Solo Portland to Portsmouth - horrible night in Chapmans Pool

[@simonbrody1652]

Couldn't agree more that Chapmans Pool is not a good anchorage. We spent a harrowing night there, mid summer, high pressure, flat calm - when we anchored. Land breeze got up in the early hours, about 25+ knots, and we dragged out with about six other boats, just avoiding rocks on the way. Two boats lost their anchors, and we resolved never, ever, to anchor there again. Also re-cycled the CQR and got a decent Rocna which has not let us down. Great video Dave. Keep them coming.

[@davesailing]

Thank you for watching Simon. I've been surprised by how many comments have basically said the same as yourself about Chapmans Pool. You must have had a difficult time with so many other boats there too. At least I didn't have to worry about anybody else. Best WIshes ... Dave

[@gordonbennet1094]

@@davesailing CQR - I had one. Never again. Dragged twice in quite low level wind conditions.

[@davesailing]

@@gordonbennet1094 Hi Gordon, mine seems ok. The only times it's dragged is when it picked up a keep net off the bottom and a day in Newtown creek when it came up completely encased in weed and lots of boats all dragged together, with the same bundle of weed round our anchors. It held in Poole in 30 + knots. It was quite hard to get it out :-) But I guess you use what makes you comfortable I used a Danforth years ago and it worked well enough. Take Care ... Dave

[@russelljones7684]

Im a kiwi so I know the Rocna; My yacht was around 15t and had no major dragging problems in 13 or so yrs of liveaboard cruising in the Sth west pacific. I had two Rocnas on board, the bower or main hook being 25kg, with a spare 20kg. All this with 90 mtrs of 10mm short length chain, I have had occasion to deploy both anchors in severe gales both in Fiji and NZ These events were a tad similar to your Chapmans Pool story, where conditions became tenuous due to the gyrations of the ETCZ, good ground tackle imperative. Well done on getting yourself out of there old chap.

[@davesailing]

Thank you Russell ... Best Dave

[@alexanderross4853]

Really good to meet you this morning Dave.and thank you for dropping by.How lucky are we to sail out of the protection of Royal Clarence Marina and into the Solent in less than ten minutes. Just found your channel by chance and what a gem. Very informative bur delivered in a gentle style. Keep them coming..........

[@davesailing]

Well good to meet you too Alex and nice to step aboard your lovely boat. Yes Royal Clarence is a good place to be berthed. Like you I feel very lucky to have found it. More videos on the stocks. Thanks for watching... Best Wishes ..Dave

[@maxsothcott4484]

No one lonelier than a yachty alone on a boat! What an excellent analogy! I think we all know that feeling particularly when its cold, dark and wet! Looking forward to the next episode of “ The amazing adventures of the gallant yachtsman”! Keep well my friend!

[@davesailing]

Hi Max. Yes it's a good saying, and yes it certainly felt like that in Chapman's Pool that night. But hey ho all turned out well in the end and it made a good video. Look after yourself ... Best Wishes .. Dave

[@davidmackey27]

Well done Dave, spent a night there early October, then came through the tidal race at completely the wrong time, swore i would sell the boat if i made it back, however by the time I got back to Poole Harbour i was buzzing, still got the boat. There is no lonlier man than a man alone on a boat, someone said😊 Good work 💪

[@davesailing]

Hi David, I know that feeling well, you are on your own and the only person who is going to get you out is yourself. It was pretty rough around St Albans as I left, but I was so relieved to get out unscathed, it just didn't matter, I was free and I revelled in it. I'd had practically no sleep but I didn't really feel tired - until I got back to Gosport and then WOW! I had a job to drag one foot in front of the other. Glad you kept the boat. But I could understand if you didn't. Best Wishes and fair winds ... Dave

[@kenbudd6216]

Thanks for sharing we need the bad to enjoy the good keep the films coming

[@davesailing]

Thanks Ken, I've been amazed by how many people have commented who experienced similar conditions. Best. Dave

[@AndrewJWass]

Thanks for the film….. I too have an elderly penta 2003, had a bit of steam, have replaced the elbow, new impeller each year, and also the wear plate which I didn’t even know existed, the new plate made a surprising difference!! Exhaust temp running around 32…. Keep sailing, might see you in the Solent….. ‘ Slipstream’

[@davesailing]

Hi Andrew, lovely to hear from you again. Like you I replace the impeller every year and this one was a genuine Volvo Penta spare too, but it lost a vane, came off cleanly and remained in the pump fortunately, but about halved the water flow. No plans to stop yet Andrew, though 80 this year and me feet hurt a bit, but so glad I can still get out on the water and go places.. I'll look out for you :-) Best Wishes... Dave

[@gordonbennet1094]

Many yrs ago I did exactly the same journey as you - Weymouth to IOW - but didn't stop in any coves !! Better a night at sea I think. I was singlehanding my Cross 50 Tri, heading for IOW, one mile offshore, pushing past Durleston against a 5 knot ebb race. Came accross 2 divers all alone, powerless to do anything but cling to a huge steel buoy. I started figuring how to get my 6 man inflatable unstrapped and heaved over the stern when the a maroon was fired from shore. Simultneously I spotted a tiny inflatable bouncing around, about a mile ahead. I got the picture. It was the diver's support vessel. I let off a yellow smoke, and the inflatable and the Swanage lifeboat flew down tide at great speed & got the men off the buoy. To this day I can't fathom why anyone would dive in the open sea, in a rip tide, in totally opaque water. Just stupid, in my opinion. And not even carrying their own distress flares. Anyway - I proceeded on my way, and found a cheap trot up the Medina.

