Crossing biscay - best route?

Koeketiene said:
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.
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You could look a Laser 310’s post above. Or you could take the pragmatic view that good conditions could occur at any time of the year and so could adverse ones. In the event, watch the forecasts carefully.
 
capnsensible said:
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!
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A lot of these "tales of woe" originate for 100 years ago when there was no weather forecasting, no electronics, and all they has was a bit of seaweed and a compass.
 
franksingleton said:
You could look a Laser 310’s post above. Or you could take the pragmatic view that good conditions could occur at any time of the year and so could adverse ones. In the event, watch the forecasts carefully.
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I did.
It was that post which led me to ask the question.
Averages taken over a long time are one thing, but you can not deny that our climate's been a bit 'off' in recent years.
So, I was wondering about recent experiences (say the last 2-3 years).

I had planned to set off early June, but the link in Laser 310's post seems to suggest there's more chance of a consistent wind in July.
The plan is/was to head for Ireland (Cork or Baltimore) and cross to Galicia from there.
Then spend some time cruising the rias before heading for home (I have to be back Sepetember 1st).

And I'm not so much worried about too much wind, but rather too little wind.
Motoring across does not appeal at all.
 
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Koeketiene said:
And I'm not so much worried about too much wind, but rather too little wind.
Motoring across does not appeal at all.
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Too little wind was our problem on two out of three crossings. First time heading to Coruna we left cruising chute up day and night, second crossing to Gijon, engine on for 40 hours. Once within range of France, weather forecasts are good, with Biscay divided up into 3 or 4 areas north to south.
 
Graham376 said:
Too little wind was our problem on two out of three crossings. First time heading to Coruna we left cruising chute up day and night, second crossing to Gijon, engine on for 40 hours. Once within range of France, weather forecasts are good, with Biscay divided up into 3 or 4 areas north to south.
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Last time I crossed we had good winds for 3/4 but ended up motoring the last bit.
 
Beelzebub said:
On one occasion we did St Peter Port to A Coruna in 48 hours, an exciting trip! (We were on a trimaran, I must add)
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We were in A Coruña once after coast hopping all the way, including enjoying several of the lovely Basque ports, when we met another British yacht that had started his wait for a weather window in Falmouth before set out. He'd then had to motor nearly all the way!
 
TonyMS said:
We were in A Coruña once after coast hopping all the way, including enjoying several of the lovely Basque ports, when we met another British yacht that had started his wait for a weather window in Falmouth before set out. He'd then had to motor nearly all the way!
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It is a great cruising area however you do it - and we have👍😀. Our advice is always not to rush past the area. If you have no real need to rush to the Med or the Caribbean, you can have enough good challenging sailing and most interesting places before you even get to the Rias.
 
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Bobc said:
A lot of these "tales of woe" originate for 100 years ago when there was no weather forecasting, no electronics, and all they has was a bit of seaweed and a compass.
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It is still possible to get caught out.

This reminds me of a crossing I did 30 years ago, in a Sigma 38 with a crew of 5 well-seasoned men and one woman, introduced as "looking after the galley".

We ran into an line squall about half way across, followed by westerly winds that rose to gale force for eight hours, belatedly forecast, touching F9 for a while. Fortunately we were well out, with lots of sea-room. I went off watch shortly after it started, and dozed in the fore-cabin as best the noise would let me, until my next watch 6 hours later (3-hour watches, in pairs).

When I got up, it was to a scene of utter chaos in the saloon. Exhausted bodies lay all around, on the cabin floor on shredded sails and sodden oilies, sick all over the place. My fellow watch-keeper was head down in the toilet, and refused to budge. Picking my way carefully aft, I wondered who on earth was left in charge. It was our cook, tired after a couple of hours on her own but still managing to steer under triple-reefed main.

We've sailed 75,000 miles together ever since!
 
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