Mull of Kintyre

[rex_seadog]

Hoping to sail from the Firth of Clyde, starting from Lamlash or Cambeltown, to Ballycastle/Rathlin Is. on or around 12th May in a 38ft yacht. Any advice please on best timing to round the Mull of Kintyre and enter Rathlin Sound. In what winds/tides could there be problems?
We then hope to cruise down the coast to Bangor and Strangford Lough. However, we may reverse the route so would also appreciate advice on west to east passage from Ballycastle around the M of K to the Clyde a few days later on, say, the 17th May.
I'm sure the Clyde Pilot covers this passage but I haven't yet managed to get my hands on a copy.

Any other advice/comments on this cruise also very welcome.

Thanks
Rex

 

[vyv_cox]

The only worthwhile advice anybody can give you is to buy one of the pilots or the Mamillan Reed Almanac. Each of these devotes several paragraphs to the various options and warnings. I have rounded the Mull in the easiest possible of conditions, no wind and exactly on time for slack water at the southerly point. We met a 3ft high wall of water and major swirls. In stronger winds, especially westerlies, and perhaps half an hour later, it would have been a far more memorable occasion. The harbourmaster at Campbelltown will tell you many tales of horrendous conditions if you want to be thoroughly worried before setting off.

The pilot is on sale at almost every chandler on the West coast of Scotland. They are even on sale at our local chandler in Scheveningen in Holland.

 

[claymore]

Agree entirely
I've gone through the inshore passage both ways and had no problems but seen big standing waves further out, been nearly pooped approaching Sanda when I thought I was nicely out of it!
Its around 260T to Fair Head from Sanda and approx 20 miles. HW Campbeltown is around noon on the 12th May. You will need to watch for wind against tide as you get out - its probably worth heading over towards Ailsa Craig to miss the overfalls and then you need to make sure you reach Fair Head before the tide turns, you can sail in close there and then cut out of the tide into Ballycastle Bay. Its a good place - clean water and beaches and a lovely coastline to walk along.
I always think of the crossing as a ferry glide - you don't want to be swept northwards or southwards, so keep an eye on your track
regards
John S

Sans Signature

 

[webcraft]

Going from Largs to Rathlin took us just eleven and a half hours in a Jeanneau Sunshine 38 last year. We got to Sanda at HW Greenock -2.20 (HW Dover -1 exactly according to my log - just as the stream in Sanda Sound turns Westerly) - and rocketed over to Rathlin in just four hours. At HW Dover +3 there were a few swirly bits in Rathlin Sound, but the main tide race, Slough-na-more, isn't really running then, and you should be OK from there to slack water at HW Dover +6

So - as long as you leave Sanda Island with at least four hours of W-going stream you should be fine. Of course, both Sanda Sound and Rathlin Sound could still be unpleasant with strong Westerlies over the west-going tide.

There's a detailed mini tidal atlas for Rathlin in Macmillan Reeds, and another one in the Irish Cruising Guide. Both are worth studying.

Haven't been round Fair Head heading South, but I did recently come North from Bangor to Ballycastle. We had an hour of fair tide left when we reached Fair Head, and stayed close inshore (a cable or less off). We found two knots of tide against us, which is not shown in the tidal atlas - so I would recommend staying further offshore! Getting out from Ballycastle you need to leave at slack water or just before to avoid the race off Fair Head.

I've been round the Mull a few times now, close inshore, and it's generally been OK because I haven't encountered a lot of wind over tide. There's always a few lumpy bits, but nothing a 38 footer will have any difficulty with. General advice is don't go through Sanda Sound with more than F4 wind over tide, although I am sure there are people on this forum who have.

Claymore’s advice to think of the crossing as a ferry glide is a good one – use COG on your GPS as your main navigational tool once you are past the Mull on the way to Rathlin - although the tide should be mostly helping you, it will also be carrying you North past Rathlin and into the Macdonell Race, which runs most of the time.

My final advice would be to not trust anything you read in this forum as gospel until you have checked the almanac and done the calculations yourself. I've had a great passage both times I've been to Rathlin and Ballycastle, but this is definitely one where it is necessary to get the timing right.

- Nick


BlueMoment.Com
http://www.bluemoment.com

 

[HaraldS]

Thanks! That was very useful for me aswell.
I need to do exactly the same passage about a months later than rex seadog. Starting from Ardrossan, maybe Lamlash also going to Ballycastle.
Have been looking at the chartlet in the Macmillian Reeds and thought about timing it about like you describe. But then I hear all these horror stories about this place and do get worried. Is the traffic and the separation zone another thing to worry much about?

