Mike has sailed to Salcombe in his 11m lengthy keeled yacht known as Boundless with two associates. He took the east-going spring tidal stream yesterday from Plymouth, 22 miles
to the west, arriving simply earlier than excessive water. There was a contemporary westerly wind, 25 knots sometimes gusting to 30.
Salcombe has a harbour bar with a lowest depth of 1m, however Mike had no bother negotiating his approach in and is now taking the west-going tide on the return journey.
The tidal Stream flows westward from HW +4 to HW-3 Plymouth, which is about 10 minutes distinction to Salcombe.
The wind is 35 knots from the southeast. Mike is aware of the bar will be tough however he’s an skilled ocean sailor. He has encountered a number of gales and are available via safely. His boat is powerful and seaworthy, has a excessive Angle of Vanishing Stability (AVS) and is absolutely kitted out and stowed for ocean crusing.
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As Mike motors up the harbour towards the wind he can see white water on the bar. This doesn’t concern him, he has been via white water earlier than and reckons the tough part will solely final a couple of minutes and he will likely be safely exterior and may take the honest wind and tide to Plymouth.
He additionally is aware of that a whole bunch of yachts safely cross the bar yearly in boats a lot much less ready than Boundless. Does he go or does he keep?
Must you threat crossing a harbour bar in tough situations?
It’s uncommon for yachts to founder on Salcombe bar as a result of most boats keep in port if the wind reaches 25 knots or extra, and most skippers have learn the warnings about crossing Salcombe bar, or certainly any harbour bar, on a spring ebb tide with a contemporary onshore wind. In truth, pilotage directions and the almanac all the time give warnings concerning the risks of crossing shallow tidal harbour entrances.
When Mike entered Salcombe the tide was flooding, which is all the time a lot safer over a sand bar, and Bolt head supplied a lee which makes an enormous distinction to the ocean state.
The explanation it’s harmful on today is that in a robust south-easterly and ebb tide the ocean state turns into very confused, inflicting the yacht’s velocity via the water, even beneath energy, to drop to 1 or two knots making steering very tough.
The yacht will be knocked astray and find yourself beam-on to the swell. When the swell reaches the bar it breaks, which might capsize even an 11m yacht. There’s a hazard of the yacht or its mast hitting the sand.
Mike is likely to be fortunate and discover a approach via it, however his seamanship intuition ought to inform him to remain in port in these situations.
In 1916 the Salcombe lifeboat capsized on Salcombe bar with the lack of 13 of its 15 crew. Lifeboats had been much less seaworthy then however the crew included fishermen and seafarers with native information, displaying that it’s a hazard to not be trifled with.
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