How wide the Grey Dogs?

[claymore]

I believe the winds are very shifty multi story car parks so I've never really fancied sailing in one....

[aquaplane]

T"winds are a bit shifty on ’t West coast but nowt compared with Windermere.
Wouldn't fancy sailing a car park though.

[Piperatsea]

Been through the Grey Dogs in kayak many times, Drascombe Lugger a few times and 50' ketch once. Also got airborne in a RIB. The currents are strong as you may have guessed and steering for the middle seemed to work. The North channel at the sound of Luing side is wider and straighter.

Biggest scare was seeing breaking water in mid channel when committed only to find it was two deer swimming across.

If there is any swell from the west the waves can stand up (around Grade 4 for the yakkers) against a flood.

Don't be fooled by rules of 12ths on tidal flow, it goes from slack to fast in no time on the flood.

[wully]

Been through the Grey Dogs in kayak many times, Drascombe Lugger a few times and 50' ketch once. Also got airborne in a RIB. The currents are strong as you may have guessed and steering for the middle seemed to work. The North channel at the sound of Luing side is wider and straighter.

Biggest scare was seeing breaking water in mid channel when committed only to find it was two deer swimming across.

If there is any swell from the west the waves can stand up (around Grade 4 for the yakkers) against a flood.

Don't be fooled by rules of 12ths on tidal flow, it goes from slack to fast in no time on the flood.

I'm hoping to go through in my kayak soon but currently have no plans to take boatie through

[Storyline]

There is no chance that Storyline will venture through. In many years sailing these waters I have only once managed to persuade swmbo to even transit Corryvreckan and then I was not allowed to sail through the swirly bits.

completely o/t - the very first time we came up was in the early 90's and we had sailed from Liverpool and come through the Crinan and I will never, ever forget the breathtaking views when coming out of the sea loch into Crinan bay. It was very large springs and as we approached the Dorus we could see some white water ahead. In all the years sailing since and going through many times I have never seen anything like it again - there was a huge whirlpool which for some reason (youthful enthusiasm/stupidity) I decided to sail into. It was quite extraordinary, the water all around us was going past but we were just spinning on the spot. After several revolutions one of the crew got scared so I had to put the engine on to get us out. A very lucky first experience - it has either been a pussy cat or just plain horrible since.

[wully]

There is no chance that Storyline will venture through. In many years sailing these waters I have only once managed to persuade swmbo to even transit Corryvreckan and then I was not allowed to sail through the swirly bits.

completely o/t - the very first time we came up was in the early 90's and we had sailed from Liverpool and come through the Crinan and I will never, ever forget the breathtaking views when coming out of the sea loch into Crinan bay. It was very large springs and as we approached the Dorus we could see some white water ahead. In all the years sailing since and going through many times I have never seen anything like it again - there was a huge whirlpool which for some reason (youthful enthusiasm/stupidity) I decided to sail into. It was quite extraordinary, the water all around us was going past but we were just spinning on the spot. After several revolutions one of the crew got scared so I had to put the engine on to get us out. A very lucky first experience - it has either been a pussy cat or just plain horrible since.

I managed to stand a 38 foot boat on its stern in the. Dorus . I t was fairly breezy and a bit rough but nothing you'd worry about. We were motoring to Crinan and were giving the point a wide berth when a random wave reared up directly ahead and shot the bow skyward. I had no time to do anything except hold on, no idea what I could have done. The boat came down with a huge crash and splash, emptying a good few locker, shook itself and we carried on as before. Well, the boat did. My eyes were out on stalks and my underpants never forgave me....

[Storyline]

It is very easy to get complacent about sailing in our waters - i have heard a couple of other interesting stories about the Dorus - i know it is o/t but I would love to hear other people's experiences.

[Telo]

Had a similar experience to both of you while going west through Slough na Morra in Rathlin Sound. We hit the first standing wave which would have been about a metre high maybe a slightly more; bit of a bang, quite exciting but OK, maybe some stuff thrown around down below. However there was second wave that we hadn't expected to the west of Ballycastle (we were going west/northwestish to catch the clockwise current that would take us into Rathlin's Church Bay. Wind was from the SW, we had full sail plus engine to take us through the washing machine.

Quite unexpectedly, we were turned through 360deg in what seemed like 4 or 5 seconds. We ran the engine a lot harder to get out of it, and hit perfectly calm water about two yards further on. The contrast was remarkable. About five minutes later a following boat did exactly the same spin through 360.

Slough na Morra is strange though; no matter how much planning with tides and currents, we can usually get it wrong.

[claymore]

Had a similar experience to both of you while going west through Slough na Morra in Rathlin Sound. We hit the first standing wave which would have been about a metre high maybe a slightly more; bit of a bang, quite exciting but OK, maybe some stuff thrown around down below. However there was second wave that we hadn't expected to the west of Ballycastle (we were going west/northwestish to catch the clockwise current that would take us into Rathlin's Church Bay. Wind was from the SW, we had full sail plus engine to take us through the washing machine.

Quite unexpectedly, we were turned through 360deg in what seemed like 4 or 5 seconds. We ran the engine a lot harder to get out of it, and hit perfectly calm water about two yards further on. The contrast was remarkable. About five minutes later a following boat did exactly the same spin through 360.

Slough na Morra is strange though; no matter how much planning with tides and currents, we can usually get it wrong.

Slough na Morra is actually Gaelic as you can see. What you may not know is that when translated it becomes Spin the Fekkers like there's nae Tomorra.