Sailing north from Gib to UK from August

[BacktoBoats]

I am looking at the option of sailing my Bowman 42 back to the UK from Gibraltar to sell her. We will be leaving Gib this August, arrival in the UK is flexible and we will be stopping to enjoy places along the way, but we will arrive before the end of the season. I am aware this will tend to be against the prevailing winds, and throw in the Orca dodging it won't be a totally fun filled passage. I stayed within the 20m contour where practical when I came down a couple of years ago.

Does anyone have experience of this passage, with or without the Orcas, and any tips? I

 

[Roberto]

If you want to go along the coast (and not sail the longer offshore 'hook'), during the typical 'nortada' conditions keep in mind the option to motor during the night, there will be some chop left but wind often drops totally. There are a lot of unlit pot marker buoys, though they are often difficult to see even during daylight. The longer leg is Lagos/CapeSt Vincent to Sines IIRC 90-100nm, but then from Sines northwards distances are usually some tens of miles from one port to the next, easy to do. Around the Capes, St Vincent, da Roca, Fisterra etc easily add 2-3 Beaufort notches to prevailing conditions north/south of them.
I turned twice around cabo da Roca during the afternoon coming from the north, wind went from 15-20kt to 40 in a matter of minutes, the genoa rolled to handkerchief size and the boat doing 7kt, weather nice and sunny, but if going north... ouch

 

[mainsail1]

I had planned to do the same trip this summer also but I decided the wind would be mostly against and then there are the Orcas. My intention now is to go through the canals of France. I am told it will take me a month.

 

[Halcyon Yachts]

I am looking at the option of sailing my Bowman 42 back to the UK from Gibraltar to sell her. We will be leaving Gib this August, arrival in the UK is flexible and we will be stopping to enjoy places along the way, but we will arrive before the end of the season. I am aware this will tend to be against the prevailing winds, and throw in the Orca dodging it won't be a totally fun filled passage. I stayed within the 20m contour where practical when I came down a couple of years ago.

Does anyone have experience of this passage, with or without the Orcas, and any tips? I

It's a trip we do very regularly... Most yacht delivery skippers will hug the coast and pick the window carefully to avoid strong northerlies.

Given that you have a Bowman 42, and that the Azores are amazing, I'd be tempted to go that way. This is also a route we have taken when the northerlies aren't letting up.

Here's a Rustler 42 we delivered from Madeira to the UK and went via the Azores (rather than to mainland Portugal and up the coast). It was a great trip!

Pete