Rhu to South Coast - Any one done the trip before? Which stops?

[DangerousPirate]

Hi,
I want to plan a trip down the coast, without sailing at night. Wondering if someone as done a similar trip before and maybe can pass down their passage plan?
I would prefer stopping at a marina overnight so we can leave the boat and grab beers locally, but I am not going to shy away from anchorages for overnights.

Which stops do you recommend? We want to bring the Nicholson 30 down south. First stop will be Largs, then we try to head for Belfast, after that I have no plans yet. Any recommendations? No specific port for destination.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

If you follow the Irish coast south you are going to have a longish sail across the Irish sea to either the Welsh or Devon Cornwall coast that could involve a night sail. It could be avoided by sticking to the English and Welsh side and crossing Cardigan Bay. There will be one other longish sail Padstowe and around Lands End (Newlyn) it could be broken by either going into Hayle very weather and tide dependant or anchoring off St Ives. Once around Lands End there are a multitude of Marinas and anchorages as you go east.

 

[steve yates]

Ive done this, went to bangor rather than belfast, makes much more sense unless you want to see belfast. Then bangor to peel on isle of man, then went to port dinaellin, (tho detoured to holyhead for fuel, you could stop there if you wanted) Porth Dinaellin is an anchorage, but a short row to the pub on the beach. Then from there to fishguard, in the wee bay by the old part for the pub. (Mooring or anchor)
Fishguard to milford haven, then a big 24 hour hop to penzance. Then a short trip round the lizard and anchored, but obviously loads of marina choices from here on in. I went from a wee bay there to salcombe, then to weymouth.
depends where you are headed, i was essex bound so yarmouth, eastbourne, dover ramsgate, the crouch and then to canvey island.

 

[steve yates]

By the way, took much longer than it sounds, i did it in winter nd was stopped by weather a lot, left the boat in milford for 3 months and penzance for a month.

 

[GTom]

Belfast if you need civilization, otherwise weather permitting you can drop anchor south of Copeland Island: Navionics ChartViewer
Next stop IoM, Peel or Port Erin, then Cemaes Bay, if you plan passing Anglesey on the west, Moelfre in case you go down the Menai strait. The strait is nice and provides you a storm shelter in Abermenai. Time the tides well and you fly 10kts!

 

[[70521]]

Not many places along the north Cornish coast to 'pull in for the night'.

 

[Skylark]

Largs to Belfast is quite a long sail, maybe add Campbelltown to your early itinerary.

 

[rotrax]

We always go the Irish side. Tides are weaker. Leave the Tuskar and set course for Lands End. The tidal gate going east is not long, careful adjustment of timing required
to get the advantage of the east flow.

Good Luck.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I did the trip from James Watt Dock to Titchmarsh Marina on the East coast. The distance would have been about the same either way, but I chose to come down the East coast, via the Caledonian canal. I was in a harbour or marina at every stop, and only one overnight passage, from Whitby to Lowestoft. Either way involves at least one long passage. For the South coast, the passage through the Irish Sea is undoubtedly shorter, but either you follow the Irish coast with plenty of stops but a long passage across the Western Approaches, or down the English and Welsh coasts with fewer havens and still a long exposed passage from Pembrokeshire to Lands End.

Depending on your draft you could consider the Forth and Clyde canal, which would shorten the East Coast route considerably. I didn't because a) my draft is bang on the maximum and b) because you have to take your mast down. Facilities for the latter are available, but I understand that they only provide a crane; you have to unrig and re-rig the boat yourself. There's also the issue of the mast being longer than the hull, and so susceptible to damage.

 

[awol]

Depending on your draft you could consider the Forth and Clyde canal, which would shorten the East Coast route considerably. I didn't because a) my draft is bang on the maximum and b) because you have to take your mast down. Facilities for the latter are available, but I understand that they only provide a crane; you have to unrig and re-rig the boat yourself. There's also the issue of the mast being longer than the hull, and so susceptible to damage.

Scottish Canals still claim 6' depth. Nic 30 has 5.67' presumably in salt water so almost certainly would scrape and stick. My CO32 at a nominal 5.5' draft had a miserable time of it.

 

[DangerousPirate]

Ive done this, went to bangor rather than belfast, makes much more sense unless you want to see belfast. Then bangor to peel on isle of man, then went to port dinaellin, (tho detoured to holyhead for fuel, you could stop there if you wanted) Porth Dinaellin is an anchorage, but a short row to the pub on the beach. Then from there to fishguard, in the wee bay by the old part for the pub. (Mooring or anchor)
Fishguard to milford haven, then a big 24 hour hop to penzance. Then a short trip round the lizard and anchored, but obviously loads of marina choices from here on in. I went from a wee bay there to salcombe, then to weymouth.
depends where you are headed, i was essex bound so yarmouth, eastbourne, dover ramsgate, the crouch and then to canvey island.

