Bangor to Fort William

[joachimhollekim]

Yet again I turn to the collective wisdom of my fellow men. After throughout enjoying myself on the Isle of Man for a couple of days, I now realize that it is high time to turn the pointy bit north and head home. I do also realize that this question have been asked tens, maybe hundreds of times before. But, here we go:

I intend to leave (weather permitting) Bangor on Friday, heading for Fort William. Transit passage, so intend to be in Fort William and ready to enter the Caledonian on Monday. This is my first time in this area. So, do I go for the Crinan canal route or the Mull of Kintyre? Two priorities: The scenic and the Comfortable.

Also, please note that I fully intend to return next year to explore the area properly. I simply ran out of time this year, and shall be severely punished by not having time to do more than one distillery tour.

 

[siwhi]

Some factors to consider are time, weather, money and crew. Crinan needs at least a day to transit, and some crew (which you can hire there if necessary), and it's also it's quite pricey for the distance. From Bangor I would sail to Islay (Port Ellen or one of the distilleries nearby) or Gigha or Craighouse on Jura. You need to get the tide right but it gives a helpful lift.

 

[macd]

Agree with siwhi: if you use the canal you might struggle to make it to the Cale in three days. If you plan to stop at Gigha, you might want to read Jumbleduck's recent thread about the new pontoon there.

 

[pagoda]

Agree with siwhi: if you use the canal you might struggle to make it to the Cale in three days. If you plan to stop at Gigha, you might want to read Jumbleduck's recent thread about the new pontoon there.

Bangor or Glenarm, then Craighouse on Jura would be my suggestion. If you get the north going tide from Bangor or glenarm, the North channel should be easy. Craighouse is simple to get at. Distillery in walking distance!

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Crinan is a short cut from the Clyde to the west coast. There's no point taking it if going from Bangor.

From Bangor get as far as you can before the tide turns then wait a tide. There's no point fighting the tide in the North Channel, so Glenarm or Rathlin. Then do the same again - the exit from the Sound of Jura also requires a helpful tide, and daylight helps. It also is very tidal in parts of Loch Linnhe, so you need to time that right too.

Because this trip is so tidal it's difficult to say exactly where to break it. It depends on the day what progress you make before the tide starts wumping you.

 

[joachimhollekim]

Crinan is a short cut from the Clyde to the west coast. There's no point taking it if going from Bangor.

Fair point, Crinan is one of our options due to it's high level of Scenicness. Might decide to drop Bangor altogether, and head north from Peel tomorrow towards the most suitable port for whichever route we decide. Campeltown for Crinan, I suppose.

 

[NormanS]

When I sailed from Belfast Loch to the Oban area, the wind was stuck in the NW, dead on the nose for the North Channel. As it is essential to get the tide right for the North Channel, the fresh to strong NWly was also kicking up a big sea. In these circumstances we went through Crinan, but otherwise would have gone straight to Islay or Gigha.

 

[Quandary]

I have done the passage North from Belfast Lough over fifty times in a variety of boats, (I sailed out of Carrickfergus for thirty years) the best route is directly from Bangor to Gigha except in fresh easterlies where Craighouse on Jura is a more comfortable stop. If you to divert to Glenarm or Rathlin you are wasting most of the North Channel tidal advantage. (No reason not to go there though if you have time to waste)
You leave the lough around low water, and head straight for the Mull Light timing to be there at slack high water, go as close as you like. If you time it right you will be rounding the corner at slack water. You will get more tidal assist than you expect so could be a bit early in which case you may have about a knot against you for up to an hour before it turns to pull you North. Our best time for this passage is around ten hours but eleven was more usual.
Any cruising sailor in Bangor will confirm this but most of them will have gone off to do it the weekend before last.
If you go via Glenarm you are shortening the legs but adding several hours to the passage.
In pleasant weather Gigha (or any of the Inner Hebridean Isands) is a lot nicer than the Crinan Canal, but the Canal is a good way of wasting some time. You can still call at Crinan on the way past if you want to see the best bit of the Canal.
Going North in Loch Linnhe an interesting stop is Loch a Choire on Morvern just a bit North of Lismore, it is a remote sporting estate with some free visitors moorings, the boathouse is a restaurant at weekends with very local produce.

 

[Quandary]

By the way, you will need to stock up on some decent malt to sustain you through the northern winter, do the distillery tours by all means, but buy it in the Co-op.
Jura (at Craighouse) is pleasant stuff without the extreme peatiness of Islay malts and any West Coast Co-op will let you have it for a lot less than they charge at source. There are also distilleries at Oban (Ledaig is good) and Fortwilliam on you route.
If you divert to Tobermory, (a more worthwhile diversion than the Crinan Canal) Browns hardware store has an excellent range of good stuff but a bit dearer than the Co.