[@davesailing]

Hi Gordon, Sounds like you're a bit of a hero mate. It's not a stretch of water I would like to be swimming in, especially when the tide is running hard. Well done for being so prepared to help.. Thanks for watching, it's much appreciated... Best wishes ... Dave

[@gordonbennet1094]

@@davesailing Hardly a hero. I was perfectly safe on my boat, & all I did was let off a smoke flare.

[@kathylewington6269]

Heart in mouth watching that, big brother. You must have been exhausted when you finally reached Portsmouth. ❤

[@davesailing]

Hi Sis, Yes I was tired and relieved. Very scary night. When I got back, I tied up and dragged myself to the local cafe where I was cared for and fed. Dragged myself back to the boat and slept all afternoon. Had a gentle evening and then slept all night. When I was editing the video I was getting adrenaline rushes. It was such a dark night, very overcast, no moon and no lights from civilisation, that just made it worse. Anyway, still here and happy ... Love Dave

[@glyda685]

As scary as it all was, you had the presence to continue videoing throughout - respect! And as someone else commented, dealing with the windlass jam as you did was impressive. Hadn’t realised the Waverley was still down south so late in the year. Like you, it is on my To Do list. All in all a great watch - even if that wouldn’t have been what you were necessarily thinking of at the time! Take care, Dave

[@davesailing]

Thanks for the comments Tony, well I suppose you just have to do what you've got to do. I regret now, not trying to take some video by torchlight. It was a long night. Ok on the Waverly, I'm on their email list now so I'll get to hear when they come back down South. I'll let you know. Bill is interested in a trip too. Best wishes ... Dave

[@sailingrollingstone8723]

Ah so nice. I have done those areas many times over the past few years. Never visited the coves due to our deep draft. We always take the Races way offshore. We were caught out off St Albans by a sudden increase in wind and waves making things very unpleasant... and then the tide turned. We made for Swanage where we anchored comfortably. Great shelter there in a SW. It's always great to watch somebody sailing our home waters... we are based in Cowes.

[@davesailing]

Hi thanks for commenting. It can certainly get very unpleasant off St Albans and Anvil Point with wind against tide. I've had a few moments in the past and then I've had days when there's been very little sea. Top of the tide is probably the best.. But you know that :-) I get across to Cowes quite frequently. Quite like a night up at the Folly and of course you get the cheapest diesel over there :-) Best Wishes ... Dave

[@chrisarnell1]

Good news you found the source of the cooling problem and that its an easy fix. Engine worries for me take all thje joy out of sailing and make everything stressful. That overnight stay in Chapman's Pool must have been miserable for you. Must have been tempting to head back to Lulworth in search of better shelter. Thanks for sharing and well done!

[@davesailing]

Hi Chris, I wasn't sure that Lulworth would have been much more sheltered. I suppose there is a bit more room in Lulworth if I did start dragging. But by the time things were getting a bit awkward in Chapmans Pool, it was getting dark, it was a very dark night, and Lulworth is about an hour away. No Navigational lights in Lulworth. I've gone over the situation again and again. I suspected the impeller, as the inlet was clean and there was some water going through. Anyway I got away with it. Judging by the comments on here, I'm not the first and I guess I won't be the last either. Take care ... Dave

[@stuartwineberg3653]

Glad you made it back in one piece. Always the same, 2 small things happen at the same time. Impeller problem and a wind shift and there you are. We always go round St Albans hard in under the cliff a bit like Portland. Usually very little race there. All the best

[@davesailing]

Hi Stuart, I was a bit casual about the tide - it was Springs, so even the inside passage was running hard. Bit miffed about the impellor, it was a genuine Volvo Penta spare and was replaced at the beginning of the season. Ah well, lesson learned, See you soon ... Dave

[@Mikeandlucy1]

I approached St Albans Head last year after being stuck in Poole Harbour for three days with about 28 knots of wind. The delay may be contributed to me leaving Poole a little sooner than perhaps I should have, in hindsight I should have waited another day to let the swell subside. I was hoping to make the inside passage (how close do you need to go) but when we got there it looked really gnarly. Thought of going offshore to go outside the overfall but that put me beam onto the rather heavy swell and Mrs 1st Mate was not a happy crew member. Ended up turning around and running for shelter in Swanage, dropping the hook in the bay which was giving good protection from the weather and spending another few days safely tucked up out of harm's way before heading back into the Solent where Mrs !st Mate was much happier. My first time trying to round St Albans Head, so not the best experience, hopefully next year conditions will be better but unless the weather is perfect, I think I will give Chapmans Pool a miss when I do.

