passage planning advice - Largs to Bangor - weekend trip

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EuanMcKenzie

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Got a boys weekend planned next weekend and thinking of going to Bangor for the first time as forecast is shaping up to look less than hellish

will be at boat Thursday circa 6pm returning by Sunday night

My boat will average 5 knots realistically and less if its light so may need the donk at times

Is it best to hop to Lamlash Thursday night then leave Early Friday morning

What's the best best tactics for North channel tides? aim to hit the incoming tide and head more towards the mull and let it take me down Irish sea to Bangor or head more for Ailsa Craig and let the outgoing tide lee bow me. Its half way between neaps and springs.

Forecast is a bit woolly this far out but looks North westerly veering south westerly sometime on Friday depending on how that low out in the Atlantic comes in

Is Bangor marina the best option? we had considered Bally castle but don't want tidal gate issues when its only a weekend.

What about the return?

Drinking advice also appreciated...

Any thoughts on this one?
 
If you are planning for Bangor I wold go a bit further and make or Belfast marina. It's right in the City centre. It's only bout 10 miles further on. I would try and aim for Sanda sound then carry the flood for 5 hours south down to Belfast loch.
Leave Largs 6pm. Be at holy isle for 10pm. 4 or 5 hrs of outgoing tide helps to Sanda then through Sanda sound catch I/c tide at about 3 or 4 in the morn which I'll cary you south. YOu shoul be in Belfast loch fri morn. It will be a bit of a rush to get back for Sunday night.
Bally castle s good or a weekend and not quite as far. I wold keep it open as an option if the weather isn't favourable for going further south.
 
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Spyro said:
If you are planning for Bangor I wold go a bit further and make or Belfast marina. It's right in the City centre. It's only bout 10 miles further on. I would try and aim for Sanda sound then carry the flood for 5 hours south down to Belfast loch.
Leave Largs 6pm. Be at holy isle for 10pm. 4 or 5 hrs of outgoing tide helps to Sanda then through Sanda sound catch I/c tide at about 3 or 4 in the morn which I'll cary you south. YOu shoul be in Belfast loch fri morn. It will be a bit of a rush to get back for Sunday night.
Bally castle s good or a weekend and not quite as far. I wold keep it open as an option if the weather isn't favourable for going further south.
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Bangor is a pretty civilised Marina, though Belfast is not a lot further up the lough. You have to use the tides on this coast, so your timing will be restricted by them. Keep an eye out for the Maidens rocks off Larne, and the other shallow spot. They're well marked mind you. Plenty of big traffic goes through the North Channel so maintain a good watch.
If you're not looking for a metropolis, there are also Glenarm and Carrickfergus, though going this far for just a week-end is fairly challenging. If you want something different, you could try Girvan, not quite as far, but an interesting wee harbour. Still need tides right for entry & exit.
HM (Roddy )is friendly and helpful.
Graeme
 
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I have done this trip lots of times from Rhu. Just head down the Clyde and sail non stop to Bangor. Drink lots. Sail back non stop again. You don't have to think too hard about the tide either, just plan to shape a course at some point when you get into them. It's really just a jaunt, not hard. Stopping at Lamlash is a waste of time in my opinion. Get a big brunch in Ireland on the Friday.
 
markdj said:
Glenarm is a nice marina for stopping and waiting for the tide, some nice shops too.
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"nice marina", agreed and with excellent HM
"nice shops" come on, where? There is a jewellery designers and a spar. No much else.
 
markdj said:
There are no tidal gates anywhere on the northern Ireland coast. Glenarm is a nice marina for stopping and waiting for the tide, some nice shops too.
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Agreed on the lack of actual gates, but going NW or SE along the coast is massively easier if you do use a tidal atlas. None of the pubs in Glenarm did food any more, last summer, so we couldn't eat out ashore. The basic shop (Nisa?) provided enough raw material so we just cooked on board. A cosy little harbour it is though :)

Graeme
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
I have done this trip lots of times from Rhu. Just head down the Clyde and sail non stop to Bangor. Drink lots. Sail back non stop again. You don't have to think too hard about the tide either, just plan to shape a course at some point when you get into them. It's really just a jaunt, not hard. Stopping at Lamlash is a waste of time in my opinion. Get a big brunch in Ireland on the Friday.
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Thats sort of what I had in mind. We're really doing the trip for the experience of doing it rather than to have a holiday in Ireland. Thats why I didn't want a multi port hop and also why we wern't heading for Belfast. We'll probably get there on the Friday then head home on Saturday again maybe stopping up the Ayrshire coast on the way.

My fear with Ballycastle is that you need to go out through the Mull with the tide and obviously return back with it which is a restriction. Glenarm looked similar but not so extreme in the strong tides. Will have another look at the timings

Heading for Bangor you could loose time on the trip due to light winds and then cross the area of stronger tide when you get to it by allowing for it in your course. My thought about stopping in Lamlash was really about timing so I would hit an incoming tide to assist my journey to Bangor rather than fighting an outgoing tide though I need to check the timings yet.

