Which way round?

[pugwash]

In PBO Mike Peyton urges us to cast off, head out of whichever harbour we might be in, and turn right. I've always had a hankering to sail around Britain, as he did, and I might do it one day. But I figured I'd turn LEFT. Mike says the advantage of clockwise is that you get the SW's aft on the long drag up the Irish Sea, and on the southward leg the East Coast gives you a lee. But surely hugging the east coast of Ireland also gives you a lee. You'd have to fight the last bit into Cork or Kinsale, then with luck you'd get a reach across to Land's End and fair winds all the way up the Channel. I believe Mike actually did turn left as I would, but he wished he'd gone right and recommends it.

What think?

 

[Ohdrat]

MMM think about the North Coast .. Cape Wrath to Duncansby Head.. this has a prevailing wind of NW which is a pain in the butt if you are sailing westward and belive me the North Coast is a most unhospitable lee shore! You will also have the sea against you on if you sail anti clockwise..

Oh and if your superstitious anti clockwise is withershines...

 

[LadyInBed]

Turning Right gives you the aid of the prevailing current (gulf stream).

 

[NigeCh]

Clockwise and here\'s why (IMO) ....

Check the Admiralty tidal atlasses, link them to the wind roses for the various parts of the UK .... and you soon find that wind with tide seems to work for upto 9 hours out of 12 in most places - There are some very strange anomolies: ie if you are thinking of sailing close to the east coast of Ireland, then don't because there are strong tides between Tusker and Wicklow but then there's a continuous slack till you get the the North Channel and the kybosh hits the fan again .... (Reverse the last sentance if you are going anti-clockwise)

Re-reading your post it seems that you're going a bit awry .... ??? "You'd have to fight the last bit into Cork or Kinsale" after " hugging the east coast of Ireland"... "and then with luck you'd get a reach across to Land's End" Fishguard old harbour would be a better and quicker alternative stop prior making the hop around Land's End.

Mind you, I could be completely wrong - has anyone seen the new BBC weather site with sailing indexes (indices!) ... 100% goblidigook.

NigeCh, Port Dinorwic



NigeCh