[@stuartwineberg3653]

@ unlucky I think for a first go at this but a very wise decision. Our first step is to subscribe to the government Lulworth firing times email. If the range is going to be active I radio or phone them and ask how far North I can pass through. They often give you a latitude well North of what you might fear. I then go offshore to meet their requirements. If the range is not active then I go inshore but with the wind and tide. As for Lulworth and Chapmans then stay well away if there any South in the wind. Dave was unlucky with the unexpected increase in wind overnight together with his engine problem.

[@ferney2936]

@@Mikeandlucy1 Chapman's pool is a spooky anchorage...in appearance rather like an open cast coal mine so there's little to recommend it other than as a lunchtime stop & a run ashore in the dinghy

[@SimonJones-jy8ly]

I was on the edge of my chair watching this. Its not clear what time you decided to overnight in Chapmans but I guess the alternative was to head offshore and wait for the west going flow to ease. It might have left you heading into Swanage in the dark ..... possibly the lesser of the evils. Benefit of hindsight, the lunch stop at Lulworth was probably the only error. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@davesailing]

Hi Simon, Thanks for watching. It was probably around 17:30 or so when I decided not to push on against the tide round St Albans and on to Anvil Point. I originally intended to stay a day in Portland and then come back to Portsmouth on the Monday. That would have been the best option even though I would have had to avoid the firing range, because it was a week day. Ah well. it made a good video, and, as you can see from the comments, I've made a few friends who have also experienced troubling times in Chapmans Pool. I never stop learning, but it keeps the 80 year old brain active. Best wishes Dave

[@Zabessa]

Hairy old night there Dave! Back in one piece though so all ok in the end. What doesn't do us in, makes us stronger!

[@davesailing]

Hi James, Yes quite stressful, maybe not a good decision to go in there. I'm still trying to work out what alternatives I had. Thanks for your support - shame about the rabbit :-( Dave

[@Zabessa]

@@davesailing Honestly, knowing the area, other than turning back or getting some serious southing done to creep past St Albans, but with the "iron topsail" playing up, I'm not sure. Either way, now you know that Chapmans Pool is definitely one to avoid if there's any south in the forecast.. (Bit like Braye in Alderney for a NE'er!)

[@davesailing]

Thanks James - Dave

[@antonisimmons4237]

Well done Dave! Quite exiting in the comfort and safety of the front room, never the less very interesting. From a land lubbers point of view. Thanks and stay safe

[@davesailing]

Thanks Tony - it was a long night. I was back in the marina by lunchtime - very quick trip - had lunch in the local cafe and then slept all afternoon.. Cheers ... Dave

[@byEckyThump]

Anchored for lunch in Chapmans Pool once in ideal light northerly. Depth was of more concern. Anchored in Lulworth Cove a few times. Only once used the inshore passage round Portland Bill, eerily calm close inshore where you could hear the wash on the pebbles! Happy memories. Thanks for posting.

[@davesailing]

Thanks for making the effort to comment, good to have you on board :-) It's a lovely area to sail isn't it... Best Wishes ... Dave

[@peternicholls1503]

Loved the video, brught back many happy (although sometimes a little scary) in my friend's Hallberg-Rasey 36 many years ago, in the same area, thank you.

[@davesailing]

Hi Peter, thanks for watching and making the effort to comment. Lucky old you Halberg-Rassey eh. My dream boat. The coast of Dorset, Devon and Cornwall take a bit of beating. Check out the older videos for my trip down to Falmouth a couple of years ago - might bring back even more memories... Best Wishes ... Dave

[@iainmacdonald1170]

Interesting video - many thanks. I know you'd have used Chapman's because of its proximity to St Albans but I've found Worbarrow Bay to be far superior, being able to anchor at ether the east or western ends depending on wind direction. It also makes a great place to depart or arrive at when rounding Portland Bill, particularly if you want to take the offshore route. A pity that outside of August its usually only available at weekends and between 1700-0930 when the Lulworth ranges aren't firing, though their website is worth checking to see if there's other openings. Completely agree abut not tackling the inshore route around St Albans at night; as well as the sea state the lobster pots are an utter menace there.

[@davesailing]

Hi Iain, I've never been in Worbarrow, And I guess it was a bit of, "The Devil you know". Yes the firing range is a bit of a nuisance isn't it. It was a Sunday so another reason why I was close inshore. Good to hear from you ..Best Wishes ... Dave

[@tonyreina4137]

Mmm, seems chapman pool catches out a few skippers. Coming back from Weymouth on an evening tide with the sun just starting to go down, I suggested to my wife let’s anchor for the night. By 0200 it started blowing hard into the pool the yacht was swinging around like a rag doll, I told my wife everything was ok I put out as much chain keeping me clear of the rocks on the shore line. By 0530 I said to my wife we have to go. I pulled the the chain in we were out of there heading for Poole. My wife sat under the canopy looking back words and started reading her book not a word with just the headsail up we were back in Poole in no time, I think she read the complete book with out looking up once.

