Faroe Island Passage Planing and Cruising resources

steveeasy said:
Just visiting this old thread to see if anyone made it to the Faroes.
I’m reluctantly leaving the west coast of Scotland this year to return to lake Solent. I feel I’ve missed so much including this little adventure. So I’m pondering one last Hooley and am interested in any thing or advice on best places to visit. Just anything anyone would like to share on the trip.
Steveeasy
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Hi,
I started this thread…. and yes I did make it.

I sailed singlehanded from Stornoway last August, had amazing weather while I was there. Here is short YouTube video of my passage and some of the harbours I visited.


Harbours and marinas were free/cheap, the scenery amazing. Food and alcohol expensive but not as much as Norway.

You definitely need the RAK app for the tides.
 
Koeketiene said:
I must admit I share your misgivings about sailing just with electronic charts and have paper charts for chosen cruising areas.
Yet... in practice I barely look at them.
Even though I keep the chart of the current area in a waterproof folio in the cockpit.
In practice, it's electronic all the way.
Navionics on the plotter at the chart table and on 2 tablets (one in use in the cockpit and the other charging).
In all honesty, next time I change cruising area I probably won't bother with paper charts.
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That is where a Yeoman plotter comes in really handy. A trip to the chart table can tell one exactly where one is on the chart & give a wider view from the main chart in a way that the plotter never does. It also makes entry of waypoints far easier (if linked to the plotter) & more accurate in that one can see the whole route whilst doing it
 
eebygum said:
Hi,
I started this thread…. and yes I did make it.

I sailed singlehanded from Stornoway last August, had amazing weather while I was there. Here is short YouTube video of my passage and some of the harbours I visited.


Harbours and marinas were free/cheap, the scenery amazing. Food and alcohol expensive but not as much as Norway.

You definitely need the RAK app for the tides.
Click to expand...
Looks amazing. We're planning to go next season (2025), probably departing from Stornaway. I'll definitely be looking up the info posted earlier in this thread, and maybe picking your brains! We're hoping to do some walking/camping while there, so hoping to leave the boat for a few days at a time, at a suitable location.
 
Daydream believer said:
That is where a Yeoman plotter comes in really handy. A trip to the chart table can tell one exactly where one is on the chart & give a wider view from the main chart in a way that the plotter never does. It also makes entry of waypoints far easier (if linked to the plotter) & more accurate in that one can see the whole route whilst doing it
Click to expand...

I did use to own a Yeoman plotter, though I sold it some years ago.
Most of my sailing is singlehanded these days and when underway I prefer to spend as little time down below as possible.
Should my tablet ever let me down when coastal sailing I feel that a paper chart and a handbearing compass in the cockpit work just as well.
 
Koeketiene said:
I did use to own a Yeoman plotter, though I sold it some years ago.
Most of my sailing is singlehanded these days and when underway I prefer to spend as little time down below as possible.
Should my tablet ever let me down when coastal sailing I feel that a paper chart and a handbearing compass in the cockpit work just as well.
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I tend to agree about not going below if possible. A recipe for sea sickness.
I have a plug in the cockpit so my Yeoman can be used on deck if I wish. Bit difficult to see the lights in daytime though
 
jlavery said:
Looks amazing. We're planning to go next season (2025), probably departing from Stornaway. I'll definitely be looking up the info posted earlier in this thread, and maybe picking your brains! We're hoping to do some walking/camping while there, so hoping to leave the boat for a few days at a time, at a suitable location.
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Hi,
I kept my boat in Torshavn for over a week when my partner flew out and we rented an amazing AirBnB (PM if you want the details; it had its own Jacuzzi looking out across to the sea and a private sauna - a bit of luxury after all the sailing) and hired a car to get around all the islands and do some walking.

Equally you could keep the boat across from Torshavn at Nolstoy which was a free harbour and well protected and get the cheap ferry across every day.

