Plymouth to Brighton epic maiden voyage maybe?

Roughrider · 22 May 2018, 17:47

5 years ago we bought a rib and this forum was really helpful in advising us and sharing opinions on the wisdom of a 100 knot maiden voyage in our first boat from Southampton to Eastbourne. And of the wisdom of a first boat being a second hand 8m 400hp rib

The experiment worked, 5 years and hundreds of happy boating hours later, it worked so well we are upgrading. Some time this summer a 10m 700hp rib will be waiting for us, in Plymouth.

My mate and I are thinking about sailing it back to Brighton. We will have max 3 days including at least half a day for the handover and testing that it works - we have a loo now, but we don’t know how it works yet!

So - opinions? Advice on route? Weather is obviously critical, if its head seas maybe we wont even bother. 2 of 3 days are weekend, so limited flexibility and high weather dependence. But if it’s nice;

Do we stop first night in the Dart? Or zoom over to Weymouth? Are there must-see things or places we shouldn’t miss? There’s a famous lighthouse in a tidal rip near Weymotuh, this I know. I fancy going past the Needles. We like fishing and pubs. Swinging moorings not so much - no tender.

We don’t have to finish in Brighton, we could stop in Portsmouth and easily take train home, and finish following weekend. But ideally will get all the way there.

paulbrown22 · 22 May 2018, 22:52

I guess the key for me, before undertaking such a trip, is to ensure that you are completely confident with everything onboard, given it's a new boat to you, and that's a reasonable distance to travel. Is it a new or secondhand boat?

If, after your half day sea trials, you feel comfortable and want to set off, then Salcombe/Dartmouth are only a short hop away, and both have good facilities should you find you need anything extra, have fuel, etc. I like both places equally, and try to alternate! Salcombe would be a swinging mooring, but they operate a very good taxi service, no need for a tender if you don't have one.

Lyme Bay can get fairly choppy, so I'd definitely get the weather right for that, I've had rough trips in both the RIB and our sailing yacht. I do love Lyme Regis and Bridport/Westbay, but if the weather allows, I'd hop straight across to Weymouth or Poole. With the prevailing conditions, most likely to be downwind, so typically Weymouth to Poole is an hour's journey at a comfortable pace. Both are really nice places, and whilst Poole is my home port, I regularly visit Weymouth. The lighthouse on the southern tip of Portland Bill is worth seeing, and if you take the inner passage, will pass very close to it anyway.

Depending on time, I'd probably then hop into the central/eastern Solent on the morning of the next day. From Poole I'd typically take the northern route past Hengistbury Head and Hurst Castle, or from Weymouth/Swanage in past the Needles. Maybe have a lunch stop somewhere in Cowes, Portsmouth, etc., and then continue to Brighton if the time and weather allows, given your 3 day constraint. As you say, if you do run out of time, plenty of options in Portsmouth, Chichester, etc., to leave it until the next weekend if you need.

Sutty · 23 May 2018, 08:10

It’s only a couple hundred miles so should not be a problem in a 10mt RIB. The weather would have to be really bad to not be able to do it in 3 days. I would have thought your strategy would be dictated by your fuel. I presume it will be twin 350hp outboards so not too economical. Is it a Ribeye?

boristhebold · 23 May 2018, 08:15

Get a decent paper chart and spend some time examining it for your routes and remember to consider bolt holes if the weather turns bad, plot in a number of waypoints on your plotter so dependant upon any changing weather you can alter your route to fit conditions, take notes of any hazzards.

Buy two books, 'inshore along the dorset coast' and 'solent hazzards' both buy peter bruce, excelent books which go into detail about hazzards along those stretches of coast line.

Take a decent rope cutting knife (incase of getting tangled up in fishing pot lines, which there are many and some have floating lines)

From weymouth go across to durdle door, hug the coastline, pop into lulworth cove, then head east along coast, be careful of kimmeridge bay due to ledges (check chart etc), pop into chapmans pool (my favourite spot) (and by the way check online the firing times for lulworth ranges as parts of this area would be closed on days firing occurs), past st aldhems head (if overfalls atad harsh you can slip by very close to cliffs where overfalls are abscent but check chart and depth carefully), then along coast close past seacombe and whinspit, dancing ledge past key hole cave and bat cave, bat cave you can stick the bow of your boat into and have a look but only in very calm sea states, then onto pass the lighthouse and cliffs at durlston head (many sea bird nest in this area), then head out slightly and look to go starboard of the red marker buoy near swanage ledge, head round swanage bay and along ballard down and old harry rocks etc, you could then head for poole and take a leisurly spin around brownsea island and harbour or head straight east from old harry to the needles (they used to be joined) past needles into the straight near hurst castle, stopover at lymington or yarmouth or cowes before heading further east past the forts in the solent.

If it were me I would take a week off and have several stop overs as lots of great places to visit. sound slike a great adventure.

take some pics.

