Corryvreckan

[Clarky]

Hi,

I am going climbing and sailing next week,and was wondering about trying to sail/motor through Corryvreckan at slack water if the forecast is for virtually no wind.
I have a Falmouth Bass boat,16 foot open boat,would this be feasible.
Some people have gone through in kayaks so thought it would be possible,but wondered if it was sensible.
I have sailed by on the other side of the Sound of Jura before and seen it when its angry so know how fearsome it can be.
Any advice from locals would be appreciated re timings as it seems tide times are hard to determine there.

 

[jamesjermain]

Like many things, if you get it right its no problem.

A few years ago, a yachting scribe, now a senior journalist of distinction, who shall be nameless, was desperate to experience the Gulf of Corryvreckan. The skipper studied tide tables and weather and planned his approach with minute care.

The ideal time was very early in the morning. Said journo went below after departure for a little rest, fell asleep and woke up the other side of the race - never felt a thing! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[TLOM]

Concur with Mr Jermain on this. Been through a few times according to the times given in Martin Lawrence guides and all was well. Cracking anchorage on the north end of Jura.

TLOM

 

[mel80]

Hmm, I was sleeping when we went through coryvrecken as well, but with very different results. We got caught in very heavy overfalls (in a 45ft boat), and ended up burrying the nose up to the mast in some of the troughs. I was woken by high pressure water from the ventilator directly above my berth (in the fore cabin. Extremely unpleasant!

By all accounts, corryvreckan is fine at slack water, but in an open boat I would be very very cautious.

 

[Impaler]

Believe it or not people have dived there at slack water.

 

[savageseadog]

I saw a very scary program about it. They floated a boat into the whirlpool and it was sucked down.

 

[Clarky]

Thanks for all your replies ,very helpful,be assured it will be slack water and only if calm.

 

[Aja]

Doesn't get much better than this....

....though it can get worse. Much worse....
Donald

 

[Impaler]

' Death waits you! You have made a covenant with death and with hell. You are in agreement. You're all going to die! Don't you realize? Can't you see? You're all going to die! Death awaits you all! ' Quote from a famous film.

 

[Clarky]

Thanks for that picture ,I would be trying to avoid the worst bits by staying close to shore ,my steel centreboard retracts to give me a 10 inch draught.Hopefully I would be away from the worst whirlpool effects ?.

 

[Badger]

Was the movie Zulu and the quote from Jack Hawkins playing the whisky loving priest ?

 

[claymore]

CCC directions offer excellent advice. Like anywhere - in the right conditions its fine - there could be breeze around next week which would make the sea quite lumpy to the west - this would produce unpleasant conditions so just monitor the weather.

 

[Searush]

Quote/ Some people have gone through in kayaks so thought it would be possible,but wondered if it was sensible.
/unquote

Bear in mind that Kayaks are the most seaworthy vessels in the world - Innuit have to use them in the coldest seas in the world. More rounded GRP or poly designs are used in the roughest rivers in the world. I have kayaked in the Swellies, deliberatly choosing the strongest tidal conditions for the standing waves & overfall. I wouldn't take my 31' yacht any where near such conditions, never mind a small open boat.

Kayaks, are (or should be) fully sealed, highly manouverable & easy to right if capsized. Brilliant in rough waters!

 

[gardenshed]

It has been swum by a one legged man and many also dive in it at slack water. I've been throug it 3 times but as advised, it is all down to the conditions.
As long as you are prepared to abort if your pre determined limits are breached (which means pre determining a max wind speed, time window either side of slack water etc) then you will be fine but remember, it can throw you a good few miles out to the west even after you've passed through between the islands so you need to have enough power to get out of the stream.
If you do it, it will be memorable. If you don't, it will be there for your next attempt.

 

[Impaler]

Badger...go to the top of the class!!
Another of my favourites, often quoted:
If it's a miracle, Colour Sergeant, it's a short chamber Boxer Henry point 45 calibre miracle. And a bayonet, sir, with some guts behind.
Sad man that I am!!

 

[Sgeir]

The south side of the passage (Jura coast) is deep water and you can sail very very close to the side. Also, there's a nice safe anchorage, Bagh Gleann nam Muc at the NW end of Jura - ideal for watching the Corryvreckan when the tide's running.

 

[Clarky]

Thanks for that,will let you know how I get on.

IC

 

[Allegro]

Been there a couple of times now, always in settled conditions, without a problem. I've always been careful to be at more or less slack water, but have to say I've seen boats - both fishing boats and sailing boats - heading through several hours after slack water, in the right direction obviously, and moving at considerable speed! In completely calm conditions, mind you. The admiralty sailing directions are online at http://www.whirlpool-scotland.co.uk/images/whirlpool/pilot.doc and are worth studying, especially for their detailed description of where the various eddies are.

And I'd echo the comments about the lovely anchorage on Jura at the western end of the gulf. Photos below from a visit a couple of weekends ago. Loads of caves in the cliffs there.

Cheers
Patrick

 

[rhumlady]

Nearly went through the Gray Dogs once but chickened out at the last minute. I have been told it can be worse than the Corry.

 

[bhud]

We passed though last year had planned on travelling North to Oban. There was a yacht ahead of us I thought was heading the same way. It became clear they were going through - I popped down checked the charts and tables, issues hanesses and decided to go for it. As we approached there was a yacht anchored in a bay on the south east side of Scarba, we came nearer the sound of bagpipes could be heard, as we passed a piper was on the deck piping us through, he then gave us a wave pulled anchor and followed. We tacked through the passage with no event, but what an experience the hairs stand on the back of my neck as I type - A truly wonderful experience my thanks to the yacht and piper.