[@davesailing]

Hi Tony, Good to hear from you. As you say Chapman's pool, has caught a few people out, which makes me feel a bit better, maybe I'm not such a dumbo :-) How long afterwards before your wife talked to you, or was she just unaware of the danger ? Best wishes ... Dave

[@alanharness1960]

Awesome video, what an adventure!

[@davesailing]

Thanks for watching Alan and for commenting. I have to admit it was quite stressful at the time but not quite so stressful now. But I won't go there again 😊 Best Wishes... Dave

[@billbogg3857]

Anchored there some 40 years ago. Had a quiet night but it was well known for being a difficult anchorage. There was a way up the cliff leading to a nice pub.

[@davesailing]

Hi Bill, Thanks for watching and making the effort to comment :-) Like you I've had a couple of quiet nights there in the past. Never got round to the pub though ! I'll be a lot more cautious before I spend the night there again. Best Wishes ... Dave

[@billbogg3857]

@ I can’t see any sign of the pub now on the map.

[@allsearpw3829]

Hi , you did not seem to have much choice ? if you could not make way against the tide . I have been told it is good fishing around there . The Waverly certainly gets a move on , we had to get up to nearly 25 knots to pass it as it went passed Yarmouth a few years back . An ADVETURE to remember , I think I'll stick to 250 hp and my sea going goddess pouring fuel in to get home a lot quicker when the weather turns , one of the worst summers we have ever had ? Thanks for your video and thoughts . 🤔👍✌is yours .

[@davesailing]

Thanks for making the effort to comment, it's much appreciated. The Waverly was rated to do 14 knots back in 1947 with a max of 18 knots - helps being so long and having 1,100 hp. If the engine cooling hadn't been suspect on Zephyr IV, I would probably have wound the old engine up and ploughed along. Trouble is that the reach from St Albans Head to Anvil Point has about the same tidal current and it must be 6 or 7 miles, at 1500 rpm I was barely making any progress against it so it's like motoring 20 + miles. It's amazing how much energy comes from those rags up the mast. 15 knots of wind and we would have ploughed through - but no wind :-( ... I agree about the weather - been a frustrating Summer for me .. Best Wishes .. Dave

[@PSUK]

Grew up in Lulworth. An idyllic childhood. Lovely, interesting post. Thank you.

[@davesailing]

What a lucky person you are - I visited when I was about 14 and thought it was a magical place with rock pools, cliffs to climb and the view of the sea. Thanks for watching ... Best Wishes ... Dave

[@dreamtimesv]

Indeed an anxious night in Chapman Poole especially with the additional worry about the engine. Our gut feelings are usually pretty right, especially with a good deal of life experience behind us and this was evident in your vid from the time you dropped the pick. But you handled it well, including the windlass jam which you didn’t expand on but must have been a pain hand hauling in those conditions. Glad it all turned out well including the engine issue. Impellers, my mechanic often says change every 200 hrs, I change annually regardless. Just bought a puller so I can do it myself if required. Finally the Waverley paddle ship, a special treat. Last year while visiting the Victorian coastline of east Gippsland (AU) we found a plaque and sculpture of a paddle wheel steamship which used to service the area from Melbourne about 400km away, last century. It even did trips to New Zealand over the treacherous Tasman sea, and eventually ended up there working the coastlines. Unfortunately lost in the early 1900s there. I never knew this type of ship could handle such seas so well. Best, Mark

[@davesailing]

As always, good to hear from you Mark. I like to think I was prepared for things going wrong, but it still got the adrenaline going. I hauled that anchor up like a 16 year old I can tell you. Like you I change the impeller every year, this one was a genuine Volvo Penta spare too. It shed one vane, fortunately it stayed in one piece, inside the pump body and didn't migrate up the pipe to the heat exchanger. The Waverly was a special treat. I'd seen her on several occasions during the summer but always from a distance, but there she was, going past a few hundred yards away. Hopefully I'll get a trip on her next year - nice video to look forward to :-) Thanks once again for your comment and support Mark, Take care, enjoy your Summer sailing ... Dave

[@bertie6358]

Hi Dave, yes done that ..most notably in Fishguard, hit bottom and dragging anchor etcetera, no sleep, eventually got into Lower Fishguard for at least a nights sleep! Great boat….she’ll see you right as did our Moody 346.

[@davesailing]

Hi Bertie, I see you joined KZbin on my Birthday 2014 :-) I think dragging anchor when you're single handed is the most difficult to deal with. A remote control at the bow would be so useful. Yes she's a good boat and almost a clone of your Moody. They could have been designed by the same person they are so similar. I was berthed alongside a 346 for a while and me and the owner sat and compared notes - we reckoned you could swap the rigs with minimal change. Thanks for your comment, good to share experiences ... Fair Winds ... Dave

[@mrtbrocks5664]

Been in that situation myself, with only an electric trawling motor as auxiliary. You turn in at dark and all's calm, with land behind you, and a large fetch in front, such that, at midnight, it's blowing hard from the fetch, and stay's that way all night, while you get no sleep. On first light, I sailed out, but it wasn't pretty, and hopefully learned my lesson.

