Crossing biscay - best route?

[capnsensible]

As strait a line as the wind will let you.

 

[nortada]

It would be interesting if you could mention your stops and routes nortada.

As said, we coast-hopped and overnighted (or longer) in convenient marinas/harbours on the way so the route and stop-overs are obvious.

The Imray pilots proved excellent.

Seem to recall the longest leg was Sines to Lagos; leaving at dawn and arriving at dusk. We had planned to anchor off Sagres but made such good time pressed on to Lagos.

 

[AndrewB]

It can be rough along the line of the shelf, remarkably so considering it is 200 meters down. This is more so deeper into the Bay. If the weather forecast is iffy, I've preferred to keep well out when going south.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Crossing Biscay

I have done this trip several times.
If you go direct you will likely sit around in Falmouth for a long time waiting for a 5 day weather window. Apart from forecasting doubts in indicating such a window, they are fairly rare especially in May when the weather is less stable with a high frequency of stronger winds. (Take a look at the historical data on routing charts etc). So my suggestion which has always worked for me is to look for a window of sufficient length to cross to NW Britanny in favourable conditions. These occur much more often. If the window closes you can then duck in to one of the many very pleasant NW France harbours to await another window which can then be shorter - in the meantime you can edge south as the opportunity arises in small step,s if necessary. If on the first phase the window remains open then you can continue south anyway.
In my experience I have always arrived in N Spain well before those waiting in Falmouth for the ideal weather window AND have had the pleasure of visiting various harbours en route!

Echoes my experiences and suggestions almost exactly. I’ve crossed Biscay a few times. Last time we departed Solent. And hopped via Channel Isles to NW Brittany. We anchored at Oussant overnight before a two day passage to A Coruna.

The simple answer is watch the forecast and go when there’s a favourable wind for much of the crossing. I really try hard to avoid days of being hard on the wind. It’s a PITA as far as I’m concerned. If your destination is to windward, choose somewhere else or don’t go.

 

[Goldie]

Despite being Falmouth area based, my favoured route is usually to depart from a NW Brittany port - e.g. Camaret or Morgat - as a direct track to NW Spain keeps you nicely displaced to the East of the heavy traffic stream from Finisterre to Ushant. Weather forecast permitting of course.

 

[franksingleton]

Despite being Falmouth area based, my favoured route is usually to depart from a NW Brittany port - e.g. Camaret or Morgat - as a direct track to NW Spain keeps you nicely displaced to the East of the heavy traffic stream from Finisterre Ushant. Weather forecast permitting of course.

The OP does not mention boat speed. A direct passage Falmouth to A Coruna could be between 4 and 5 days. Used with care, it should be possible to wait for a safe slot. However, to make that choice does require some experience and judgement. As there is always some uncertainty in a forecast and there will be some pressure to go, I suggest that it is only prudent to go through the Chenal du Four. That will let you monitor forecasts to check that it is still safe to proceed. Through the C de F you will have internet contact. If the forecasts turn a little dodgy, a good stopping point is Ste Evette/Audierne, the closest French port to A Coruna. From there to A Coruna is about 3 days and choice of a safe slot more certain than a 4-5 days from Falmouth.

 

[Laser310]

An easy way to get a sense of historical wind strength and direction is with the COGOW data - Climatology of Global Ocean Winds.

It's based on 10 years of scatterometer winds and has much higher spatial and temporal resolution than traditional pilot charts. It's also much newer data.

This is for the 2nd half of May.

Climatology of Global Ocean Winds

The plot shows averages, but as you mouse over different spots, the actual data will appear in a wind rose on the right, giving you some sense of the variability.

You have a while, and if you really want to get into the data, you can download the ECMWF reanalysis. I do this often for longer passages.

 

[franksingleton]

An easy way to get a sense of historical wind strength and direction is with the COGOW data - Climatology of Global Ocean Winds.

It's based on 10 years of scatterometer winds and has much higher spatial and temporal resolution than traditional pilot charts. It's also much newer data.

This is for the 2nd half of May.

Climatology of Global Ocean Winds

The plot shows averages, but as you mouse over different spots, the actual data will appear in a wind rose on the right, giving you some sense of the variability.

You have a while, and if you really want to get into the data, you can download the ECMWF reanalysis. I do this often for longer passages.

Thank you for pointing me at that link. A former colleague, recently retired, referred to scatterometer data as the gold standard in surface wind information.
However, I would caution against being too influenced by climatology. In 2000. In late May/early June we had F9/10s in Biscay. Sheltering in Audierne, we met two boats that had been caught out. One survived only through extremely good luck; he entered Audierne at night without a French chart. Luckily, it was HW!

 

[Laser310]

I would caution against being too influenced by climatology.

I agree - it doesn't give and adequate sense of the variance, or what actually happens with weather systems - how they develop and so on.

That's why I use the EC reanalysis - an amazing data set..; it's hourly at 025 deg, and has everything you want: wind, gust, rain, wave height and direction...

I typically download 10 years of data, 30 days per year, centered on the departure date.

I do routing on that data set - typically one departure a day for 15 days, centered on the departure date, for 10 years.

but even if you don't get that into it.., just view the data in a grib viewer and click through it.., it gives a real sense of how the weather systems develop.