It’s definitely worth the effort and is not too difficult a passage from Stornoway if your willing to wait for the right weather window.
 
Daydream believer said:
That is where a Yeoman plotter comes in really handy. A trip to the chart table can tell one exactly where one is on the chart & give a wider view from the main chart in a way that the plotter never does. It also makes entry of waypoints far easier (if linked to the plotter) & more accurate in that one can see the whole route whilst doing it
Click to expand...
For those brought up on paper, the Yeoman is the answer to your prayers.
Passage planning on big screen paper with everything visible, way points uploaded at the press of a button, distance and bearing to an object immediately available. No zooming in and out and scrolling.
To me far better than a screen although use plotter screen for pilotage and close quarter awareness.
 
Taken 2 weeks off mid May to sail to the islands. Weather permitting we leave on the 12th may. Will head to Stornaway first and see how things go.
Not researched anything as yet as I’ve been moving house and such like. Bit of a shoestring trip, but while I’ve got a boat and an opportunity, then I should make the most of it.
Not managed to find the RaK App as yet. If anyone has fairly recent paper charts they wish to sell or offer some advice, then please do.
Only intend to stay a few days as quite keen to return visiting a few other places.

Steveeasy
 
Motor_Sailor said:
I didn't want to say that in case it was just me. The paper tidal flow book is £47 but at least the information it contains is usable.
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We cruised the Faroes twice, on the way to, and on the way back from, Greenland via Iceland in 2018. They are really, really worth the trip; highly recommended.

The biggest nav challenge by far is tidal streams, which are ferocious; up to 12 knots in a number of places. The electronic tides from Navionics were incorrect and useless (maybe better now, but not then). We used the ancient paper tide book which is based on moon meridians so somewhat complicated.

There was a local app -- it's here: Rák | Rák. In those days it was not as precise as the old moon meridian charts but maybe it's been improved.
 
Trying to open the above app but seams a little challenging. Tried on android and iPhone.
Any advice on translation of it ?

Steveeasy
 
I've searched on Playstore for this and can't find it to download.
A previous suggestion on here was that you required the accent above the "a"?
I'm not sure if my wee phone has such sophistication!
Anyone help with app sourcing or keyboard?
 
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afterpegassus said:
I've searched on Playstore for this and can't find it to download.
A previous suggestion on here was that you required the accent above the "a"?
I'm not sure if my wee phone has such sophistication!
Anyone help with app sourcing or keyboard?
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Does this help? Sorry don t understand a word of that page :)
Rák | Rák

I have the app on my android tablet, I could not find it in the Google store either. Is there a way of sharing it directly ?
 
Koeketiene said:
Direct link to the app on Play Store: Rák - Apps on Google Play
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Interesting: That certainly helps to find it but also clarifies why the Play Store search doesn't list it: apparently it's "not compatible with my device" (Samsung S20), though it's not immediately obvious to me, at least, why.

Compatibility for your active devices *
Samsung SM-G930F
Does not work on your device
Samsung SM-G981B
Does not work on your device
Samsung SM-T810
Does not work on your device

The above are my phone (S20), backup nav tablet (Tab S2) and and old S7; I have an Active-Tab as primary tablet for Antares that isn't listed, will try that later but not optimistic, as it's about the same generation as the s7.

afterpegassus said:
I have tried the Rak RAK link and that only gets you to a set of user instructions.
Am I being thick and not seeing something ?
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Same for me. :-(
 
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Whaup367 said:
Interesting: That certainly helps to find it but also clarifies why the Play Store search doesn't list it: apparently it's "not compatible with my device" (Samsung S20), though it's not immediately obvious to me, at least, why.
Click to expand...
I already have the app installed, if I go through the device (oldish Android tablet) Parameters, then 'Apps' and select this 'Rak', at the bottom of the page it indicates a link to the Google Store, clicking on it it says 'Nothing found'.
Koeketiene link works, though it says 'Not compatible with your device', the installed version definitely works.
 
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