Crinan to Loch Feochan.

[steveeasy]

Heading via the Crinan Canal round to Loch Feochan for summer mooring, which I think will give me great access to West Coast cruising grounds. Planning to visit Rum and Eigg( which I stayed on 30 years ago)Dunvagan and the outer Hebrides.

Departure dates
Canal 14-15 April
Crinan to Feochan 16 April

Baby Steps first. Going thru the Crinan I plan to use a pilot.saves stress and will help me get thru in one to two days. Then from Crinan I plan to sail thru Sound of Luing and round along through Sound of Insh making my way to Ardoran.

Completely new waters to me and indeed my crew member. not a long trip but one im sure will be challenging. Ive ordered charts which ill have tomorrow. not sure I can get a card for my plotter though due to the bank holiday. Thinking of using Navionics on my phone and Tablet. Id really appreciate any advice for the following.
using Navionics on a phone or Tablet.
Top tips for making my way from Crinan round to Ardoran. Finally any advice about entering Loch Feochan. I realise its a very narrow entrance and can be difficult on spring tides. It does look sheltered though and in terms of its location is excellent. So Im sure I can work with the tides entering and leaving, but first time Id appreciate any advice from from people who have gone through. Ill be hoping for a favourable winds. Edit. the forecast does not look to good but that may well change. Id hope to make Ardoran on sunday a few days before spring tides.

Much Appreciated.

Steveeasy

 

[ProDave]

I chose Open CPN and O Charts for it on my phone. One off payment for the UK charts, which includes updates for a year, but they carry on working after that with no ongoing payment.

 

[Motor_Sailor]

Everyone cruising the west coast needs Antares charts. The implementation of them depends on whether you’re Apple or alternatively inclined. Plenty of info on their site.

But with them, the local buoyage and slack water HW (or LW neaps depending on your draft), the passage into Loch Feochan will be fine. Then with experience, you’ll get a feel for how wide the windows are either side that you and your engine power, can handle. We became less and less tolerant of the tidal windows and had some ‘swift’ passages in and out at times.

Don’t neglect your anti - chafing gear on your bridle if mooring at Andorran Marine. It’s not sheltered there in a SW gale and on a couple of occasions we couldn’t get out to the boat when we arrived.

 

[Minchsailor]

This is in the area where I have my winter mooring and I know it well.

You have to play the tidal streams. Otherwise, straightforward. Going N from Crinan you have 2 choices:

1. Sound of Luing - well marked, can be great fun with the whirly pools, just don't get sucked into the Corrywrechan.

2. Cuan sound, leaving Luning to port. Follow sailing directions to catch the tide, watch out for the rocks at E entrance to the sound, and at the dogleg pass rather closer to Cleit rock beacon (N cardinal) than the mainland shore. I once took a Solent based crew through there, and they were well impressed.

If you want somewhere to pause I can recommend Loch Melfort (Kilmelford YH will have a mooring), or anchor at Balivicar.

If waiting for the tide at L Feochan, Pullidhoran is a popular anchorage; and the mud will be firm this early in the season.

Don't panic about chart plotter; everything is easily navigable by eyeball.

 

[ctva]

Plus 1 for the Antares Charts produced by Bob Bradfield.

As to advice, go with the tide and wind, and watch for small pot buoys!

 

[steveeasy]

Everyone cruising the west coast needs Antares charts. The implementation of them depends on whether you’re Apple or alternatively inclined. Plenty of info on their site.

But with them, the local buoyage and slack water HW (or LW neaps depending on your draft), the passage into Loch Feochan will be fine. Then with experience, you’ll get a feel for how wide the windows are either side that you and your engine power, can handle. We became less and less tolerant of the tidal windows and had some ‘swift’ passages in and out at times.

Don’t neglect your anti - chafing gear on your bridle if mooring at Andorran Marine. It’s not sheltered there in a SW gale and on a couple of occasions we couldn’t get out to the boat when we arrived.

Hi
Thanks for this. I thought it was quite well sheltered. Points taken. As far as springs would you say 2-3 days either side?. How wild does it get with a good engine or is it a no no

steveeasy

 

[steveeasy]

This is in the area where I have my winter mooring and I know it well.

You have to play the tidal streams. Otherwise, straightforward. Going N from Crinan you have 2 choices:

1. Sound of Luing - well marked, can be great fun with the whirly pools, just don't get sucked into the Corrywrechan.

2. Cuan sound, leaving Luning to port. Follow sailing directions to catch the tide, watch out for the rocks at E entrance to the sound, and at the dogleg pass rather closer to Cleit rock beacon (N cardinal) than the mainland shore. I once took a Solent based crew through there, and they were well impressed.

If you want somewhere to pause I can recommend Loch Melfort (Kilmelford YH will have a mooring), or anchor at Balivicar.

If waiting for the tide at L Feochan, Pullidhoran is a popular anchorage; and the mud will be firm this early in the season.

Don't panic about chart plotter; everything is easily navigable by eyeball.

