Falmouth to Oban as quickly as possible

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npf1

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I'm considering going heading to Western Scotland in June, possibly 'crewing up' and, weather permitting, trying to get there as quickly as possible. Before I begin to pour over the charts and pilots, does anyone who's done this journey have any recommendations/advice to offer. For example, if trying to do it with one stop, where would you stop? Howth? IoM? Strangford? Bangor?

Portpatrick might not be possible as we draw 2.35m.

Or should I plan to begin a summer cruise somewhere South of Oban?

Thanks in advance.
 
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I once did Falmouth to Largs with a stop at Howth on Sun Magic44. Roughly 2 days to Howth then 20 hours to Largs but most of that was motoring. Its a bit further to Oban. Get the tides right, It will make a huge difference.
Howth is a good stop for R&R. Train into Dublin doesn't take long.
 
Did Falmouth to the Clyde last April and Clyde to Oban umpteen times It all rather depends on how fast your boat goes and how the wind blows. Fair winds and tides for Lizard, Lands End, Carnsore/ St Davids, Dublin/Holyhead, North Channel, Sound of Jura, and Sound of Luing are what I would want, and I wish you luck!

As for stops, Arklow, Howth, Ardglass are all-tide entries without much of a detour though Ardglass means you go north inside the banks and suffer the tides at Wicklow Head, all suffer in a E/NE blow, Bangor is a fair way up Belfast Lough. Never been to Douglas but the marina has tide gates. You will almost certainly have gone through one night (at least) before you get that far so you might as well just keep going.

(Gigha has a 9-hole golf course that is ideal for hacking round until the tide stops ebbing down the Sound of Jura.)
 
Did Plymouth to Oban a couple of years ago - left Plymouth 0930 Friday, arrived Oban 1300 Monday (no stops), with a NW 3-4 most of the way.

We had optional stops planned for Holyhead or Bangor, but decided to just keep going
 
2 stop strategy

The weather and winds will dictate....We did one long day to Milford Haven on the right tides around Lands End , then an overnighter from Milford to Strangford Lough.The tides need to be spot on for Strangford Lough! Dont go straight to Oban , there are lots of interesting places either in the Clyde or Jura/Islay/Luing/Scarba etc etc , on the way.
 
awol said:
Did Falmouth to the Clyde last April and Clyde to Oban umpteen times It all rather depends on how fast your boat goes and how the wind blows. Fair winds and tides for Lizard, Lands End, Carnsore/ St Davids, Dublin/Holyhead, North Channel, Sound of Jura, and Sound of Luing are what I would want, and I wish you luck!

As for stops, Arklow, Howth, Ardglass are all-tide entries without much of a detour though Ardglass means you go north inside the banks and suffer the tides at Wicklow Head, all suffer in a E/NE blow, Bangor is a fair way up Belfast Lough. Never been to Douglas but the marina has tide gates. You will almost certainly have gone through one night (at least) before you get that far so you might as well just keep going.

(Gigha has a 9-hole golf course that is ideal for hacking round until the tide stops ebbing down the Sound of Jura.)
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I think AWOL meant that to visit Arklow (not Ardglass) needs a detour inside the Arklow Bank. You will probably only suffer the tide at Wicklow Head if it is against you. Time it right and it could be you friend.
 
npf1 said:
I'm considering going heading to Western Scotland in June, possibly 'crewing up' and, weather permitting, trying to get there as quickly as possible. Before I begin to pour over the charts and pilots, does anyone who's done this journey have any recommendations/advice to offer. For example, if trying to do it with one stop, where would you stop? Howth? IoM? Strangford? Bangor?
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I'll be doing Milford Haven to Crinan sometime in March. I'd prefer to do it in a one, but am prepared to stop in Howth, Peel or Bangor. A decision about whether to turn left or right at the Mull of Kintyre will be taken at the time and depend on the weather.
 
npf1 said:
I'm considering going heading to Western Scotland in June, possibly 'crewing up' and, weather permitting, trying to get there as quickly as possible. Before I begin to pour over the charts and pilots, does anyone who's done this journey have any recommendations/advice to offer. For example, if trying to do it with one stop, where would you stop? Howth? IoM? Strangford? Bangor?