[@davesailing]

You are one of many, if it's any comfort. I visited a couple of times many years ago and had a really nice night, but it was very calm. I'm wondering if I ought to design a tee shirt - "I got caught by Chapmans Pool", we could start a club :-). Thank you for watching and for your comment. Best WIshes ... Dave

[@SteveB-lm8ho]

That black rock 'coal' you mentioned located in the cliff was likely to be oil shale.

[@davesailing]

Hi Steve, Thanks for watching and finding time to comment. Someone else said they thought it was oil shale, which makes sense as it's not too far away from the Wytch farm oilfield on the Southern edge of Poole Harbour. Best Wishes ... Dave

[@DrCrabfingers]

Lulworth Cove is a rocky nightmare...and Chapman's Pool is the same.....both coves are best avoided for night stays...though I've seen it done. For myself...I'd go wide, avoiding the race and anchor at Studland in the lee of Old Harry.

[@davesailing]

Normally I would be further out, the range would have caused that, but I wanted to video Lulworth and Chapmans pool, mainly for my American and Australian followers. Thanks for making the effort to comment. Best Wishes... Dave

[@amandawright5682]

As a Portland person this is interesting 😮

[@davesailing]

Hi Amanda, thanks for watching and making the effort to comment. What's even more interesting, than the video, is the comments and how many other people have had their share of problems in Chapmans Pool. Do you keep your boat in Portland Harbour ? Best Wishes .. Dave

[@josephinebennington7247]

Whooo, first time I’ve seen Chapmans Pool since 1985/6. Kayaked in from Lulworth and camped on the undercliff, west side of St Abans Head.

[@davesailing]

Thanks for watching Josephine - That's quite a paddle from Lulworth.. Best Wishes ... Dave

[@josephinebennington7247]

@ 👍👍. In my 40s at the time, 14k/10 miles was a bit of a doddle. And back the next day. Great coastline, particularly Warbarrow bay and its anticlines and synclines.

[@TheAncientMarinersBlog]

Great video * I sail a Discus, and have no problem holding in 25kts; anything more and its Kedge O'clock, but with no other boats in Chapmans you could perhaps have gone out to 6 or 7x scope. At least the bottom is fairly good in there. * I had a similar problem with steam coming out of my Beta 35 (even with only 600h on the clock); sent a video to Beta, who said it was nothing to worry about. However, I decided to check it from front to back, and just as I tried to lift the heat exchanger stack out I discovered that the final elbow between the water pump and the heat exchanger was blocked solid with salt. Absolutely solid. Impeller was fine, heat exchanger was fine, thermostat, elbow - you name it - but that final inch going into the heat exchanger was completely blocking the water flow. * Just W of Chapmans there is an offshore reef which has caught me out before now (and if that doesn't, the Range Control boat will :-) ) * Last time Chris & I went round St Albans (in his Centaur, last month) it took us 3 or so hours to reach Anvil Point - the tides around Purbeck can be vicious

[@davesailing]

Thanks for your comment, so glad you enjoyed the video. I'd let out lots of chain, I don't think the anchor dragged but as the tide goes out the boat moves back and maybe I'd let out a bit too much and drifted back over the shallower area. Coupled to which the boat was going up and down around 5 feet. When she touched, I was out of there. By then there was a glimmer of light and I could see my way out. It had been such a black night. Ok on your cooling water problem, this was just a vane broke off (very neatly) from the rubber impeller. Fortunately it stayed in one piece and didn't go down the pipe to the heat exchanger. I've had a trip along that shore against the tide, it's brutal, even keeping as close to the shore as you dare. I didn't want to put my engine through that, with limited cooling water flow. Hence the skirmish in Chapman's Pool. Again, thanks for watching .. Best Wishes ... Dave

[@WildlingSailing]

nice!

[@davesailing]

Thanks Mark, I watch and enjoy your videos.. Your optimism in the face of endless problems is inspiring. I'm rooting for you to get that boat sailing and safe. Best wishes... Dave..

[@leedsleedsleeds1747]

I really enjoyed your video

[@davesailing]

Thank you and glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting, I hope you'll subscribe too. Best Wishes ... Dave

[@leedsleedsleeds1747]

@davesailing I have subscribed straight after watching your video

[@davesailing]

@@leedsleedsleeds1747 you are a star, thank you... Dave

[@garryrobson]

Great viewing as always! 👍🏆

[@davesailing]

Thanks Gary - glad you enjoyed it .. Best Wishes ... Dave

[@fatfreddyscat2]

Scary stuff at any age! Great to see Waverley though.

