Nice video on the Corryvreckan

.
There's lots of other interesting info on the Corry on the site.

I recommend going to see it with Craignish Cruises on Venturer, a lot more comfortable than a RIB, and Lindsay knows the waters very well.

- W
 
Spent a few days there a couple of years back trying to figure a way to sail through against the tide, west to east. We found that by sailing south of Eilean Mor and Buige Rock, then across across the entrance to Gleann nan muc, ad south of Eilean Beag, then hug the rocks of Jura round the point, it was just possible. Our timing was half way between springs and neaps, and at half way between the times of change of direction of flow. The hardest part (strongest flow) was just east of the small point on north end of Jura. A faster boat would do better I think. Our longish keel Rival rips too much tidal flow.
None of the above is advisable in strong wind against flow. We had a NW at about F4.
 
MM5AHO said:
Spent a few days there a couple of years back trying to figure a way to sail through against the tide, west to east. We found that by sailing south of Eilean Mor and Buige Rock, then across across the entrance to Gleann nan muc, ad south of Eilean Beag, then hug the rocks of Jura round the point, it was just possible. Our timing was half way between springs and neaps, and at half way between the times of change of direction of flow. The hardest part (strongest flow) was just east of the small point on north end of Jura. A faster boat would do better I think. Our longish keel Rival rips too much tidal flow.
None of the above is advisable in strong wind against flow. We had a NW at about F4.
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Yes you are indeed a very capable Yachtsman indeed going by the stories them Crinan locals and Fishermen told of that 'Demon'
 
its a good vid - but its showing ebbing tide. once saw a calmac ferry having a "wee play" through the standing wave in the flood.

we are going to camp on Scarba for 4 days in September - i am hoping we get a westerly gale during a flood tide to watch from the safety of the land.

friend of a friend chartered a boat from Craobh - they had a video of them going through Corryvreckon on the flood - sunshine/t shirts, changed in a blink to being inside a washing machine appearance.
 
MM5AHO said:
Spent a few days there a couple of years back trying to figure a way to sail through against the tide, west to east. We found that by sailing south of Eilean Mor and Buige Rock, then across across the entrance to Gleann nan muc, ad south of Eilean Beag, then hug the rocks of Jura round the point, it was just possible. Our timing was half way between springs and neaps, and at half way between the times of change of direction of flow. The hardest part (strongest flow) was just east of the small point on north end of Jura. A faster boat would do better I think. Our longish keel Rival rips too much tidal flow.
None of the above is advisable in strong wind against flow. We had a NW at about F4.
Click to expand...

Have successfully sailed out against a mid tide Ebb, shore hugging Jura then south of Eileen Mor - which is a less ambitious option with an Easterly as smother outside.
But not sure I would try inside Buige Rock personally :eek:
 
The issue of punching the tide in the sound, is if you lose steerage or engine power, then you have a high probability of getting into trouble that could threaten the boat and life. I went through about an hour after the tide turned by hugging the Jura shore going westwards but a 10m drift northwards off my track and the boat started to ferry glide northwards, then go backwards. Around that whole area the rudder / hull slamming can quite dramatic in calm conditions motoring through upwelling water, even on a no wind day, occasionally you can feel the yacht jerk probably due to conflicting water flow around the hull.
 
zoidberg said:
- you can hear the roar of the whirlpool from half-a-dozen miles away.
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You cant. Anyway it used to be when a Westerly Gale was blowing it was louder than the harden roar. You can not hear it half a mile away, never mind 6 miles. You can see it though, a white water line at a noticeable height above the horizon.
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
You cant. Anyway it used to be when a Westerly Gale was blowing it was louder than the harden roar. You can not hear it half a mile away, never mind 6 miles. You can see it though, a white water line at a noticeable height above the horizon.
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Under normal conditions it's as you say but you can hear Coirebhreacan from Crinan when it's really wild. Needs wind from the west to carry the sound across. Been there, heard that.
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
You cant.
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Oh yes you can!

Well, you can here the roar of the water from the overfalls , not sure the 'whirlpool makes much noise.

I lived for 4 years overlooking the Corry and you can certainly hear it in certain conditions and often the whole of the sound was one, large, breaking wave..

It can be a nasty place in the wrong weather.
 
I agree. It can be a slalom ride, and having the engine already running, just in case, is wise. Steerage is a problem with the wildly variable flow directions, but the few metres off the rocks on south side are more consistent in flow direction, and a lot lower velocity.
I probed around Buige Rock, at slack, and found it reasonably clean and enough water for me (there was not less than 3m always). But not for a big swell running perhaps!
 
I am not convinced and doubt that it can be heard, especially on a windy day and I guess the sound is something else and mistaken as the sound of the flow.

Still, I am happy to be proven wrong and will try and catch it when the conditions exist. I have sailed past the entrance countless times over the years, sometimes in bad conditions and never heard anything over the normal noises of wind and waves. I would have thought that some audible roar would be evident.

Mind you, there is this: -

https://www.niagarafallsinfo.com/ni...ara-falls/historical-accounts-from-1755-1877/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
BlowingOldBoots said:
I am not convinced and doubt that it can be heard, especially on a windy day and I guess the sound is something else and mistaken as the sound of the flow.

Still, I am happy to be proven wrong and will try and catch it when the conditions exist. I have sailed past the entrance countless times over the years, sometimes in bad conditions and never heard anything over the normal noises of wind and waves. I would have thought that some audible roar would be evident.
Click to expand...

In my experience it's a low rumble rather than a roar. You feel it as much as hear it. It may well be that the wind and wave noise close to is masking low frequency stuff - which carries well - from the race.
 
The first time I was aware of the noise it made was when drifting round Ardnoe point when I heard what I assumed to be a waterfall somewhere close by, on asking in Crinan I was told it was the Corry.
You do need the right combination of tide and light breeze to hear it on the mainland but hear it, you certainly can.
 
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