Travelling south help wanted

[Guest]

I intend sailing to the Med Nov\Dec this year from NI and seek advice on whether to

1) Buy Standard Adm charts

2) Invest in a Chartplotter

3) Buy software for my laptop

Practical serious advice first please ---- Normal stupid remarks welcome

 

[Guest]

Take a fold-away Rescue Helicopter

Assuming NI = Northern Ireland

1 Dont need Admiralty Charts if you are simply making passage. The Imray Charts will do the job for Biscay and cheaper Spanish coastal charts will fill in gaps not covered by Imray. However the RCC Pilot "Atlantic Coast of Spain and Portugal" is essential to help you find shelter out of danger.

2 Chart plotter is hardly a necessity.

3 Id suggest a weather fax - or some other method of getting and interpreting long range weather forecasts.

I also suggest a few books about passage making across Bicay and into the Med at that time of year. The weather can be atrocious in Biscay. If a low pressure system settles over Spain you could end up with strong headwinds all down the Portuguese Coast and particularly through the Straits of Gibraltar.

The "classic" time for a Biscay Passage is before the end of August; September at a stretch, so unless you are experienced in heavy weather sailing and content/able to beat into a gale for 10 days, I'd think again - or stow a fold away resue helicopter.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Re: Take a fold-away Rescue Helicopter

I think this is sensible advice - without knowing the size of boat and your experience.

 

[tcm]

Re: ok then, travelling north advice?

ok, so what's the earliest month in the year that one might considr a passage north?

 

[Chris_Robb]

er...

Well - I beleive that in Spring and summer the predominant wind is northerly!

 

[kgi]

Buy admiralty charts for the whole way, slightly easier to read than spanish/portugese charts, fit a navtex you will also need the sea areas for the whole route which are different to ours. We left from Kinsale in southern Ireland and went to Coruna easy entrance in the dark, tide runs like stink at the entrance but well protected,good for clearing in, market just up the road,from ther it was a hop down to Ria DE camarenas , good anchorage well sheltered from prevailing winds, from there youcan go to finisterre and anchor (bit exposed we thought) or onto Muros well sheltered good for an overnight anchorage. from there we went to Palmeira the locals were very freindly, and even moved local boats along the wall so we could tie up,then it was on to Porto novo sandy bottomed bay, fishermen were unfreindly!! then onto Bayona and just like it says in the atlantic crossing guide the holding is good, shops fairly close to anchorage. Next stop was Leixoes, anchoring inside harbour near marina is alright until the wind starts to howl, then it can get lumpy, marina is overpriced showers a awful and i think theres a sewer outfall in the marina all our dock lins were caked in what looked like congealed fat, but any port in a storm!!!.Nazare is the next place Govt run marina good value, take your paperwork up to the office as soon as you can,they have a tendency to send one of the armed guards to ask for it, clean good showers washing machines, town twenty minute walk, good value. Cascais has a marina now it was under construction when we were there, goodplace to spend a few days even if the marina is a bit pricey lots to see in Lisbon and you can get on the train and go to the royal palaces, well worth a trip!! if you stop in Cascais there will be no need to stop in Lisbon, its alright but some of the marinas are silted up and the others are near the bridge , you wont get much rest!!! There is a small harbour called Sesimbra just down the coast from Lisbon which is worth bearing in mind otherwise its a longish day down toSines, good place to be if a gale blows , there are three sets of breakwaters the outer one has been breached by the sea, make sure you have reached the end of the breakwater before you turn in dont mistake the breach as the entrance!!!!!!!!!!!!! sorry can't help you with any more from there i went to the canaries............have fun ...........keith

 

[LadyInBed]

What a godawful time of year to do the trip!
If your draft allows, I would go via the Seine, canals, Saone, Rhone.

 

[vyv_cox]

My son and daughter-in-law took the ferry Portsmouth - Santander at Xmas a couple of years ago. It blew F11 almost the whole way.

 

[Guest]

Re: ok then, travelling north advice?

North from the Med?

There are few dangers along the Iberian coast and you can make your northing as day sails, picking your weather. It is better to do this before the Portuguese Trades fill in, (constant N4), down the Portuguese Coast when the Azores High is established - normally from June onwards?. Otherwise you have to stay close in to the coast and motor sail at night when the winds tend to be lighter.

The difficult bit is across Biscay and you need to wait for stable weather pattern. Normally, May is as early as is considered "safe" although this year it was not until August before the weather settled.

The classic journey though is to leave the Straits of Gibraltar on Starboard tack and go to the Azores any time from March (subject to long range weather forecasts) And then after a few weeks in the Azores set out for home. This puts you much further west and thus in less risk (than you would be in Biscay) if a storm does brew and could allow you to leave the Azores earlier. Last year I stood off from the continental shelf to let a vigorous depression through and then followed it in with an exhilarating if exhausting 3-4 day broad reach in 30-40kts of true wind - that was in July.