Portpatrick might not be possible as we draw 2.35m.

Or should I plan to begin a summer cruise somewhere South of Oban?

Thanks in advance.
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I'm taking Galadriel on the same trip, we plan to arrive in Oban about the 5th June, thats when the 'holiday' crew arrive. I have done the trip from Oban to Plymouth before, but this will be the first time both ways.

I am going to allow about 7 days from Chichester to Oban. I plan to stop at Falmouth, Howth then on to Oban, I will of course have a a whole list of alternatives prepared should weather dictate.

I have not made a start yet on the detail of the passage plan, but would be happy to share thoughts with you. Please PM if you would want to do that.
 
I would second what theDoc said about Strangford, absolutely essential to get the tides right and equally, be flexible in your planning as to whether to go west or east of Kintyre: we wanted to go west by Gigha but ended up in Ardrishaig.

Ardrishaig maybe as good a place to change crews as Oban. Transport links to and from Glasgow are about equivalent.

The Crinan canal is very attractive, and there is plenty of excellent sailing, some very attractive anchorages, (Puilladobhrain) challenging pilotage (Cuan Sound), interesting places to visit (Easdale Island) and some yachtie facilities, between Crinan and Oban.

Oh dear, I'm beginning to sound like Argyll Tourist Board
 
Falmouth-Oban ASAP

Hi

I've done this trip in the same manner many times, and here are a few thoughts.

A lot of it depends on the wind direction. At that time of year there can be a lot of easterlies, which makes the Irish coast unpleasant or a bad idea depending on strength. If that's the case we tended to go Falmouth and round Lands End in one go, then Milford Haven. Then on with the next fair tide to Holyhead or carry on to the Isle of Man, and anchor in Port Erin - or you could go into Peel now, but that wasn't an option for us at the time. Next leg is around the Mull of Galloway and carry on to Troon or Largs to wait for the next tidal window.

If westerlies, Falmouth around Lands End, if light winds straight to Tuskar (inside) and inside the banks to Arklow. If more wind outside Tuskar then cut in through the banks further North to Dun Laoghaire or Howth, or even anchor at Skerries. Two points - Tuskar/Carnsore can be foggy, and going inside the banks in the dark is not the best bet - there are whelk pots with floating lines everywhere.

From Dublin area north, Carlingford and Strangford both have very strong tides which make it a pain getting in and out. Ardglass is all tide, but with your draft don't go in near low water. You can anchor in Ballyholme Bay (Belfast Lough) or Browns Bay (Larne) as passage anchorages, but Glenarm makes an excellent stop before making the jump up past Kintyre and on to Gigha then Oban.

It's a tricky trip to do very quickly unless you've got a very determined crew who are prepared to go for it. If it's windy it can be tough - beating in the Irish Sea is an acquired taste due to the strong tides. If you can slow dow a bit there are many benefits, especially as some places shouldn't be missed - Strangford, for example.

Good luck!
 
I just happen to have an old log on my desk that includes a passage from Falmouth to Craobh (20 miles short of Oban). I did it in one hop in a flat calm and it took 58 hours for 440 miles, i.e. 7.5 knots average.
 
Many thanks for all the replies. Plenty of food for thought.

Glenarm sounds like an appealling place to stop - any idea of the depth there as I couldn't see it on their website and haven't got a pilot (yet) that covers N.Ireland?

So many choices, so beginning to wonder if I ought to do Hamble-Milford over the spring Bank holiday w/e, then leave the boat for a week before biting off the rest.

I've not yet looked at the 'typical' weather in the Irish Sea, but if we've got prevailing SW in the Western approaches, does it follow that the Irish Sea will be arround S to SSW?

Nigel
 
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I've picked up all four Imray's for the West coast and am currently working through the Clyde to Colonsay one. I've also got NP256 but not looked at it yet.
 
npf1 said:
Many thanks for all the replies. Plenty of food for thought.

Glenarm sounds like an appealling place to stop - any idea fo the depth there as I couldn't see it on their website and have got a pilot (yet) that covers N.Ireland?