I am usually doing this for racing, working on sail choices and so on - so a fixed departure date

but when planning a delivery, it's a very good way to understand what a good weather window looks like at its start.

I have learned a lot from this data - studying for example, the classic trade wind atlantic crossing. It's really surprising how often, in say November-December, when most people do this trip, the trade winds are disrupted by cutoff lows, or fronts associated with normal lows., or an unusual position of the high. You will get no sense of this from the climatology. I have been thinking of writing an article for publication on this topic.

 

[franksingleton]

I agree - it doesn't give and adequate sense of the variance, or what actually happens with weather systems - how they develop and so on.

That's why I use the EC reanalysis - an amazing data set..; it's hourly at 025 deg, and has everything you want: wind, gust, rain, wave height and direction...

I typically download 10 years of data, 30 days per year, centered on the departure date.

I do routing on that data set - typically one departure a day for 15 days, centered on the departure date, for 10 years.

but even if you don't get that into it.., just view the data in a grib viewer and click through it.., it gives a real sense of how the weather systems develop.

I am usually doing this for racing, working on sail choices and so on - so a fixed departure date

but when planning a delivery, it's a very good way to understand what a good weather window looks like at its start.

I have learned a lot from this data - studying for example, the classic trade wind atlantic crossing. It's really surprising how often, in say November-December, when most people do this trip, the trade winds are disrupted by cutoff lows, or fronts associated with normal lows., or an unusual position of the high. You will get no sense of this from the climatology. I have been thinking of writing an article for publication on this topic.

Certainly interesting although beyond the capacity or, even, the interest of many ordinary sailors. Publication is a good idea, but where? My experience, some years ago, was that the yachtie mags did not really want anything too intellectual or specialized. If you are a CA member, the editor would probably be interested.

 

[KevinV]

Holy thread resurrection Batman! The OP was in 2010; I would hope he's got there by now

 

[jordanbasset]

Holy thread resurrection Batman! The OP was in 2010; I would hope he's got there by now

He's stilll waiting for a weather window

 

[serendipity66]

I crossed single handed from La Rochelle to Santander.
A 40 hour crossing, sailed most of it and no problems at all.
This allowed a cruise down the Brittany coast, and along the Asturia, Galicia coasts, both well worth the time.
Kept the boat in Vigo for the winter the Rias also being well worth seeing.

 

[Bobc]

he entered Audierne at night without a French chart. Luckily, it was HW!

Brave man.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

As usual there has been some Fred drift mainly about following the inshore or coastal hopping route but the OP was saying he is crossing from Falmouth direct to La Coruna and which route was favourable.

My two penneth worth having done it a few times is to stay West of the continental shelf 200 M mark more like the 1000 to 4000M depth.

 

[franksingleton]

As usual there has been some Fred drift mainly about following the inshore or coastal hopping route but the OP was saying he is crossing from Falmouth direct to La Coruna and which route was favourable.

My two penneth worth having done it a few times is to stay West of the continental shelf 200 M mark more like the 1000 to 4000M depth.

I do not know what boat you sail but the OP described his as light displacement. That does not sound like a boat that should be going far out. Hence my recommendation about the Chenal du Four. It keeps options open longer and makes a diversion easy. We did that in 2000 and were extremely glad in the event. I am sure our HR34 would have coped ywith F10s but we would not been happy.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I do not know what boat you sail but the OP described his as light displacement. That does not sound like a boat that should be going far out. Hence my recommendation about the Chenal du Four. It keeps options open longer and makes a diversion easy. We did that in 2000 and were extremely glad in the event. I am sure our HR34 would have coped ywith F10s but we would not been happy.

Admittedly my two last boats were long Keel displacement traditional boats but what's a light displacement boat? A 40 AWB or a Leisure 17 I rather think he might have been describing the former which should baring Orcas be perfectly capable of an offshore deep water 4 or 5 day passage.

 

[franksingleton]

Admittedly my two last boats were long Keel displacement traditional boats but what's a light displacement boat? A 40 AWB or a Leisure 17 I rather think he might have been describing the former which should baring Orcas be perfectly capable of an offshore deep water 4 or 5 day passage.

We do not know. I am minded of the young man in his little Beneteau looking at an old gaff cutter and her elderly owner. “How does she go?”, “Just fine in a Gale , better in a storm.”

 

[Koeketiene]

Only slightly off topic: when would be the best time to cross (North to South)?
As in, when are you most likely to get consistent winds?
Looking at June or July.

 

[capnsensible]

Only slightly off topic: when would be the best time to cross (North to South)?
As in, when are you most likely to get consistent winds?
Looking at June or July.

I crossed a few times in the summer, can be a calm passage under engine.

Worth considering for anyone the fact there are loadsa harbours and marinas on the French and Spanish Biscay coasts. Thousands of yachts and leisure craft operate all year round. For some reason, Brits get all agitated about it. Maybe it's stories of clipper ships in gales 200 years ago. Or mebbe it's people first off shore passage? It can be a bit sporting in the winter, delivery crew territory. But normally nice.

Anyway in general, mountain out of molehill. 3 to 4 days at sea, can be lovely and with modern weather forecasting, easy to get a slot.

Shipping, fishing vessels, pot buoys are more of a hazard and the last time, just before covid, going south to North, we had a pod of whales splashing about just north of Finisterre, came close but no problems.

Enjoy!