I thought the Med had good weather!

Chris_Robb

Chris_Robb

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Having completed our voyage though the canals we are now sitting in Marseilles Veiux port waiting for a bloody great north gale - F 8 to 10. We have been down in the Med since the 28th April, and have had more rain that a normal british summer! There appear to be a series of low pressures bubbling round the western med, and this one is going to have us sitting here until Wednesday - at €44 a day, oh well never mind. SWMBO will not lie to anchor if wind is over 2 knots it appears! er no - SWMBO on the boat I mean....

Otherwise everything has gone smoothly so far with no mishaps breakage or anything.

New crew arrive on Sunday 9th May and we then set off to Corsica Sardinia Sicilly Corfu, so I hope the weather will have settled down by then.
 
Well done! The crossing sounded hellish.

Now, I've just had a week in western isles (Mull, principally) and the weather's been glorious as it had been 2 weeks ago; wind F4. See what you're ... erm ... missing?!
 
I once heard a marine archeologist saying that the med was a paradise for them in view of the vast number of wrecks both ancient and modern which had sunk in sudden violent storms, and which were at shallow depth.

I've only seen one really bad storm myself and I was on dry land at a place called St Aygulf across the bay from St Raphael. It was indeed very violent and rough.

Tim
 
jjulysses said:
Something sometimes neglectet by some visitors from northern sailing sections.

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It doesn't fit the usual romantic idea.... however well aware that it can be thoroughly nasty, and to night it is living up to it. All starting in the Golf de Lion and working across. Charts look like the worst will be to the south,but I have no knowledge of med weather...... so playing safe!
 
Med gave me some of the most uncomfortable trips during my MN days.

Have picts from bridge of 250,000 VLCC of deck fully covered in F11 with only kingposts above water, same storm pushed a 100,000 tonner right around going down wind. Old man reckoned we had several meters on top of the bow.

Gone past Malta in nil vis blizzard

Quite normal to get 8 - 12hours storms F8 + most seasons apart from the well known puffs in southern France.

Can be bliss but never take it for granted.


Brian
 
Chris_Robb said:
Well, I hope your weather was bad then toooo. :D Hope you have a good summer in Blighty will make me really jealous!

Hope things perk up - spending too much on marinas at the moment!
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Yup hope you have a cracking summer too chris.... it was a bit windy and wet here on sunday but saturday and today made up for it !

I hoping to take a leaf out of your book this summer instead of the usual 2-3 weeks I have 8 weeks cruising. hoping to get further south than ever before. but not as far south as you.... you lucky beeeeep :D
 
AIDY said:
Yup hope you have a cracking summer too chris.... it was a bit windy and wet here on sunday but saturday and today made up for it !

I hoping to take a leaf out of your book this summer instead of the usual 2-3 weeks I have 8 weeks cruising. hoping to get further south than ever before. but not as far south as you.... you lucky beeeeep :D
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Thanks Aidy - sounds like a proper relaxed cruise.
 
The Golf de Lion is renowned for extreme weather. You are a bit to the East of the more exciting part (down towards the Pyrenees).

F8/F9 gales happen fairly often at any time of the year.
Late winter, early spring is known for its higher frequency of extreme windy weather.

It seems usual to have at least once storm during that period every year with winds over 100MPH - I have my boat tied up in the marina at the moment with 10 lines. There was a F9 forecast for today.

Going from F7 to a glassy calm in the space of 5 minutes happens often enough as well (or vice versa which causes a little more panic).

It seems to be much more sedate once you are East of St Tropez.

There is another thread about a fatal capsize of a big cruising catamaran in just one such storm:-

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236055

Don't underestimate the Med - it can be nasty as the Irish Sea.
 
michaelchapman said:
The Golf de Lion is renowned for extreme weather. You are a bit to the East of the more exciting part (down towards the Pyrenees).

F8/F9 gales happen fairly often at any time of the year.
Late winter, early spring is known for its higher frequency of extreme windy weather.

It seems usual to have at least once storm during that period every year with winds over 100MPH - I have my boat tied up in the marina at the moment with 10 lines. There was a F9 forecast for today.

Going from F7 to a glassy calm in the space of 5 minutes happens often enough as well (or vice versa which causes a little more panic).

It seems to be much more sedate once you are East of St Tropez.

There is another thread about a fatal capsize of a big cruising catamaran in just one such storm:-

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236055

Don't underestimate the Med - it can be nasty as the Irish Sea.
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Quite strange really - it has been almost flat calm overnight and still no wind! plenty of rain though. Opposite of a Michael Fish I think!

Perhaps the long and the short of it is that forecasting storms in the Med and their tracks is unpredictable.
 
Chris, photos of Port de Borme, bit of a SE blowing!!

est029.jpg


dec.jpg


PS, dont worry it WAS December!!:D

Have a safe trip, fair winds.
 
Chris_Robb said:
Quite strange really - it has been almost flat calm overnight and still no wind! plenty of rain though. Opposite of a Michael Fish I think!

Perhaps the long and the short of it is that forecasting storms in the Med and their tracks is unpredictable.
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You could be quite close to the centre of the low
 
On the second days sailing I ever did in the med we had about an inch of ice on the decks from a hail storm.

I really don't understand why people like to sail there. There's either no wind, or far too much.
 
Chris_Robb said:
Quite strange really - it has been almost flat calm overnight and still no wind! plenty of rain though. Opposite of a Michael Fish I think!

Perhaps the long and the short of it is that forecasting storms in the Med and their tracks is unpredictable.
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Yes. I think you are right.

We once anchored overnight in a bay near Cabo Greus (about 5 miles to the south)

The weather forecast received on the navtex for the next day was for rough seas and a F9 around Cabo Greus which has a reputation for flipping cataramans.

We were a little apprehensive, but set off the next day in a light breeze thinking that the weather 5 miles away cannot be that different from where we are. It was even calmer.

We rounded the cape in a flat calm, mirror seas with the engine!

I have no idea where the storm went!
 
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