[@davesailing]

Hi Chis and Karin - I have to admit to being really scared. It was a very dark night, no moon, the only lights were two buoys about a mile out that were little flashing specs. So much for weather forecasts, if that had been correct I would have been fine. I've seen the Waverly several times this year but not as close and as clear. Must get a ride on her next year. Dave

[@Constablegrowler]

Nice video.

[@davesailing]

Thank you kind sir, I've enjoyed watching yours, as an ex glider pilot it brought back some nice memories.. Take care ... Dave

[@crashnburnband]

I remember an arched rock over the water at Lulworth Cove?

[@davesailing]

That's just a bit West of the Cove. You climb down a slope and you can swim through the arch out into the channel. I did part of my subaqua training there. There's a more famous one, Durdle Dor even further West. Like your paragliding vids. I used to be a glider pilot so it all looks familiar, but a bit slower :-) Cheers Dave

[@crashnburnband]

@@davesailing Yes I did a beach dive there years ago.

[@scottmcdonald3019]

Well done, you survived !

[@davesailing]

Hi Scott, yes, a bit touch and go at the end. If I'd got it wrong, things would have got very complicated. But all's well that ends well :-) Best Wishes ... Dave

[@trhosking]

Those cliffs are Kimmeridge clay and oil shale.

[@davesailing]

Hi Tim, Thanks for the info I guess oil shale is not so far off coal, what's in a million years between friends. The cliff seemed very unstable, I certainly wouldn't want to walk across the top edge. Quite like the Blind Slim tracks :-) Best WIshes .... Dave

[@StoatLoxley]

Sold my boat 2years ago. Couldnt handle the new weather. Forecast 6-7knts actual 12-30knts too scary in a 23ft yacht. Also months and months of 30+ winds.

[@davesailing]

I can totally understand the reason for selling your boat. I have had a 22 footer and a 24 footer in the past. Neither of them would be much fun in 30 knots of wind. This summer has seen a lot of brisk westerlies and even in Zephyr IV, which is 34 feet it has been challenging on occasions. Thanks for watching and making the effort to comment, much appreciated.. Best Wishes ... Dave

[@boyscott7193]

Great video. I bet you needed a rest after that disturbed night. There is an interesting book about a tragedy in Chapman's pool called The loss of the SS Treveal by David Pushman

[@davesailing]

Yes, I certainly needed some sleep. I was ok until I moored up in Royal Clarence - I dragged myself to the local cafe for lunch. Dragged myself back to the boat and slept all afternoon... I've found the book on Ebay, I'll get a copy, looks like a good read.. Thanks for making the effort to comment... Best Wishes ... Dave

[@rogerswyer5357]

Love the idea, too scary though.

[@davesailing]

Hi Roger, thanks for watching and for commenting. Well it's not all like that, I've had some very gentle visits to Chapmans pool in the past. It's been a bit breezy this year though.. Best Wishes ... Dave

[@jonburgess9821]

I had the pleasure of sailing a 47' Hanse for about 10 years and I have probably done everything you shouldn't do in the Channel at least once! I did on one occasion approach Chapmans Pool with a view to stopping overnight, but didn't like its' openess so moved on, so that's one mistake I didn't make! I never could get into Lulworth, by the time we arrived there either from Cowes our home berth or Portland our usual stop, it had filled up by those vessels that burn lots of fossil fuel to go places quickly!

[@davesailing]

Hi Jon, good to hear from you, thanks for making the effort to comment. I've stayed overnight a couple of times in Chapmans pool, but many years ago, and in very calm conditions and it was fine. As you can see from the video I was apprehensive about staying there. It wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been so dark, very low cloud, no moon, just black. Anyway, judging by the comments I certainly wasn't the first or the last to have a worrying night in there. It can be very rolly in Lulworth too. I haven't stayed overnight for many many years but I can remember a couple of occasions when I've had to use leeboards to stay in my bunk.. Best Wishes ... Dave

[@gutsnobrain]

Hi! KZbin lately offered your video to me and I found your vessel looking very similar to mine, but mine is a center cockpit. Could it be a westerly? I am retired too and sailing my Westerly oceanquest 35 cc mostly in the baltic sea, but went this year to the shetlands. Great video you made.

[@davesailing]

Hey thanks for the comment and yes, Zephyr IV is a Westerly Ocean Quest. The first of the Aft Cockpit versions. The previous owner ordered her from Westerly and she appeared at the London Boat show in 1993. She sails well, especially now I have fitted a feathering propeller, and I never worry about her in strong winds and rough seas. I guess you feel the same about yours :-) Best Wishes ... Dave

[@gutsnobrain]

@ Wirrwarr is our first boat and I bought her in 2020. This boat proved herself fitting perfect to our needs. We gave her some upgrades too, but a feathering propeller was not yet among them. So what did you choose? Our biggest change so far was a bowextension. Its now so much easier to get of and on board especially in most of the harbours in the Baltic Sea. Greetings from Austria Jürgen

[@davesailing]

