Sailfree
Well-known member
Other post on "time to arrive at St PP" prompts question.
I frightened myself reading about how critical timing arrival with slack water was when I stated sailing about 9 years ago.
Accepting that we choose to sail in up to F4 or 5 I have now been through these places a number of times and apart from avoiding going against the tide have never had any problems.
I have been both at slack water, with the max tide (saw 14.4 kts on SOG through Alderney Race yet boat speed in light wind was only 4kts!) and have occasionally got it wrong and been slightly against the tide (once got it completly wrong and took 16hrs StPP to Cherbourg!) but apart from it being slightly disturbed water and an almost standing wave in the Swing once I have never witnessed why these pieces of water have such a reputation.
Have I been lucky or is it that once you avoid anything more than a F6 these bits of water are no problem?
Have you had any bad experiences in these places?
I frightened myself reading about how critical timing arrival with slack water was when I stated sailing about 9 years ago.
Accepting that we choose to sail in up to F4 or 5 I have now been through these places a number of times and apart from avoiding going against the tide have never had any problems.
I have been both at slack water, with the max tide (saw 14.4 kts on SOG through Alderney Race yet boat speed in light wind was only 4kts!) and have occasionally got it wrong and been slightly against the tide (once got it completly wrong and took 16hrs StPP to Cherbourg!) but apart from it being slightly disturbed water and an almost standing wave in the Swing once I have never witnessed why these pieces of water have such a reputation.
Have I been lucky or is it that once you avoid anything more than a F6 these bits of water are no problem?
Have you had any bad experiences in these places?