Solo Sailing Has Its Problems

[Deepblue]

Originally Posted by JeanneP

I've read and heard some pretty scary stories about crossing Biscay Bay. How reliable is weather forecasting for that crossing? How worried should sailors be?

Indeed many waters have lots of stories about them most of which tend to glorify the harshness of them or link them with doom and gloom making them often overstated in the fear market.

I have studied this passage with great care and with an open mind on the best coarse to take.

Imray 100 North Atlantic Ocean Passage Chart gives excellent details of the best times, places and routes to take. My route is following most of their excellent advice so I have the knowledge of wave heights, contours, currents and distribution of gales expected.

I use a few weather forecast predictions such as the Ten day model on XCWeather customised to show wind direction, speed, gusts, cloud, visibility, pressure etc. these types of predictions are usually only good for three days in my personal experience. Yet I still use my own barometer and eyes to watch out for the actual real weather changes for the causes of weather watching clouds is important for both wind and weather one has to learn Cirrus cloud through to Cumulus cloud to tell what is going to happen with high and low depressions.

Sailors should not be worried they should be educated to take the passage safely.

I have done more than a thousand nautical miles in the past eight weeks navigating an 8.2m boat from Poole South West UK right up to Liverpool in the North West UK currently almost all the way back again, and most of it solo I took my boat through almost every possible Eddie, Race, Over fall etc. putting both the vessel and myself to some quite extreme tests it was highly enjoyable at times when I did have crew I was surprised to find they dismissed some of my Reeds Nautical Almanac notes and watched in both trust and amazement as they took us through areas outside times stated in what I have always respected as the sailors holy bible. The crew of course were in their own home waters so knew them better than anyone and they had been sailing since they were a small child. That said I have no fear of any waters just respect.

Kindest Regards

Will

[Aquaria]

Originally Posted by Deepblue

...

Biscay crossing still good until end of October.... Â* :-)

Wow, that's brave!

To reduce the chance to get caught by a passing depression bringing fresh to strong southwesterly winds, finally veering NW, the crossing sould be best done during the summer months - some say, not after beginning of September.Â*

As the Biscay is situated well in the climate regime of westerly winds with its passing frontal systems, the chance to get caught by a low pressure storm system rises conciderably later in the year.Â*

We always try to get the Biscay behind us before the end of August, but still then we encounered everything between calm and force 8.

But as weather forcasts are today quite predictable for the next 3 days, the chance is good to find a "slot" for going, as it takes not more than 3 days to get it over with. Â*So, it can be done later in the year too, if watching the shipping forecatst closely.

What is so nasty about the Biscay? Â*The changing wind direction when a frontal system is passing, building up a sea from Southwest, then soon after from Northwest with the wind veering to Northwest as the cold front is passing , picking up, becoming ghusty... Â* not easy for the crew. Then even a "small" depression with winds up to force 8 is enough to cope with. We had it, it was terrible on a 32ft boat, but at least we were fast, averaging nearly 6 knots between Falmouth and La Coruna.

But the Biscay can not just be terrible - it can be dangerous! The Â*continental shelf Â* (here is more on this) reaches quite some way into the Biscay, creating the worst sea conditions imaginable as its edges are well offshore off the french coast - so you can not count on enough leeway, when a stormy westerly blows for days... Â*Once over deep water, better not decide to go east - stay away from the edge.

And there are not so many safe harbours along the very rocky northern Spanish coastline under severe wind conditions.

Besides that it's nice to sail the BiscayÂ* - it gets warmer with every mile going south!Â*Â*

Uwe

SY Aquaria

[Deepblue]

Originally Posted by Aquaria

Wow, that's brave!

To reduce the chance to get caught by a passing depression bringing fresh to strong southwesterly winds, finally veering NW, the crossing sould be best done during the summer months - some say, not after beginning of September.

As the Biscay is situated well in the climate regime of westerly winds with its passing frontal systems, the chance to get caught by a low pressure storm system rises conciderably later in the year.

We always try to get the Biscay behind us before the end of August, but still then we encounered everything between calm and force 8.

But as weather forcasts are today quite predictable for the next 3 days, the chance is good to find a "slot" for going, as it takes not more than 3 days to get it over with. So, it can be done later in the year too, if watching the shipping forecatst closely.

What is so nasty about the Biscay? The changing wind direction when a frontal system is passing, building up a sea from Southwest, then soon after from Northwest with the wind veering to Northwest as the cold front is passing , picking up, becoming ghusty... not easy for the crew. Then even a "small" depression with winds up to force 8 is enough to cope with. We had it, it was terrible on a 32ft boat, but at least we were fast, averaging nearly 6 knots between Falmouth and La Coruna.

But the Biscay can not just be terrible - it can be dangerous! The continental shelf (here is more on this) reaches quite some way into the Biscay, creating the worst sea conditions imaginable as its edges are well offshore off the french coast - so you can not count on enough leeway, when a stormy westerly blows for days... Once over deep water, better not decide to go east - stay away from the edge.

And there are not so many safe harbours along the very rocky northern Spanish coastline under severe wind conditions.

Besides that it's nice to sail the Biscay - it gets warmer with every mile going south!

Uwe

SY Aquaria

CHEERS for the additional links added to my digest I should add that I have sailed the Biscay a few years back although on a 32ft boat and not using the plot as defined by Imaray I shall hope a weather window appears as I am still intent on departure late Sept early Oct will keep you posted ;-)

[Steady Hand]

Will. (Deep blue)

I enjoyed reading your original post, account of your solo trip and troubles. Especially commend your attempts to contact the CG to end the event and prevent needless search.

What I also like about posts like this one are the real examples of how small things can make the difference or simple things like the green water flooding the fuel tank vent can cause the engine problem etc.

Thanks for sharing your story.