Weymouth/Portland Rally

[Jonathan Stuart]

BTW, to my knowledge there are 4 young-ish children attending (7, 9, 11 & 12). To enable them to attend the Sat evening dinner, and without them being too tired the next day, I have booked the table for 19:00. If anyone thinks that is too early the pls shout. The restaurant is 1 min walk from the slipway / boat storage and 10 mins walk from the Royal Breakwater hotel, so hopefully this allows time for a beer before dinner.

[Colin Morley]

That is fine by me (us). We like to eat early so no later than 7:00pm. If we have been fighting the winds and waves we will be starving.

I hope the weather is going to be like the next few days - perfect.

[Peter Cockerton]

Jonathon

No problem for me on meal time great to see four "young ones" sailing with use, soon be able to have a special race for them if numbers increase.

Peter

[Helen and Chris]

Thanks for organising this Jonathan and Nikki.

We are planning to join you all for the weekend.  We'll be arriving on Friday.  We will either stay on the boat in the marina or in our campervan - we'll decide nearer the time and book accordingly.

Please can you book us in for the Saturday evening meal.

Looking forward to seeing you all,

Helen and Chris

BRe Skylark

[Jonathan Stuart]

Helen and Chris,

That's good news and it will be good to see you both again. I've added you to the meal booking, etc.

Jonathan

[Jonathan Stuart]

All,

If you are planning to come to Weymouth then please read on because I need some decisions from you! I need to know:

1. Do you want to keep your boat in the marina or store it on its trailer at the Academy each night? (See below for full background to this, but for 20' boats the cost is the same and I suggest we use the marina).
2. What you do want to eat on the Saturday night (menu attached)?

That's the short version. Here's the full update & background...

I spent this afternoon at Portland while Oliver (son) was sailing there. The Sailing Academy are expecting us and, subject to space, they should be able to allocate us a dedicated area for rigging, etc. The Academy's standard charges ( http://www.wpnsa.org.uk/day-membership ) give you temporary membership and provides full access to their facilities. However, I have asked for a reduced rate for those who will keep their boat in the marina and thus won't require repeated use of the slipway and the Academy's facilities. They agreed to that and while the cost will be dependent on how many boats want this arrangement I assume it will be approximately the £15.75 Launch/Recovery fee on their website. That means for those attending for 2 or 3 days with anything bigger than a Trouper it is now the same cost or cheaper to use the marina rather than launch/recover each day and store the boat overnight in the Academy.

I then spoke to the marina and negotiated a 5% discount if 5 or more boats use the marina - standard cost is £2.95/m/night. I felt flushed with success until I realised the discount was worth 90p per night per boat! If a group of us wants to use the marina then they should be able to put us together on a group of finger pontoons.

Unless you want to launch/recover each day then, given the costs are the same, I recommend using the marina because the facilities are excellent, it is even more secure than the Academy and, of course, gives immediate access to the water. I think it would be great to have the boats all moored together at the marina. If possible please let me know whether you want to use the marina or will recovery your boat each day and store overnight at the Academy. You can decide on the weekend, but it would help if I can confirm rough numbers in advance.

While at the Academy I asked whether the £18 charge for campervans still applies for those who have also paid for day membership. That was on the basis that I think you're paying for the facilities twice. Unfortunately there is no discount for day members. Therefore, for anyone considering whether to sleep in a campervan at the Academy versus on your boat in the marina I would definitely opt for the latter. The marina's facilities are better - the Academy's showers/loos are like sports centre changing rooms whereas the marina is much smarter - and you save £18/night.

To whet your appetite I have attached 3 photos taken today from the Academy cafe's balcony. These show the Academy's slipways, the marina, Portland harbour in the background and then the open sea and coast beyond that. Let's hope for weather like this but with a tad more wind!

On the Saturday night we are eating at Harbour Lights restaurant. This is immediately next to and overlooks the marina. I spoke to the restaurant today and we agreed that it would be best if you could all pre-order food. This isn't essential but if most of us can decide food orders in advance then that should make things run more smoothly on the night. Attached to this post is a PDF of their menus - there is an à la carte menu and bistro menu (you can mix the two). Please send me an email or forum message with your orders.