So many choices, so beginning to wonder if I ought to do Hamble-Milford over the spring Bank holiday w/e, then leave the boat for a week before biting off the rest.

I've not yet looked at the 'typical' weather in the Irish Sea, but if we've got prevailing SW in the Western approaches, does it follow that the Irish Sea will be arround S to SSW?

Nigel
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Hi Nigel

Glenarm is great - nice place and very friendly and helpful HM. Depth in the entrance is minimum 3m LAT from memory (so do check!). More water inside. The big advantage with Glenarm is that you are in a good spot to get the tide N to Kintyre. If you leave with a few hours of tide against you it's slow going at first, but you should be approaching Kintyre as the tide is slack and then pick up the magic carpet all the way to Gigha or beyond. If you want to make Oban in one go from there you'll still have to face a foul tide (probably in the Sound of Luing) but keep out of the worst of the tide on the shore and just plug on. We did Ballyholme (0600) to Oban (2300) last summer like that just fine.

An alternative half way strategy might be to go to Dun Laoghaire and catch a cheap flight back to the UK. The DART rail link to Dublin and then bus to the airport works well. Big advantage is that from Howth head northwards to St Johns Point the tide is negligible and if the wind picks up from the west you can just bash on. You've the whole lee of Ireland to shelter you, although it can be a bit squally off the Carlingford and Mourne mountains.

Best of luck with it, and you'll love Scotland!
 
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Boreades said:
It sounds like the Admiralty Tidal Atlases are essential reading

http://www.admiraltyleisure.com/np250.asp
and
http://www.admiraltyleisure.com/pics/NW EUROPE.jpg

A question for those that have done the trip, which Pilot Guides did you find the most useful?
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The tides are the main issue, especially between Tuskar and the Smalls which is one of the nastiest bits of sea anywhere around Britain. Wind against tide here is grim and best avoided. The seas around the Irish banks are no joke either.

The other black spot is at the other end, between Fair Head and Kintyre where the tide runs like a mill race at springs, and the any wind from the S or N picks up a strength through funneling effects. There's no hiding place at either end, so you just have to keep going once you're in it.

But loads of boats big and small make this trip every year, and with a reasonable forecast it can be lovely. The stretch between Belfast Lough and Gigha is a real favourite of ours if the visibility is good, as the views are stupendous, and the anticipation of more of the same on the west coast is wonderful.

The Bristol Channel Pilot is good, but the one pilot guide not to leave behind is the Irish Cruising Club guide to the East and North coasts of Ireland - great book, with lots of local knowledge from cruising sailors built in.
 
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npf1 said:
I'm considering going heading to Western Scotland in June, possibly 'crewing up' and, weather permitting, trying to get there as quickly as possible. Before I begin to pour over the charts and pilots, does anyone who's done this journey have any recommendations/advice to offer. For example, if trying to do it with one stop, where would you stop? Howth? IoM? Strangford? Bangor?
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As a posted a few weeks back, I recently bought new "Irish Sea Pilot" and was very disappointed by odd organisation, patchy coverage and poor editing. That said, it's probably OK as a guide when passing through. I'm going to keep it for my delivery then give it away - if you want it for the postage, PM me.
 
Glenarm to Oban

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I would second Glenarm as a good starting point for the final leg. It's possible to have a fair tide all the way from Glenarm to Gigha, with up to six knots at Springs giving you a good push on your way. If you then carry on against the tide up the Sound of Jura you should be able to time your arrival at Ruadh Sgeir at the top of the Sound just as it changes and catch a fair tide all the way to Oban. Glenarm to Oban is a bit more than 90 miles, and easily do-able in under 18 hours.

A fair tide up the Sound of Luing is highly recommended - the tide runs at up to six knots at the North entrance.

- W
 
FWIW

I've done Scilly to Arklow (great steaks) (200 nm) 36 - 40 hrs in 30 footer. Arklow - Dun Laoghaire/Howth, Howth - Strangford (approx 12 - 14 hrs). Strangford is it bit off your route but well worth a visit anyway. There's a small marina at Portaferry.

Good marinas at Bangor and Carrickfergus.

John
 
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