The Chichester Harbour Entrance Is a Pussy-cat When You Get it Right

PicoMicroYacht sea voyaging is limited during the winter months because of the cold sea.

The sea temperature in December is such that, with no protective clothing, dexterity is lost in about ten to fifteen minutes of immersion, and exhaustion and loss of consciousness within one to two hours.  My rule is to only go to sea at this time of year if there is no wind, a neapish tide and no overfall areas.

An alternative is to row in the many estuaries around the South Coast of England, including Chichester Harbour.

Yesterday I set off from the west side of this harbour and crossed the entrance, reaching a popular mooring spot, called East Head. The route passed the East Winner bank.

Screenshot of the entrance to Chichester Harbour. The East Winner Bank is in the centre, with the main entrance to the left of this. East Head is the triangular shaped dune area that 'hinges' off the main coast to the right in the picture.

The voyage involved scooting across the entrance, with some largish waves coming in, but protection from the shingle banks.

The Chichester Harbour entrance is to be respected. According Brendan Chandler, the Chichester entrance is a 'pussy-cat when you get it right and a b******d when you get it wrong'  (from: David Rainsbury's book Fearsome Passages: A Personal Exploration of Some Infamous Waters).

I was mindful of this as I set off, hearing the roaring sound of the surf as it crashed across the fearsome East Winner shingle bank.  The inky grey sky and sea added to the atmosphere. Nobody was about.

Soon I was opposite the East Winner and making sure I kept a reasonable distance. As the light faded I watched the waves breaking in a line across the bank. Many ships have run onto this bank and been wrecked.

As I neared East Head, the sea calmed and the wind moderated. I was able to focus more on my rowing rhythm.

Returning to my starting point, I was greeted by some cheery yacht sailors and we drank beer in a sailing club, exchanging stories of yachting adventures.

Mine was about a tug close to the  Chichester Harbour entrance as I returned in the dark, The tug was towing a huge barge and it let out it's towing line to about 200 metres. It then exited the harbour, shining a flashlight on the line and checking the barge position. We reflected on the steering skills needed to avoid wrapping the line round a navigation buoy when in such close quarters.