Rathlin to Campbeltown, tidally tricky

I used to sail out of Larne and later from Carrickfergus so Gigha was usually our first landfall going north, we attempted to time our arrival at the Mull light for around about low water or half an hour before, if you were too early the long drag from MoK to Gigha seemed to take forever against the ebb. Starting further north at Glenarm you are not gaining much from the tides in the North Channel so not quite so critical but from Carrick the passage time could vary from 11hrs, to 13 if you were impatient and left too early.
 
I've gone round the mull loads of times but gave up on book information as others have said confusion with GMT / BST Oban / Cambeltown tides etc.
Instead I just use the admiralty tidal stream atlas NP 218 and use DOVER tide times.
Avoid wind against tide as it can be prety horrible.
If you want a fast trip go for the rough water ; if you want an easy trip go further offshore or travel closer to slack water, consider south of Sanda too for an easier trip or going against the tide
I've been round west to east in the SIPR against the tide, and seen the heroics of the close passage to the Mull. Scary does not describe it ; SO close. I wound not take any one else's boat that close and definately not my own.
Likewise I've seen people going reasonably close inshore to avoid rough water and taking ages to get round, whilst those a little further out make great progress.
Keep watching Speed over the ground SOG, vs Speed figures if you want to have a quick trip.
Choose you day / weather and you should be fine.
I've had lots of good trips round and only a couple of bad ones.
 
Bav32 said:
if you want an easy trip go further offshore or travel closer to slack water, consider south of Sanda too for an easier trip or going against the tide
I've been round west to east in the SIPR against the tide, and seen the heroics of the close passage to the Mull. Scary does not describe it ; SO close. I wound not take any one else's boat that close and definately not my own.
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The inshore passage is good for avoiding moderate bouncing in good conditions. I would not dream of trying it in bad, or even moderately bad, weather.
 
When I went to Rathlin, I stayed overnight at Sanda and then worked the tides from there - as others have said, the Admiralty Tidal Atlas for the region gives all the necessary details, and providing you make sure you arrive off the southernmost point at slack water, the passage will work out. The passage from Sanda is not much more than 15 nm, so a 3 or 4 hour passage, for most of which the tidal flow is across your path. Even at slack water, you will encounter "interesting" eddies and swirls as you turn north into the bay.

We specifically decided NOT to start from Campbelltown because of the extra distance involved.

We then went from Rathlin to Bangor; and the tide gave us an SOG of up to 13 knots at points during the passage! That under engine, and Capricious makes no more than 6 knots under engine.
 
What about leaving Campletown about 3 hours before hw in Campbeltown, would that not let you pick up north & west flow ?
 
Last Wednesday night we were in Rathlin and it was a tad windy. We'd crossed earlier Wed, and a quite reasonable crossing, with a lunch stop in Sanda. I tend to use the reasoning of Bav32 (above) using the tidal atlas and I use Dover for most stuff.
But Rathlin marina was exciting. I stood on the end of the pontoon with my handheld anemometer and measured 56knots from the west. We left on Thursday afternoon when it had calmed down to about 30kn, but during the morning the sea was overtopping the breakwaters and the tide in the harbour was exceptionally high being wind assisted. The ferries didn't move!
 
MM5AHO said:
Last Wednesday night we were in Rathlin and it was a tad windy. We'd crossed earlier Wed, and a quite reasonable crossing, with a lunch stop in Sanda. I tend to use the reasoning of Bav32 (above) using the tidal atlas and I use Dover for most stuff.
But Rathlin marina was exciting. I stood on the end of the pontoon with my handheld anemometer and measured 56knots from the west. We left on Thursday afternoon when it had calmed down to about 30kn, but during the morning the sea was overtopping the breakwaters and the tide in the harbour was exceptionally high being wind assisted. The ferries didn't move!
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52 knots in Holy Loch marina. The wood carrying ship came in, gobbled up a load of logs, & pootled off again like it was just another ordinary day. Seemed to be oblivious to it all.
 
MM5AHO said:
Last Wednesday night we were in Rathlin............
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Bit of thread drift, if I may. I’m planning to go to Derry to welcome home a pal on the Clipper fleet in July. What’s the depth in Rathlin? From Campbelltown, I expect to arrive approaching LW. I haven’t been to Rathlin for more than 10 years but remember it being pretty shallow. I draw 2.1m. May be better to go to Ballycastle but there’s something unique and attractive about Rathlin.
 
davidjackson said:
Bit of thread drift, if I may. I’m planning to go to Derry to welcome home a pal on the Clipper fleet in July. What’s the depth in Rathlin? From Campbelltown, I expect to arrive approaching LW. I haven’t been to Rathlin for more than 10 years but remember it being pretty shallow. I draw 2.1m. May be better to go to Ballycastle but there’s something unique and attractive about Rathlin.
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2m at the landward end of the pontoons, increasing quite a bit at the seaward end. Don't go more than halfway along the long pontoons to be certain, or on the short one for ribs, or alongside the joining pontoons at the end. After coming in dont go close to the breakwater if you are going to the outside of the right hand pontoon, stay close to the end of that pontoon if going there.

