Pentland Firth

[EdWingfield]

Sometime in the future I will retire and if still fit I would like to sail around the Brit Isles.

So, in idle moments I skim through Reeds and check out places I’ve never sailed. Pentland Firth makes scary reading.

Stuff like; ‘tidal streams reach 8-9kn at sp in the Outer Sound, and 9–12kn between Pentland Skerries and Duncansby Hd. The resultant dangerous seas, very strong eddies and violent races should be avoided by yachts at all costs.’

Er, Caledonian Canal is for wimps isn’t it?

Does anyone have experience of Pentland Firth?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I've sailed through it. There are a few rules, which if you follow mean you will have no problems. The pilot for the area describes them well, but they are something like this...

It's easier going west to east than east to west
Don't go within 2 days of a spring tide
Don't go with significant wind against tide
Don't go with wind more than F4
Don't go with a large swell running through the Firth even if it's calm locally
Leave Scrabster at the correct time to get the slackest water in the Firth. Low water from what I remember.
Go through Inner Sound
Avoid the races. They are all well charted.
Avoid rocks and islands, which may sound obvious, but it's easy to get swept on to them.
Make the passage entirely in daylight in good vis.
Plan your route in advance.

The harbour master in Scrabster is great. He will advise any small boat attempting the passage.

The day we went through it was like a pussycat - but we waited to get appropriate conditions. When it's benign it's no problem at all.


More info here

 

[Krusty]

[ QUOTE ]
Er, Caledonian Canal is for wimps isn’t it?

[/ QUOTE ]
Not in my experience of it in the past 20yrs: in midsummer, when it is obligatory to share the locks with chartered motor-cruisers manned by rookie crews with little idea of ropework and boat-handling, and even less skill, I would rather go by the Pentland Firth.


[/ QUOTE ]Does anyone have experience of Pentland Firth?

[/ QUOTE ]
About thirty passages (I stopped counting at a dozen) : in all directions, in daylight and darkness, sometimes in fog, in boats smaller than yours.
It can be terrifying for the newcomer or the careless, but with research and good planning it can be straightforward.
What would you like to know?

 

[cpedw]

It's interesting and fairly easy to miss almost all of it by going through Scapa Flow. Or you can go further north and miss it completely. If you're circumnavigating the British Isles, you could include Orkney, Shetland, Rockall, St Kilda ...

 

[vyv_cox]

I found many years ago that reading cruising pilots can thoroughly frighten you, often with only the slightest justification. Most waters can be unpleasant in the wrong conditions and some can be dangerous, amongst which the Pentland Firth is undoubtedly one. The same waters, under better conditions and taken at the right time, are quite tame.

I recall the first time I traversed the Dhorus Mor, when quite inexperienced. After endlessly poring over the various pilots in my possession I had got myself thoroughly frightened by the prospect of the passage. When we got there, on a club summer cruise, we passed through it before I had even realised that we had arrived. As our then Commodore said to me at the time, sailing around our home waters of Anglesey is as testing as anywhere, and if you can cope with that you can cope with most other places.

I have never been to the Pentland Firth but I know plenty who have. None drowned, were wrecked or even, so far as I know, returned with soiled underpants. Do it at the right time in reasonable weather and it may be exciting but definitely not impossible.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

I agree with Vyv. I've been through once in a fairly large boat (72')and it was quite exciting. At one point the DECCA (remember those?) told us we were doing 10kts at 90 degrees off our heading! I would be careful about going through in a small boat but if you get the timing & weather right it should not be too much of a problem.

 

[EdWingfield]

Thank you shipmates.

Sometime in the future I will give it a go - with all due care and planning.

Cruising my home waters, fast tidal streams are few and far between, but on holiday I rounded Rattray Head without a problem (which can be a ba$tard)

As one of you said, these nasties can be quite tame. I remember once drifting in a calm off the Raz.

I think I'll see if there's any interest in a round-the-Brit Isles topic.

BTW, the Caithness 'Pentland Firth Tides' looks excellent.

 

[Carolwildbird]

I was elected to be "skipper for the day" on our trip through the pentland firth in September. It was forecast to be a force 4-5 and near springs, so having read Reeds and the Orkney pilot books I was somewhat apprehensive. But it was a real anticlimax! OK, we came out of Scapa flow so didn't do the "full traverse" so to speak, but we were still expecting some strong tidal flows. Much less than expected and a nice sail - timing the departure from Scapa flow so we rounded the bottom at slack water and went ESE north of Muckle skerry before tacking back and down to Wick. No problems...