Passage plan: Irish Sea to La Cornna

Fascadale

Fascadale

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(a slow morning at work so thoughts turn to summer sailing)

If all goes to plan I hope to be setting off in mid July from the Isle of Man to La Corunna. I hope to do this passage non stop.

The rhum line for this almost passes through the Scilly Isles .

It has been suggested that it is more sensible to keep going west around the south east coast of Ireland to about 9W and then to sail south. I have also been told to steer to the west of Spain before committing to closing with the coast. This should keep me out of the shipping lanes from Finisterre to the Scillies, Lands End and Ushant as well as putting me in a better starting point for SW winds

I am thinking of going Isle of Man to 53N 6W,(about the middle of St George's Ch), to 50N 9W, to 44n 9W where I will make the decision on closing the 40nms to the coast. All this optimistically assumes the cooperation of the weather.

What do you think?
 
Fascadale said:
(a slow morning at work so thoughts turn to summer sailing)

If all goes to plan I hope to be setting off in mid July from the Isle of Man to La Corunna. I hope to do this passage non stop.

The rhum line for this almost passes through the Scilly Isles .

It has been suggested that it is more sensible to keep going west around the south east coast of Ireland to about 9W and then to sail south. I have also been told to steer to the west of Spain before committing to closing with the coast. This should keep me out of the shipping lanes from Finisterre to the Scillies, Lands End and Ushant as well as putting me in a better starting point for SW winds

I am thinking of going Isle of Man to 53N 6W,(about the middle of St George's Ch), to 50N 9W, to 44n 9W where I will make the decision on closing the 40nms to the coast. All this optimistically assumes the cooperation of the weather.

What do you think?
Click to expand...

I've done the direct track Scillies to La Coruna twice and once on the way back - it crosses the shipping lanes at a slight angle, so you will spend at least 24 hours with big ships in sight constantly, but they are pretty much all on an almost paralell track so it is not frightening - rather, it gives something to entertain you during the long night watches.

The only time I would bother with making extra westing is if I suspected bad weather early in the trip and wanted to get 'off the shelf' quickly. Even in moderate weather the area where the continental shelf drops off into the abyss can have big, confused seas. On the way back from Spain in 2007, as the water shallowed at the banks marked Haut Fonds de la Chapelle the beam seas became steep and vicious even though we only had 14 knots of wind, and at one point a four foot wall of breaking water suddenly manifested itself and threw the boat over far enough to cause minor mayhem down below. If freak waves can appear in a nice sailing breeze then it is clear that above this underwater cliff edge is no place to be in any serious weather.

Going fmr the Sciollies means you will be at sea 5 days or less . . . from the IOM you are looking at 7 days and so it will be harder to get a reliable weather window.

IMO the secret is not to put yourself under any pressure and if you have time wait patiently for a good 5-day forecast then go for it. If the weather pattern is 'busy' thennit is worth leaving on the tail end of bad weather knowing you have an improving forecast.

La Coruna is a fanatastic city. Enjoy your trip, I'm jealous . . . PM me for tapas recommendations.

- W
 
Baiona to Dublin for me was just under 5 days for 650 nm last year coming up along the 9 Deg 30W line. Your suggestion is a sensible route, keeps you out of the Bay and would allow you to spring from Kilmore Quay if you needed to wait for the right forecast.

You don't say what type of boat but assuming 6 knots you could do the 550 nm from Kilmore in 4 days or so which is a more dependable weather window.
 
Some years ago I delivered a Prout catamaran from the Clyde to Gib. We had a bit of a battering coming down the Irish Sea, rounded the South of Ireland and went to Dunmore East. Big gale forecast so went up the river to Waterford. Left, went west some more then had a lovely sail across Bay to Vigo. I reckon that getting the westing in at the start was a Good Plan.

La Coruna is fab, the big marina in town is tops. Good run ashore too, the big square is just over the road, bars out the yingyang. Side streets off it are good for tapas as webcraft says. Also there is a brothel.......! Dont miss latin quarter just off the beach, party til dawn.

Have a safe trip.
 
I'm planning a La Coruna trip around May. At the moment the sail plan is SW from Lizard to 9 / 10 degree then South.

I hope to be calling in the marina and then intend to anchor off somewhere.

Any suggestions for quiet anchorages would be appreciated.

