Weather for trip to SW Ireland

stav

stav

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Next summer there might be the opportunity to go of for three weeks, last week of July and 1st 2 weeks August. Based in Jersey and would like to go to SW Ireland and back again. Have the time but it is fixed. Boat probably up to it, westerly Conway, but was wondering if there are any websites with recorded data for wind for the last few summers for the western approaches. I seem to recall seeing wind for oceans etc but not for such a specific area. I thought it would be good to get a feel for windows of opportunity to get there , see something and get back. Would like to head for Baltimore and just explore up to dingle (ish, sort of thing).

Thanks in advance
 
The weather on the crossing is more or less what you'd expect in Cornwall. Just a matter of waiting for a weather window. From memory, our passage from Newlyn to Kilmore Quay took just shy of 36 hours. Watch the forecasts, and if they don't work out try Plan B....

This doesn't have what you're after, but might be helpful - https://msi.nga.mil/MSISiteContent/StaticFiles/NAV_PUBS/SD/Pub142/Pub142bk.pdf
 
I haven't double checked recently, but I think marine.ie did have some archive, but in practice, you're just going to have to look at the forecasts for the time you plan to make the trip and deal with the weather there is at the time.

Ireland had a brilliant summer this year. Might be the same next year, or might not happen again for another 40 years.
 
We did it this summer. In a Westerly Seahawk - should be even easier with a Conway.

From Troon across to Dublin and then on around the coast to Kinsale. Then ran out of time, a certain member of the ownership syndicate insisted we stopped in Dublin, then Wexford - find the interactive map from the HM for that one and do it in daylight and on a rising tide.

An overnight spell in Cork made me think the bus from Crosshaven would have been a better way to visit.
The RCYC at Crosshaven is well run and pleasant.

All terribly good fun. Not a lot of wind, so used quite a lot of diesel.

The return journey we crossed from Kilmore to Milford Haven.
Had a little detour in the Bristol Channel and then to Newlyn and on to France via Guernsey.

Somewhere I have seen the 'analysis' you ask about, but cannot remember where. It must be on the boat.
Try this: https://www.met.ie/climate/what-we-measure/wind

I do have The Southern Ireland Cruising Companion by Robert Wilcox for sale if you are interested. New Jan 18 and useful for the adventure.

It was good fun, Ireland and the Irish are to be enjoyed.
 
stav said:
was wondering if there are any websites with recorded data for wind for the last few summers for the western approaches.
Click to expand...

Try this website, which as I understand it is averaged data over a significant period (not necessarily just last few summers) - see home page. (I've forgetten who posted this recently, but thanks to them.)

Here it is zoomed in towards the Western Approaches/Ireland ( but it zooms out to cover whole Atlantic), and the month/week can be stepped forward or backward.

http://cioss.coas.oregonstate.edu/cogow/0716/66_one_x_one.html
 
Stav: If you monitor (and, perhaps, plot) the actual weather in the weeks before your departure you may get an idea of patterns. Trouble is, the pattern could be the classic one of low following low, with brief placid intervals in between and an overall preponderance of SWerlies. Given the latter, you might be wise to aim direct for Baltimore (with the equally classic rider of being prepared to change your plans). Heading directly down the coast can be a bit of a slog.

From Jersey it might be natural to hop via the Scillies, which would make Crosshaven about 24 hours distant, Baltimore rather more. Refuges are fairly regularly spaced along the coast W of Cork, with several safe to enter in almost any conditions.

If you want a book giving a (somewhat nautical) taste of the area, I can recommend Trevor Norton's Reflections on a Summer Sea..

Lovely part of the world, if rather dolphin-infested ;)
 
Gwylan said:
We did it this summer. In a Westerly Seahawk - should be even easier with a Conway.

From Troon across to Dublin and then on around the coast to Kinsale. Then ran out of time, a certain member of the ownership syndicate insisted we stopped in Dublin, then Wexford - find the interactive map from the HM for that one and do it in daylight and on a rising tide.

An overnight spell in Cork made me think the bus from Crosshaven would have been a better way to visit.
The RCYC at Crosshaven is well run and pleasant.

