What’s Happening

If you’ve never been on a GXSA Rally, you may be wondering what to expect. Take a look at this page, where we try to explain the general format, then come back to this page, and book a place!! We’d be pleased to have you along.

Where are we going?

A longer than usual weekend rally with skippers initially stopping off in Yarmouth on Friday night & congregating to anchor together in South Deep just off Goat Horn Point behind Brownsea Island on Saturday afternoon. There is room just outside the marked channel & plenty depth too! (Red area on the chart, below. Channel is shown in red)

Transfers between boats will be by dinghy as and when required.

Skippers may choose to stop in Lymington on Sunday night, when homeward bound!

What are the plans for dinner?

Roughly, a few boats will volunteer to cook the food, and it will be brought together onto 1 or 2 of the larger boats for a joint supper party.

When we know who’s coming, we’ll figure out the best way to handle the food, drink & cooking situation.

We’ll figure out the costs beforehand, and request prepayment for the Boat Party before everyone arrives.

On Friday and Sunday, we’ll probably decide to eat in a pub or restaurant, TBC.

Deadlines

As we are anchoring there are no strict deadlines for booking a place, but we will need to orgainise the cooking amongst ourselves. Therefore, please complete the booking form by 5 days beforehand – 9am, 8th June – it would be nice to know who’s coming.

Passage Plan

People do worry about leaving The Solent, so I thought I would include my own planning notes for information (use these at your own risk & check your own calculations!):

• New Moon on Monday, Spring Tide, Strong Currents
• Friday 12th June: Portsmouth – Yarmouth
  • Portsmouth
    • HW 09:25 4.2m
    • LW 14:55 1.2m
  • Fair Tide: 07:25 – 14:00
  • Distance: Portsmouth – Yarmouth/Lymington ~ 17nm ~ 4 hours
  • Passage Plan:
    • Depart Portsmouth ~ 09:00
    • Arrive Yarmouth ~ 13:00
• Saturday 13th June: Yarmouth – Poole
  • Portsmouth: HW 10:19 4.4m, LW 15:48 1.1m
  • Tidal Gate @ Hurst Castle is open 09:00 – 15:00
  • Distance: Portsmouth – Yarmouth/Lymington ~ 17nm
  • Distance: Yarmouth – North Channel ~ 3nm
  • Distance: Lymington – North Channel ~ 3nm
  • Distance: North Channel – Poole Entrance ~ 26km = 14nm ~ 3 hours
  • Distance: Poole Entrance – Anchorage ~ 1.5nm
  • Anchorage is charted 2.1m @ datum
  • Tidal range in Poole Harbour ~ 1.3m
  • Shallowest depth in Poole channel is charted 1.0m @ datum (East of Brownsea Island)
    • Depth of tide at 15:00 0.7m = LW, at 17:00 ~ 1.5m
    • Minumum depth of water = 1.7m
    • Draught = 1.9 m
    • Even if we do run aground in the channel, we’ll soon float off
  • Passage Plan:
    • Fair tide most of the day
    • Depart Yarmouth in the morning
    • Shallow in the
    • Arrive Anchorage mid afternoon ~ 15:00
    • Cook, Eat, Party
• Sunday 14th June: Poole – Lymington
  • Portsmouth:
    • LW 04:18 0.9m, HW 11:13 4.5m,
    • LW 16:40 1.0m, HW 23:36 4.7m
  • Poole :
    • HW 09:21 2.1m, LW 15:54 0.6m
  • Tidal Gate @ Hurst Castle is open 16:00 – 22:00
  • Foul Tide @ Christchurch Bay : 10:00 – 16:00
  • Passage Plan:
    • Foul tide most of the day
    • Depart Poole Entrance ~ 12:00 (=HW+2 ~ 1.8m)
    • Arrive Hurst Castle ~ 16:00 (when tidal gate opens)
    • Arrive Lymington ~ 17:00
    • Party ~ 18:00
    • Dinner ~ 19:30
• Monday 15th June – Lymington – Portsmouth
  • Portsmouth:
    • LW 05:09 0.8m, HW 12:07 4.7m
  • Fair Tide: 04:00 – 10:00 (weak @ Portsmouth until 12:00)
  • Distance: Portsmouth – Yarmouth/Lymington ~ 17nm
  • Passage Plan:
    • Depart Lymington ~ 07:00
    • Arrive Portsmouth ~ 12:00
    • Drive home ~ 13:00

Agenda

GXSA Regulars will know the proven format for the weekend:

• Find a friendly Skipper, with a boat
• The “Pontoon Party” to be held on 1 or 2 of the larger boats, starts around 6:00pm. An opportunity to catch up with friends, and make new ones.
• Dinner starts around 7:30pm, but generally when everyone has arrived.
• The party continues until everyone’s exhausted
• Sunday morning sees the boats departing the anchorage to suit their own plans.
• It’s likely that some boats/skippers will extend the weekend beforehand, or afterwards – mostly to catch a fair tide up Southampton Water.

• Skippers – Please confirm your plans using the forms for this event. Who will be in your crew? Any other plans etc.
• No Boat? – Let us know if you’d like to come along: Use the web-form. We can usually find a kindly skipper who can offer you a berth.

Any questions? Email info@gxsa.org.uk