"There is nothing so distressing as running ashore.

Unless there is doubt as to which continent the shore belongs”

(Lecky)

Can’t remember where I read this quote but it has always stuck with me. I think it originally came out of a book on practical sea navigation which was written by said Mr Lecky. I have it stuck on the inside of my log book to remind me when planning offshore dinghy cruise trips to make sure I damn well do everything properly in terms of advanced preparation. I’d hate to be sailing for Dartmouth only to land on the Normandy beaches!
Anyway, the weather is foul. I haven’t been out sailing for months because the weather has been grot virtually every weekend I could go and sailing in 70mph gusts just doesn’t sound fun. The long range forecast for the summer is dire. The jet stream has pushed further south than normal so it’s just a series of depressions lining up one after the other.

When it’s like this there is only one thing any decent sailor would do – plan for those little windows of opportunity when I might be able to sneak out for a few days. So I have been daydreaming and poring over a few charts. I would like to sail around to Salcombe; from Salcombe around Start Point and up to Dartmouth. From there to Torquay sounds fine as well and then I need to persuade someone to haul my trailer across and help tow me home.

So I’ve dusted off my passage plan outline record sheet and thought about what I need to include. So in no particular order are:

• Waypoints: I have a really good book about waypoints throughout the English channel published by Imray. Very useful, so now I can enter all the key ones in to my GPS in the evenings

• Making sure I have the correct charts (I do now)

• Getting an idea of tidal streams and how they flow around the different coasts and headlands – although there will obviously be more detailed tidal planning just before I go

• A list of suitable bolt holes and the conditions when I can and cannot get in to them

• A hand held compass and a compass mounted in the boat (Arwen’s latest acquisition)

• A list of buoys and shore marks in order that I would pass them – I can have these typed up ready along with the columns alongside for entering time expected at and time actually at ( I tend to fill these in as I go along with a reading from the GPS of the average speed done between two marks). I also mark off on the chart where I am every 30 minutes – a habit. On the mountains I would take stock every 30 minutes walking to see I was in the right place at the right time and that the weather was what I expected (In reality on the mountains , as at sea I am continually doing these adjustments and spot checks every few minutes)

• On the day before and the morning of departure there will be detailed weather forecast notes for a few days plus recording relevant website and phone numbers and radio and coastguard broadcast times of weather forecasts for next few days. I tend to start watching the weather a week before the departure date. I try to imagine what different wind speeds and directions and different se states will do to the boat’s trim and balance and handling

• I rarely sail with crew on these passages so I don’t need to worry about making sure they know what to do where and when etc

• I make a list of frequencies and call channels for various harbour masters and authorities and marinas so I have those to hand easily

• I tend to let coastguard know where I’m heading if it is a long passage; I also leave a detailed paper copy with my wife and also a friend who is an exceptionally experienced sailor.

• I update my spot page and make sure that is working and I test out spot to make sure my wife is receiving the texts to her mobile

• Then there is the detailed pilotage a day before – what are the tidal heights and restrictions; when do I want to depart and arrive in various ports and why; what are my alternative routes; when is the point of no return (something I have borrowed from mountaineering – at what point do you say ....’if it gets bad at what point can I turn around and get back to safety in the shortest time; and at what point do I become committed come what may?’

• A week before I go I also inflate lifejackets and check that they remain inflated for at least 48 hours


• Out come my checklists for equipment and I go through Arwen making sure everything is where it should be and is in sound condition; food is purchased and sorted in to various sealed containers for stowing.

• I sort of work out how much fuel to take. I always get this wrong but I work on the principle that the outboard will do about 5 miles on one tank and therefore I need fuel for at least half the journey distance (I always take too much but it acts as ballast I guess).

• I also run through a series of ‘what if scenarios’ as well. They normally take the line of ‘what if I capsized at this point? What if I got caught on this lee shore? Where do I go if the weather turns foul at this stretch?’

• I also map potential hazards along my intended routes – rocky outcrops; places which dry out; bars and shoals; overfalls and nasty tidal rushes and streams through narrow harbour entrances etc

Wow. Until you write it down, you never realise how much you do in planning a small coastal voyage. It’s a good job it is such fun isn’t it!

Steve