Preston to Ardrossan

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pcatterall

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Just starting to consider our first trip in the 'new boat'.
We want to spend the rest of the season based in the Clyde and starting at Ardrossan.
The boat has been pretty well run in around the harbour but has had no sea trials as such.
The run to Ardrossan is fairly long and I note certain issues already:
Need for alternative harbours if weather or boat issues demand.
Lots of wind farms oil rigs etc, Ferries zipping around, very strong currents on 'Point of Ayre to Mull of Galloway' section.
I will, of course be doing some detailled planning but meanwhile, has
anyone done this trip who can advise from their experience?
 
Why not do some day trips in and out of Preston first? There are bound to things that don't work the way you want that you will find out.

Also why not break the journey into 3 legs, stopping at places where you can get chandlery if you need it or abandon the boat and get home if the weather is unsuitable? Douglas, Whitehaven, Stranraer and Belfast are all possibilities.

As for the sailing, a contrary spring tide in the North Channel will make progress very slow, so time your arrival for a fair tide on that section. Also the North Channel seems always to be bumpy and uncomfortable.

Wind farms and oil rigs are eaily enough avoided. Fast ferries out at sea will avoid you. There's not much you can do to get out of the way of one anyway. No TSS's on that route.
 
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You might consider talking to Lytham St.Annes lifeboats who have some experience of the difficulties that people experience in those waters. They have also been known to take lifeboats to Scotland.
 
We often go up into the Clyde from Glasson which is about 15 miles North of Preston. We have never done the trip in one go as you propose, mainly because doing so would involve night sailing in areas where there are many lobster pots. We go via Whitehaven and Portpatrick or Ramsey and Portpatrick. You will need to work out your times for rounding the Mull of Galloway and the Point of Ayre if going via Ramsey. As a previous poster said, the North Channel is not a very agreeable stretch of water.
 
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I asked about getting from Whitehaven to up Jura way and Portpatrick was suggested as a reasonable stop off.

I'd be tempted to call in @ the IoM if I was starting from Preston, but I've never sailed there and always wanted to, that may not be a consideration for you.

Claymore of this parish has done Fleetwood to Scottish waters more than once and sometimes talks sense. ;)
 
I suggest some local day sails to ensure all is well. Then Douglass, Portpatrick, Girvan (I think its called, the one with the 2 walls and a small pontoon) and Ardrossan. These ports give reasonable day sails providing good conditions.
 
Juggler7823 said:
I suggest some local day sails to ensure all is well. Then Douglass, Portpatrick, Girvan (I think its called, the one with the 2 walls and a small pontoon) and Ardrossan. These ports give reasonable day sails providing good conditions.
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Daysailing out of Preston is NOT something I would want to do.
Lock out/in on each tide gives you only two hours so once out your options on getting back if something DOES go wrong are severely limited. When I left Preston 5 years ago to go North, I stopped at Whitehaven(engine problem:mad:) then was singlehanded . I left,anchored in the lee of the Mull of Galloway till the tide was right,then non-stop to Girvan. I considered going on to Arran to anchor,quite do-able.
 
There is a distinct lack of all-tide, all round shelter harbours on your proposed voyage.
Douglas is probably one of the better ones.
N. of the IoM. as far as Loch Ryan, you will need to go with the tide unless you are a very patient type.
Whitehaven is a long way E. of the Mull of Galloway, with any W. in the wind, it would be a very long leg indeed, with limited shelter en route.
The anchorage E. of the Mull of Galloway is excellent in most conditions, unless the wind is between N. and E. and is very useful as a stop-over for timing the Mull tides. Keep in extremely close to the Mull, or 2 to 3 M. off.
Portpatrick is OK, but don't try it in strong westerlies esp first time. Loch Ryan is a good anchorage in those conditions.
 
earlybird said:
Whitehaven is a long way E. of the Mull of Galloway, with any W. in the wind, it would be a very long leg indeed, with limited shelter en route.
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True enough, as I said this is not the nicest bit of sea, but between Whitehaven and the Mull you can find shelter behind Little Ross or at Isle of Whithorn where you can lie against the wall (the Neptunian is a long-keeler I believe) or anchor just outside in reasonable shelter if you have to wait for water to get in. Actually we often break the Whitehaven-Portpatrick leg at Whitorn because it's a pretty spot with a decent pub on the quayside. The Neptunian's long keel was what prompted me to suggest Ramsey rather than Douglas for the IOM route. Whichever route and harbours are used I would only do this trip in settled conditions.
 
Thanks guys, I will digest all your welcome comments.
I've just found my paper chart ( rather than the sea clear screen views)
somehow the option of south of the Isle of Man seems viable as the distance is not so much more, the tidal current not so severe and more bolt holes.
Wind direction at time of sail may be the ultimate decider.
Yes, day sailing from Preston is a real pain I would rather just set off but with plenty of researched port options en route.
Thanks again
 
hello all, i've just recently purchased my first sail boat - a 27 foot longkeeler - and am now also looking at relocating her from preston marina - although the marina is really handy for me (closer to home), the sailing isnt quite what i'm looking for, hence the interest in the various options mentioned here.

reading this thread, whitehaven (personally) stands out as a good contender.
what would people suggest re the sail up to whitehaven? is it worth meandering a little and stopping off halfway somehere? i'll be sailing singlehanded, unless i can manage to drag a friend along.

any input much appreciated for this, my first little hop
 
I've been up that way from Maryport and from Conway.Frankly I think getting out of the Ribble will be the worst bit. SWMBO refused outright to attempt going up to Preston.

My personal choice for a half way stop would be the Isle of Man. Ramsey would probably be best.It would give you a better chance of avoiding adverse tides around the Mull.

Never been into PPatrick - no reason, it just never happened.

