Which way around England: CW or CCW?

[chrismckesson]

I am considering - fantasy perhaps? - a cruise up one coast of England, through the Clyde canal, and down the other coast. But, being an American, I have no knowledge of the prevailing weather pattern.

If one were to undertake such a circuit in a single long season - Spring north, summer across, fall south - would one be best served to start on the East or West Coast? Which direction is the prevailing weather?

I'm guessing that the Irish Sea is more easily transited south-to-north, and thus a clockwise west-to-east circuit would be indicated.

Am I wrong?

All counsel welcomed!

Thanks,

Chris McKesson

 

[Lizzie_B]

There's no way around England. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
However, if you were going round Britain I would be tempted to do a figure of 8 through the Caledonian Canal, (much prettier- and safer - than the Clyde Canal).

There are pros and cons for either direction - I did it running north up the East Coast, but most people seem to start from the south coast running west (clockwise).

Some of our Northern bretheren will no doubt have strong opinions to express as to which way is best up there.
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Dyflin]

Here are a few accounts by people who have done it before.

http://www.sailtales.co.uk/st-fun-vvab-2005-rw.php

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

which has often made me wonder..... given that the prevailing summer winds in the channel are westerly in nature, if you hit that part of the journey during summer, then anti-clockwise makes more sense IMHO...

but the itenary above suggests summer will be mid trip...

So i'd be tempted to start in Scotland, use spring to go down the west coast, summer going up the channel, and autumn up the east coast...

But then you are at risk of cold spring days up north, and autumnal storms on the east coast where there is a lack of stopping points..... plus hitting the south coast at its businest time.... on the other hand, you'd avoid midge season in Scotland....

.... it seems there really is no correct answer here!

 

[pyrojames]

Starting from the east coast, as I would be if I were doing it, it'd have to be CW. Usually a fair proportion of east through north in spring, so down channel is easy, up the Irish sea in mayish, summer Scotland, and run for home again in one hit on the east coast. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[KenMcCulloch]

Some sensible advice above. This is on my own list of projects, possibly for when I retire in a few years' time. I have done quite a lot of the bits at one time or another, and there are quite a few strategies worth considering. Here on the East of Scotland and well down the English East coast it is common to have a long period of E/NE winds in the spring and early summer. That makes many of the harbour entries in places like Scarborough, Amble, Eyemouth for example problematic, although you can use some of the bigger harbours even in quite heavy onshore conditions. At the beginning of this season we brought Border Maid to her new home in a weekend, from Blyth to the Forth in fresh NE winds and had no weather related problems apart from not being able to stop anywhere! Normal summer weather means that SW winds can blow for long periods on the W coast and if you are trying to get from the SW end of the Caledonian Canal, say, towards Ireland, it may take some time /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.
ACW seems to me to be slightly more common but you can be almost sure that whichever way you go you will have some periods of unfavourable weather. Good luck.

 

[chrismckesson]

Let me clarify by stating that my fantasy at least does NOT include the channel.

After all, we don't own a homebase in the UK, so we would buy the boat in one location (Kent?) and sell her a year later in the opposite (Bristol?)

Please understand that I know next to nothing about those ports - indeed, that's the attraction of the cruising life.

So while I understand the issue about the winds in the Channel, if we leave the Channel out of the equation does that change the result?

Thanks!

Chris McKesson

 

[Lizzie_B]

Not Really, and you'd miss out a lot of beautiful places.
Bristol could be interesting in a small boat with 13metre tidal range, but ok if you're prepared to work the tides and anchor.

The Channels wind patterns aren't that simple anyway, and lots of people head west out of the Solent in summer for their holidays with no problems.

Frankly, the weather is so unstable and unpredictable at the moment, who knows what the prevailing winds will be when you come to do your trip.

I think the important thing is to give yourself as much time as possible and visit out of the way places. Bilge keels, or the ability to 'take the ground' open up all sorts of interesting and (usually) cheaper places.

Contact the yacht clubs in the areas and get their pilotage publications if they do them. Usually packed with valuable local knowledge. The Royal Northumbrian do a cracking one covering the HUmber north to S E Scotland.

Time and research will be your best friends.
Have fun. There is so much variety around the UK coast. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Skyva_2]

No Channel means missing the Dorset coast, Falmouth etc which would be a shame.
There was an earlier thread on this subject which might help, see here:

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php?C...rue#Post1466076

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

To miss the Southern Cornish, Devon, and Dorset coastline in the western end of the channel would be verging on criminal!..... some of the loveliest sailing in the country...

And you also probably end up missing the southern end of the east coast too, which has some of the biggest wildlife populations in the UK, along with magical creeks and rivers to explore....

No... i'd do the lot if I were you....

 

[Skyva_2]

Also bear in mind some places will be better to buy and sell the boat. That's a whole different subject, but Bristol and Kent would probably not be the best.

 

[gandy]

Forth and Clyde Canal can't be sailed with mast up, whereas the bridges on the Caledonian Canal all swing. Its easier to avoid the hire cruisers in the Canal when you're heading SW (counter clockwise).

 

[DaveS]

[ QUOTE ]
Its easier to avoid the hire cruisers in the Canal when you're heading SW (counter clockwise).

[/ QUOTE ]

Why so? BTW I don't dispute this, and my one transit of the Caley was NE to SW, and I had little trouble with hire boats, but would be interested to know why.

 

[mbay]

good idea I'd miss the south out as well, very expensive and the beer is warm with bits of twigs in it.

 

[knightvision]

I spent last summer sailing from Ipswich to the Clyde. It took about 10 weeks. I wasn't in a hurry, a chance to stop and see what is going on and move on when you wanted.

It was a great experience and also through the clyde.
http://panic.fluff.org/vision/
tells the story and gives a few pictures of the prevailing weather. I also have an excel sheet with all the logs from each days sailing with weather and mooring details, if you really want a level of boredom to go with it.

 

[Lizzie_B]

Send a PM to Teredo.
He'll be back from his summer cruise in a couple of weeks.
He has been researching this in detail for some years as it is his ambition to circumnavigate GB upon his impending retirement
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[gandy]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Its easier to avoid the hire cruisers in the Canal when you're heading SW (counter clockwise).

[/ QUOTE ]

Why so? BTW I don't dispute this, and my one transit of the Caley was NE to SW, and I had little trouble with hire boats, but would be interested to know why.

[/ QUOTE ] Most of the hire boats set off from Inverness all on the same day, in the afternoon. They all head South because there's no other direction to go, therefore tend to arrive at for example Dochgarroch or Fort Augustus all at the same time. If you're going the same way, you can stay in front or behind the rush.

Maybe you can see I had a bad experience once.