 

[wully1]

Slack high water where?

I'm a long way from home and a chart and most of my trips round the mull have been to and from the Clyde but thought you'd want to be taking flood north for as far as it will carry you?

I have done the passage North from Belfast Lough over fifty times in a variety of boats, (I sailed out of Carrickfergus for thirty years) the best route is directly from Bangor to Gigha except in fresh easterlies where Craighouse on Jura is a more comfortable stop. If you to divert to Glenarm or Rathlin you are wasting most of the North Channel tidal advantage. (No reason not to go there though if you have time to waste)
You leave the lough around low water, and head straight for the Mull Light timing to be there at slack high water, go as close as you like. If you time it right you will be rounding the corner at slack water. You will get more tidal assist than you expect so could be a bit early in which case you may have about a knot against you for up to an hour before it turns to pull you North. Our best time for this passage is around ten hours but eleven was more usual.
Any cruising sailor in Bangor will confirm this but most of them will have gone off to do it the weekend before last.
If you go via Glenarm you are shortening the legs but adding several hours to the passage.
In pleasant weather Gigha (or any of the Inner Hebridean Isands) is a lot nicer than the Crinan Canal, but the Canal is a good way of wasting some time. You can still call at Crinan on the way past if you want to see the best bit of the Canal.
Going North in Loch Linnhe an interesting stop is Loch a Choire on Morvern just a bit North of Lismore, it is a remote sporting estate with some free visitors moorings, the boathouse is a restaurant at weekends with very local produce.

 

[Quandary]

You are right there is a stupid error in there, 'the leave at low water' should of course have have read High Water.
Dementia? or just natural stupidity, I hope it is just the latter. Apologies for it either way.
A reasonably fastbboat will take all of a tide from the mouth of the Lough to the Mull, so you will usually experience some foul tide North of it but--the assist in the N Channel can be close to 3kts. at times while from the Light to Macrahanish not much over a knot and negligible beyond it. You could reasonably argue for leaving an hour before starting in a weak adverse tide but there is some advantage in rounding the headland around slack low water.

 

[lpdsn]

If starting from Bangor it is not worth wasting any of the ebb crossing Belfast Lough, so aim to be past Black Head when the ebb starts.

Also there's a bit of an eddy close in by the Gobbins that can be used heading north. See here. http://www.yotter.co.uk/Tide Charts A4 Flood and Ebb.pdf

Obviously whether you want to be close to the cliffs will depend upon the wind conditions.

 

[JumbleDuck]

The ICC "North and East Coast of Ireland" sailing directions have a very useful couple of pages about crossing from Ireland to Scotland. I've just done Glenarm to Campbeltown, and apart from a wee adventure with the dinghy it was straightforward, though the CCC claims about tidal streams in the Sound of Sanda were mince.

 

[Sgeir]

Assuming you mean Bangor Co Down in NI (rather than Bangor in Wales), then one passage to Gigha. Islay or Jura is straightforward if you go with the tide. We sailed Carrickfergus to Craighouse one one tide just recently. No point in going via Crinan IMHO.

Craighouse to the head of Loch Linnhe is also possible in one day provided you get the tides right at the Sound of Luing and the Corran Narrows. If you have a timetable to meet then I'd consider making liberal use of the engine if required.

 

[pagoda]

Assuming you mean Bangor Co Down in NI (rather than Bangor in Wales), then one passage to Gigha. Islay or Jura is straightforward if you go with the tide. We sailed Carrickfergus to Craighouse one one tide just recently. No point in going via Crinan IMHO.

Craighouse to the head of Loch Linnhe is also possible in one day provided you get the tides right at the Sound of Luing and the Corran Narrows. If you have a timetable to meet then I'd consider making liberal use of the engine if required.

Don't know how far you got, but if you need to wait for Corran - try the NE side of Eilan Balnagowan
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.6329327,-5.3363222,595m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

Pleasant bay- very quiet.

Shelter from WNW to SSE

 

[Sgeir]

Don't know how far you got, but if you need to wait for Corran - try the NE side of Eilan Balnagowan

We're moored a couple of miles south of Balnagowan (nice BTW), but Sound of Luing to Corran Narrows should be eminently doable in one tide.

Depending on wind direction, there are several decent but unwritten (ie non-CCC SDs) anchorages in the area as you approach the Narrows from the South, eg Camus Mhalieu (sp?) etc.