Hi Jurgen, I bought Zephyr IV at the end of 2020, first season of sailing was 2021. I chose a Featherstream propeller manufactured in the UK by Darglow just along the coast from my home marina. It's a lovely bit of engineering and it has made a significant difference to our sailing speed. Not cheap and you have to go through a few hoops to get one. They like to have your old propeller to be sure that the Featherstream has the correct taper etc. They also want your engine type and serial number of your gearbox. More info here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/narSppZ5m8qVl6s Best Wishes ... Dave

[@mikethrower742]

Chapmans Pool can be lovely but I was there a couple of years ago and th slight north easterly was strengthened to 20kts by a katabatic effect during the night. I t became very unpleasant and all the other boats left, fortunately my spade anchor held beautifully. By the morning, the wind dropped again and it became idyllic anchorage…… so keep your options open if you visit……. even in northerly conditions…….

[@msf60khz]

WE also anchored in a F3 NE wind, and in the night we were struck by F7 williwaws. The cliffs look very close at night but they are not.

[@davesailing]

Thanks Mike, I only visited in very light winds before and it was idyllic, soon changes by the sound of it... Best Dave

[@4578simonhi]

Not sure why this popped up on my suggested videos but I'm glad it did. Maybe becuase I live in Pompey? Anyway, I really enjoyed this video and will subscribe and look through some more.

[@davesailing]

Hi Simon, good to have you along, thank you so much for subscribing. Best WIshes .... Dave

[@jeremyrowley1240]

i hope you found and retrieved all parts of the missing blade. Normally found impaled on the heat exchanger element.

[@davesailing]

Hi Jeremy, yes one blade sheared off very neatly, stayed intact and within the pump body. I was dreading it had ended up in the heat exchanger. I'd had that to bits and refurbished it at the beginning of the year and I really didn't want to take it bits, yet again. I liked your video of your Atlantic crossing. I can watch water go past all day :-) Best wishes .... Dave

[@jeremyrowley1240]

@@davesailing Many thanks, I can, and did, watch the sea go by all day too. Never tire of it. When i bought my yacht there were bits of a number of blades impaled on the heat exchanger. The nobody had bothered to retrieve them.

[@simonnicolascosta.borncost3677]

hope you have some nice fish on reels or a couple of boat rods for supper

[@davesailing]

Hi Simon, to be honest the last thing on my mind was fishing :-) Best ... Dave

[@andrewlaming]

We started bouncing up.and down on a rock anchored just about exactly there

[@davesailing]

Hi Andrew, oooh! I don't think I touched a rock, it felt pretty soft, thank goodness. Lovely to hear from you. Enjoyed the surfing GoPro video on your channel :-) Best Wishes ... Dave

[@fish-hawk5903]

Dare I ask, what type your anchor is? 😉 Very entertaining, as anything alarming always is. Great footage approaching The Needles too.

[@davesailing]

I'm not sure whether it's a proper CQR but similar, a plough anchor, 35 LB I think. It was on the boat when I bought it. It doesn't like weedy bottoms but works well in mud. Chapmans Pool is sand and gravel. It came up completely clean, like it had been sand blasted. Glad you enjoyed it. Check out some of the other videos - a few coming into the Solent in boisterous conditions. Best Wishes ... Dave

[@fish-hawk5903]

​@@davesailingIt amazes me how many armchair sailors fret about whether their anchors are as "high-holding-power" as the newest designs on the market...meanwhile, active yachtsmen like yourself go on using CQRs that may be as old as their boats, without any problem. Bravo!

[@davesailing]

@@fish-hawk5903 Well the anchor was on the boat and though the galvanising is getting a bit thin it works. It's dragged twice. Once in Poole harbour - when I pulled it up it had a keep net around it !. The second time in Newtown Creek. It wasn't just me that dragged, just about all the anchored boats did. When I pulled up the anchor It was completely encased in a ball of weed. The trick really, and all the teachers and books tell you this, is scope. A good length of heavy chain will almost anchor the boat by itself but it also produces a horizontal pull on the anchor so it sets well. On my previous boat I had a Danforth - that worked well for me too.

[@matthewbeard752]

It was racing pretty strongly there, around St Alban's Head. Do you know how far off shore you would have needed to go to be out of it? Nice sailing under challenging circumstances. Well done.

[@davesailing]

Hi Matthew you'd probably have to be out 4 or 5 miles I would think. It depends so much on the state of the tide and the wind. Sometimes it's not rough at all or just over quite a small area. It was pretty windy, 25 knots plus so that kicks up quite a sea. Zephyr IV takes it in her stride and I was more or less going down wind. It was rolly but not that unpleasant.. Best Wishes ... Dave

[@richardfowler9901]

Dad done a lot of training there ww2 we went there a lot as a kids never said much about his experience.rip dad

[@davesailing]

Hi Richard, Thank for commenting. If you're like me, there are lots of things you wished you'd asked your dad about while he was alive... Best Wishes ... Dave

[@Mad-Coo]

sounds like rope in the prop?

