Peel IOM from Scotland

[Red Fox]

Anyone done this/visited Peel and have any advice/thoughts. It may be an option there and back in the day this summer leaving from Luce Bay if conditions are right (flat calm and wall to wall sunshine says my lady )

[beamishken]

We did it last year from Portpatrick its a straightforward crossing & avoids the tide race you encounter down the east side if you haed for Douglas
Peel harbour is a straightforward approach but you need to time yor arrival with the tide if you want to enter the inner harbour to moor otherwise you will be alongside the stone outer pier
Nice place and well worth the trip

[donald463]

Always wanted to do this but weather/sea conditions very variable and I have been told it could be a wait of a week for return even if weather perfect on way there.
[QUOTE=Red Fox;(flat calm and wall to wall sunshine says my lady )[/QUOTE]
Tide in Luce Bay could cause problems for day return as most launching sites dry out leaving very long beach recovery if timing is out. (ie. longer return time than planned)
Isle of Whithorn has a reasonable slip which I understand can be used at all tides.

[Red Fox]

Cheers for that. A WEEK! Hmm don't fancy that. Might just stick to Donaghadee and Pier 36 for fish and chips, small glass of the brown stuff and back. Launch and recovery are no problem though. We use New England Bay regularly.

[Brian]

Donald463,

You do realise that Luce Bay to Donaghadee is a longer trip than LB to Peel? 43nm versus 40nm.
Go on. Try Peel. You might be pleasantly surprised. And if you choose a nice couple of days you can make it there and back, easy.

BTW how fast would you go? About 15-20knots? Should take say 2.5hrs each way. Do it in one day if you like.

[Red Fox]

Donaghadee is done from Port Logan straight across about 20nm. Takes about an hour. It would be a there and back in a day for Peel. Will pray for a good day and you never know.

[wavelength]

We've done IoM there and back in a day from Fleetwood-around 60 miles each way to Douglas. ***** "Mannin's cloak" was down when we arrived. Fog so thick m'specs were running with water from it. So they postponed the TT - til just as we set off back
Big summer high pressure fx for a few days is what you need (and plenty of warm clothes in case that ****** fog comes down-it was SO cold in that despite being 20degrees on shore)...and advice from Brian-he's the man for the IoM. Peel is very pleasant. Friend lives around there and has his boat in the marina.

Long time since I was at Port Logan, spent so much time fishing/diving round there over the years. Must go back again!

[donald463]

Originally Posted by Red Fox

Launch and recovery are no problem though. We use New England Bay regularly.

Been there today and there was a lot of sand with a stiff on-shore breeze. not where I would have liked to launch.

I usually use Wig Bay in Loch Ryan and go north.
Arran, Ailsa Craig, Girvan all easy day trips, just done Campbeltown last week.

[Red Fox]

The beach is fine in the summer and less than a stones throw from the caravan, but always got Logan a mile away if the wind is coming on shore. Wig Bay needs checking out though. Is there a ramp or what? Ailsa Craig sounds interesting. I believe it is for sale!

[donald463]

Wig Bay has probably largest concrete slip in Scotland. was built during war for flying boats. Some holes in concrete but plenty of good surface to use. Vast amount of parking and up to now perfectly safe to leave trailer.
Second small slip at adjacent boat club and a few pounds for annual membership gives toilets etc. Big enough for Zodiac 500 and more sheltered.
Both slips are free to use.
Southerly wind can blow across slip making recovery tricky if you are single handed.
Watch for sandbank down middle of the loch (The Scar). See chart as this can dry out at low tide.
Always around if you need any help.

[wavelength]

do you launch at Lady Bay at all Donald? Last time there the road down from the farm at the top was getting very "iffy"
I think last time I launched there was when we stayed B&B at the farmhouse at the top for a couple of nights. But in those days we were towing 15ft fast fishing boats which were considerably lighter that the current rib we take away with us. But we were towing with rear wheel drive cars then.

[donald463]

Only launched once at Lady Bay when i had a small Orkney fishing boat. Took the bottom out of it on a hidden reef. Never launched there again. Reef is visible at low tide but track is so bad now I wouldn't take my trailer down there.
Wig Bay is so much easier and only 10 mins by boat to Lady Bay at high tide.
There are also plans to build a slip and safe storage at Stranraer next to new harboumasters office but think it will be at least a year before this happens.

[wavelength]

thanx for that, can be shallow to the right as you come out of lady bay. Best to go straight out and then have a think about it. We've waterski-ed there and launched dozens of times with no probs. First fish I saw landed there was a 18lb turbot. We never had one but loadsa other stuff.
May well come up for a visit early summer, but not at Lady Bay eh!
sorry to hijack the thread, back to the IoM now! Nice place -do it!

[Red Fox]

Thanks for all the detail Donald. Will certainly check it out one day. Fishing sounds interesting as well wavelength. Happy days ahead. Cheers guys.

[xr770a]

Originally Posted by donald463

Been there today and there was a lot of sand with a stiff on-shore breeze. not where I would have liked to launch.

I usually use Wig Bay in Loch Ryan and go north.
Arran, Ailsa Craig, Girvan all easy day trips, just done Campbeltown last week.

Any tide or weather issues ?

[donald463]

Wig Bay suitable at all tides. sand bar in middle of loch known locally as the Scar can be a problem at low tide but easy to navigate round it. Runs south from top of bay and can be seen above water in lower tides.
Wind across slip either north or south can make recovery tricky as boat wants to be at right angle to slip.
After launch there is shelter at either side of slip.
The adjacent boat club slip is sheltered but narrow to back down with trailer.

[BruceB]

A vote for Whithorn, Launched several times there to go to IOM and back the same day.
There is even a hotel, fresh water for flushing, a public toilet and a free campsite within a literal stones throw of the slip which is usable at everything above 1/2 tide or better.

[Red Fox]

Whithorn... xr770a...brrrrr sends shivers thinking of our return from there last year. A wee bit lumpy eh? Good food and drink at the Steam Packet inn though...roll on.