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dokondr · 07-10-2012, 13:35

Hi all,
In mid November I plan to sail first time English Channel (Hamble - Channel Islands). Please advise on sailing conditions this time of the year.

Thanks!
Dmitri

NDH · 07-10-2012, 13:55

It depends on the weather................

No, not a smart a**e answer, the crossing is 70 miles and given UK weather systems you will get a suitable slot you may just have to wait for a few days.

dokondr · 07-10-2012, 14:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by NDH

It depends on the weather................

No, not a smart a**e answer, the crossing is 70 miles and given UK weather systems you will get a suitable slot you may just have to wait for a few days.

What are weather statistics for November? How many bad days on average to expect? (Can't find this on Internet)

**Pete7** · 07-10-2012, 14:32

The weather isn't predicable and can be anything from a F8-9 storm to flat calm windless, clear and cold. Snow doesn't normally appear until January.

If you allow yourself some time say 10 days you will have a variety of conditions and with the excellent short term weather forecasts out to 5 days ahead it will be achievable.

However, be aware that by November days will be short, dawn at 7am and sunset at 5pm, (4.30pm in Dec)

Alderney is on route and is 58 miles from the Needles to Braye Harbour safe in most conditions apart from N - NW. St Peters Port another 20 miles, but you must work the tides correctly, 9 knots of tide on springs through the race.

Prevailing weather is wind from the SW, however, a high can give cold clear and windless North Easterlies, did I say they were cold? they are as the wind comes down from Scandinavia. If you rap up warm they can be magical sailing conditions.

This harbour wall is probably 15m high, I walked the dog along it in July and we paddled off the slipway, but in a storm you would be in trouble.

Alderney Storm 9 December 2007 - YouTube

Alderney Storm

[/QUOTE]

**Dockhead** · 07-10-2012, 14:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete7

The weather isn't predicable and can be anything from a F8-9 storm to flat calm windless, clear and cold. Snow doesn't normally appear until January.

If you allow yourself some time say 10 days you will have a variety of conditions and with the excellent short term weather forecasts out to 5 days ahead it will be achievable.

However, be aware that by November days will be short, dawn at 7am and sunset at 5pm, (4.30pm in Dec)

Alderney is on route and is 58 miles from the Needles to Braye Harbour safe in most conditions apart from N - NW. St Peters Port another 20 miles, but you must work the tides correctly, 9 knots of tide on springs through the race.

Prevailing weather is wind from the SW, however, a high can give cold clear and windless North Easterlies, did I say they were cold? they are as the wind comes down from Scandinavia. If you rap up warm they can be magical sailing conditions.

Pete

A superb summary.

The only quibble I might have concerns weather windows -- if the weather settles into a dreary pattern, as it did April through June this year, you might never get that weather window at all.

But in my experience, November brings quite often wonderful sailing around here -- often cold and calm and sunny -- magical, as Pete said. You might be motoring, but you can take some comfort in the fact that you can buy diesel duty free in Guernsey or Jersey.

dokondr · 07-10-2012, 14:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete7

The weather isn't predicable and can be anything from a F8-9 storm to flat calm windless, clear and cold. Snow doesn't normally appear until January.

If you allow yourself some time say 10 days you will have a variety of conditions and with the excellent short term weather forecasts out to 5 days ahead it will be achievable.

However, ...

Thanks for the detailed info! I will have only 5 days. Yet, as an option I can sail along the coast staring from Hamble, without going to Channel Islands at all. Don't think that this route will give me more sailing days in November, though

What winter month is best for sailing Channel?

**Dockhead** · 07-10-2012, 14:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by dokondr

Thanks for the detailed info! I will have only 5 days. Yet, as an option I can sail along the coast staring from Hamble, without going to Channel Islands at all. Don't think that this route will give me more sailing days in November, though

On the contrary -- if the weather does not serve for a Channel crossing, there are a multitude of destinations along the coast, which might be reasonable in a gale which you would not want to tackle cross-Channel.

In the Solent -- Cowes, Beaulieu, Yarmouth, Portsmouth. To the West -- Poole, Studland Bay, Worbarrow Cove, Weymouth, Portland -- further West, across Lyme Bay -- Dartmouth, Salcombe . . .