I am not sure where to go from there to be honest. I just want a trip, but I don't necessarily want to return to my homeport in Chatham. So maybe I dock up somehwere on the south coast and then cross to france later. Don't know yet.

But there is this one big leap from milford to penzance. I checked and checked and there is nothing much I could do between, so either way it'll be one big jump then. Would be nice if there would be a buoy to hang on to overnight at least. Just to rest.

I have also added Cardiff as a stop, I think it'll be interesting.

Belfast if you need civilization, otherwise weather permitting you can drop anchor south of Copeland Island: Navionics ChartViewer
Next stop IoM, Peel or Port Erin, then Cemaes Bay, if you plan passing Anglesey on the west, Moelfre in case you go down the Menai strait. The strait is nice and provides you a storm shelter in Abermenai. Time the tides well and you fly 10kts!

Definitely want to see Belfast tbh.

Largs to Belfast is quite a long sail, maybe add Campbelltown to your early itinerary.

We always go the Irish side. Tides are weaker. Leave the Tuskar and set course for Lands End. The tidal gate going east is not long, careful adjustment of timing required
to get the advantage of the east flow.

Good Luck.

Might do that, have to do some research which way I want to take - Irish Coast or English/Welsh Coast.

I did the trip from James Watt Dock to Titchmarsh Marina on the East coast. The distance would have been about the same either way, but I chose to come down the East coast, via the Caledonian canal. I was in a harbour or marina at every stop, and only one overnight passage, from Whitby to Lowestoft. Either way involves at least one long passage. For the South coast, the passage through the Irish Sea is undoubtedly shorter, but either you follow the Irish coast with plenty of stops but a long passage across the Western Approaches, or down the English and Welsh coasts with fewer havens and still a long exposed passage from Pembrokeshire to Lands End.

Depending on your draft you could consider the Forth and Clyde canal, which would shorten the East Coast route considerably. I didn't because a) my draft is bang on the maximum and b) because you have to take your mast down. Facilities for the latter are available, but I understand that they only provide a crane; you have to unrig and re-rig the boat yourself. There's also the issue of the mast being longer than the hull, and so susceptible to damage.

That's really good advice, too. But I don't think I'll do any canals and take the mast down. The purpose is a leisure sail, not to get from A to B.

I will look more into it and make a plan. This is going to be my first longer passage and I don't know any of those waters. Exciting.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

That's really good advice, too. But I don't think I'll do any canals and take the mast down. The purpose is a leisure sail, not to get from A to B.

I will look more into it and make a plan. This is going to be my first longer passage and I don't know any of those waters. Exciting.

The Caledonian canal doesn't require the mast down, and is quite an interesting passage in its own right. And you can keep a monster watch in Loch Ness!

For the F&C, I've been advised that my Moody 31 at a nominal draft of 5'6" would be marginal, and given that the canal passes through parts of Glasgow where obstacles such as shopping trolleys are likely to find their way into the canal, I decided that the chances of getting stuck somewhere unpleasant (especially with an English accent!) were too high.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I am not sure where to go from there to be honest. I just want a trip, but I don't necessarily want to return to my homeport in Chatham. So maybe I dock up somehwere on the south coast and then cross to france later. Don't know yet.

But there is this one big leap from milford to penzance. I checked and checked and there is nothing much I could do between, so either way it'll be one big jump then. Would be nice if there would be a buoy to hang on to overnight at least. Just to rest.

I have also added Cardiff as a stop, I think it'll be interesting.



Definitely want to see Belfast tbh.




Might do that, have to do some research which way I want to take - Irish Coast or English/Welsh Coast.



That's really good advice, too. But I don't think I'll do any canals and take the mast down. The purpose is a leisure sail, not to get from A to B.

I will look more into it and make a plan. This is going to be my first longer passage and I don't know any of those waters. Exciting.

You could certainly get into Padstow , there is also Lundy in the right weather and Hayle and St Ives are both weather dependant possibilities, you don't have to go straight from Pembrokeshire around Lands End if you were considering that then stick to the Irish coast down to Kinsale for some good sailing then across to the Scilly Isles then onwards to Cornwall or France.

 

[DangerousPirate]

You could certainly get into Padstow , there is also Lundy in the right weather and Hayle and St Ives are both weather dependant possibilities, you don't have to go straight from Pembrokeshire around Lands End if you were considering that then stick to the Irish coast down to Kinsale for some good sailing then across to the Scilly Isles then onwards to Cornwall or France.

