Gulls Eye

GULL’S EYE

PORTLAND MARINA

50’34”21N 002’27”05W Cruise back in time with a stay on Dorset’s beautiful Jurassic coast. Sam Fortescue explores

HARBOUR OFFICE

LIFT OUT

FUEL BERTH

N

DRY STACK APPROACH

Once through the breakwaters of the outer harbour, turn slightly west of southwest towards the marina entrance. The marina dry stack building is easy to spot and a good landmark to guide you in.

CHESIL BEACH

HARD STANDING

Out on a limb at the end of the restless miles of Chesil Beach lies the Isle of Portland, jutting into the tidal streams of the English Channel.

It’s not a real island, of course, being tied to the Dorset coast, but it is a dramatic windswept place of tremendous beauty. e marina lies in the lee of Chesil

Beach, on the northeast side of

Portland, where it is protected from the prevailing southwesterlies, and from unseasonal easterly weather by the mighty stone breakwater of Portland Harbour. e world’s largest manmade harbour on its completion in 1872, it had been an important naval station since the days of Henry VIII, and grew as a counterweight to

Cherbourg across the Channel.

Portland played a key role launching troops and Mulberry harbours at D-Day, and was a erwards a centre for weapons research, training and a naval helicopter base until 1995. ese days, the port runs commercial operations, hosts the Boatfolk marina and the National Sailing

Academy. A generation of sailing stars has trained here, with the sailing events of the London 2012 Olympic Games being fought out in the harbour.

Visitors can enjoy excellent walking along Portland’s famous limestone cli s, which run down to the boulder-strewn tip of Portland Bill with its famous lighthouse (and e Lobster Pot Café). “ ere’s also Tout Quarry,” says Bee Woodland of Boatfolk, “perfect for a gentle amble through whilst sculpture-spotting with pieces by local and international artists scattered throughout the quarry.”

Dorset’s breathtaking Jurassic cli s run east towards Swanage and Poole Harbour and west towards Lyme Regis, where Mary Anning discovered one of the rst fossils of an ichthyosaur. Besides walking, there’s coasteering and rock climbing here. is coast is also rich with seafood, and there are plenty of opportunities to try top-notch fresh sh, crab and scallops locally. Some of England’s top sparkling wines are produced nearby from Dorset grapes, and local brews include Palmers ale from Bridport and Badger in Blandford. With its traditional family farms, Dorset o ers rich pickings for foodies.

ABOVE

Excellent shelter and a beautiful backdrop at Portland

BELOW

Approaches to Weymouth, which is just adjacent to Portland and features a second Boatfolk marina

50’34”21N 002’27”05W

HARBOUR GUIDE

Portland Marina is run by Boatfolk, and it is located on the centre of Portland Harbour, where the island fades into the low-lying shingle of Chesil Beach. Berthholders rate the friendly sta and plentiful social activities on o er, with Ribeye driver Mandy Harraway saying: “We were made to feel so welcome by all the sta – everyone helped us as rst time boaters. Everyone joins in with all the events: Santa paddle boarding, dancing, Portland Week festival with music out on the water.”

With 130 berths, it began to emerge from the disused naval site in 2007. A reported quarter of a million tonnes of local Portland stone was used to construct an 875m-long breakwater to enclose the pontoons, and it was o cially opened in 2009 by the Duke of Edinburgh. e marina is purpose built and bene ted from the widespread regeneration of the Osprey Quay area of Portland vacated by the Royal Navy. Further investment was ploughed in to bring the facilities up to the standard required to host the 2012 Olympic sailing events. e result is a modern, well-equipped marina.

Visitor berthing is well catered for, with up to 30 pontoon berths

earmarked. Minimum depth is 4m and there’s berthing for boats up to 40m (the TS Royalist is a regular visitor). ere’s water, electricity and wi included with your overnighting costs, as well as access to the modern 24-hour showers and loos. Other handy services include a fuel dock and a pump-out station, a chandler’s and a scrub-down service.

You can nd all the key services here, from mechanics and electricians to fabricators and general shipwrights. e o ce should be your rst port of call on this.

Copious car parking is available free for visitors to use once your numberplate is registered with the main o ce. If you don’t have your own wheels, you can walk into Weymouth in about 30 minutes or jump on the regular bus service. e railway from Weymouth connects Bristol and London. e marina itself o ers some excellent eating options if you fancy trying some local specialities. e Boat at Rocks is a restaurant/ bar with outdoor seating that is on site, as is the café-gallery at Taylor’s Mess Deck. Half a mile south, and overlooking the beach and Lyme Bay, Quiddles is a good spot for a sundowner. On the other side of the isthmus leading to Weymouth are two more good options: Billy Winter’s bar and Diner and the excellent Crab House Café.

Berth holders are able to spend a night or two at sister marinas, including the one in Weymouth, at no extra cost.