One of the richest cruising grounds you could imagine. . .

dokondr · 07-10-2012, 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dockhead

On the contrary -- if the weather does not serve for a Channel crossing, there are a multitude of destinations along the coast, which might be reasonable in a gale which you would not want to tackle cross-Channel.

In the Solent -- Cowes, Beaulieu, Yarmouth, Portsmouth. To the West -- Poole, Studland Bay, Worbarrow Cove, Weymouth, Portland -- further West, across Lyme Bay -- Dartmouth, Salcombe . . .

One of the richest cruising grounds you could imagine. . .

Thanks for the good news! At least I won't have to stay on shore

David_Old_Jersey · 07-10-2012, 17:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by dokondr

Thanks for the detailed info! I will have only 5 days. Yet, as an option I can sail along the coast staring from Hamble, without going to Channel Islands at all. Don't think that this route will give me more sailing days in November, though

What winter month is best for sailing Channel?

Some good advice already

The main problem with only having a short timescale to complete a trip from the UK to the CI is not so much the weather window going out (if it is *****, yer don't leave!) - but the weather coming back, where you don't have so much option to pick and choose the weather.

In Winter down here you can have very nice days, but overall it is pretty much potluck and IMO not consistent enough to plan around a return trip, especially not a short time scale one. Well, not for some degree of pleasantness - both ways

.

FWIW, at the moment it is seriously p#ssing down with rain - and blowing a hooley!, and whilst not sub zero is getting cold

. This afternoon was nice though

.

What about a crack at Cherbourg?

goboatingnow · 07-10-2012, 17:23

Good suggestion DOJ, yes OP if you want a crossing try Cherbourg, no real complications. All weather entrance , not a bad place either

Dave

**Pete7** · 08-10-2012, 01:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by dokondr

Thanks for the good news! At least I won't have to stay on shore

The other advantage of the Solent is that most of the harbours are in an easy day sail from each other so you can be tucked up in a sheltered marina even with the short daylight hours. This gives you the opportunity to see a different harbour each evening.

Pete

**Dockhead** · 08-10-2012, 02:02

That's a good idea about Cherbourg!

It's closer -- 60 miles from the Needles -- and you can get in and out of Cherbourg literally in any weather, even a hurrycame

. In case you get caught out (which you shouldn't if you pay attention to the forecasts, but just in case).

It's probably not as interesting as Jersey or Guernsey, but I like it very much -- there's plenty to do there for a couple of days for sure.

The other thing about Cherbourg is that the tidal planning is much easier -- you don't have the Alderny Race to consider, the only tides go back and forth. That means you can leave any time you want -- going to Jersey or Guernsey you have to time it to hit the Alderney Race at slack water (or go the long way around the Casquettes). Cherbourg can also be entered at any state of tide, unlike any of the harbours in the CI's.

Another, slightly more ambitious but greatly rewarding variant is St. Vaast, around the Eastern side of the Cotenin Peninsula from Cherbourg, near the D-Day beaches. This is more beautiful and more charming the C-bourg, but a bit further, and with a locked port which you may have to wait to enter. France's oyster capital! So you can chow down on the finest Norman oysters with a little vin blanc, just cables from where they grow! And in season, too.

In any case, you have an extraordinarily rich variety of destinations within a day's sail of the Solent, so you really can't go wrong. If the weather is really bad you can just stay in the Solent and still have a great time.

**Dockhead** · 08-10-2012, 02:17

Another word about tidal planning:

If you do end up going to Jersey or Guernsey, you have two things to overcome -- the Alderny Race, a vicious patch of water which should be transitted only at slack water and in reasonably calm weather (in other conditions it swallows whole container ships whole, beware!).

And the Channel Islands ports, which are all tide limited. If there is no South in the wind, you do, however, have a good anchorage, next to St. Heliers -- St. Aubin's Bay. I was there this summer and didn't actually go into St. Heliers at all it was so nice. St. Peter Port has Havalet Bay -- if there is no East in the wind. Small but nice and right under the walls of the castle. You can anchor in any of these places at any state of tide.

If the weather turns sour, however, the Channel Islands are a nightmare. Strong tidal streams all through the islands can create terrifying and really dangerous sea states in a gale with wind against tide, and these are rock-strewn waters with very little shelter anywhere. Be damned sure about the weather before setting out down there.