Advice crossing Irish Sea

[TSB240]

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...

Kilmore is a delightful place to have a good rest.
They will do a bogoff two nights for the price of one.
I would suggest negotiating the narrow Paddy's causeway and Harbour leading line is not done in the dark , bad visibility or if very tired.
We left in dense fog to be called by the captains of two large trawlers that they had us on ais and radar and that they were coming in very slowly.
I rapidly agreed to pass No1 green to green when I eyeballed him at about 25m! Never saw the second but our ais and ancient green screen radar tracked him with about 30M of separation. Early season Irish sea fog can be a big problem virtually anywhere.
Not a problem unless you have a work diary!
We returned directly to Porth Dinllaen from Kilmore having motored all the way 13hours at 5 knots in dense fog . We had warning from KQ Harbour master that we would likely catch the rush hour for the ferries going into and out of Rosslare but they all gave me over 1nm CPA with noticeable course changes well in advance observed on the ais tracking.
Steve.

 

[awol]

My memory of Kilmore Quay was a heading about 45deg off my track on the way in. An engine hic-cup at that time would have been interesting.

 

[seafox67]

Kilmore is a delightful place to have a good rest.
They will do a bogoff two nights for the price of one.
I would suggest negotiating the narrow Paddy's causeway and Harbour leading line is not done in the dark , bad visibility or if very tired.
We left in dense fog to be called by the captains of two large trawlers that they had us on ais and radar and that they were coming in very slowly.
I rapidly agreed to pass No1 green to green when I eyeballed him at about 25m! Never saw the second but our ais and ancient green screen radar tracked him with about 30M of separation. Early season Irish sea fog can be a big problem virtually anywhere.
Not a problem unless you have a work diary!
We returned directly to Porth Dinllaen from Kilmore having motored all the way 13hours at 5 knots in dense fog . We had warning from KQ Harbour master that we would likely catch the rush hour for the ferries going into and out of Rosslare but they all gave me over 1nm CPA with noticeable course changes well in advance observed on the ais tracking.
Steve.

Thanks for the 'heads up' about the fog. It will be late April/May so I guess I will probably encounter it! Thankfully I do have AIS and Radar. I have no work dairy thanks to Covid! lol... taking next year off until things settle down a bit! I've also just upgraded my anchor system with a 2 size above recommendation Delta giving me a 20Kg and also keep the original 10Kg for my 30ft bilge keel! I don't think i'll be going anywhere when exploring all the little anchorages on the east coast of Ireland! lol

 

[Crowblack]

I've done a similar trip and wanted to behave like a tourist, enjoying the sailing but as important was exploring new places. - I too was on my own and only day sailed in fair weather - from the Clyde where I'd meandered down from Crinan and all points North my leaving of the Clyde went like this,

Girvan to Glenarm.
Glenarm to Bangor (decent links from Belfast by air - pandemic permitting)
Bangor to Ardglass
Ardglass to Peel on IoM ( I flew home from here for a fortnight, decent place to leave a boat)
Peel to Port St Mary on IoM (you could easily go direct from Ardglass to PstM)
Port St Mary to Holyhead (mainline station, if the marina's not repaired the Yacht Club maintains decent moorings, they also have a water taxi, good place to victual)
Holyhead to Pilots Cove (anchorage just at the southern end of mouth of Menai Straits - in fair weather lovely evocative place, lovely walks on the island)
Pilots Cove to Aberdovey, (a fair weather and half tide entrance/exit - visitors mooring or take the ground alongside wharf, good HM - otherwise Pwllheli Marina)
Aberdovey or Pwllheli to Fishguard (fair weather anchorage off Lower Town, smashing wee old fishing village, good local yacht club etc)
Fishguard to Milford (anchorage at Dale - there's a pontoon there as well, pub etc or into Milford Marina - good people and reasonably priced)
Milford to Padstow (70 nm it has to be timed for gate opening at Padstow - but very worthwhile visiting lovely old place and the people watching is excellent)
Padstow to St Ives ( anchorage or visitors buoy - can be rolly, only reason I stopped was to shorten distance to Newlyn - last time I did it went direct Padstow to Newlyn)
Newlyn to Falmouth (loved Newlyn - the craic with fishermen, earthy pubs, once in Falmouth you've cracked it so to speak)

When originally I did the Fishguard to Milford leg before getting to Milford I anchored overnight at South Haven on Skomer Island as I wanted to do some bird watching - the Puffins in particular were wonderful to watch - - if the winds from the wrong direction and you want to do the same thing you could anchor or pick up a visitors buoy on the other side of the island at North Haven. I've done the same passage since and gone direct Fishguard to Milford usually going into Dale anchorage.

