Anyone sailed to the Isle of Man?

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steve yates

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Hoping to sail round it in April or May , thinking I'll go over to Galloway and along to Isle of Whithorn and the cross from there to Ramsey , and go round clockwise, back to Ramsey then straight to Workington.

Any advice or local knowledge on this, or anyone done it? Any pilotage tips, good anchorages, places particularly worth visiting? Any particular local hazards?

It's an 18ft lifting keeler, so can access most places, but it's not very fast. And will want to get off fairly often to stretch out :) Will also want wifi access every 2 or 3 days as I can't afford to be completely cut off from work enquiries. I'll have about 2 weeks or so. But can always leave it somewhere and travel home and then go back in a week or so.

Thanks.
 
Marinas in Peel and Douglas. You are meant to call the HM at both places before entry but only Douglas do they get stroppy if you don't.

There are visitor moorings all round the coast for which you are meant to pay but either there is no HM, he's not there, he can't get to you, or he can't be bothered...Ramsey, Laxey, Garwick Bay, Castletown, Port St Mary, Port Erin, Peel. None of the moorings are sheltered from all directions and a low pressure can chase you round the island.

There are drying harbours at Port St Mary, Port Erin, Castletown, Derbyhaven and Ramsey.

Tides are strong at the corners.

It's all great, apart from Ramsey, which is a bit dismal.

It's foreign as far as mobile phones are concerned. Mobile calls and data will cost you ££££. There is free wifi in Peel.
 
I'd suggest you check out this site: http://www.visitmyharbour.com/harbours/wales-nw-england/iom-ramsey-laxey/
Other harbours of interest can be found on the same website.

Also here for tidal streams: https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/harbours/tides-and-flapgates/

The latter's important for passage planning. Streams around The Island are anomalous: basically the streams hit the east and west coasts about halfway up and then divert both north and south. So it's easy to find yourself punching when you thought they'd be helpful. On your proposed route you also need to take special note of conditions around Point of Ayre (N end of IoM): its shoal over large areas and can get nasty with wind over tide. Ditto further south around Langness, and again around Chicken Rock at the S end of The Island..

I'm more familair with the west and south sides of the Island than the Ramsey area, but feel free to ask if you have any specific questions.

+1 to Angus' remarks above.
 
The best publication by far for the IOM is "Isle of Man Tides, Directions and Anchorages" by Peter Hunter. ISBN 0 9529990 0 5.
Used to sell it from behind the bar in Ramsey S.C., But now available from Amazon AFAIK.
Inshore streams are complex and often strong, this publication give detailed hourly charts and much other useful info.
 
AngusMcDoon said:
Marinas in Peel and Douglas. You are meant to call the HM at both places before entry but only Douglas do they get stroppy if you don't.

There are visitor moorings all round the coast for which you are meant to pay but either there is no HM, he's not there, he can't get to you, or he can't be bothered...Ramsey, Laxey, Garwick Bay, Castletown, Port St Mary, Port Erin, Peel. None of the moorings are sheltered from all directions and a low pressure can chase you round the island.

There are drying harbours at Port St Mary, Port Erin, Castletown, Derbyhaven and Ramsey.

Tides are strong at the corners.

It's all great, apart from Ramsey, which is a bit dismal.

It's foreign as far as mobile phones are concerned. Mobile calls and data will cost you ££££. There is free wifi in Peel.
Click to expand...

If you don't call in at Peel then you won't get in. There is a swing bridge that needs to get swung. :). It's also tidal so only access is a couple of hours either side of high water. There is a flap gate that gets raised to hold all the water in the harbour.
Opening times are specified in the guide https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/harbours/tides-and-flapgates so time your arrival if you are heading there.
I sailed to Peel last year from the Clyde. Stopped off for the night at Portpatrick. Left an hour before low water to give a favourable tide all the way down to IOM.
 