 

[salamicollie]

The TSS doesn't help but is more of an issue coming South from Islay/Gigha where if conditions are not ideal you want to be on its N edge to avoid the lumpy stuff (Never had the courage to try the inside passage)

 

[claymore]

Its not a long passage and there isn't that much commercial traffic so I wouldn't get too bothered about the TSS - except to say that if there is commercial traffic obviously keep out of the way! If the visibility is good its wonderful to be looking at the Antrim Hills, Kintyre, Rathlin and Islay - just sublime!
Regards
John S

Sans Signature

 

[ccscott49]

Isn't that bagpipes I hear on the wind, I would love to be back in the Highlands again sometime, but not just yet!

 

[HaraldS]

John, thanks a lot! I really look forward to the great scenery. Will avoid the big ships for sure. Wouldn't crossing the TSS perpendicular, like the rules say, just do the job anyway, given the right timing?

 

[webcraft]

Re: Mull of Kintyre - TSS

I've crossed the TSS at least four times in the last two or three years and never seen a tanker closer than three miles - it's really not very densely populated with them. (Or have I just been lucky?)

- Nick

BlueMoment.Com
http://www.bluemoment.com

 

[HaraldS]

Re: Mull of Kintyre - TSS

Thanks Nick,

can't wait to get going again and enjoy the place and everything.

Harald

 

[PeteMcK]

Inside passage: Mull of Kintyre

I use it almost invariably. You have to go right in close to get the benefit, though. I've never seen much traffic in the TSS, and, yes, if you clip the edge of it, you miss the more extreme lumpy bits. The drawback is that you add an hour or two to your exposure if you're heading round the Scottish side.

Another post says you'll be ok in a 38 footer: depends what you mean. Every year, the organisers of the Scottish Islands Peaks Race warn all 50 or 60 skippers (just before they head off!) that the Mull can throw up conditions which can sink any boat in the race, and that includes a couple of Oyster 60 ketches. The only time I've had my boat near broached-to and rolled by following breakers was on a sunny July day, Force 3-4, three miles off the Mull at (supposedly) slack water. The scary thing is that the situation develops very rapidly and, once you're in it, there's absolutely no turning back.

I'm not trying to put anyone off - I go round several times a year - but be sure to be prepared. Wear lifejackets, clip on and have the wash boards in and clipped to lanyards.

The inner passage can be very placid, although there's usually something interesting right at the corner of the Mull itself, but I still take the same precautions.

 

[rex_seadog]

Many thanks for all the contributions. Although I've studied the almanacs it's nice to wrap up the raw data with a few words of experience. In this game one must never be complacent.
This was brought home last year when entering Salcombe. Over the years I've crossed the bar numerous times and thought its reputation must be overated. We had sailed from Plymouth in our Hunter Delta and in the final hour had shaken out the last reef - the wind dropping to a nice SW F3. Rounding Bolt Head we handed the main and motor-sailed in with just the genny, following the leading line. Everything seemed quite normal and uneventful when at the shallow bit (depth showing about 3m) we heard what sounded like the roar of a stinkpot coming up from behind. Looking over our shoulders we saw a wave towering about 7-8 ft above us about to break over our stern. We were lifted up, the cockpit filled with water and I well remember holding tight, surfing down the wave at an angle of what seemed like 45 degrees, fully expecting our bow to plough into the sand. We then broached to starboard and in a few seconds popped up in a sea of white water. We got back onto course only to be 'attacked' a few seconds later by another slightly smaller wave with similar results. After that no further problems and we were soon moored up analysing the situation and trying to decide what to enter into the log. The problem was the strong S/SE wind the day and night before which had left over a southerly swell (but nothing that I would have considered excessive) combined with an entry during the last hour or so of the ebb. Later in the pub it transpired that we were not alone in being caught out by these conditions.
Perhaps someone will write a poem about it!

 

[Aja]

Re: Inside passage: Mull of Kintyre

Although I've never used the outside route (via Sanda) I've never had too much problems going close into Deas Pt... Sailing directions say as close as 50 metres but with the height of the cliffs you always seem too damn close....I agree with PeterMck that you should take all reasonable precautions. It can get very exposed very quickly.

On the inside route, be careful of lobster pot markers, they tend to submarine in the tide, and I've noticed in the last 2 years that there is a tendancy to use grey markers which make them exceedingly difficult to spot.

The TSZ doesn't cause a problem. I dont have radar, and have only been buzzed by the Navy. They seem to steam uip and down quite a lot on that area.

Donald