Coming south from Girvan I was sorry to miss out Portpatrick and going there would have shortened things by a couple of passages as from there I could have gone direct to Peel - but Hey Ho.

To do the above I was fortunate in having no time constraints and wouldn't have wished to miss any part of it, good luck with your planning.

 

[Sybarite]

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?

Heave-to and catnap?

 

[seafox67]

I've done a similar trip and wanted to behave like a tourist, enjoying the sailing but as important was exploring new places. - I too was on my own and only day sailed in fair weather - from the Clyde where I'd meandered down from Crinan and all points North my leaving of the Clyde went like this,

Girvan to Glenarm.
Glenarm to Bangor (decent links from Belfast by air - pandemic permitting)
Bangor to Ardglass
Ardglass to Peel on IoM ( I flew home from here for a fortnight, decent place to leave a boat)
Peel to Port St Mary on IoM (you could easily go direct from Ardglass to PstM)
Port St Mary to Holyhead (mainline station, if the marina's not repaired the Yacht Club maintains decent moorings, they also have a water taxi, good place to victual)
Holyhead to Pilots Cove (anchorage just at the southern end of mouth of Menai Straits - in fair weather lovely evocative place, lovely walks on the island)
Pilots Cove to Aberdovey, (a fair weather and half tide entrance/exit - visitors mooring or take the ground alongside wharf, good HM - otherwise Pwllheli Marina)
Aberdovey or Pwllheli to Fishguard (fair weather anchorage off Lower Town, smashing wee old fishing village, good local yacht club etc)
Fishguard to Milford (anchorage at Dale - there's a pontoon there as well, pub etc or into Milford Marina - good people and reasonably priced)
Milford to Padstow (70 nm it has to be timed for gate opening at Padstow - but very worthwhile visiting lovely old place and the people watching is excellent)
Padstow to St Ives ( anchorage or visitors buoy - can be rolly, only reason I stopped was to shorten distance to Newlyn - last time I did it went direct Padstow to Newlyn)
Newlyn to Falmouth (loved Newlyn - the craic with fishermen, earthy pubs, once in Falmouth you've cracked it so to speak)

When originally I did the Fishguard to Milford leg before getting to Milford I anchored overnight at South Haven on Skomer Island as I wanted to do some bird watching - the Puffins in particular were wonderful to watch - - if the winds from the wrong direction and you want to do the same thing you could anchor or pick up a visitors buoy on the other side of the island at North Haven. I've done the same passage since and gone direct Fishguard to Milford usually going into Dale anchorage.

Coming south from Girvan I was sorry to miss out Portpatrick and going there would have shortened things by a couple of passages as from there I could have gone direct to Peel - but Hey Ho.

To do the above I was fortunate in having no time constraints and wouldn't have wished to miss any part of it, good luck with your planning.

Thank you for the very useful information

Cheers!

 

[Sybarite]

I've decided to head for the Belfast area and then down the east coast of Ireland...

Take the time to visit Strangford Lough on the way.

The trouble is you may not want to go any further. Such things have happened.

 

[scottie]

Get the tides right Clyde to NI especially
Getting it wrong makes for a very long day
Don’t ask how I know

 

[seafox67]

Get the tides right Clyde to NI especially
Getting it wrong makes for a very long day
Don’t ask how I know

I was thinking of sitting in Campbeltown for some good weather (April) and then head for Bangor which seams to be a good place to start the Irish part!

