Ballycastle to Campbeltown

[2nd_apprentice]

Any suggestions for this route, at which state of the tide to leave and what to avoid?

 

[claymore]

Be at Fair Head as soon as the tide turns fair then its a ferry glide across

 

[2nd_apprentice]

Be at Fair Head as soon as the tide turns fair then its a ferry glide across

Thanks sounds like you can ride the flood tide south at Dover +6h, aiming for Sanda Island and pick up the stream north from there then.

 

[Spyro]

I wouldn't worry too much around Ballycastle you will get tides all over the place but it's only for a few miles. Obviously you want to be going through Sanda Sound with the tide. I would aim to be passing the Mull with 3-4 hours of the flood still with you, that tide will ease off as you leave Sanda Sound but it will still carry you North round into Campbeltown. I've found the winds around the mull can be nothing like the forecast so prepare for anything. As you'll be approaching from the West I might stay a couple of miles off the mull to avoid any overfalls if it looks a bit dodgy. You don't need to worry about any inside passage or anything as you're not coming from Islay or Gigha.

 

[awol]

As above but avoid a day with winds with too much east or south in them.

 

[2nd_apprentice]

Saturday's forecast has it as a F4 NW to NNW. Sounds perfect then, let's see if it goes as smoothly as our trip from Port Ellen to Ballycastle
Thanks again!

 

[pmagowan]

I am going across to Sanda tonight from Glenarm. I will leave at about 6pm which is around 5/6 hours before HW dover. This should get me across with a bit of flow each way and with the current running into the Clyde once I get there. Might go for Campbeltown depending what it is like.

 

[Spyro]

Saturday's forecast has it as a F4 NW to NNW. Sounds perfect then, let's see if it goes as smoothly as our trip from Port Ellen to Ballycastle
Thanks again!

Well, did it? There wasnt anything like a F4 on the Clyde on Saturday.

 

[2nd_apprentice]

We set off at 05:30 with a fair tide from Ballycastle and very little wind. Visibility poor at first, thick fog in North Channel. No wind whatsoever.
Carried on under motor until the Mull of Kintyre suddenly appeared less than 2 miles off our starbord side! Seemed almost impossible to get through Sanda sound due to the flood tide. I suppose we really should have gone further south but in the end we managed to pick up the north going stream and made it all the way to Campbeltown, averaging around 6kn (quite good for this heavy tub).

 

[Spyro]

I don't understand any of that. How come the Mull was on Starboard and how couldn't you get through Sanda Sound with the flood, the flood fills the clyde. I.E runs west to east

 

[2nd_apprentice]

The flood tide around the Mull of Kintyre pushed us off so far that in order to go 30° we had to steer 330°. Well, not really but you get the point. As I said we should have stayed further off. We did manage to pick up the tide after a few miles and go through Sanda Sound.

 

[BigJoe]

By the sounds on it they were too far north, so theMull appeared on there starboard side, and they had to head south and round the Mull against the tide..............

I don't understand any of that. How come the Mull was on Starboard and how couldn't you get through Sanda Sound with the flood, the flood fills the clyde. I.E runs west to east