When last we left Colin and his crew at the end of Part 3, they had just crossed the Celtic Sea and finessed both the tide at Lands End and and their Landfall in Ireland—all good results based on the planning that Colin covered in Part 1 and Part 2. Now, in Part 4 they make some early starts and bring Scotland in sight.
Costal Passages, Part 4—Keep On Plugging
Reading Time: 8 minutes
Next: Coastal Passages, Part 5—On To The Finish
Previous: Coastal Passages, Part 3—Off We Go
- Knowing Where It’s At
- Three Electronic Charting Dangers That Can Wreck You
- Keeping Safe From Chart Inaccuracies
- You Still Need an Accurate Compass
- Chart Plotters And Autopilots, Never The Twain Should Meet
- Do You Still Need Paper Charts?
- Backup Systems, Do We Need Paper?
- 11 Tips for Safe Navigation With Phones and Tablets
- 12 Electronic Navigation Tips From a Cruise on Someone Else’s Boat
- Marine Electronics System Recommendations
- 6 Tips To Stop Marine Electronics From Ruining Your Cruise
- Marine Electronics Recommendations—Communications
- HF SSB Radio or Iridium Satellite Phone?
- Marine Electronics Recommendations—Radar
- Which is Best For Navigation: Plotter, Computer or Tablet?
- Our Navigation System
- The Best Windows Computer For Navigation
- Q&A Which Sextant To Buy…If At All
- The Secret Life Of Your GPS
- Coastal Passages, Part 1—Making a Plan, 10 Tips
- Coastal Passages, Part 2—Rounding Headlands
- Coastal Passages, Part 3—Off We Go
- Costal Passages, Part 4—Keep On Plugging
- Coastal Passages, Part 5—On To The Finish
- Passage Anchorages
- Navigating in Fog, Part 1, The Tools
- Navigation in Fog, Part 2—Preparation
- Navigation in Fog, Part 3—Underway
- 8 Radar Use Tips
- Integrating and Documenting NMEA 0183 and 2000 Networks
Colin, European Correspondent here at AAC, is a deeply experienced offshore sailor who holds a Yachtmaster licence, and a gifted photographer and talented writer who has added a whole new dimension to Attainable Adventure Cruising. In addition, since Colin and Louise are from the UK and had their OVNI 435, Pèlerin built in France, they bring a European perspective to our site. You can read more about Colin and Louise and their business at their website.
Hi Colin,
Lovely article and an excellent example of the ingredients that a skipper needs keeping in mind to cook up a seemingly easy coastal passage.
My best, Dick
Hi Dick
sorry for the delay in replying, due to holidays!
Thanks for the kind words – I’m glad you are enjoying this series.
As I know you know, there’s no such thing as an easy passage – the times that I have done this particular passage in either direction and it has all gone as planned are non-existent. But by doing our homework and changing gear when necessary we can try and make it look easy! Best wishes, Colin
Thanks, Colin, for this useful series of articles. They resonate strongly as we approach the end of a relatively challenging cruise from home waters on the south shore of Nova Scotia, around the tide swept corner into the Bay of Fundy, through the Reversing Falls into the placid Saint John River, back through the Falls, through the swirling Letite Passage to Passamaquoddy Bay and home again. The imperatives of timing and need for careful planning were very real. We had excellent guidance and advice to ease our way (not to mention the pleasure of John’s company for few days) but it is a bit of a relief to be back in waters where tides, one of the triad of navigation challenges, can be mostly ignored and we only need to worry about the other two, wind and weather.
Wilson
Hi Wilson
it sounds like just the sort of challenging passage that I’ve portrayed here. Tricky but so satisfying when you get it right.
Planning is everything – without it there’s far too much that can go wrong. But there’s a lot of satisfaction in getting it right, too.
Best wishes
Colin
Thanks for your series Colin. As someone who is still learning about cruising this paints a great picture of future adventures.
Cheers
Hi Wes
this is what it’s all about to me. I hope you’ll find the same mix of trepidation and triumph that I’ve enjoyed in you own adventures – good luck!
Best wishes
Colin
This series, at least Part 3 and 4, are reminding me of our passage from Campbeltown, Scotland to Waterford, Ireland. We left noonish from Campeltown and got to Copeland Island around 2100ish where we anchored for a rest. Got up at 0200ish and went south to Akrlow on a long 22ish hour passage. Really enjoying seeing how someone else traveled the same coast, and it brings back some great memories, though we had F7 winds along with short steep waves,by the time we got to Carnsore Point. The pots where a chore to avoid that is for sure.
Can’t wait for the next installment. Will they stop in Campbeltown for some good Scotch? 🙂
Hi Daniel
That’s the way to deal with this coast in both directions – press on while the going’s good. Tough that you had F7 at Carnsore Point – not a great place to be in bad weather, as I know to my cost.
I’ve stopped many a time at Campbeltown, but not on this ‘created passage’. But the farther North you ago, the better the whisky gets….
Best wishes
Colin