 

[scottie]

There have been several threads on the Campbeltown Bangor timing
Bending Quandary’s ear on a PM may be of value

 

[SaltyC]

I've done the trip both ways, The 'Mainland' side, has many long legs singlehanded, in my case (Northbound) Newlyn - Milford Haven - Holyhead, on returning South, Singlehanded with wife, I took the Irish route, the intention was Peel to Ardglass, down the coast then a jump from Wexford or Kilmore quay. Unfortunately weather didn't play ball so jumped from Arklow to Milford - hide from a Gale for 2 days.(SWMBO told Fishguard due to less time) then St Ives before rounding Lands End to Newlyn.

IF the weather is compliant, the jump from Ardglass to Fishguard then, Padstow (Cornish Pasty Heaven). Isles of Scilly would be my preferred singlehanded route.

It will make a difference if you can take to the ground (I couldn't).

 

[seafox67]

It will make a difference if you can take to the ground (I couldn't).

I can take the ground in nice weather... This photo was earlier this year replacing anodes, just down from Faslane.

I'm starting to think with my experience and boat, Kilmore to Milford and then get myself down to the north Cornwall coast and launch from maybe St. Ives to the Isle of Scilly

 

[mainsail1]

You can anchor off St Ives but it is pretty exposed and rolly.

 

[Whitlock]

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

Yes, via Crosshaven.

 

[savageseadog]

East Coast of Ireland makes more sense to me, generally more shelter and refuges and nearer the Scillies in the end. I've not done all the harbours but Howth, Dun Laoghaire , Arklow and Kilmore Quay are all OK. Peel on the IOM might not be too far out of the way. Kilmore Quay is OK once inside but the approach is exposed and requires care but has the best leading lights/marks I've ever seen.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Most years we have a club cruise, (this year obviously an exception) Aberaeron to Arklow, average time across is about 14 hrs, but I did manage 12 hrs from the Raycon mark at the Southend of Arklow bank (I think it's been removed now) to Aberaeron, in my Invicta 26, one of the best sails I have ever had. Aberystwyth is perhaps a better starting point for a visiting yacht as there is a marina there and Aberaeron only has one visitor mooring.
There is an annual long boat rowing race from Arklow to Aberystwyth.

 

[steve yates]

Campbeltown to Bangor works well,(as does Glenarm if it makes a more comfortable sail) I've done that before, then went from there to Peel, tied up at at the wall as the marina has tidal access. Port St Mary is nice too, choice of two walls to tie to. I went from psm to Dinllaen, popping into holyhead en route for fuel, then from Dinllaen to Fishguard, then to Milford. I went from Milford to Penzance in one 24 hr hop, and dried out unintentionally as I misread low tide time for high tide time in the app! That was tiredness, so 14 hours a time max is a good plan. To add insult to injury I was really looking forward to a pint of Doombar, and could see the pub, plus of course I was right in view of the Scillonian, busy loading up. Not embarassing at all. Luckily I only had a 3 hour wait or so before she refloated and I could tie to the wall and wait for the lock gate.

 

[Stormer]

Kilmore had a fantastic chipper across the road from the marina called the Little Saltee Chipper, top tip is to call ahead about 30 minutes before you land and order battered Monkfish and chips!
Greystones is a good option also, very good marina and a very nice village full of great places to eat.
Greystones to Pwllheli is about 12.5 hours, Bardsley Sound needs planning as you can get a very nice push if timed right, it's the only time that I have seen 12kt over ground in my little 25.7!
Entry to Pwllheli at low tide needs care, but overall handy enough single handed, I did it with my two young kids as their first "sail to a different country" after reassuring them that you can get pizza in Wales.
For Arklow to Kilmore if you leave at HW Dublin -2 then you will get an average push of about 2kt to Carnsore so that can shorten the passage time to about 10 hours at your planned boat speed, which is an okay duration for single handing.

 

[LadyInBed]

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!

Anchoring when you're tired is a hell of a lot easier than picking up buoys or going into a marina!

 

[Minchsailor]

Take the time to visit Strangford Lough on the way.

The tidal stream at the entrance is one of the most ferocious I have encountered anywhere. I thought we were leaving at slack just before the ebb started, but it was in full flow, and it was not a pleasant experience.