I promised Paul that I would check out the Pebble Bank and Swallows' Rest camp sites. Both look OK if not inspiring. You drive through a housing estate to get to Swallows' Rest and that feels a bit odd! The camp site is a well maintained field that has great views over Chesil Bank to the sea. Look behind you and you see that estate but the views on the other 3 sides make up for that. The land around the camping field is a bit scrubby but as a place to camp it's OK and the closest to the sailing. A photo is attached of the Swallows' Rest field. Pebble Bank is a larger and smarter site. It is mainly a site of static caravans but also has a touring field. The area around the site is a bit less scruffy than with Swallows' Rest although you are surrounded by static vans. Neither would be my first choice for a camping holiday but they look fine if you just want somewhere to camp when not sailing.

For those staying in the Royal Breakwater hotel I took the opportunity to walk there from the restaurant. It only takes 8 minutes and is flat so if you want a drink I recommend you leave your car at the hotel or marina/Academy (free and plentiful parking at both) and walk. I will provide a map nearer the time!

So, I would be grateful if you could let me know the following, if possible by Saturday 28th June:

1. Assuming the costs are as described above, do you want to use the marina or store your boat on its trailer at the Academy each night?
2. What you do want to eat on the Saturday night?

Let me know if you have any questions but I will be providing more details during the week before the rally.

[Colin Morley]

Dear Jonathan,

Thank you for all this brilliant organisation.

Marina berth for me for friday and saturday. We will go back to Southampton Sunday after the meeting.

There is a very big and satisfactory slipway in the marina, which I have used before. It has good access for car and trailer. Although there are magnificent slipways in front of the National sailing academy I only saw people launching boats be hand and not from a trailer attached to a vehicle on those ramps.

It would certainly be good to berth next to each other.

Where do you anticipate our voyages will lead us? i like to look it all up and be prepared and get a chart. I appreciate it depends on the weather, but what is your best plan at the moment.

Hamish and I are looking forward to it all.

[Michael Rogers]

Jonathan, you're going to a huge amount of trouble on behalf of all of us going to Weymouth. V ery much appreciated!

I'm a bit befuddled by the marina v academy issue (that's my fault, not yours): but I would like to recover my little boat each evening (it's a doddle to do that), so I'll be academic please.

The menu - I've looked hard, and a pdf attachment doesn't seem to have reached my screen. Could you try sending it again? Do you want my email address for that? - mghrogers'AT'doctors.org.uk

Michael

[Jonathan Stuart]

Colin & Michael,

Thanks for your replies and I have noted your requirements. It really is no trouble to organise this. I was at Portland on Saturday anyway and had 3 hours spare while Oliver was sailing. It was nice to have something to do and it minimised my time in the chandlery and kept me out of the bar!

Michael - I think when you click the PDF link it will download to your PC rather than display. You should then be able to open it from there. I will email you one shortly but let me know if you don't receive that.

If anyone else wants a menu emailed then let me know.

The Academy slipways are huge but as Colin suggests you are not allowed to use these with a vehicle. Could be an opportunity for Michael to show off though! The slipway for vehicles is also big by normal standards and can cope with 2-3 vehicles in parallel. I will distribute a map before 4th July showing the layout and what slipway to use, etc.

Re sailing plans, I have 3 basic routes depending on the weather:

1. If wind is too light, too strong, the sea is too lumpy (it's usually fine is normal sailing winds unless there is a SE blow) or time is limited I stick to Portland harbour. This gives a nice sail for a couple of hours and is always more interesting than I expect. I tend to see the harbour as the place I sail through to get to the sea, but it's better than that. Might be a good sail on the Friday afternoon if time is short.

2. Weymouth bay. Draw a line from Portland harbour's east ship channel to White Nothe (approx. 50° 37.5' N 2° 19.5' W) and  north of that is my view of an extended Weymouth Bay. Lots of nice sailing here and where to go depends on the wind, sea, boat traffic and mood. If you've not seen Weymouth before then head in close to the beach and you get the best view of the Georgian seafront (close enough to see the architecture, far enough not to notice the amusement arcades, etc). Head further east to quiet sections of beach to beach the boat. Or further east to see the quieter coast of Osmington & Ringstead (not too close because there are reefs here).

3. Coastal cruise. Weather conditions permitting, my favourite cruise is to leave the harbour by the east ship channel, head towards White Nothe and then sail ESE along the coast for as long as time allows. This is a World Heritage coast and as you would expect the scenery is fantastic. On a good day you should get to Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. The latter makes a great lunch stop. If you haven't taken lunch and can get to shore then you can buy cooked crab that were caught just outside the cove. But to get to Lulworth & back requires either a full day or the right wind to get you there and back quickly without the sea becoming too lumpy. Tide isn't usually an issue because the inshore stream here is not too strong.

