Woes of West Latvia coast

[Refueler]

Now that various electrical items and other have been sorted on my latest boat ... thoughts on where to go ...

Ventspils is in the NW coast of Latvia .... basically coastline runs N - S with a bit of a bulge in the middle. Usually wind is from SW. It sounds crazy - but its not unusual to have wind on the head going one way ... on return home - wind has swung 180 !! on the head again. That's if going along the coast.

Where to go ? Unlike Riga - there is no bay similar to Solent ... so its a definite plan job .. study wind forecasts etc.

Where ?

Farosund - Gotland ... approx halfway to Sweden ... course average is about 290deg .... about 16 - 18hrs .....

Kuressaare - Saaremaa island - literally dead north of us .... Estonian ... doglegged till past Kolka then ~ 020 deg .. about 12 - 14hrs.

For other destinations such as Pavilosta .. is about 190 - 200 deg and 7 - 9hrs ... Liepaja another few hours on top.

The wind vs courses looks ok on paper - but so often it ends up either a tacking situation or motor on ...

Hopefully this weekend couple of us will decide where to and cast off !!

 

[Thistle]

Gotska Sandon is pretty much NW of you so a beam reach with a SW wind. Not much scope for mooring so dig out the anchor? Not a lot of nightlife, if that's what you are looking for.

 

[Refueler]

Aware of GS ... but its only inhabited by Seals and Birds ! (Feathered kind !)

Farosund .... Kuressaare are old world ...

Roja - has been improved tremendously from the run down fishing / timber port it was ....

All three have not suffered the modern 'urge' .....

 

[Neeves]

We chose Australia, one factor being the weather.



The coast is roughly North/South - the sea breeze is a northerly, the fronts offer a cold southerly - you simply need to be patient and enjoy fishing, walking, find a new author - or service the engine.

Jonathan

 

[Refueler]

Sunday was planned departure - but a wind snap is forecast and Kolka peninsular is not best place to be in one ... so we are departing Monday ....

Kolka peninsular funnels the water into / out of Riga bay ... if the wind is anything more than about 8 - 10m/s .... it can be bl***y rough there for an hours transit ...

Planned is to see wind direction and either head north to Kuressaare and the old world street cafes / castle .... or to Roja round in Riga Bay .... then after a night ... make way to the other ... before beating home.

Only ~4 days but boat is due to be lifted end of month before weather turns cold. I have a number of jobs to do which I prefer to do while still warm days !!

One of those is to clean up hull below waterline .... assess her for VC17 ... or back to polished hull ... in spring for racing

 

[William_H]

Hi Nigel. I hope the voyage turns out well as you anticipate winter lift out. Now just for a bit of envy for my friends, we relaunched my little boat yesterday. No problems it being perhaps 50 times done already. Weather was 4year record hot for September at 31 max. Took 2 hrs from home back to home including getting trailer on car, relaunch, rig and slow sail to mooring, pack up and get home. All good for new season opening on Sunday and back to the racing madness. ol'will

 

[Refueler]

Hi Nigel. I hope the voyage turns out well as you anticipate winter lift out. Now just for a bit of envy for my friends, we relaunched my little boat yesterday. No problems it being perhaps 50 times done already. Weather was 4year record hot for September at 31 max. Took 2 hrs from home back to home including getting trailer on car, relaunch, rig and slow sail to mooring, pack up and get home. All good for new season opening on Sunday and back to the racing madness. ol'will