The extensive Solway Firth, between Scotland and England in the northeast corner of the Irish Sea, has massive tides that are continually changing the nature of the place. In times past, this worked well for coastal raiders. And none more so than the Vikings, whose shallow draft longships could get well inland for rich pickings as the surging flood tides helped them on their way.
These days, the Scandinavian-originating word "raid" is used to describe a cruise-in-company by a small craft with the friendliest of intentions towards the waterways or coastlines that they are visiting. It applies particularly well to the activities of the 50-years-plus Drascombe Association. Their distinctive little boats - to various related designs - can go where other boats don't, and recently a flotilla of four from Belfast Lough ventured eastward, through increasingly tidal waters in the North Channel, to Scotland to take in the north shore of Solway.
Up the River Dee, picturesque Kirkcudbrght's lush setting makes for a complete contrast with the open coast, but the fore-and-aft moorings on the Kirkcudbright SC fleet reveal that, yes indeed, there's no water at all when the tide is out. Photo: Barry Russell
This is one of Scotland's few extensively south-facing coasts, and its sunnier aspect has made its characterful ancient ports like Kirkcudbright – it's pronounced "Kir-coobry" – attractive to artists such as the Glasgow Group, who were associated with the renowned Belfast-born painter Sir John Lavery.
MARITIME HISTORY
For maritime history enthusiasts, there's an abundance of now-little-used or abandoned small ports to find and visit. But it takes a shallow-draft boat such as a centreboard-using Drascombe to broaden the options for proper exploration. Yet the largely-open though buoyancy-provided Drascombes then have to face boisterous tidal waters like everyone else when on open sea passage between ports or islands.
However, the extensive membership of the international Drascombe Association – which has a presence throughout Ireland with noted former Arctic voyager Paddy Barry a member – includes many who see such passage-making as a natural part of their annual sailing plans.
FLOTILLA OF FOUR TO SOLWAY
On 4 July four 6.5m Drascombe boats, all single handed but led by experienced sailor David Camlin, set sail from Carrickfergus to explore the Solway Firth on the South coast of Scotland.
With the North Channel safely astern, the "Friendly Four" are able to relax at their first Scottish harbour of Portpatrick
After a lunch stop on the Copeland Island, they crossed the North Channel to Portpatrick, anchoring for the night in the inner harbour. The following day they sailed South in light winds with an afternoon stop at Port Logan on the west side of Galloway to await the tide.
Rounding the Mull of Galloway at slack water with an accompanying pod of dolphins proved less eventful than expected, and then a long passage northward towards Drummore at the head of the extensive Luce Bay brought them to their port for the night.
BRIGHT SUNSHINE
The next morning, the sail from Drummore to the Isle of Whithorn close northeast of Burrow Head across the wide Luce Bay started in bright sunshine and light winds, but by mid afternoon the wind had risen to F5 and Burrow Head proved more of a challenge than the Mull. Whithorn safely reached, they dried out in the harbour and then enjoyed a well deserved pint on the quayside.
Although they rafted up together for lunch at Creetown at the head of Wigtown Bay, being determinedly solo sailors they each stayed on their own boat
Sunday morning saw the light winds return as the group did a Drascombe special going up the River Cree at the head of Wigton Bay for lunch at anchor at the old jetty near Creetown. There, the ferry traffic passing close by on the A75 was a reminder of how the Solway's penetrating tidal inlets can carry you from remote places of total peace and quiet to busy centres of activity in the course of a morning's sail.
REACHING KIRCUDBRIGHT
A plan to visit the intriguingly-named Gatehouse of Fleet was abandoned as the weather was forecast to deteriorate overnight, and they headed instead for shelter in Ross Bay at the mouth of the River Dee. Overnight the wind did indeed rise to F8, but then went due East, so the morning saw a very rough thrash out of the bay before turning North up the Dee Estuary to shelter upstream at Kirkcudbright.
The chart of most of the Raid area clearly suggests the way that the four solo Drascombe sailors had to juggle with wind, tide and weather as they voyaged from Carrickfergus to the Copeland Island, then across to Portparick in Scotland and on to Port Logan before rounding the Mull of Galloway to head up to Drummore in Luce Bay before making further eastward with several stops along the "Scottish Riviera" eventually to Kirkcudbright, followed by the long passage to Peel on the west side of the Isle of Man ,before the final returning hops to County Down and finally Carrickfergus
After six days on the water and the particularly uncomfortable night, Wednesday was declared a rest day so they stayed on the pontoon at Kirkcudbright for an extra night. When the wind went round to the North and dropped to F2-3 conditions were good to return to Northern Ireland via the Isle of Man, with an initial stopover at the drying Brighouse Bay close west of mouth of Kirkcudbright's River Dee.
TAKE-OFF FROM BRIGHOUSE BAY TO WELCOME AT PEEL
Brighouse Bay to Peel on the west coast of the Isle of Man is 40 Nm, so in order to get a favourable tide for the small but very seaworthy boats, a 4.00am departure was necessary. The fine harbour of Peel, with its total security – should you need it - within the tidal gate, was reached in early afternoon. Shelter, showers and invitation to the hospitable sailing club were the order of the day.
The entrance to Peel, looking north. Deeper draft boats seeking total shelter can come through the tidal gate into total shelter an hour either side of high water, but a Drascombe has more flexibility for its berthing arrangements. Photo: W M Nixon
HOMEWARD BOUND
Sunday brought variable F2 – F4 for the passage across to the County Down coast, but happily after an initially lumpy sea leaving Peel, by the mid point the light Northerly on the beam made for a very pleasant crossing, with a basking shark and the Stena ferry for company.
Drascombes greatly widen the options for an overnight stop, and the evening bring settled, the flotilla went into Knockinelder Bay with its wide gently shelving beach close north of the entrance to Strangford Lough on County Down's east shore, where the night was spent peacefully in a flat calm.
The final Sunday provided a gentle southeasterly and the helpful north-going ebb tide to carry the little boats back to Belfast Lough and Carrckfergus's busy harbours. In all, they'd spent 11 days away "together in splendid isolation", having seen many places where other boats can't reach while sailing these tideways of ancient times.
They returned with a new appreciation of the once-upon-a-time Viking kingdom that, from the Isle of Man, had been able to rule most of the area they'd been cruising, thanks to the Norsemen's skills in sailing the seas and working the tides. In all, they'd been away eleven days and covered 212 Nm logged, getting to many fascinatingly remote little place thanks to being able to "Do It With A Drascombe".
Homeward bound. A helpful fair wind brings solo skippers Peter and Joe and their Drascombes along the County Down coast, headed for Belfast Lough and Carrickfergus.