Port St Mary is beautiful, Casteltown drying but likewise. Go into the inner harbour and dry against the wall. Port Erin is nasty mooring conditions, the swell rolls round it. Loads to do and see, it's a great place.
 
Spyro said:
If you don't call in at Peel then you won't get in. There is a swing bridge that needs to get swung. :). It's also tidal so only access is a couple of hours either side of high water. There is a flap gate that gets raised to hold all the water in the harbour.
Click to expand...

Peel's rather off the route the OP proposes, but I do have a soft spot for the place, having made my home there.
Your flapgate info is correct: you'd call Peel harbourkeeper, although at night he's probably off-duty and Douglas would answer. They'd have you on CCTV as they controlled the bridge remotely. Passage over the cill is one-way, controlled by red/green 'traffic' lights.
Boats arriving early can take a visitors buoy in the bay or moor alongside the outer breakwater: exposed in northerlies.

earlybird said:
The best publication by far for the IOM is "Isle of Man Tides, Directions and Anchorages"... this publication give detailed hourly charts
Click to expand...

Yes. Excellent. The link I gave in post #3 gives the same tidal streams info, quite cheaply ;) It also has flapgate times for Peel and Douglas.
 
Last edited:
When leaving Isle of Whithorn, wait till the last of the ebb. When you get to Ramsey, there should be sufficient water to get up to the berths just below the swing bridge.
With a slow 18 footer, you won't be able to get into Ramsey before it dries out if you try to go over HW.
Tides at Isle of Whithorn and Ramsey are about the same, both drying out at approx half tide.
 
I can endorse Angus' comments about wrinkly sea at the corners. Round point of Ayre we had green water in the wheelhouse.. the captain was not amused, but she did shelter me from the worst of it. Incidentally the reason we were there at that time was due to the bridge at Douglas favouring rush hour road-traffic and delaying our departure by an hour. Ho Hum.
 
steve yates said:
Hoping to sail round it in April or May , thinking I'll go over to Galloway and along to Isle of Whithorn and the cross from there to Ramsey , and go round clockwise, back to Ramsey then straight to Workington.

Any advice or local knowledge on this, or anyone done it? Any pilotage tips, good anchorages, places particularly worth visiting? Any particular local hazards?

It's an 18ft lifting keeler, so can access most places, but it's not very fast. And will want to get off fairly often to stretch out :) Will also want wifi access every 2 or 3 days as I can't afford to be completely cut off from work enquiries. I'll have about 2 weeks or so. But can always leave it somewhere and travel home and then go back in a week or so.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Sailing through Calf Sound was interesting...Watching the canoeists on my port side surfing down a standing wave
 
steve yates said:
Hoping to sail round it in April or May , thinking I'll go over to Galloway and along to Isle of Whithorn and the cross from there to Ramsey , and go round clockwise, back to Ramsey then straight to Workington.

Any advice or local knowledge on this, or anyone done it? Any pilotage tips, good anchorages, places particularly worth visiting? Any particular local hazards?

It's an 18ft lifting keeler, so can access most places, but it's not very fast. And will want to get off fairly often to stretch out :) Will also want wifi access every 2 or 3 days as I can't afford to be completely cut off from work enquiries. I'll have about 2 weeks or so. But can always leave it somewhere and travel home and then go back in a week or so.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

In an 18' boat, choose your weather window carefully.
 
Not sure why Ramsey has been disparaged - it's a very pleasant town with free buoys off the pier. IoM is an excellent destination for a week or so of cruising. The island used to offer a 7 day mooring deal for about £40, valid in all harbours but I can't find it now. Anyone know if it's still on offer?
 
Sybarite said:
In an 18' boat, choose your weather window carefully.
Click to expand...

Sound advice.
Point of Ayre in a wind over tide situation is not a pleasant place in a bigger boat.
Aim for the lighthouse and leave the land a stone's throw off (weather permitting!) as you head for Ramsey.
 
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