Berthholder’s view

Chris Morton, Pogo 850

“I’ve been seven years at Portland Marina. When I started, I was living on my boat. It had great facilities, nice showers, laundry plus a little pub and restaurant. “Nowadays, I race in exclusively solo o shore series through the summer months, based at the JOG line at Cowes, in a mixture of boats and classes: a lot of Sunfasts, Minis, Figaros and traditional IRC boats; a mix of people. I got down to Wolf Rock once, up to Ireland and also over the Channel. “I spend a lot of time traipsing from Portland up to Yarmouth, where I have family. I use the sister marina Boatfolk has in East Cowes, where you can drop down and sit on the end of their pontoons. “When I’m not racing, I sail every weekend. I just potter around Weymouth Bay, or to Lulworth. I like the section between Kimmeridge and St Alban’s, where the cli s look like the big ones you see in Wyoming, with rock and scree. Sometimes I anchor in Worbarrow - either corner is very good if it’s very settled or you have a westerly wind; holding is quite reliable. “In the marina itself, The Boat that Rocks is great – very friendly and they’ll even take a food order when you’re on the way down. I also like the Cove in Portland. That’s the benefi t of the marina: all the peace and tranquillity of the harbour, but you’ve got the chandlery, the cafes – everything you need.”

FACTFILE

PORTLAND HARBOUR

Open: 24/7 Tel: +44 1305 866190 VHF: Ch80 Email: portland@boatfolk.co.uk Website: boatfolk.co.uk

Facilities:

Pontoon berths Water/electricity Free wifi 24-hour security Berthing assistance Boat and trailer storage Pump-out station Diesel/petrol Cooking gas – Calor (not blue Campingaz) Recycling Showers and toilets (accessible 24/24 hours) Laundry 50t Wise hoist On site café and restaurant Chandlery and supplies

Berthing fees:

Daily: £3.75/m Weekly:£22.50/m Monthly: from £80/m Short stay (<4hrs): £15-20 Annual: £558/m

Services:

50-tonne Wise travel lift can handle boats up to 22m long and 5.5m in the beam Dorset boatcare: All aspects of repair and refi t including mechanical engineering, Coppercoat application and valeting. Chandlery based in boatcare o ce (unit 11) – 01305 818550, portland@boatcare.co.uk

Other useful numbers:

Mechanical Services – 01305779379, mechanicalservicesltd.co.uk Craft Care Marine Services – 07972 329463, craftcaremarine.co.uk Dan Stuttle Marine Services – 07973 325180 Marine Tec – 01305 820924, marine-tec.co.uk

Ocean Electric Ltd – 07768 533119, oceanelectrics.co.uk

Clarks Boatworks – 01305860265, clarksboatworks.co.uk Richard Woof Marine – 01305 826142

Wright Way Boat Cleaning – 07854 694917, boatcleaner4u.co.uk Mobile Yacht Maintenance – 07780 950467

Moatt Sails – 01305 824254, moattsails.co.uk Coastal Customs Ltd – 07919 521560, coastalcustomsuk.com AD Gordon Yacht Rigging – 07774 633419 Apollo Marine Systems Ltd – 01305 860220

PASSAGE PLANNING

Portland Marina lies on the northeast side of the Isle of Portland, protected from the prevailing southwesterlies. Access from the east is relatively straightforward, with no hazards in the approaches to the breakwaters. The tide is the biggest factor, especially round St Alban’s and Durlston Head south of Swanage. You’ll want to time your passage here around slack water if you want to make progress. Note that overfalls extend for miles southwest of St Alban’s Head, so if you’re taking advantage of the ebb you’ll want to stand well off – the more so if there’s any sort of west in the wind.

Coming up from the West Country, you’ll first have to round the formidable obstacle that is Portland Bill. With close attention to the pilot guide, this can be entirely pain-free, but get it wrong and you’ll find yourself plugging into a violent race that has swallowed ships without leaving any trace.

The water is deep off the Bill, and you can slide by a few cables out if you’ve got the stomach for it. Again, this passage is best made at slack water for the smoothest conditions. Note that a useful/infuriating back

ABOVE

Portland Bill on a calm day should still be treated with caution eddy runs down the eastern side of the Bill for 10 hours in every 12 at up to 5 knots. The alternative is to round several miles out, clear of the well charted overfalls.

Entry to Portland Harbour is simple, as long as you observe the navigation instructions. The south ship channel entrance to the harbour is blocked by the wreck of HMS Hood and should never be used. Instead, choose between the eastern ship channel and the northern entrance.

The most hassle-free option is the route in from the north, where the fairway is marked and lit. Heading southwest on around 220 degrees, pass two port cans, then turn due south around the third. The marina lies half a mile further south, with its entrance angled towards the northwest. Beware of the swinging moorings laid just to the west of this path.

Some 95 per cent of the commercial traffic uses the east ship channel, but sailing boats may do so too. First of all, call up Portland Port on VHF Ch. 74 to check you are safe to proceed. Once through the breakwaters, turn slightly west of southwest towards the marina entrance. Boatfolk says that the marina dry stack building is usually easy to spot and provides a good landmark.

There are traffic signals on both entrances and if either is lit, you should steer clear. There is a six-knot speed limit in force.

USEFUL CONTACTS

Southampton Coastguard

+44 2380 329 486

Portland Port

+44 1305 824044

Weymouth Marina

+44 1305 767 576

Weymouth Harbour

+44 1305 838 423

The Boat That Rocks

+44 1305 823000

Taylor’s Mess Deck Café

+44 7813 983782

Quiddles Café

+44 1305 820651

Billy Winter’s Beach Bar

+44 1305 774954

Crab House Café

+44 1305 788867

Sea Life Weymouth

+44 1305 761070

Taxis

Weyline: +44 1305 777777 Jurassic Coast Travel: +44 7532 120000 Fleetline: +44 1305 777333