Inverness to Port Edgar

[Fascadale]

Hi

Could anyone tell me,

how far is it (about) from Inverness to Port Edgar.......by sea.... in nms ?
What are the tides like on that passage?

(charts and pilots on West Coast, me on East Coast)

Thanks

 

[cliffb]

Assuming your talking about Port Edgar Marina at Queensferry, it's about 212nm. Maybe a bit longer if you don't cross the bay at Dundee. Hope this helps.

 

[Sgeir]

PM sent.

D

 

[Fascadale]

Thanks for the info Cliff, email sent Donald

Cheers

 

[KenMcCulloch]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi

What are the tides like on that passage?

(charts and pilots on West Coast, me on East Coast)

Thanks

[/ QUOTE ]My pilots are at Port Edgar /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif but I think the only points where tides will be much of an issue are leaving Inverness and the last 2 miles at the Forth Bridges; as I recall there is a bit of a tide around Kinnairds Head but apart from that it just goes one way then the other every 6 hours at pretty modest rates. I did know someone years ago who used to take an engineless schooner from the Forth to Orkney each summer. If the wind died they would just anchor when the tide was against them and pull it up again 6 hours later. Very traditional. Let us know when you expect to arrive.

 

[EdWingfield]

I did that trip this year.

Tidal bottlenecks are at Inverness Bridge and Chanonry/Fort George narrows. Once through that the tidal streams are weak until perhaps the narrows of the Forth Rail Bridge. (especially at this moment as you may not go through outside the shipping lanes due to low scaffolding)

Do not underestimate Rattray Head. It isn't the tidal streams, more the fact that it is shallow for a long way offshore. Conditions here can be an absolute b.....d.

 

[awol]

Did the trip last Thursday to Saturday morning - took 38 hours including a couple of hours in Stonehaven to chop up onions, cook and score some diesel. My GPS claimed 214 nm from the sea lock to berth. The tides have been covered already - and ours closely followed the diagrams of Martin Lawrence's pilot book. It took an awful long time to get past Peterhead with about 3kts against us - it was springs - but we managed to leave Inverness on the ebb and arrive at PE on the flood. NE gales had passed but the seas were still high but regular. Highest seas were at the mouth of the Forth where counting lighthouse flashes was almost impossible - I never did see 4 flashes from Fidra.

 

[Gordonmc]

The one and only time I have been critically seasick was going round Rattray while taking a fishing boat round from Peterhead to McDuff in a F7. Everything was fine until we got to the Rattray waypoint, then hell broke loose.
Didn't like it much.

 

[Bilgediver]

Check your tidal streams in the East coast pilot and avoid if possible that period off the coast around Peterhead when the north and south tides are meeting....They can do it with such Gusto that you and the rest of the crew might be reminded what you had for breakfast,,,,and dinner before that.

Can be watching the lights of olde Aberdeen for hours on a foul tide and light wind so popping into Stonehaven for deep fried Mars bars can be a welcome respite. If you develope a habit for deep fry then don t pass bye Anstruther without visiting the fish bar /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Nothing nicer than entering the Forth with the dawn and if you are using an old Briggs chart remember it was printed in 1985 and the Isle of MAy characteristics have changed. Some charts have a typo and are showing the wrong characteristics for the Oxcars light.

Don t call Port Edgar on channel 16 they use 80

If you keep your radio on dual watch in the river on 16/71 than you will get an idea what the shipping is doing around you.

 

[snowleopard]

Stay put. Inverness is nice, Port Edgar is the @.hole of the North.

You may deduce from that I was not impressed on my visit. Ripped off for dreadful facilities.

 

[Fascadale]

Thanks for the advice

You have reminded me of one of the worst nights of my life, coming from Inverness to Granton on my father's boat in about 1967. End of season, terrible night off Peterhead and such places, long detour to seaward round the Bell, uncertainty over recognition because it's flash sequence had changed, but arriving in the Forth was beautiful.

Port Edgar, certainly lacking in charm, but there is not much choice on the Forth.

 

[Shuggy]

I second the comments about anything around Fraserburgh - Rattray Head and Kinnaird Head were wild on a calm day last May (the only time I've been at sea there) and require some careful thought!