1st Leg - Scotland to Falmouth

[Chuteman]

An "out of towner" looking for experienced guidance & suggestions for a trip from Ardrossan to Falmouth or vicinity to prepare for 2nd leg to Med.

Would like to Day Sail my way down (in May)- so any favorite anchorages (preference) or marinas especially with any on-shore attraction would be helpful.

Ireland - should I consider a stop or two there too?

So far Admiralty Chart(s) is the only item mentioned by chart outlet in states.
So any Pilot book(s) or other local material or websites to help would be appreciated

Thanks in advance!
P.S. Posted in Liveaboard section but member suggested this would be better

 

[joha]

Scotland to Falmouth

Ardrossan - Bangor (N.I.) - Howth - Cork - Falmouth.

These are not day sails! but good stop over in Bangor, good marina in Howth and the Royal Cork in Crosshaven is good then Falmouth!

John

 

[lustyd]

Portavadie marina is nice, Peel on the Isle of Man is great for a night, as is Douglas. Holyhead is a bit bleak, although it was blowing a 10 while we were there so that may have contributed to the bleakness. Milford Haven was a nice stopover too.

 

[Ubergeekian]

An "out of towner" looking for experienced guidance & suggestions for a trip from Ardrossan to Falmouth or vicinity to prepare for 2nd leg to Med.

Ardrossan - Portpatrick - Peel - erm, south.

 

[earlybird]

If you want possible anchorages,depending on conditions, Lamlash, 12M, for a gentle start, then Red Bay,NI is 45M. After which the Irish coast is your oyster. If you want to stick to the Scottish side from Ardrossan, Loch Ryan, 40M, offers shelter, but is traversed by ferries.
English coast is best avoided, at least down to Wales.

 

[hlb]

An "out of towner" looking for experienced guidance & suggestions for a trip from Ardrossan to Falmouth or vicinity to prepare for 2nd leg to Med.

Would like to Day Sail my way down (in May)- so any favorite anchorages (preference) or marinas especially with any on-shore attraction would be helpful.

Ireland - should I consider a stop or two there too?

So far Admiralty Chart(s) is the only item mentioned by chart outlet in states.
So any Pilot book(s) or other local material or websites to help would be appreciated

Thanks in advance!
P.S. Posted in Liveaboard section but member suggested this would be better

pp


Port Patrick is a good gate way. Then either IOM or Ireland. IOM quickest, then Hollyhead, **** place. Even with new marina. We did Pwhlleli next then Milford Haven. Then Padstow and Newyin. Much depends what your looking for. Newlyn meant cheap fuel and any time entrance., or exit.

Port Dincline (Welsh spelling) Nevin. Lovely place and sheltered from most winds, exceped all the ones we got.

 

[dt4134]

Glenarm is a cheaper stopover than Bangor, albeit with less facilities. Depending upon your passage planning speed, leave there at the start of the flood through the North Channel, or even earlier, and head to Peel.

Anchoring in Loch Ryan is an alternative to Glenarm.

Ardglass is an all-tide alternative to Peel. Peel is only accessible HW+/-2 and the tidal flap itself decides when it is going to rise or drop, so don't push your luck.

Dun Laoghaire is, I think, cheaper than Howth for one night. Holyhead is an alternative.

You can go into Arklow then Kilmore Quay, but to be honest after Dun Laoghaire it is more a matter of going for it and heading straight to Lands End then Falmouth. Even Kilmore Quay to the Scillies would be circa 24 hours in a reasonably fast boat.

Other tips:

1) the banks down the E coast of Ireland are more or less where they were when surveyed in the 19th century and the charts are OK if you don't try to rely on inch perfect GPS navigation.

2) Weakest tides between South Rock and Rockabill.

3) Tides are strong from Howth south and sometimes you just have to take the hit on a passage. Wind against tide can be rough. Make sure you avoid fighting the tide at Tuskar, and also avoid wind against tide at that point, especially if significant Atlantic swell is involved.

 

[dt4134]

Just noticed that you were from the US and were also asking about charts.

Imray chart C63 is good enough for the Firth of Clyde.

I'd use Admiralty Charts for the E coast of Ireland - but still look at when the surveys were actually undertaken - most of them post date Captain Bligh.

Imray would be good enough for Tuskar to Lands End and into Falmouth.

Don't even think of going into the Scillies without a good Admiralty chart. Beautiful place to visit though but lots of vicious rocks.

 

[Lady Campanula]

Just noticed that you were from the US and were also asking about charts.

Imray chart C63 is good enough for the Firth of Clyde.

I'd use Admiralty Charts for the E coast of Ireland - but still look at when the surveys were actually undertaken - most of them post date Captain Bligh.

Imray would be good enough for Tuskar to Lands End and into Falmouth.

Don't even think of going into the Scillies without a good Admiralty chart. Beautiful place to visit though but lots of vicious rocks.

I would firmly recommend to you, as a visitor, the Memory Map Marine Charting Software provided you have a netbook, laptop or Smartphone device to give you a display. You may link a suitable GPS receiver to provide position on screen, making an effective simple chartplotter.

At £40 for very extensive chart coverage, I don't think you could find better value.

Also, in approaching the Isles of Scilly, do note that one can enter the 'fiord' of New Grimsby Harbour from the NW in any sea state and height of tide, then find sheltered and secure moorings and/or anchorage, several hotel/pubs, and rather a lot of interest after a passage from Eire/Tuskar or further along the not-to-be-missed coast of County Cork.

Have a good trip....