You will be fine with 2.1 following the above. The bottom is squishy sand if you do touch.
 
AngusMcDoon said:
There is a new ferry berth & a bigger ferry. I have seen a boat anchored there but I think that area is best left to the ferries for their manoeuvring.
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Was there last Wed/Thurs. There's maybe room to anchor, but I wouldn't unless out of ferry hours. I'd guess they need all the space for manoevering.
 
AngusMcDoon said:
2m at the landward end of the pontoons, increasing quite a bit at the seaward end. Don't go more than halfway along the long pontoons to be certain, or on the short one for ribs, or alongside the joining pontoons at the end. After coming in dont go close to the breakwater if you are going to the outside of the right hand pontoon, stay close to the end of that pontoon if going there.

You will be fine with 2.1 following the above. The bottom is squishy sand if you do touch.
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Agree with all above. DO NOT GO MORE THAN HALFWAY. I did and must have hit one of the chains holding the pontoons - it was certainly not squishy sand!!!
 
AngusMcDoon said:
2m at the landward end of the pontoons, increasing quite a bit at the seaward end. Don't go more than halfway along the long pontoons to be certain, or on the short one for ribs, or alongside the joining pontoons at the end. After coming in dont go close to the breakwater if you are going to the outside of the right hand pontoon, stay close to the end of that pontoon if going there.

You will be fine with 2.1 following the above. The bottom is squishy sand if you do touch.
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dslittle said:
Agree with all above. DO NOT GO MORE THAN HALFWAY. I did and must have hit one of the chains holding the pontoons - it was certainly not squishy sand!!!
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Thanks for the tip........I don't fancy running into a chain so I've found this image. Is it up to date?

So for the avoidance of (my) doubt, only use the "long" pontoon, furthest to the right; it's should be fine for my draft at LW either side but only as far as the slip on the right (about half the length of the pontoon).

If all goes to plan timing wise, we'll be west bound on a Sunday evening and east bound on a Friday evening. If it's busy, given my depth restrictions, are there options other than heading south into Ballycastle?

Rathin%20Harbour.jpg
 
davidjackson said:
So for the avoidance of (my) doubt, only use the "long" pontoon, furthest to the right; it's should be fine for my draft at LW either side but only as far as the slip on the right (about half the length of the pontoon).

If all goes to plan timing wise, we'll be west bound on a Sunday evening and east bound on a Friday evening. If it's busy, given my depth restrictions, are there options other than heading south into Ballycastle?
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Image is good. Left pontoon is where the ribs often go. Either side of other 2 pontoons seaward side of the line of the pier to the right. Beware the shallows between the seaward end of the righthand pontoon & the righthand breakwater, clearly shown in the photo.
 
I got to fed up of reading all the southern based navigation trips in Yachting Monthly, so I actually suggested this trip as an option. They did actually reply to me, but they have not done it yet. Who knows, with all this advice it may appear in a future edition.
 
Argh! Just touched the mud in the charted channel / approaching the pontoon when there was 0.6m of tide. I draw 2.1. Diverted to Ballycastle. Guys here say many reports of it silting. Beware!

Edit, the fun bit. Close hauled from MoK to SE tip of TSS. Then we could ease sails to put the wind on the beam. 9kts of wind, 5 kts of boat speed but a peak of 10.2 kts over ground. The tide certainly does run over the north coast!
 
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We draw 2.2m and are able to use the ends of the short pontoons and I am pretty sure we could manage right to the main joining pontoon. Did you cut the corner a bit? The shallow bit it off the end of the long pontoon so you have to keep further in than you might think.
 
pmagowan said:
We draw 2.2m and are able to use the ends of the short pontoons and I am pretty sure we could manage right to the main joining pontoon. Did you cut the corner a bit? The shallow bit it off the end of the long pontoon so you have to keep further in than you might think.
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Re the picture I posted on 22nd June, we approached in the channel marked on my plotter, aiming to raft alongside a boat inside of the easterly, long pontoon. Don’t think we cut the corner.
 
Where do you think you grounded? What plotter do you use? Your picture is quite good at showing the shallow parts which are mostly near to the mole on the east and stick out quite a bit towards the long pontoon. You can see the depth on the inside of the pontoon is good right across the shorter ones. Maybe you had spring lows
 
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