Calshot, Southampton Water, the Solent, and NCI

[Peter Taylor]

Inspired by seeing BRe 38 launched from Calshot on Sunday, I thought I’d add some updates to the thread about Launching near Southampton... (http://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php/topic,1189.msg8465.html) and also the thread about the National Coastwatch Institution ...(http://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php/topic,1201.msg8483.html).

I am now a qualified Watchkeeper at the NCI Calshot Tower station and I’m in the process of improving the station’s web site (http://www.nci.org.uk/calshot ). For information on sailing in Southampton Water and the Solent I have added pages under the station details menu with (I hope) useful links about:  Local Information for Calshot, Local marine Information, Local VHF Channels, Marina and Harbour Info, Solent Tides and Currents, and Solent Weather.  Comments and corrections are very welcome, particularly if you sail, or plan to sail, in the area. 

Although a voluntary organisation, the NCI strives to maintain a professional standard.  The Calshot Tower station is open from 0800 until 2000 (during BST) and 0800 to 1700 or dusk in winter on every day except Christmas Day.  You are welcome to call “Calshot NCI” direct on VHF channel 65 e.g. for radio checks or local weather conditions (but not forecasts!).  Other nearby NCI stations are “Lee NCI” (at Lee on Solent), “Gosport NCI”, and “Needles NCI”.  All NCI stations monitor channel 65 but opening hours vary.  Note that, especially in the Solent, efforts are being made to keep channel 16 clear for Distress calls; trying to call us on 16 rather than direct on 65 will probably get a reply from HMCG; similarly, routine calls to Solent Coastguard should be made direct on channel 67, not channel 16.

Anyway, here’s some photos of the BRe from the vantage point of Calshot Tower (more photos at http://www.seatern.org.uk/SeaternDiaries/watches_2016.php - under the 17th April entry) and also a photo of the Tower as I passed by on Seatern last Thursday.

[Peter Taylor]

Baycruiser 23 no. 23 spotted from Calshot Tower on Sunday 19th June!  ...and I always think BC23's look big compared to Seatern!  The green buoy is "Hook" which is a radio reporting point for vessels entering or leaving Southampton Port.

Peter

[Rob Johnstone]

Someone after my own heart - put in a reef and cruise in comfort rather than thrashing about at all angles like the other yachts in the picture!
Rob J

[Andy Dingle]

I too wondered about the reef put in by that BC23 skipper as I was out yesterday at just that same time and I was floundering around on a calm, windless but lumpy sea,  with the sails slattin' about and the centreboard banging in it's slot, so I had a look at the 'previous 24 hour' weather down at Calshot on the met office web site - apparently it was gusting over 30 mph! So fair doo's to the good skipper of that BC23!
Yesterday, that wind must have come 'oop north' to me (east coast), as it soon filled in for me and after enjoying some cracking reaches in a building south westerly, it went dead on southerly - on the nose in my case, so I ended up beating back in a strong F4 - admittedly I had the tide with me but was a fantastic beat where I was regularly clocking over 7 kn plus, SOG. About 45 - 50 miles sailed in the day with harbour porpoise off my beam at times... (No reefs .. Just a few big grins on the boat - now why would anyone not want to have a BC23..?!)
Oh, then it rained of course!


Andy and Baycruiser 23 Equinox..

PS I just looked up the word 'slatting'. I'd always assumed it referred to the aimless flapping of a sail in a light wind ..  it seems I maybe wrong, in that it actually refers to the violent shaking, or filling of a sail in a strong wind ...  ?  Can anyone enlighten me!

[Peter Taylor]

Well, I'm not sure where the Met Office measured their 30mph gust, but at the time of the photo it was a good force 4 SW at the Calshot Spit light float later increasing to force 5 within 3 hours or so.  The wind in that part of Southampton Water is a bit tricky due to the wind shadows/gust around the very large Calshot hangars. Up towards Southampton the wind also becomes gusty due to the tankers moored at the Fawley Oil refinery jetties. 

Sailing from Southampton Water into the Solent you do have to be prepared for the increase in wind as you loose the shelter from having land upwind.  The last time I was out I put in a reef off the Hamble, started to have second thoughts in the wind shadow at Calshot, but soon had to put in a second reef  once out in the Solent!

A useful resource... Calshot Spit weather is at http://www.rock7.com/wind/ - but make sure that the report shown is recent (after allowing for the time being UTC not BST).  The Bramble weather station http://www.bramblemet.co.uk has been off the air for several periods recently but when it is working the data (apart from sea temp) is actually from the Bramble Bank (which was not the case last year!).
Alternatively you can call Calshot NCI direct on VHF channel 65 for information on present weather conditions (ops room phone  023 8089 3562). The station is manned from 0800 to 2000 during summer time, 0800 to 1700 in winter.