Cliff
 
We did 800M from Holyhead to Vigo in May 2010. We ran the rhum line just as soon as the weather / wind allowed. Worst part of the journey was fog in St Georges Channel. We stayed close to the UK coastline as it was the safest option. We went with a good 5-day forecast and had good conditions for the crossing. As you approach the Cape TSS, your plotter with radar / ais overlay will resemble a computer game.

Have a great journey, good luck.
 
cliffdale said:
I'm planning a La Coruna trip around May. At the moment the sail plan is SW from Lizard to 9 / 10 degree then South.

I hope to be calling in the marina and then intend to anchor off somewhere.

Any suggestions for quiet anchorages would be appreciated.

Cliff
Click to expand...

If you carry on into the Ria and bung a right, there is a good anchorage just outside Sada marina,
if a northerly pipes up, nip upto Ares harbour.

Very good supermarket at Sada within spitting distance of the marina, if you want to store up.
Dingy in to the old harbour wall and tie-up to the public steps.

A very pleasant town, worth a visit
 
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On any of those routes I'd want AIS B please - so you're transmitting a signal as well as seeing theirs. You can see (on compuiter) ships adjusting their course for you over ten miles off. A handheld gps would be fine, and radar well meh, much less important than AIS.
 
Fascadale said:
(a slow morning at work so thoughts turn to summer sailing)

If all goes to plan I hope to be setting off in mid July from the Isle of Man to La Corunna. I hope to do this passage non stop.

The rhum line for this almost passes through the Scilly Isles .

It has been suggested that it is more sensible to keep going west around the south east coast of Ireland to about 9W and then to sail south. I have also been told to steer to the west of Spain before committing to closing with the coast. This should keep me out of the shipping lanes from Finisterre to the Scillies, Lands End and Ushant as well as putting me in a better starting point for SW winds

I am thinking of going Isle of Man to 53N 6W,(about the middle of St George's Ch), to 50N 9W, to 44n 9W where I will make the decision on closing the 40nms to the coast. All this optimistically assumes the cooperation of the weather.

What do you think?
Click to expand...

You could always include Brest in your plan, should you need to consider a haven, then across bay, inside shipping lanes.
 
alant said:
You could always include Brest in your plan, should you need to consider a haven, then across bay, inside shipping lanes.
Click to expand...

Yes, I've got the charts for that part of Brittany.

The passage plan for the route home includes Brittany, a Channel Island, up the channel and home up the North Sea.
 
Are you taking Hyskeir?
I can understand you wanting to do something easy and relaxing after your Castlebay adventures last year

:p
 
Mavanier said:
Are you taking Hyskeir?
I can understand you wanting to do something easy and relaxing after your Castlebay adventures last year

:p
Click to expand...

Yes, a difficult decision, Stornoway Spain? Spain Stornoway?
I'll be sorry to miss your wonderful sailing week and Hebcelt, not to mention the hospitality.
Maybe next year.

And as for "Hyskeir", if she can get back and forwards across the Minch, hopefully she'll manage Biscay.
She may not be a Vega but there was an I26 "Wileca" in the 1968 Ostar.
 
When we went down we stayed in Cork RCYC for a few weeks to get a reasonable weather forecast. It's almost due south from Cork to La Coruna, but I headed west to around 9W, next time I'd head out to 10W. Mainly because as you get south you get drawn into the Bay with the wind and currents. By making a bigger westing you'll get a nice run into La Coruna, or if it's all gone crappy then you are still on course for any of the Rias or Bayona.

AIS, what for? The shipping is heading N/S on a pretty easily determined track, and there is no light pollution so you'll see the buggers miles away!
 
Well, there's lots of boats wd slightly take issue with the "what for?" comment... AIS takes the guesswork out of it , sees things before humans. And AIS also sees ships that forget to turn their lights on.
 
NASA AIS engine is only about £100, interface to laptop running Open CPN. Nice to have if the vis drops.

Mojomo & Hyskeir are chalk/cheese, AIS B would be all the beer money gone - not to mention power requirements etc.

Wot you doing in Pac?

- W
 
Fascadale said:
If all goes to plan I hope to be setting off in mid July from the Isle of Man to La Corunna. I hope to do this passage non stop.
Click to expand...

A couple of boats will be going from Conwy about the same time. We plan to go out to Crookhaven W Cork and wait a weather window. Might see you there!
 
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