get the turn of the tide to take us past Hurst Point. Yarmouth is beautiful (£10 per night). Next morning we sailed back and forth across the Solent, going deep into Newtown River. When the tide turned we had to motor and it was touach and go that we got into Southampton Water against it. Then across to the Hamble where we motored right up to Bursledon, where Desmond's cousin owns the Elephant Boatyard and we put up there for the final night. The main point we proved was that two 6ft 3in men can sleep in a Winkle Brig for three nights without killing each other! I chickened out of the return journey and trailered Pelican back to Poole. Real sailing!

Old Forum

Jeff Wattley
   
Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 07:19 pm:      
It was good to read of some serious Coastal sailing in a Winkle Brig. I would be curious to ask what safety gear did you carry? And were there any useful lessons learned?

Old Forum


Julian Swindell
Username: Julian_swindell

Registered: 03-2007
   
Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 10:20 pm:      
No major lessons learned as the weather was very gentle and we had timed things to meet the tidal streams at the right times. The trickiest parts were motoring in reverse in marinas. I got the dinghy painter round the prop in Poole, which could have been a disaster, but it had only hooked around one blade. You also need to be going at a fair speed in reverse before you can steer at all, which is just when you don't want to be going fast...
We wore life jackets the whole time but not safety lines. I have got them but find they get in the way terribly, so I only wear one if it is rough. I have flares and a handheld vhf radio, but have never used either. The Winkle Brig is quite reassuring at sea, but it is stopped dead by any sort of waves when sailing. It is very slow in those conditions.
The main safety feature was that we had bolt-holes planned all the way and entered in the GPS so there was always a "Port B" if necessary. We went into two of them, Christchurch and Newtown River just to have a look. We had also planned the passage timing carefully with the tidal atlas so that we knew we could make it past Hurst point with a favourable current.
One lesson, we had to motor into a head wind most of the time, and stopping to refuel the integral tank was a pain. I also found that when we inadvertently ran the engine dry, we had to wait nearly fifteen minutes before it would start again. Not good. I don't know if it is a problem with my engine (Yamaha 4 stroke 4HP) but I am planning to get a small external tank at a jumble now.

Old Forum


Jeff Wattley
   
Posted on Thursday, September 06, 2007 - 09:50 pm:      
Many thanks.

Old Forum


Geoffrey Osborn
   
Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 12:39 pm:      
Outboard fuel tanks
The internal 1.1 litre tank on my Mariner 4hp four stroke gives an hour of running under benign conditions.
Driving harder against wind and tide I would expect about 45 minutes. So I am very happy with my 12 litre exrenal tank!