Or you could just set off and see how it goes - one thing about the Irish Sea - there is almost always somewhere downwind to go if things turn nasty.

Have a good trip
 
wasabee said:
hello all, i've just recently purchased my first sail boat - a 27 foot longkeeler - and am now also looking at relocating her from preston marina - although the marina is really handy for me (closer to home), the sailing isnt quite what i'm looking for, hence the interest in the various options mentioned here.

reading this thread, whitehaven (personally) stands out as a good contender.
what would people suggest re the sail up to whitehaven? is it worth meandering a little and stopping off halfway somehere? i'll be sailing singlehanded, unless i can manage to drag a friend along.

any input much appreciated for this, my first little hop
Click to expand...

If it is a new boat and a first boat I'd recommend a cautious first leg. Maybe even Fleetwood if you just fancy a short shakedown trip to find the first set of things that break.

Whitehaven is a good secure harbour once you've locked in. A good bet is to use 1.4m above CD as the limit for the entrance channel (that was the figure given out by the lockkeeper in the summer) but even better to use a bigger margin for your tidal calculations for a first visit. If arriving at night from the south beware that the new bright red light really stands out so don't forget to look out for the fainter green one at the end of the breakwater.

Douglas on the IoM is an alternative.

Once you've made it to Whitehaven or IoM in one or two legs you'll know a lot more about your boat then can decide whether you want to take shortish hops the rest of the way or do it in one big leg.
 
any input much appreciated for this, my first little hop

first litle hop?....it looks about 60/70 miles!

Yes dont go out in these gails or you will ......
 
Lots of wise advice so far.

Bearing mind the difficult tides, lack of easy access to harbours, first trip “outside”, shortening days, prevailing westerlies etc, and possible problems trying to get into shelter in the dark I think flexibility and plenty of time are going to be important. I always like to have a plan B and even a plan C.

Assuming your speed is around 5 or 6 knots you must go with the tides until you get into the Clyde. Preston to the IOM looks attractive but it’s 60 odd miles and half of it will be slogging against a foul tide.

I think my first choice would be Preston to Piel Island (either anchor or possibly mooring), then up to Whitehaven (access is reasonable). Fleeetwood is a fall back on the way to Piel. Ravenglass is a possibility but you need to be able to dry out.

From Whitehaven, Kirkcudbright Bay, Port Yerrock Bay, Isle of Whithorn, East Tarbert, or the IOM are all reachable, and usable depending on wind direction.

From the IOM or Mull of Galloway getting the tide right is critical, and you can choose to go up the Scottish side or head across to the Irish side. Portpatrick is a nice spot but dodgy getting into/out of in strong westerlies and very shallow in the entrance near low water. Once round Corsewall Point, Loch Ryan has a couple of anchorages and a new marina. Loch Ryan can be difficult to get out of in strong northerlies.

On the Irish side you have the benefit of the lee of the land from westerlies and Bangor is a good place to stop off. From there you can jolly up the coast with several anchorages and harbours available.

Campbeltown would be good from the Irish side and Girvan or even Lamlash if progress is good, coming from Loch Ryan. In the Clyde tides are generally not a problem and there are plenty of anchorages and harbours to choose from.

It’s a good trip, challenging due to the tides, but there are some lovely places to stop and the scenery is great. Enjoy it.
 
Speaking from my experience (and I have never been all the way up to Preston) the Isle of Man looks like an obvious first stop, which port depends on weather and where you go next, my choice would be Portpatrick but you will be coming with a falling tide so if your draught is deepish or its springs you can go on to Loch Ryan. Its a diversion to go all the way up to Stranraer and down again but there are choices of anchorages further out. Its only one leg then on the next ebb to Ardrossan. Leave at high water, the tide is much stronger on the southern part of this leg. Its a tedious trip relieved only by a close up view of Ailsa Craig but manageable. You should not need to call at Girvan and while it is not as weather dependent as Portpatrick you would be arriving around low water and I never like approaching it in strong on shore winds at low water. If you have never been in I would just carry on or go to Lamlash though that is nearly as far as your final destination. The circular trip via Bangor and Campbeltown is not as daft as it looks on a chart because except for the last leg you have good tidal help, (plan to be at the Paterson Rock off Sanda at low water, only 7 hours Bangor to Campbeltown with a fair tide, Bangor directly to Troon is about an hour longer, you do not get as much tidal assistance, I have never done Bangor- Ardrossan) and you are likely to have a following breeze for much of it but the route across south of Arran from Campbeltown can be uncomfortable in strong winds because of the strong tides between the Iron Ledges and past Pladda Lt.
 
thought you are still in liverpool, i would miss out preston and go straight for the isle of man, maybe douglas or port st mary, then you can set off to either peel then portpatrick, or miss out peel depending on your itinery, then up to ardrossan. from iom to portpatrick is a long day, it took us around 16 hours.
 
Claymore attempting to speak sense
Agree entirely that the toughest bit is from Preston and out of the Ribble. Having done that - in a newish boat to yourself, I'd be inclined to leg it up the coast.
Piel is an obvious first stop. 6 hrs will see you close to Whitehaven which is accessible in all but the very lowest of LWS
It's 18 hrs from there to Troon with Portpatrick practically half way. Good for passage planning as if you plug it for a while, there is a massive opportunity for a push around the Mull and beyond Corsewall if going for the one leg
Hope that helps
 
claymore said:
Claymore attempting to speak sense
Agree entirely that the toughest bit is from Preston and out of the Ribble. Having done that - in a newish boat to yourself, I'd be inclined to leg it up the coast.
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Yep, the Ribble is the part I'm not looking forward to, but I rather like the idea of 'legging it up the coast :) Piel Island sounds appealing - no pun intended!

Lots of great ideas, thank you all! This forum is turning out to be quite a nice little community!
 
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