Re tidal gates. I thought a direction where you couldn't overcome the tide or the weather was untenable at certain states of tide was efftectively a tidal gate Hence I saw the north channel to Ballycastle as having "tidal gates". Am I using the term wrongly
 
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I would go with Spyro's suggestions and head straight to upper Lagan and Belfast.
Abbercorn basin is the last turn to port side up the river and right beside the Titanic museum, 15min walk from the city centre, Crown bar and the Europa hotel, if you want to risk booking overnight.:eek:
If you do decide on Belfast make contact with port control when you reack the fairway bouy at the loch entrance, they will guide you up while keeping tabs on you on radar.
If making passage past Larn in either direction keep in contact with Larne port control for info on fast ferries approaching or departing.
We made passage from Cumbrae centre to Glenarm in exactly 12hrs average 5kts sailing and motorsailing, 60nm distance via aprox 8nm north of Ailsa craig to a point aprox 15nm south E of sanda then straight across.
Have a good trip.
C_W
 
it seems a long way from Bangor to Abercorn, I left the boat in Abercorn last year for a couple of weeks. I'd rather have a night out in Bangor than Belfast ,even though the Indiebum there is rubbish TKMaxx is in walking distance from the marina;-)
 
All depends on what you want. If it is simply to get to somewhere new in Norn Iron I would say Glenarm. Closer and you don't really have to worry about the tide. You can stop at Sanda for a drink and then it is about 4 hours at about 5 knots. Glenarm is a lovely friendly marina with good facilities (my home port). It has new toilets and showers, there are a few pubs and a shop but not a lot else. If you are hungry there is a chip van across the river most days. It is also a moderate walk to Carnlough where there are more pubs and eateries as well as good ice creams. You could birth at Carnlough but the entrance (although dredged) is a bit shallow in low tides and it is a matter of tying up alongside. Just watch for a few pot buoys and the fish farm on the way to Glenarm.
Bangor is nice and lively but the tide is more of an issue especially as you get close in. The marina is huge and very good with all the facilities you could need. There are a myriad of shops and pubs with plenty to eat. It is a little commercial for my tastes but is still a very good spot. I have not been to the marina in Belfast but the city is great for a night out, if that is what you like.

Ballycastle is nice and has a seaside feel but it can be a pain to enter and leave if there is a swell coming in from the north. In this situation Rathlin is an option and has a pontoon. There are a couple of pubs on Rathlin and the crais is often good. There are also some spectacular walks to the lighthouses and bird sanctury.
 
B. Old Boots is right, to get to Bangor from Largs look at the tides, choose time to go and just sail there allowing about 10 degrees for tide, (more at springs), diversions to Lamlash , Sanda Sound, Glenarm etc. are just that, diversions; even starting from Campbeltown the 7 hour ride the tide route to Belfast Lough is east of Sanda. You can go on to Belfast, about another hour and a half or take the train from Bangor in about half an hour but there is nothing in Belfast you will not find in Glasgow unless you need your stout poured properly.
On the other hand, if you want a circular cruise you can visit all of them.

I would add that the passage to Bangor from Largs or Troon down the middle of the channel waiting interminably for Ailsa Craig to recede can be one of the most tedious days you spend at sea, (depending on the weather of course), I can think of 125 better places to go for the weekend.
 
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Spyro said:
Not anymore, pub's closed and the new owner doesn't seem keen on visiting yachts. Lots of discussions on it previously.
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Sorry, yes I was assuming onboard entertainment. I was at Sanda twice in the last 2 weeks and am aware of the lack of pub but I can see what I said is confusing. The Swiss man seems very keen on having the island to himself, or so I am lead to believe.
 
pmagowan said:
Sorry, yes I was assuming onboard entertainment. I was at Sanda twice in the last 2 weeks and am aware of the lack of pub but I can see what I said is confusing. The Swiss man seems very keen on having the island to himself, or so I am lead to believe.
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I understand the wife was having WORDS with Min Ag/Fish (or whatever they're know as today) about sheep husbandry / vaccinations and the possible lack of regarding legal requirements to suppress diseases in sheep populations? SO having no visitors was probably the preferred option, from their point of view. It won't stop me anchoring for a stop over anyway.

Graeme
 
A few weeks back their story was that the Council had refused to let them use their water for catering operations unless it was treated, so that 'forced' them to close the island to visitors this year, however at that time they were not contesting landing, just using the pier which they regard as private curtilage.
I am not sure what your sheep story is about?
There is nothing to stop anyone anchoring anywhere in Scotland (except perhaps places like Coulport etc.) and provided no damage is done and occupants privacy is not compromised, Scots law permits you to land and walk anywhere in the countryside. My understanding is that the owner of Sanda now accepts this situation.
So go ashore on the beach, if you meet him be nice, after all he did spend a lot of money to buy this island, probably without realizing he would have to share it with the rest of us. I suspect that a lot of the time he may not even be there.
 
Quandary said:
A few weeks back their story was that the Council had refused to let them use their water for catering operations unless it was treated, so that 'forced' them to close the island to visitors this year, however at that time they were not contesting landing, just using the pier which they regard as private curtilage.
I am not sure what your sheep story is about?
There is nothing to stop anyone anchoring anywhere in Scotland (except perhaps places like Coulport etc.) and provided no damage is done and occupants privacy is not compromised, Scots law permits you to land and walk anywhere in the countryside. My understanding is that the owner of Sanda now accepts this situation.
So go ashore on the beach, if you meet him be nice, after all he did spend a lot of money to buy this island, probably without realizing he would have to share it with the rest of us. I suspect that a lot of the time he may not even be there.
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I can't go into any more detail on the sheep story. We walked over to the lighthouse, and met some bird watchers who have been counting populations annually for decades. They were renting a cottage there, but had been told they were no longer welcome any more. They gave us chapter and verse on the problems on the island. Lots.... say no more? Rats have been killing off nesting birds on the hills east of the lighthouse.
I doubt anybody in the sailing community wanted the food/drink available reduced to fast food outlet standard, but the current owner went too far the other way I think, and ended up with almost no business at all!

It's still a handy place to stop :)

Graeme
 
lenseman said:
Don't get lost, there are two places called Bangor. :)



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Bangor :

Co Down
Gwynedd
Wrexham
Mayo
Morbihan (Belle Ile)
Maine
Washington
Prince Edward Island
Minnesota
Alabama
California
Michigan
New York
Pennsylvania
Wisconsin
New South Wales
Nova Scotia
Saskatchewan
... ?
 
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