Advice crossing Irish Sea

[seafox67]

My big plan for next year is to leave the Clyde and head south for the first time! I want to end up around the south coast of England for the summer and then head back home to the Clyde before the weather turns. I am single handed (one man and his dog) with about 5 years sailing experience (self taught in the firth of Clyde and west coast).
I have all the time in the world for this trip so I'm definitely planning a 'cruising' holiday... nothing stressful, visit lots of places and hang about for good weather windows!

I've decided to head for the Belfast area and then down the east coast of Ireland... At some point I will need to cross the Irish sea but I'm not sure which route would be the easiest with the most comfort! I'm not looking for anything challenging and very happy to sit around waiting for a perfect weather window.

I've been thinking about Arklow to Pwllheli or Wexford to Fishguard. Any suggestions from the more experienced?

Many thanks
Paul

 

[dunedin]

If the weather suits, I would go direct from Ireland to the Isles of Scilly

 

[seafox67]

If the weather suits, I would go direct from Ireland to the Isles of Scilly

I was thinking about that last week but with my little heavy boat, even motor sailing would take about 27 hours and then I've got to try and anchor with sleep fatigue!

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Wexford is delightful but gives no shelter until one negotiates the 5 miles of tidal flats though I have anchored outside the bar in fairly windy weather. Arklow is easier.

Both crossings are about 14 hours at 5kts, which as much as I like to do single handed. Fatigue on arrival can cause all manner of groundings and collisions with moored vessels.

Depends on how far down Ireland you want to go. (I like Wexford) Depends where you want to go after that. Home? In which case you have the long slog across Cardigan bay if you go for Fishguard.

If you want to go on to Scillies instead. Go Wexford to Milford, then Padstow then Isles of Scilly (New Grimsby sound suggested as first stop)

 

[seafox67]

Wexford is delightful but gives no shelter until one negotiates the 5 miles of tidal flats though I have anchored outside the bar in fairly windy weather. Arklow is easier.

Both crossings are about 14 hours at 5kts, which as much as I like to do single handed. Fatigue on arrival can cause all manner of groundings and collisions with moored vessels.

Depends on how far down Ireland you want to go. (I like Wexford) Depends where you want to go after that. Home? In which case you have the long slog across Cardigan bay if you go for Fishguard.

If you want to go on to Scillies instead. Go Wexford to Milford, then Padstow then Isles of Scilly (New Grimsby sound suggested as first stop)

That's a very good guess! lol 14 hours at 5kts is just about my limit!.. I'm sure I could push myself but I know my limitations and what my fatigue levels are at the end of days sailing.

Are both crossings more of less the same for currents and exposure to swells etc?

 

[mainsail1]

I would give a vote for jumping off from Kilmore Quay when the weather is right.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

That's a very good guess! lol 14 hours at 5kts is just about my limit!.. I'm sure I could push myself but I know my limitations and what my fatigue levels are at the end of days sailing.

Are both crossings more of less the same for currents and exposure to swells etc?

The Irish Sea can always catch you out and like all channels can get a nasty chop. Plenty of fuel if you need to motor, plenty of tea/coffee/patience if you try and capture fickle winds.A west east crossing is more wind certain, but an east west crossing gets you in the shelter of the land as you approach Ireland. Not much difference between south or middle routes in my opinion though I dont know the final approach to Pwllheli. Shortest route if you just want to get home is Dublin (Howth) to Holyhead, but not by much

 

[Sandy]

I was thinking about that last week but with my little heavy boat, even motor sailing would take about 27 hours and then I've got to try and anchor with sleep fatigue!

All part of the challenge of single handed sailing.

I am planning the same trip, Largs - Plymouth, in late September. What side I sail down the Irish Sea will depend on the wind.

 

[mrangry]

I sallied from Barmouth - Pwllheli - Holyhead - Ardrossan late August this year. I had to spend a couple of days in Holyhead due to stormy weather. If I were to do it again I would have crossed over to the east coast of Ireland. The journey itself was okay apart from a little choppy, but we were limited on places to stop as the Isle of Man wasn't welcoming visitors at the time and I seem to remember pretty fierce tidal action at Bardsey Island.

 

[seafox67]

I sallied from Barmouth - Pwllheli - Holyhead - Ardrossan late August this year. I had to spend a couple of days in Holyhead due to stormy weather. If I were to do it again I would have crossed over to the east coast of Ireland. The journey itself was okay apart from a little choppy, but we were limited on places to stop as the Isle of Man wasn't welcoming visitors at the time and I seem to remember pretty fierce tidal action at Bardsey Island.

I may be going back that way... just depends on how much a miss the Guinness! lol

 

[mrangry]

I may be going back that way... just depends on how much a miss the Guinness! lol

Just remember the strong tidal flow in the north channel as we were going backwards at one stage at the mull of galloway

 

[oldmanofthehills]

I sallied from Barmouth - Pwllheli - Holyhead - Ardrossan late August this year. I had to spend a couple of days in Holyhead due to stormy weather. If I were to do it again I would have crossed over to the east coast of Ireland. The journey itself was okay apart from a little choppy, but we were limited on places to stop as the Isle of Man wasn't welcoming visitors at the time and I seem to remember pretty fierce tidal action at Bardsey Island.