[@davesailing]

Hi - thanks for watching and your comment :-). Two things, the shaft has a rope cutter so though a bit might initially cause problem it would quickly get shredded. The engine didn't slow down, it was just lacking in cooling water throughput. At the end of the video I explain why this is, sounds you got bored and didn't get to that bit :-) You take care ... Best Wishes ... Dave

[@simonnicolascosta.borncost3677]

might find some dinosuars in the rock fall have you got an under water camera in waterproof housing y die go pro 4k

[@davesailing]

Oh there you are again. Hello Simon. I don't use a GoPro, I have a Sony EV-1 and 90% of my video is from that. Best Wishes .. Dave

[@Fishcakebreadcake]

Bit touch and go that, as the old saying goes.

[@davesailing]

Hi John, well that's exactly how I'd describe it. Felt quite lucky to have got away with it.. Good to hear from you.. Best Wishes ...Dave

[@stogmot1]

if it wasnt scary ,it wouldnt be so much fun . An adventure

[@davesailing]

Hi George, I guess you're right - but at the time, it didn't seem such a good idea. I see you had a Trapper 501 for a while. I worked for Deacons boatyard in the late 1970's and they were selling the Trapper 500. I taught a few people to sail on them. Not a bad little boat, quite easily driven. Good to hear from you. Best Wishes ... Dave

[@fatfreddyscat2]

Karin watched with me. She was holding onto her seat. She says 'hi you mad fool'.

[@davesailing]

Hi Karin - you missed a bit out - Hi you old mad fool :-) Best Wishes ... Dave

[@davepoultney4719]

If you’d have gone 5-6 miles offshore you’d have still had loads of flood tide to get up as far as Swanage.

[@davesailing]

Maybe, tidal atlas showed I was a bit late for that. Amazing Dolphin video, I've never seen any this side of Portland Bill, they were big and close for you :-) Best Wishes ... Dave

[@davepoultney4719]

@ we see them all the time. And each year there are a few more. Love seeing the calves with them too! Don’t forget also that NCI on ch65 can give you upto date forecasts and local tides and hazards…

[@nickwebb9290]

👍

[@davesailing]

Thank you Nick, all the best ... Dave

[@alistairbaird3711]

Not even nice in a northerly because of katabatic wind swirling around. I have fought a foul neap tide round StAlbans in the dark and made 1kn sog for two hours until the tide eased. Yes, the pool is horrible. Well done.

[@davesailing]

Hi Alistair, I must admit my previous experiences with Chapman's Pool have been in very light winds so the effects that you describe were not apparent. But I can imagine them :-( I must admit I was a bit lax in my tidal checking and it's a long time ago since I went round St Albans close to the shore. I won't make the same mistake again in a hurry. Best Wishes, thanks for the comment. Dave

[@davidsinclair6425]

I know its pedantic and irrelevant to your predicament however the ensign should have come down at sunset 🙂

[@ozwzrd]

Head gasket...

[@davesailing]

Possibly - but the raw water impellor had shed a vane, which stayed in the pump body, fortunately. Replaced the impellor when I got back and it seems ok now. Much more water coming out of the exhaust.. But it's an old engine, I always keep a close eye on it :-) Good to hear from you. Best wishes ... Dave

[@simonnicolascosta.borncost3677]

im attempting to work out how to buy a seamaster 23 and place a volvo or yanmar or 2 in it which i would strip and make sure is 100 percent then strip out the boat and make it as open plan as possible problems are always the right to reside with a residential mooring even though my family have 400 years of merchant history ! i cant get a mooring to live aboard in cowes where i was born and is my birth ! england is full of loonatic re g u lations and why should i not live aboard my own boat anywhere in the world i could except europe so if you have a good marine insurance company and can let me know the name for a house boat or 2 week move on move on to colombia panama tax free

[@davesailing]

Hi Simon, There's lots of people living on boats up the Medina. I don't know much about residential moorings. I live on board Zephyr IV most of the summer, but take trips, as you can see. It's not been a problem. for me. But the boat is ready to sail it doesn't look like it never will, like some of them with weed halfway up the topsides and plastic containers all down the decks covered in green algae. Good luck with it ... Dave

[@simonnicolascosta.borncost3677]

@@davesailing i lived there back in the 1970s on a house boat "sol y vent " got my driving licence which took me around the world several times 60 nations and my first employment was rolling barrels up the gang planks of the ryde queen discoteque which was so brilliant loading all the crates of beverages and small beers to baby chams i think i have to be near ryde to be "the mermaid gin merchant navy ! and will just have to move every 2 weeks buy a nice incubator 16 egg and breed ducks and quail and geese and all birds fleglings it would be brilliant to have a lobster pot crab pot on board and if i catch females with eggs breed in tanks from recycled glass gurnard luck to other areas newtown bembridge hamble and sail across from the rya to see my mum im paying water and electric in london about 1200 pounds a year which would be my mooring as i would have solar wind and free energy generators on board maybe even hydrogen innovation to be in deisel engines ??