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Old 30-10-2018, 04:45   #1
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Crossing Strait Gibraltar - when to go?

What is the best method for crossing strait of Gibraltar when heading to canaries? With up to 6kt current timing would be critical.

My thoughts are to keep on the northern side of the controlled shipping lanes before heading to Canaries.

I'm not sure what time to leave Gibraltar so as to minimize the effect of the strong currents.

Is there a general rule to leave so many hours before/after High tide?

My plan is to motor from Gibraltar hugging the coast to avoid stronger currents? and head for Tarifa on Spanish coast. Then continue east until clear of controlled shipping lane then head south to canaries. But by the time I do this the strong currents may have set in again?

I would be motoring at 6-7kts.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

PS I'm in a 50ft yacht.
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Old 30-10-2018, 05:13   #2
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Re: Crossing Strait Gibraltar - when to go?

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Originally Posted by Caroline Joan View Post
What is the best method for crossing strait of Gibraltar when heading to canaries? With up to 6kt current timing would be critical.

My thoughts are to keep on the northern side of the controlled shipping lanes before heading to Canaries.

I'm not sure what time to leave Gibraltar so as to minimize the effect of the strong currents.

Is there a general rule to leave so many hours before/after High tide?

My plan is to motor from Gibraltar hugging the coast to avoid stronger currents? and head for Tarifa on Spanish coast. Then continue east until clear of controlled shipping lane then head south to canaries. But by the time I do this the strong currents may have set in again?

I would be motoring at 6-7kts.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

PS I'm in a 50ft yacht.
pick up a copy of the straits sailing almanack,any chandler in gib will have it.
it has hour by hour tidal charts and reccomends the best state of tide to leave at,and current tide tables.

inside the traffic separation scheme you must cross the east and west bound traffic lanes at right angles.

during daylight in good weather crossing over to the morrocco side direct from gib is pretty easy,ships will avoid you generally if they can,if they cant you might have to alter 90 degrees and go with the flow till they pass.

crossing over after tarifa is generally more complex as ships are josteling for position in the TSS as they are coming from and going to a few different points depending on whether they are north or south bound after the gulf of cadiz and into the gulf,plus in tarifa you have a wind acceleration zone which can make running down wind the safest option till you are well clear of the straights TSS ,so best to follow the west bound convoy for a few hours before attempting to cross outside of the TSS.

in a 50 ft yacht able to motor at 7 knots you should have no problems with light to moderate levanter /easterly winds, getting the tides right most of the way you will have no more than 3 knots against you even at springs,less at neaps.

do not attempt the straits west bound in poinette winds from the west,very difficult to make any headway in a low powered vessel,even in moderate winds.
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Old 30-10-2018, 07:40   #3
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pirate Re: Crossing Strait Gibraltar - when to go?

I tend to leave Gib around 1hr before high water.. gives me time to cross down to get the full benifit of the ebb.. at your speeds you'll be touching 10kts and should be well through.. I tend to leave it till S off Trafalgar to head for the Canaries.. as Atoll says too close to the Tarifa TSS ships are still shuffling into routes both ways.
Dont really lose anything and it sets you further offshore of the African coast.. no bad thing.
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Old 30-10-2018, 15:06   #4
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Re: Crossing Strait Gibraltar - when to go?

Okay, Caroline Joan, you're not going to get better info/advice than from atoll and boatie...
So, what else to say?


I can say that while I have done as boatie wrote....in 2007 I got lucky and found a big gap to sail south thru, half way from Tarifa and Cape Trafalgar...called Tarifa control and advised them, and they said "looks good, have a good voyage"...
So, while my first couple times crossing were as boatie wrote, in early Nov 2007, it was easy-peasy to cross thru the traffic lanes...


Just an FYI...while I did have an AIS receiver back then, I had yet to fit an AIS transponder, so just like decades ago they tracked me by radar...
And while I know Tarifa control does still have radar, you having an AIS transponder on-board would probably be a nice help for them?? (as well as the ships transiting)
Boatie?
Atoll?


Also, atoll and boatie..
I assume that calling / checking with Tarifa control is still de rigueur, even for private yachts??

John
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Old 30-10-2018, 15:40   #5
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pirate Re: Crossing Strait Gibraltar - when to go?

Hi John.. I never have called them as traffic as I stay close to the N shore well out of anyones way.. as for the Tarifa/Tangier fast ferries you can see their topsides above the wall so I know when they're starting to move.
Guess its down to the skipper but as far as I know its not an obligation.
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Old 30-10-2018, 17:22   #6
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Re: Crossing Strait Gibraltar - when to go?

Thanks Phil!

One of these days, I'll be heading back over.

John
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Old 30-10-2018, 17:37   #7
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Re: Crossing Strait Gibraltar - when to go?

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Hi John.. I never have called them as traffic as I stay close to the N shore well out of anyones way.. as for the Tarifa/Tangier fast ferries you can see their topsides above the wall so I know when they're starting to move.
Guess its down to the skipper but as far as I know its not an obligation.
ditto,never felt the need to call them,nor been called by them when transiting.
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Old 30-10-2018, 18:08   #8
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Re: Crossing Strait Gibraltar - when to go?

I must have done everything wrong with the crossing. We didn't call traffic control when leaving. Also left one hour before high tide but tried to sail across. It took too much time and then I got caught in the incoming tide, which slowed us down to 3 knots. Finally, at midnight one of those fast ferries nearly ran us down, I think on purpose. It was really tough to get out of the straights - I should have just motored the first day.
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Old 31-10-2018, 08:50   #9
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pirate Re: Crossing Strait Gibraltar - when to go?

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I must have done everything wrong with the crossing. We didn't call traffic control when leaving. Also left one hour before high tide but tried to sail across. It took too much time and then I got caught in the incoming tide, which slowed us down to 3 knots. Finally, at midnight one of those fast ferries nearly ran us down, I think on purpose. It was really tough to get out of the straights - I should have just motored the first day.
Yup.. Its what..??? 4hrs of diesel at 5kts to get you to Tarifa.. say another 3kts from the tide for a couple of hours.. your well past Tarifa by the turn..
Why make life tougher for just a few bucks in a busy area.. no ones watching..
I always motor sail.
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Old 31-10-2018, 09:55   #10
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Re: Crossing Strait Gibraltar - when to go?

nobody has discussed fog,which can be a problem if the winds are light,been through the hole a few times in thick fog in the days before AIS and without radar..
hearing the thump,thump,thump of numerous cargo ship's engine's as they passed a few hundred meters away without being able to see them at all still gives me the shivers.........
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Old 31-10-2018, 22:09   #11
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Re: Crossing Strait Gibraltar - when to go?

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Yup.. Its what..??? 4hrs of diesel at 5kts to get you to Tarifa.. say another 3kts from the tide for a couple of hours.. your well past Tarifa by the turn..
Why make life tougher for just a few bucks in a busy area.. no ones watching..
I always motor sail.
I knew at the time I should have put the pedal to the metal instead of trying to sail. I just wanted to admit it in public and now I feel better.
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Old 05-11-2018, 04:42   #12
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Re: Crossing Strait Gibraltar - when to go?

Is it possible to go through Gibraltar Straits with a light westerly wind 5-8kts? Easterlies are currently at a premium.
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Old 05-11-2018, 04:55   #13
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pirate Re: Crossing Strait Gibraltar - when to go?

If its less than 15kts at the Gib end you can do it easy.. it drops as you make Westing and come out of the funnel the the other side.. good engine and you could do it in a F5 Gib side..
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