When I bring our newer boat back into Bristol Channel/Irish Sea for our long planned trip to the Scottish Western isles, I certainly will go for the wind shelter, (including passages inside sheltering grounds) friendly ports, and scarcity of rocks on the Irish East Coast. Being 2 up we might try Landsend/St Ives to Dunmore East but thats 40hours

 

[TSB240]

Coming south from the Clyde in shorter daylight legs and suiting your 5 knot plan to first stop Portpatrick or Donagadee. Second leg Peel or Port StMary IOM.
Third Leg Holyhead or Greystones.
Forth Leg Aberystwyth or Wicklow.
Fifth leg Padstow or Kilmore Quay.
LONGEST LAST LEG SCILLIES.

 

[seafox67]

Coming south from the Clyde in shorter daylight legs and suiting your 5 knot plan to first stop Portpatrick or Donagadee. Second leg Peel or Port StMary IOM.
Third Leg Holyhead or Greystones.
Forth Leg Aberystwyth or Wicklow.
Fifth leg Padstow or Kilmore Quay.
LONGEST LAST LEG SCILLIES.

Thanks for the useful information... After reading all the advice, I'm definitely thinking going further down the coast of Ireland to Kilmore Quay. I'm just not sure about the long leg to Scilly! or maybe head for milford, Lundy, Padstow and then Scilly... Although, I guess the Milford way will have a lot more currents and strong tides to deal with! Where as going straight to Scilly will be open water and a little more stable!

I might be best to just leave that bit of the plan until I get to Kilmore Quay and then see how confident I feel!

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Thanks for the useful information... After reading all the advice, I'm definitely thinking going further down the coast of Ireland to Kilmore Quay. I'm just not sure about the long leg to Scilly! or maybe head for milford, Lundy, Padstow and then Scilly... Although, I guess the Milford way will have a lot more currents and strong tides to deal with! Where as going straight to Scilly will be open water and a little more stable!

I might be best to just leave that bit of the plan until I get to Kilmore Quay and then see how confident I feel!

Strong tides are no issue when they are taking you out of Bristol Channel or pushing you back into Irish sea. You just depart Milford area to catch the ebb and come back past it at the last of the flood (thus gaining maybe a knot or more) and only push contrary tides further out where they are weaker. One issue to be aware of is that Landsend to Scillies has big seas even on calmish days so ferry passengers often seasick. Disconcerting to a small boat and best avoided in bad weather.

 

[mainsail1]

We found Kilmore Quay a relaxing place to wait for a weather window. Bear in mind that Padstow and Lundy are well out of your way and will add quite a few miles. Also the entrance to Padstow can be unpleasant to say the least if the wind picks up from the West. Milford Haven would be fine but you are still going to have a 110 mile hop as there is nowhere useful to stop before the Scillies or Newlyn. The hop direct from Kilmore Quay to the Scillies is only an extra 15 miles at about 125miles.

 

[Richard10002]

If you are happy to anchor or pick up a mooring - from Barmouth you could head for Porth Dinllaen, (sp?), and miss out Pwhllelli, (sp?). A night in the Ty Coch brings back fond memories

In the Milford Haven area, you can anchor at the entrance in Dale. I have no idea why the skippers I sailed with took us all the way to Neyland Marina.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

We found Kilmore Quay a relaxing place to wait for a weather window. Bear in mind that Padstow and Lundy are well out of your way and will add quite a few miles. Also the entrance to Padstow can be unpleasant to say the least if the wind picks up from the West. Milford Haven would be fine but you are still going to have a 110 mile hop as there is nowhere useful to stop before the Scillies or Newlyn. The hop direct from Kilmore Quay to the Scillies is only an extra 15 miles at about 125miles.

Certainly Kilmore to Scilly would be my route (or Dunmore East) and when I came back round from S Cornwall thats my intended route, but 125m is over well 30 hours and that seemed a bit of a long trip for single handed at first.

I have never had any weather issues at Stepper Point when waiting for the tide at Padstow. Crab pots are a different matter, but I got a nice PBO article out of that experience

 

[seafox67]

Kilmore to Scilly is the best way I want to go (by far). But with only doing a maximum of 70 miles (in one leg) and no overnight sailing, I don't feel it would be a sensible thing to do on my own! I'm always ready to push myself but that leg single handed just feels a little irresponsible for me to attempt on my own! I'm still going to work my way down to Kilmore and then maybe find another crew!

Thanks for your advice guys...

 

[kof]

That's a good call. Only you know your own limits and what you are comfortable with so sounds like the smart thing to do.

Hugging the Irish coast on the way south is also good as the winds are usually from the SW/W and you get the benefit of the shelter from the land and it means you can break the passages up and find a harbour within reach.

Kilmore to Scilly is the best way I want to go (by far). But with only doing a maximum of 70 miles (in one leg) and no overnight sailing, I don't feel it would be a sensible thing to do on my own! I'm always ready to push myself but that leg single handed just feels a little irresponsible for me to attempt on my own! I'm still going to work my way down to Kilmore and then maybe find another crew!

Thanks for your advice guys...