Search Results for: scillies
Scillies to Camaret 22/23 July
frankly another long boring passage: 130nm totally on motor 🙁
We amused ourselves by watching passing ships on the radar and AIS and sometimes we just watched them on the radar…..
Sailing by moonlight is always a pleasure and this pic was taken by Andrew off Ushant ( Isle de Ouessent)
in fact we had to reduce speed a bit to ensure we arrived at the entrance to Chenal de la Helle in time for the favourable stream.
Things got a bit trickier after that as described in this post
The start of the route was interesting – the quirk in the lower part of the route was courtesy of a visit to the Turks Head pub on St Agnes for lunch. Worth a visit.
Rest of the passage. Shows tidal effect as we crossed.
Places
OK, this isn’t an almanac. it’s a collection of things humorous, odd events and a light hearted look at some of the people,places and events that made up our travels in Filibuster.
You can use the search box on the right or click one of the shortcuts below
Here’s a list by place, it’s not an exhaustive list of places visited, just the ones written about:
Le Belle Isle / Le Palais / Sauzon
Spain
Viveirio
A Coruna
Home Page photos
The banner pictures on the home page are a selection of the best from our Filibuster library.
Dawn at Arzal, looking out on the back of Filibuster, May 2017
From the top of the mast by James Altham, Vannes 2012
The Fastnet Rock, looking North, 2007
Martin, sailing, happy, sailing East to Kinsale, 2007.
Filibuster, sea trial of new cruising chute, April 2009. photo by Diana Hodgson
The Scillies – Looking North. Bryher on the left, Tresco on the right. 2007
Main Street. Ile Hoedic. 2012
Loctudy, going fishing, about an hour after sunrise, 2010
Longoar Bay, Butts Bay in the background. Pembrokeshire. The night before our first trip to Ireland. 2007
Dolphin off the bow. English Channel. 2013. Thanks to Andrew Wiltshire
View to Castletownbeare from Beara Island, Co Cork, Ireland. 2008
James and Laurie playing cards. La Rochelle August 2014
The Oyster Bar, about 1 mile West of St Martin, Île de Ré, looking North. September 2015
Nividic Lighthouse after sunset, looking West from Ushant at the most Westerly lighthouse in France. Our last night before crossing back to the UK in 2011.
June 2019. Gav n Daf trimming the cruising chute
Camaret sur Mer and the Navigation system
We made it to Camaret sur Mer yesterday (23 July) after a long motor from St Agnes in the Scillies…..
Our route took us through Chanel De Helle / Chanel du Four: the pilot guide says something like this about the area:
“Avoid going through in anything other than fine weather with good visibility unless you have a good navigation system with up to date charts”
Well, after a flat calm night we arrived at the entrance to “Hell Chanel” and no sooner had we committed ourselves when a thick fog rolled in:
Visibility dropped to 50-100 yards. Tide ran at around 5kn. dangerous rocks were all around. Unseen vessels were heard to pass near by.
It would have been the nightmare scenario just a few years ago.
Having the right kit and team
Fortunately Filibuster has en excellent navigation system using state of the art technolgy as pictured the following day in sunny Camaret. 
Our helm (Andrew Wiltshire) expertly guided by the navigator (Tim Greathead) got us to our destination safe and sound.
….and the sun came out 🙂
Addendum: check performance of the nav system 
(blue line = desired track, orange = actual)
Lawrenny to Tresco 19th/20th July
There’s not much to say about the passage from Lawrenny to Tresco in the Scillies. Quite often it can be a awful lumpy ride but this time we motored half and had a splendid sail for the remainder.
The wind forecast showed 25kn for the evening of arrival so we decided to seek a mooring in Tresco and were rewarded by a) the very last space and b) nearest the pub.
The passage is some 120nm and you can generally guarantee to be visited by dolphins. In this part of the world they seem friendlier than other parts and will sometime stay for an hour or more playing around the boat.
Andrew got a great photo that encapsulates fine weather and dolphins in a single shot.
Tresco
Hot sunny windy…..perfect…
The crew: Andrew Wiltshire and Tim Greathead.
As so often the case with the Scillies, the weather can change quickly: here’s two shots taken looking North Saturday evening and the following morning.