Peter

[Peter Taylor]

Hamble Harbour Master's  Sea Safety Day on Saturday 3rd September. I'll be there helping to represent Calshot NCI. Get rid of old flares... See attached!
Peter

[Peter Taylor]

Southampton Boat Show Starts tomorrow! The National Coastwatch Stand is J041 in Ocean Hall... on your way to the marina and Swallow Yachts.  I'll be on the stand tomorrow (Friday) with other Calshot and national NCI representatives and there will be local as well as National watch keepers there throughout the show.

Peter

[Peter Taylor]

Swallow Yachts at the show....  For anyone going, the tall ship Artemis (seen in the distance) has a bar and serves food. I don't know what the food is like but it would be a pleasant place to eat if you get there when it's not too busy.

[Graham W]

if you're going to the show, have a look at this splendid wooden BC23, built by Adrian Donovan.  Note the extra portholes.  It's on display near the entrance.  The Swallows (BRe, BC23 and BC26) are on the water on the far side.

[Peter Taylor]

I talked to Adrian Donovan vaguely thinking that maybe here was a way in which BC20's might get built in a shorter time than Swallow Yachts takes... but apparently the BC23 took 2 years so maybe Matt is not so slow after all!

Meanwhile here is a different view of the Boat Show taken from Seatern yesterday.  I was going to sail past but for a period the wind became very unpredictable with big gusts from different directions.  Given that I have to pass the ferry terminal on the way I motored past instead.

Peter

[maxr]

I had a talk with Adrian also about the BC23 he had at Southampton. He appears to be the opposite of a production boat builder - he works with the owner before and for a long time after the boat is launched to get everything right, including things like moving cleats and rope lines etc. His BR23 at the show has things like real teak over the whole cabin top, and stern mooring cleats hidden in cubby holes under the aft deck and accessed by stainless lined holes in the bulwarks, rather than screwed onto the aft deck as would be obviousInternally, she appears to have a quarter berth on each side and a central heads compartment, possibly accessed from the forecabin? It was very interesting to speak to someone who was designing a boat for the owner rather than modifying a standard design in minor ways. I would guess all that comes at a price, and probably a price I can't afford - but it was great to see it.

[Michael Rogers]

You can just see one of the stainless stern hawse holes (or whatever they would be called) in Peter's picture of the BC23 'Corniche'. One would have to try using hidden away mooring cleats, but it sounds super-twee to me. Imagine having to thread mooring lines through the bulwarks, either from the inside outwards or the other way round, particularly if, as can happen, you have to do things in a hurry. So you would have to do something urgent and temporary over the top of the bulwarks and risk - heaven forbid - damaging the finish. For goodness' sake, cleats need to be handy, not hidden!

[maxr]

That's true - you usually only see that kind of detail on boats big enough to have professional chaps to crew them, who have to put up with the hassle because the owner designed it. Nice work aesthetically though.

[Peter Taylor]

Spotted from Calshot Tower NCI Station on Sunday (21st May) - BR20 089! A large fleet of Toppers were racing nearer the far coast which in that area is about 1.3nm from the Tower. A few of them are visible in the photo. It was a good sailing day, sunny force 4, SE.

By the way, nowadays, as well as contacting Nation Coastwatch Stations for radio checks and present weather conditions you can also ask us to relay the latest "Inshore Waters forecast" for the local area. But don't be surprised if you are asked why you didn't get it from a Coast Guard Maritime information broadcast on VHF - the CG are trying to improve the latter service, and we are required to ask.

Peter

p.s. there is a flare amnesty at Hythe Marina on Sunday 28th May (along with various displays etc. as a contribution to Southampton Sailing Week http://www.southamptonsailingweek.co.uk/events/southampton-sailing-week-at-hythe-marina-village/ )

[Michael Rogers]

Also spotted on Mon 22nd, 'next door' in Poole Harbour, was BC26 006. Seen from one of the smallest Swallow 'Yachts' afloat, and from 100 yds away, she looked magnificent - and HUGE! (Sorry, no pic) Imagine trail-sailing something that size...I tried to catch up to say a respectful ahoy, but - although she didn't get away - I couldn't close the gap. So, if her proud owners read the Forum, welcome to the friendly 'club': and if you see a tiny junk-rigged dinghy in Poole Harbour or Studland Bay, that's 'Cavatina', who is also a bona fide Swallow ahem-Yacht.

Mind you, we were sailing with the wind dead aft, and I couldn't help thinking that wrapping that lovely new mains'l against the shrouds and spreaders on 006 wasn't doing it much good. Now, with junk rig...... (had to get that in).

Michael Rogers      Trouper 12 'Cavatina'

PS. Any money on BC26 007 being called 'Miss Moneypenny' or some such?