All terribly good fun. Not a lot of wind, so used quite a lot of diesel.

The return journey we crossed from Kilmore to Milford Haven.
Had a little detour in the Bristol Channel and then to Newlyn and on to France via Guernsey.

Somewhere I have seen the 'analysis' you ask about, but cannot remember where. It must be on the boat.
Try this: https://www.met.ie/climate/what-we-measure/wind

I do have The Southern Ireland Cruising Companion by Robert Wilcox for sale if you are interested. New Jan 18 and useful for the adventure.

It was good fun, Ireland and the Irish are to be enjoyed.
Click to expand...

We went round Ireland clockwise from the Clyde last summer. No longer have work limitations so we took 8 weeks. Some of it was glorious weather, rather too little wind at times. However it was a great trip. Many of the Irish bays/harbours are very tidal, with quite strong tidal flows. Make timing entrances/anchorages/moorings interesting. The proliferation of big headlands don't have hugely strong tides (not like the North Channel) but you'll see a couple of Knots at times. We made use of bicycles and buses in several places. Going up the West coast, the incidence of pontoons goes down considerably, getting fuel is less simple. (order and meet a road tanker at a pier...)
The South coast section with "normal" SW wind would be pretty tough going, once you are west of Carnsore Pt you begin to meet some Atlantic swell. Only a metre or so, 10 to12 second stuff. As said - the Irish are a very friendly bunch! Worth the visit.
 
We did it from Tresco to Cork in 2003 in a 34. The forecast was NE 2 becoming SW 4-5. In the end we got NW 6 for much of the night which was tiresome. The difference was that in open sea, conditions were manageable, without the short Channel and North Sea waves we were used to. Nowadays forecasts are so much better than it should be easy to pick your time and have a good trip. It's a lovely area and worth doing, even for a few weeks as we did.
 
You will, of course, only know if the weather window is suitable for your boat and the crew that you have when it is time to set off. If the window does open though you may want to consider going as far west as possible at the start of your trip to ease the ride back. We went Plymouth to Dingle non-stop and had a reasonably pleasant ride back towards Cork over a period of a few weeks as the weather permitted.
 
Good plan heading straight to Dingle and working your way back. Dingle around to Cork Harbour is a fantastic cruising ground. Knightstown on Valentia Island is nice. Great fish in O’Neil’s The Point just across on the ferry. Caherciveen is worth a look, then Lawrence Cove, Schull, Baltimore, Glandore, Courtmacsherry are all great places to spend a few days with lots to see in between. Late July/early August is peak season there so it will be busy.
 
and if you hadn't heard it before:

IT'S MEGAFANTASTIC

go for it.
beautiful country, lovely people, you will remember .

All the above advice is good.... just remember that you can stop over in the Isles of Scilly to wait for a good window. And enjoy them while you are there.
 
Thanks for all the replies. A lot of useful information and encouragement. I have had a brief look at the links but will delve deep over the coming weeks! I think I was hoping to learn to better understand the 'windows of opportunity' so could make better decisions in the summer. I have sat in Falmouth a couple of times and not gone for it! But time is getting short for this sort of thing and really want to do a few longer trips. I like the idea of heading straight for Dingle and then working way back. Crew willing to sail with me will be the next thing to organise (and is acceptable to the wife............).
 
We did the crossing from Scillies to Crookhaven at the end of June. Weather was perfect and in good conditions it is really only a day and a night, and from there you can explore in as small jumps as you like. Don't miss Bantry where there is a small marina and a great friendly town with music festivals etc.
 
Cardinal said:
We did the crossing from Scillies to Crookhaven at the end of June. Weather was perfect and in good conditions it is really only a day and a night, and from there you can explore in as small jumps as you like. Don't miss Bantry where there is a small marina and a great friendly town with music festivals etc.
Click to expand...

+1 for Bantry. Fine wee town. Going past the other side of Whiddy island, where the Betelgeuse incident took place is sobering. Glengariff on the other side of Bantry Bay is pleasant. the walk to the village is only 15mins. :)
 
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