Padstow looks beautiful from the pictures. I missed those ports. Thanks!

Will check it out.

One more question: When you are planning trips, do you have like a go-to website for pilotage? Or do you just use the chartplotter and google for the rest?

Don't know many of those ports, and I don't know what it's like navigating around most of those, Bristol Channel is supposed to be very, very strongly tidal, for example.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Padstow looks beautiful from the pictures. I missed those ports. Thanks!

Will check it out.

One more question: When you are planning trips, do you have like a go-to website for pilotage? Or do you just use the chartplotter and google for the rest?

Don't know many of those ports, and I don't know what it's like navigating around most of those, Bristol Channel is supposed to be very, very strongly tidal, for example.

I am a landlubber now but when I was passage planning it was charts, almanac and pilot books with tidal gates and entrance noted and then worked back from. Only then was the passage and waypoints put into the chart plotter ( a Raymarine E120 which I quite liked particularly for the tidal stream info.) I don't know that I would be doing anything much different today but I did like my gizmos though ?.

 

[Cardinal]

Since you say that it will be a pleasure sail, why not go down the West coast of Ireland where you will be spoilt for choice of anchorages then one long reach across the Celtic sea to Scillies before more pleasure sailing along the South coast?

 

[DangerousPirate]

Since you say that it will be a pleasure sail, why not go down the West coast of Ireland where you will be spoilt for choice of anchorages then one long reach across the Celtic sea to Scillies before more pleasure sailing along the South coast?

Worth considering that, let me plan two routes and then I will discuss with my crew which one they will like better.

I am looking at a better starting point before sailing over the Irish Sea to Belfast. There is a disused jetty in Loch Ryan, called Cairnryan Jetty. Is that still good or dangerous? I know there is an anchorage near it, which would work as an alternative. But I think I'd sleep better if I would be tied up somewhere without having to fear the anchor won't hold :S You all know what I mean.

 

[Concerto]

One more question: When you are planning trips, do you have like a go-to website for pilotage? Or do you just use the chartplotter and google for the rest?

Personally I would invest in either The Cruising Association Almanac or Reeds for port information, both also have tide tables and tidal atlases.

 

[eebygum]

I’ve done

Hi,
I want to plan a trip down the coast, without sailing at night. Wondering if someone as done a similar trip before and maybe can pass down their passage plan?
I would prefer stopping at a marina overnight so we can leave the boat and grab beers locally, but I am not going to shy away from anchorages for overnights.

Which stops do you recommend? We want to bring the Nicholson 30 down south. First stop will be Largs, then we try to head for Belfast, after that I have no plans yet. Any recommendations? No specific port for destination.

I’ve done this trip several times as far as Anglesey and back. The following are options subject to weather and tide.

Rhu to Troon (The Wee Hurrie - great fish and chip shop up the road in the docks)

Troon to Bangor (great pubs on the doorstep, the Rabbit is a favourite)



Bangor to Arklow (another great fish and chip shop, excellent pub up the hill by the golf course and the marina has the best showers on the east coast of Ireland)

Arklow to Moefre on Anglesey (Kimmel Arms is excellent and does nice food). Good holding in mud.

Moefre through the straits to Victoria Dock in Caenarfon (water/fuel, supermarkets on the doorstep and more good pubs; Anglesey Arms by the castle is a favourite overlooking the strait but mind the seagulls)

Or over the Caenarfon Bar to Porthdinallean … and the Ty Coch, one of the top best beachside pubs in the world ? very safe and sheltered except in Northerlies.

After that your down south, ain’t yeah !

 

[dunedin]

Worth considering that, let me plan two routes and then I will discuss with my crew which one they will like better.

I am looking at a better starting point before sailing over the Irish Sea to Belfast. There is a disused jetty in Loch Ryan, called Cairnryan Jetty. Is that still good or dangerous? I know there is an anchorage near it, which would work as an alternative. But I think I'd sleep better if I would be tied up somewhere without having to fear the anchor won't hold :S You all know what I mean.

Cairnryan is where the large ferries run from (though currently operating at half capacity).
There is an anchorage opposite at The Wig, or a pontoon at Stranraer, but it is a bit of a hike in and out.

For Belfast the obvious starting point is Campbeltown, as suggested by others above - pontoon or anchorages.
If weather suitable other options are available - most scenic is Sanda, but we have even anchored outside Loch Ryan in the bay east of the Lighthouse at Corsewell Pt. Portpatrick another option, though slightly off the direct route.