Passage to the Med

[Guest]

We've been considering buying a boat for a little while now. When we retire, we want to spend a couple of years cruising the Channel area and then take it to the Med for a few years. Plenty of time to spend exploring the west coast of France on the way down and then round the Iberian peninsular. I'd be interested to hear from anyone with experience of having done the same trip.

I've been given some old MBY mags and read an account of a similar passage from the Solent published in the November and December 1992 magazines. I was concerned to read of 'steep seas' and 'unpleasant swells' that several times forced a return to harbour or prevented the boat leaving. Once, a forecast 2m swell turned out to be twice that height. Particularly along the north Spanish coast there seemed to be little or no visitor overnight mooring. On another posting on another bulletin board, I've read of the 'Atlantic swell' along the north coast of Spain that anyone based in the UK find disconcerting at first.

Can anyone comment on what I've read. Has mooring in northern Spain improved over the last 10 years? Would these 'Atlantic swells' of 2 - 4 metres be a problem for a couple with only 2 or 3 years experience? With time not a problem, is it reasonable to sit in the harbour until the sea state improves?

The boat in the article was described as a new 49 ft Hershine 496 built in Taiwan. 3,000 miles was covered in about 280 hours running time using roughly 4,340 gallons of fuel. I've never heard of that make. Would it be a displacement boat or a planning boat? Engines and speed were not mentioned. We plan to buy a newish Fairline Phantom 43. How might this be in these reported swells compared with this Hershine?

Incidently, the articles were written by a Richard Harper. I wonder if that was any relation to long serving MBY editor Alan Harper?

 

[Guest]

Richard,

I cannot comment on most of your questions other than:

>>> With time not a problem, is it reasonable to sit in the harbour until the sea state improves? <<<

There is no point in putting your life, credibility, life assurance, safety and comfort at risk at any time, unless you purposefully want to do it to prove something. Even more so, this applies to any 'crew' you have with you.

The hallmark of a good Skipper is knowing when to say 'sod it' amd stay in port.

There are no such things as 'deadlines' at sea, and all decisions must be based on the safety of the crew, and the ship.

Ports are often nice places, with cafes, fresh food, hot water, and everything. Do bear this in mind.

A Hershine 496 sounds like one of them trawler-yacht thingies. Jolly nice. At 49 foot it is unlikely to plane unless powered by three Rolls Royce Trent series engines. (Think displacement, and tides, unless in the Med.) 3000 miles in 280 hours is 10.7 knots, downhill. 280 hours is eleven days. Eleven days is a pain in the ass with only one 'crew' unless you run four hours on four hours off come what may. This includes meal breaks and sleep.

Suggest you charter a similar boat and get some hours in round the UK coasts first. Don't set you sights too high at this stage, get the experience then decide if you want to tackle Biscay. If not, buy a boat at your chosen destination.

Best wishes for your proposed trip.

Sue

(Available for long hot trips aboard well-appointed Trawler Yachts. Jacuzzis and Mouton Cadet non-optional. Guide's Swimming Badge and own corkscrew provided.)

 

[Guest]

Dear Richard Your questions about large ocean swells can may mirror the attitude which many motor yacht users develope from tending to experiance the short high seas which develope near to land, especially around tide races on headlands, while crusing the U.K. home waters. In these condtions all vessels are hammered and the answer is to stand a very long way offshore, usually well out of site of land. The same weather and tidal effects then give a long wave frequency which moves you about to greater heights but does not slam and crash in a damaging way. Keeping to seaward of the continential shelf would be desirable but would strain the range of the size of craft you mention. I would suggest,however, that you consider making long leg deep route passage during a period of a well established Azores High Pressure System. Wave heights are available on the web weather forecast sites, the information is gathered by deep water moored bouys, have a look. Chris Brown.

 

[Guest]

Web weather forecast sites?

Thanks for that info. I'd be interested to see the web weather sites you mention. Can you tell me a web address or two, please?

 

[Guest]

The idea of a little night school course with maybe a little trip round the local pond for (experience)!!

Then to buy a boat designed for short-ish fast trips on calm-ish seas and set off into the wide blue yonder of the Bay of Biscay.

Somehow dosent have the right ring about it !!

I dont doubt. It's possible, but !!

It's a bit late asking what an atlantic swell is like, 500 miles out in a boat with a 200 miles-ish range!!

Afraid your just going to have to join the rest of us

for a bit, doing little trips to Jersey or France.

One day you'll get a duff weather forcast and you will

find out what a rough sea is like with only maybe

40-50 miles to slog through it.

After that you will be able to answer all your own Questions. Or like me. Th-wife answers them for me.

Just a minuite I'll ask her ----------Aggg-- no sorry luv---- no I was only ------clunk !!

 

[Guest]

Re: Web weather forecast sites?

yes. http/www.btxco.uk/bouys.htm provides u.k. and one Biscay bouy. I had a look at 1900 but the site was not running correctly. Go to weather as a search and you will see Met.Office and BBC sites which provide links to shipping forecasts ect. As our other correspondent pointed out, there is a good deal more to the subject but my point is that Motor Yachts which are well designed and handled are not just over sized speedboats and can be used quite sensibly to travel long distances. You have to obtain valid training and experiance to be able to plan and carry out your idea and there are plenty of sources available for this. Including qualified people like me who will help for free because it is fun. My usual 'sea going accomplaice' delivered a similar vessel on the same route last summer and he had a great time.

 

[Guest]

Atlantic swell

Richard,

Those people (the majority) who've only gone to sea on the southern and eastern sides of the UK don't appreciate the swell that comes in from the Atlantic.

Sail off Ireland, Brittany or the Iberian peninsula and you'll get used to it.

However it does work its way into anchorages.

It really is only a problem if you've had some heavy weather to the west and you just keep your eye on the weatherfaxes.

NOAA do some good wind/seastate Atlantic charts on www.ncep.noaa.gov which give you an idea of what you can expect.

If you feel the scenic route is all too challenging you can always route through the canal du Midi which is worth it for the trip alone.

The trouble with going round the outside is that you then realise what an overcrowded, overrated and overpriced place the Med is.