 

[snooks]

Ard-Bangor-Ardglass-Howth-Arklow-Milford Haven-Padstow-Scilly-Newlyn-Falmouth

All day sails, we're hoping to leave Largs on the 16th of this month and do a few overnighters the plan is to leave sat afternoon to Lamlash, then Howth, Arklow / m Haven, Padstow, Newlyn, Falmouth. But it all depends on the weather

 

[Sgeir]

As above - all good advice. Just work off your charts, and take weather/wind/shelter into account. The US freely publishes Sailing Directions (NOAA or something like that), so, if it's passage planning, you won't need much else. If the wind is westish, which it usually is, creep down the east side of Ireland (perhaps calling in at Peel, IoM).

Fair winds!

 

[Chuteman]

Wonderful - Helpful - Much Appreciated

Wow, thanks to ALL for the responses, suggestions, hints & ideas.

I've been taking the towns/anchorages & using Google Map to get oriented.
Will pick up the chart(s) shortly.

A few comments:
Sgeir - under the heading = Learn Something new everyday (especially sailing)
I was not familiar with Sailing Directions published by NGIA but I found it.
So Thank You..........for others - see menu at top of web page
http://msi.nga.mil:80/NGAPortal/MSI.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=msi_portal_page_62&pubCode=0011

Lady C - thanks for the heads up on the Software - that is one item that has to be settled - Chartplotter on-board needs Card (don't ask)

dt4134 - thanks for chart suggestions

hlb - "then Hollyhead, **** place. Even with new marina" ......humm, wonder
what that looks like?

Again, Thanks to all - gave me lots to work with.........But if others would like to contribute - it will also be appreciated

 

[Chuteman]

Forgot One

This might deserve a separate Thread but I'll start here..........
What would be the best Port / Harbour to use for preparing for crossing to Med?

When I say preparing that would include incoming Crew, secure place for boat in case I want to visit friends nearby, provisioning and marine services/supplies for those items that will probably come up and wait for good weather window.

Falmouth was a general port I threw out before but not locked in at all. Might be a better port before I get that far or beyond.

Thoughts?

 

[snooks]

For many, Falmouth is the last British port that they see on their round the world adventures and the first one the see on their return. For good reasons too. It all weather, all tide, big enough to accommodate an ocean liner and has all the facilities a yachtsman could want. It has More Marinas, moorings and anchorages for everyone and sits at the entrance to the beautiful Fal River. What more could you want?

 

[Quandary]

Worth looking at your chart before going to some of the Irish ports mentioned above, some of them are in the opposite direction from the route you want to go.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Ireland - should I consider a stop or two there too?

I assume you are American in which case you may have some "links" to Ireland. If you havent , then I would not suggest the inconvenience of going across the Irish sea to Eire - passports/ different currency etc. We have similar geographies, and mostly common culture or to put it another way, the differences between us and the Irish are much smaller than between the two of us and the French for example. But thats a personal choice.

So far Admiralty Chart(s) is the only item mentioned by chart outlet in states.
So any Pilot book(s) or other local material or websites to help would be appreciated

Admiralty charts are sold via chandlers but also via chart agents. In the chart agents you will likely find the pilot books, and there is a wide choice of good ones. Personally I prefer to sail with larger scale charts and pilot books rather than lots of small scale charts.

If I were doing the journey again, I would stop at Campbelltown ( a bit dreary in truth) then the isle of man, Milford Haven, Padstow, Penzance and then maybe Falmouth, though you could just as easily depart for the med from Penzance. If these legs are a bit long, you can shorten them by inserting Aberystwyth and Lundy into the plan.

 

[Herringchoker]

Cork

How about Cork as port of departure?

Day sail down the Irish coast via Bangor/Ardglass, Howth, Arklow, Kilmore Quay, Dunmore East, Ballycotton, Cork (Crosshaven).

You can do Kilmore Quay to Crosshaven in one day if you prefer.

Cork has all the facilities that are available in Falmouth including berths for cruise liners and a fine harbour waterway to explore.

When you need to leave sail south for La Coruna avoiding the shipping traffic in the English Channel and around Ushant. Probably on a reach rather than a beat.

Skirt around the bay of Biscay.

Convert a minimum of US dollars to Sterling as the Euros currency in Ireland is also used on the Meds european coast.

 

[Spyro]

Portavadie marina is nice, .

Indeed it is but it's in the wrong direction.

 

[G12]

If I were doing the journey again, I would stop at Campbelltown ( a bit dreary in truth) then the isle of man, Milford Haven, Padstow, Penzance and then maybe Falmouth, though you could just as easily depart for the med from Penzance. If these legs are a bit long, you can shorten them by inserting Aberystwyth and Lundy into the plan.

As Penzance and Falmouth are my home turf I would add that depending on exactly how much work you need to do to your boat and crew changes etc that Falmouth is far superior and worth the extra few miles to get there.
PZ can be a cow to enter in any form of Southerly weather (go to Newlyn instead) and neither is really equipped for yacht maintenance these days, fine if you have a 60ft trawler though!. I have 1st hand experience of this last summer whilst trying to make some repairs to my own boat. I ended up going back to Falmouth for all the parts.
As has been mentioned before, you can get in and out of Falmouth at any time, there are sailmakers, chandlerys, engineers, supermarkets, a railway line to the mainline satation of Truro, bars, maritime museum.... the list is long...

 

[dt4134]

I wouldn't worry about the hassle of going between the UK & RoI. Check with your embassy of course but you should find that simply having a passport in case someone with a uniform happens to ask to see it will cover it.

Setting off from Cork or Kinsale will give you more westing than Falmouth, but Falmouth has more facilities and won't lighten your wallet anywhere near as much.