My suggestion would be to sail Portland Harbour on the Friday afternoon and one each of the other routes on the Saturday and Sunday. Having a group of boats get to Lulworth would be fantastic but other than the weather this depends on how soon people can launch on Saturday or have to recover on Sunday. What do people fancy?

Another nice sail is probably to head south to see the Portland coast. But I avoid that because I don't know it and there is a lumpy tide race to the east side of the isle in certain conditions in addition to the better known one off the Bill.

[Michael Rogers]

Apologies, Jonathan. The pdf file (menu) disguised itself as a heading for one of the photos and I didn't spot it (thicko, Rogers!). We will peruse this and let you know.

Where to sail - it's clearly your home water, and as far as I'm concerned we're in your experienced hands. Your suggestions sound good to me. It would be great to get to Lulworth, but that would presumably depend on weather - and tides? (Also might be a bit ambitious for my little boat, though she's speedy downwind if there's enough of a blow. Perhaps I should settle for meeting the big boats as they come back?!) It does sound as if Lulworth might be for Saturday or not at all? Perhaps a decision needs to be made nearer the time when the likely weather is available. I for one would not mind at all making a really early start on Saturday if that would make it feasible. It would work up a good appetite for the evening nosh.

Bring it all on!

Michael

[Jonathan Stuart]

Michael,

Weather is the key factor. Tides are not too much of an issue because inshore this section of the coast doesn't have strong currents and it's neap tides that weekend. I just checked my GPS for my last sail from Portland to Lulworth (and back!) and the stats were: 22 nautical miles, 5 hours moving time, avg speed 4.5 knots, max speed 7.1 knots. We also need to bear in mind that some boats aren't arriving until the Saturday morning. I'm not sure yet when people plan to arrive but it would be nice to sail together and not just meet up at the end of the day!

So one possible plan could be:

Friday: Portland harbour (is anyone arriving in time to sail on the Friday?)
Saturday: Coastal cruise (target Lulworth, conditions permitting)
Sunday: Morning race in Weymouth Bay then general cruise in the bay or head to a visitor mooring in Weymouth for fish and chips?

[Reg Barker]

Hi Jonathan,

I am trying to keep up with all the posts as I was away sailing on Bala. You have been very busy and thorough.

I had booked myself on to a marina, I say "a marina" as when I enquired about a slipway, I was informed I would have to use the centre's slipway and they only crane boats in. But Colin mentions the marina slipway? Are there two marina's?

I would like to be together and part of the party on the marina.

Although leaving Friday morning, as we will be coming from Hereford, I cannot judge what time I would be arriving, but hopefully after lunchtime. Therefore a sail for me may be out of the question.

I will have to let you have the menu choices later.

[Ken Goodman]

Hi Jonathan
My partner and I have just attended the Bala weekend and found it very informative and incredibly friendly. (I'm building a BR 17) We would like to offer our selves as crew if anybody wants us and would love to join you all for dinner on Saturday night. We have found a B&B on Portland and have booked in for the Friday and Saturday nights. Could you let me know if it's ok to join up with you guys for the Saturday & Sunday please
Ken & Ann

[Jonathan Stuart]

Ken - That would be great and you are very welcome. I will add you to the Saturday night booking and I look forward to meeting you on the weekend.

All - We can probably play it by ear as to who Ken & Ann crews with, but is anyone short handed such that you would like extra crew?

Reg - Sorry for the verbose updates, I got a bit carried away with my brain dumps! There is one marina and they don't have a slipway. The Academy has multiple slipways and the one for vehicles, which we will use, is between the Academy and the marina and that's the one you would have been told about by the marina. All will become clear (hopefully) when I issue maps in a week or two!


I have updated the first post in this topic with the latest names and arrangements:

http://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php/topic,961.msg6120.html#msg6120

Please let me know if I've got anything wrong.

[Colin Morley]

Thanks,

I have to pick Hamish up after School in Southampton - about 4:30. We will leave straight after that - say 5:00pm. It will take us about two hours to get there, so arrive roughly 7:00pm. Launch boat and then have dinner. Also need to book into hotel so no time for a good sail but may just potter around as a shake down after we launch.

Happy to take anyone along with us as long as they have some good stories and plenty of chocolate.

I have only just found the menu and with see what the boat boy wants and get back to you.