[Closed] Bristol Channel (boating content)

Depending on your skill level, yes of course it's feasible. Not the easiest stretch of water to go out on - the stream can be faster than 4 knots at Avonmouth! You need therefore to know what you're doing, be able to use a chart and pay careful attention to the tides, but provided you do that there are no hidden dangers.

I'm planning on doing a crossing from Penarth to WSM via the Holms in a kayak at some point next year - lots of flow going on there, so I have to get the timings right, but it shouldn't be an epic. Similar crossings have been made by plenty of others.

It's really the ideal application for a hovercraft.

It's really the ideal application for a hovercraft.

Which is why BARB have two, with a new fast replacement for their small craft being sought.
Would I sail a boat across from Bristol to Cardiff? Hmmm, I've spent many hours over many years around or crossing the Severn, and I'd want to be very, very experienced, particularly with regards to navigation before even thinking about it. Quite apart from the speed of the current and the tides, there are lots of shoals and narrow channels that are visible from the bridges at low tide, but very difficult to navigate around once the tide starts to rise.
[edit] The steam ship is the Waverley, a paddle steamer, which runs trips. I've been on her for an evening works trip, and it was great fun. I've seen the Matthew making her way upstream too. [/edit]

BARB?

Hi Molgrips

You're right in that it can be a bit tricky, and you need to have a firm grasp of navigation (and the effects of wind and tide) before attempting a crossing, but it's perfectly feasible (and very pleasant on a good day) to sail up and down the river.

There are several sailing clubs on the river around Bristol:

Portishead Cruising Club http://www.portisheadcruisingclub.org.uk/
Portishead Yacht and Sailing Club http://www.pysc.org.uk/
Thornbury Sailing Club http://www.thornburysc.org.uk/

All of the above welcome new members (I'm a member of Thornbury Sailing Club) and offer training, plus there are always people with boats who need crew members.

Go on, you might like it!

Always fancied sailing, and have done it a few times, but it's too much to fit in alongside everything else, currently... My dream is one day to sail from Cardiff to [url= http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Fond+du+Lac,+WI,+USA&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=16.418835,32.124023&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Fond+du+Lac,+Wisconsin,+United+States&z=12 ]the town where my in-laws live[/url], moor the boat up and walk to their house 🙂

Start with small steps, and you'll realise your dream!

Yeah, well I need a big expensive yacht, so that's a fairly big step to begin with 🙂

I have seen (twice) canal narrow boats making thier way from Portishead/Mouth of the Avon (coming down from the Kennet and Avon canal?), presumably to travel upriver and enter the Gloucester ship canal at Sharpness.

If you ever want to see something that looks like a sure suicide mission, check out that design of boat attempting that trip. It might be safer than it looks but I would not do it for anything, its terrifying just to watch them try to turn in the current to even start heading up the Severn.

Sorry, BARB = Burnham Area Rescue Boats. They got the first big hovercraft through public donation after Lelaina, a five year old girl got stuck in the mud and drowned when the tide came in. A lifeboat obviously couldn't come inshore, and it took too long for rescue teams to get boards onto the soft mud to effect a rescue. They have two craft now, and they're always being called out because stupid grockles ignore the warning signs and walk out onto the mudflats, or try to cross the Parrett to get to Weston-Super-Mare from Brean. Or get cars stuck.