Roughrider · 23 May 2018, 17:24

Hey just to thank everyone above tons of great info. Unbelievably I found out I get additional work holiday due to long service today, so better chance to actually be able to do this

Roughrider · 23 May 2018, 17:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sutty

I would have thought your strategy would be dictated by your fuel. I presume it will be twin 350hp outboards so not too economical. Is it a Ribeye?

Brig Eagle 10, Suzuki DF350 x2, 600 litres fuel capacity so at optimal cruise on paper it’s one tank. Given I am stopping anyway, range is not a constraint, this was one of my main incentives for upgrading. In future, France is safely in reach

paulbrown22 · 23 May 2018, 18:21

Very nice, looks like it has the kitchen sink and everything - I hope you enjoy her.

I guess France is easily in reach, but a very expensive trip with twin 350 outboards! Will make my single 315hp diesel look positively economical when I try to justify long trips to people :-).

Lee argyle · 23 May 2018, 19:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulbrown22

Very nice, looks like it has the kitchen sink and everything - I hope you enjoy her.

I guess France is easily in reach, but a very expensive trip with twin 350 outboards! Will make my single 315hp diesel look positively economical when I try to justify long trips to people :-).

We nipped over to Alderney last year for breakfast, used a little fuel but the day was one of the best we’ve ever had on the water, the experience and the memory’s priceless - the fuel cost wasn’t even a consideration

I’ve also found there’s a lot of other expenses when boating that dwarf the go-juice, BOAT - break out another thousand! Lol

Roughrider · 23 May 2018, 19:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulbrown22

I guess France is easily in reach, but a very expensive trip with twin 350 outboards!

Apparently as long as you buy enough wine there, the trip pays for itself 🍷

Economy on the demo boat was surprisingly good compared to my expectations.

The real truth is, our old boat had 50 knots in her and I am a bit of a petrol head and I didn’t want to “upgrade” to a slower one

There are those rare glassy days where at speed a rib feels like it’s floating on air, and the steady hissing sound of constant spray because there is no swell. Yes you use petrol because the throttle keeps asking you to push it a bit further but like L’Oreal (or is it Liz Hurley) it’s worth it, the experience and the memory

paulbrown22 · 23 May 2018, 19:54

Lee - agreed, boats aren't cheap to own or run generally, so definitely best to enjoy while you can! And yes, unless you use it an awful lot, the fuel bills can be small in comparison to berthing, maintenance, etc.

I don't think twice about taking my RIB reasonable distances when I want to go somewhere, but I just remember seeing some figures from your Alderney trip, or perhaps someone else on here with big outboard(s), and that did scare me slightly. I'll obviously have to stick to a slightly slower diesel RIB - at 1l/NM or a bit better I can just about justify it to the family :-).

Roughrider - I'm longing for some of those days where the RIB floats on air, I always seem to pick the rubbish weather for my cruises!

I'll hopefully do a Channel Islands hop later this Summer as well, having just finished all the winter maintenance jobs last weekend...

mhb100 · 07 June 2018, 23:35

My little 7.2m with yam 250 was taken by previous owner, from dartmouth (new tube refit) to Brighton same day arriving for tea, and had lunch on IOW, then overnight stop and onto Ramsgate following morning. With your beast it's really about prep, the weather, and how much you want to see on the way, and how much on fuel. Be a memory to look back on for sure.

Roughrider · 08 June 2018, 06:41

Just heard she should be ready week starting 2nd July but trying to aim a bit earlier. Clock is really ticking now, it’s exciting

Max... · 08 June 2018, 07:32

Sounds very exciting and makes me crave a RIB again to do things like this - driving back from Dartmouth to East Sussex last week my son said: "Dad, how long would this take us in the SIB from Dartmouth to Eastbourne?"......

That would be an epic SIB journey...

Arctic · 08 June 2018, 10:17

I did an 80Nm trip in a SIB a few years ago and it was a lot of fun, felt like a real adventure.

Roughrider · 28 August 2018, 15:16

Well in the end work and weather meant no epic maiden voyage. I feel a bit guilty for all the time invested in giving me advice, please trust it isn’t wasted I will hope to do some of this trip in reverse next year and thank you all for pitching in

Right now this coming weekend’s forecast is pretty epic, rib-wise. I am working on the misses to do our first trip to France, it’s about 55nm to Etaples the marina for Le Touquet. Will probably end up in Brighton or Rye instead, but if France is happening I will post about it

paulbrown22 · 28 August 2018, 17:38

What did you do then to get it home, trailer it or have it delivered to Eastbourne on a truck?

I wouldn't worry, I've had plenty of boating plans cancelled over the years for many reasons! I did say I'd do a Channel Islands dash this year by RIB, but haven't yet managed, so probably not happening... I did manage 2 weeks on the sailing yacht to Brittany and back though, so can't really complain.