Falmouth to L'Aberwrach timings

[Mrnotming]

There is a French Hydrographic booklet like the Admiralty tidal atlas. Published by SHOM. www.shom.fr
This makes it simple to gauge time of arrival in terms of Ushant /Chenal du Four.
Work your 4knot boatspeed backwards across taking into account your weather wind and local tide.(is this a conservative boatspeed?)
This gives you a jumpoff time.You could allow to be there at the change to southern streams in the Chenal, so if late there would be hours in hand.There are bays in Ushant to wait if neccessary due to early arrival.
http://www.shom.fr/les-produits/pro...courants-de-maree/atlas-de-courants-de-maree/

 

[Rumtotty]

Leaving the techie bits of navigating, the preferred routes and weather conditions to one side. Why isn't your wife a confident sailor? inexperience? nervous disposition? sea sickness? What happens if you become either exhausted or a casualty due to some accident? Could she cope?
You risk completely putting her off sailing with a couple of bad trips. Wouldn't it be better to increase her skills/experience and thus confidence?

 

[Mrnotming]

Leaving the techie bits of navigating, the preferred routes and weather conditions to one side. Why isn't your wife a confident sailor? inexperience? nervous disposition? sea sickness? What happens if you become either exhausted or a casualty due to some accident? Could she cope?
You risk completely putting her off sailing with a couple of bad trips. Wouldn't it be better to increase her skills/experience and thus confidence?

Rumtotty, well analysed! Did'nt like to be so direct with the OP.But you have hit the nail directly on the head!

 

[Ional]

Having done this crossing, but from Plymouth, dozens of times it still can be a worry. As First mate and Swimbo, I am the one who worries! Its the weather that makes the passage a pleasure or a horrible experience.

I have found that a call to WeatherLive, a Simon Keeling enterprise before leaving, or even while sailing off is an excellent way to hear what its really like, and what might change on the way over. Its not something I would do often, but to me its worth every penny!

It costs £1.50 ish a minute to talk to the forecaster who will give the most up to date advice. Pay by card, and feel confident. Last time I used it was 4 years ago, having emerged from the Chenal du Four in thick fog, to a clearance we were in two minds....go straight across and risk more fog banks, or dive into L'Aberwrack and see what the next morning was like. The forecaster could see the fog on the satelite map and assured us there would be no more for 20 hours, so we went for it. Had a super trip back. Next morning the fog was back.

 

[Heckler]

l'Aberwrach has a narrow and rocky entrance which is nasty in an onshore blow and tricky at night so would suggest daylight entry first time there. Plan to arrive an hour or two before HW and if the weather has kicked up, you can always head west a bit and do the DuFour down to Camaret.

Last year on our way down we left the Scillies at 20.00 for LAber. Lau did the night shift. I took over at 04.00. Sailed all the way, Hit the shippng lanes in good light, OPen cpn and our RO4800 showed what the big things were doing, we slotted in between. The wind dropped as we approached Laber and then started howling as we got to the marina! We were surprised how easy it was to buoy hop in without haveing to resort to compass bearings etc! The marinero shoved us in to place with his rib and we had a couple of nice days there. The Chenal, we read and read on how to do it, buoy hopped out of Laber, sparred with a couple of Benes to the lighthouse and turned left whereupon the wind dropped and the sun shone, the 13 kts over the ground didnt materialise and were most disappointed!
So, to the OP, do your weather forecasting, we used XCweather, pick your slot and go for it. Dont go if there are any concerns about the weather although I found XC great for giving the trend and then the coastguard will give a solid reliable further 24 hours.
Stu

 

[Mrnotming]

Last year on our way down we left the Scillies at 20.00 for LAber. Lau did the night shift. I took over at 04.00. Sailed all the way, Hit the shippng lanes in good light, OPen cpn and our RO4800 showed what the big things were doing, we slotted in between. The wind dropped as we approached Laber and then started howling as we got to the marina! We were surprised how easy it was to buoy hop in without haveing to resort to compass bearings etc! The marinero shoved us in to place with his rib and we had a couple of nice days there. The Chenal, we read and read on how to do it, buoy hopped out of Laber, sparred with a couple of Benes to the lighthouse and turned left whereupon the wind dropped and the sun shone, the 13 kts over the ground didnt materialise and were most disappointed!
So, to the OP, do your weather forecasting, we used XCweather, pick your slot and go for it. Dont go if there are any concerns about the weather although I found XC great for giving the trend and then the coastguard will give a solid reliable further 24 hours.
Stu

Hi Stu,
Thanks for balancing the discussion! A nicely planned crossing well executed.I should add that I have had several crossings,also without incident.I was delivering,with a friend, a Sundream 28, as the guy was emigrating to France.The ostensibly well prepared boat,lots of gadgets,more or less fell apart en voyage.There comes a time when the game is up,and on this sole occasion,things got seriously nasty.Thanks for the link to XC weather,another useful source.Ihave in the past,paid about £60 to the Irish Met lady,heading to the Scillies,money well spent,before Navtex etc was invented.
Good sailing to all doing the crossing in the next few weeks!