Cruising unfamiliar waters
It pays to use every resource possible, from pilot books to charts, in order to find a safe haven when wild cruising
Though the phrase ‘wild cruising’ conjures up images of sailing in places undiscovered, in truth wherever you sail in the world somebody will almost certainly have been there before, and fortunately some of them will have passed on information that ultimately becomes incorporated in a pilot book describing some features of the area.
The depth of detail in pilot books varies enormously, from descriptions of almost every rock and tiny bay in the area, such as in the superb Glazebrook pilot of Anglesey and North Wales, compiled and written in the 1950s and now only available as battered photocopies, to guides to far-flung parts of the Pacific Ocean that give only the barest coverage of the islands.
In Europe we are fortunate that detailed pilots exist for almost all countries, generally describing ports and anchorages where safe havens may be found. This does not mean, however, that every possible anchorage has been recorded, particularly in unusual weather when the wind direction may be very different from the normal prevailing direction. In these circumstances it is perfectly possible to find good shelter by careful study of the chart, the terrain and the seabed if the water proves clear enough.
CAST STUDY 1: COVERACK
Coverack Cove to the east of the Lizard is a useful passage anchorage that is marked on most charts. The anchorage is protected by reefs to both north and south, the reef and point of The Guthens being very effective in winds from the south-west and possibly even further south, particularly when the swell from the same direction is not too large. Despite its somewhat exposed situation this is a surprisingly well sheltered bay in the majority of weathers, with good holding on sand. Care is needed to avoid the Manacles reef if heading from Coverack to Falmouth.
A little to the south lies the fair-weather anchorage of Housel Bay, a recognised passage anchorage. Just to the north-east of that you’ll find Church Cove, virtually unrecognised other than by Ken Endean in his book Channel Havens, but a reasonable anchorage provided there is little south in the wind. Inspection of the chart suggests that this would be preferable to Housel Bay in typical southwesterly swells. Ken notes that there may be powerful surge sufficient to prevent landing ashore. With luck it may be only a little uncomfortable aboard but Coverack is not far away and should be more protected. The seabed is mixed sand and weed with some rocks. If the anchorage you have chosen turns out not to be ideal in the conditions on the day, inspect the chart for bays nearby. This coast is littered with reefs and great care is needed if moving from one bay to the other.
CASE STUDY 2: Aberdaron
The very best pilots provide crucial advice that may not be available on the charts. Admiralty chart 1971 shows what should be a nice anchorage at Aberdaron on the end of the Llŷn peninsula in North Wales. The bottom here is shown as sand, the bay faces south and northwesterly winds are common. However, the Glazebrook pilot reveals a potential problem.
Very strong tides flow through Bardsey Sound less than two miles away, the flood causing a counter-clockwise current flowing around Aberdaron Bay, whereas the ebb flows across its mouth. The current inevitably turns the boat to be beam on to any swell from the south-west, turning a pleasant evening anchorage into a sleepless night.
Anchoring off the tiny beach at Porth Meudwy improves the situation, but be aware there is some weed on the seabed.