Hi.
Thanks for this. Gives me some useful pointers. I’ll study them in detail.
Many thanks
Steveeasy

 

[Motor_Sailor]

We never found it ‘wild’, but if you make the passage with the current, you will be going fast over the ground and have little time to ‘think’ where to go and which way you’re being set. Against the tide you have all the time in the world to think as your SOG is slow at best. But as I said, if you take it incrementally, you’ll find the windows either side of slack you and your boat are happy with.

As for exposure of the moorings, it’s no different to say the moorings off Oban Sailing Club for example. You get a southwesterly blowing the length of the Loch and it can get rough.

But tidal gates and anchorages open in a particular direction are all part of the areas ‘charm’.

 

[steveeasy]

We never found it ‘wild’, but if you make the passage with the current, you will be going fast over the ground and have little time to ‘think’ where to go and which way you’re being set. Against the tide you have all the time in the world to think as your SOG is slow at best. But as I said, if you take it incrementally, you’ll find the windows either side of slack you and your boat are happy with.

As for exposure of the moorings, it’s no different to say the moorings off Oban Sailing Club for example. You get a southwesterly blowing the length of the Loch and it can get rough.

But tidal gates and anchorages open in a particular direction are all part of the areas ‘charm’.

Very points. So it’s common sense, much the same as my mooring on the Hamble other than I know that well. So even on a spring tide your ok on slack water but not either side. And depth is not an issue unless of course you stray out of channel. Draft is 1.6. Of boat.
Steveeasy

 

[scottie]

Plus 1 for the Antares Charts produced by Bob Bradfield.

As to advice, go with the tide and wind, and watch for small pot buoys!

I would recommend the app Boatie for additional tidal stream infotainment etc

 

[steveeasy]

Hi
I’ve got Imray. 2800 signed up for Antares. Got an Almanac specific to west coast and I’m told a good tidal stream atlas.. as well as that some imray cruising guides.
only really got planning yesterday and it’s coming together.
Now I need to plan the mooring bridle. I’m told hippo mooring bouys????
she will be unattended for 3 weeks at a time so sails off and canvas.
Steveeasy

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Navionics on our ipad has all the info we needed in terms of tides etc. Not as easy to use/see etc as on our garmin chart plotter, but worked ok when previous lowrance chartplotter could not be updated.

The tides through some of the sounds such as Cuan are brisk, but the sounds are deep so only issue is turbulent water.

 

[Minchsailor]

Ĺ

Hi
I’ve got Imray. 2800 signed up for Antares. Got an Almanac specific to west coast and I’m told a good tidal stream atlas.. as well as that some imray cruising guides.
only really got planning yesterday and it’s coming together.
Now I need to plan the mooring bridle. I’m told hippo mooring bouys????
she will be unattended for 3 weeks at a time so sails off and canvas.
Steveeasy

The CCC guides have most of what you need (disclaimer - I have assisted in editing them) and the HO tidal stream atlas is a must have.

As for mooring gear, take local advice from Andoran, or Gael Force at Inverness are mooring contractors

Don't get too paranoid about preparing your boat for gusty conditions - I quite often leave my own boat for several weeks at a time in places not to dissimilar to Andoran and providing you take sensible precautions to secure loose items, such as wrapping a spare halyard around the furled jib to prevent it unfurling, all will be fine.

Enjoy your time up here; I left the Hamble more than 20 years ago and have no wish to return.

 

[dunedin]

The CCC guides have most of what you need (disclaimer - I have assisted in editing them) and the HO tidal stream atlas is a must have.

No disclaimer needed - the Clyde Cruising Club sailing directions (published through Imray) are brilliant and near essential - along with Antares Charts - for anybody enjoying sailing these waters.

 

[awol]

With 1.6m draft I'd stay away from LW springs!

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I currently don’t have a plotter (it was handed in as a trade in deal) and have been out sailing this week in the area you are discussing. I have charts for the area but used Navionics on my phone the whole time. Worked great, never looked at the charts once. Son plotted some fixes for the hell of it, Navionics works well, good 4G coverage. I just switched it on and off as needed, not on all the time.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Admiralty Tidal Stream Atlas NP218 and Dover tide tables will see you through. However, Navionics has all this in place. I still use the tidal atlas and it is accurate when using Dover. There have been errors in the pilot books, as they referred to Oban and Greenock HW tides; likely sorted now.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

It is getting very expensive to overnight at marinas. Just paid £98 for 2 x nights. Plan to anchor if watching the cash flow.

 

[dunedin]

I currently don’t have a plotter (it was handed in as a trade in deal) and have been out sailing this week in the area you are discussing. I have charts for the area but used Navionics on my phone the whole time. Worked great, never looked at the charts once. Son plotted some fixes for the hell of it, Navionics works well, good 4G coverage. I just switched it on and off as needed, not on all the time.

That might seem better advice ………… if your forum name wasn’t “runagroundhard”

 

[Cardinal]

Where was that please? The £98.00 for two nights.