Your trickiest/most challenging/most aggravating port to navigate

[DMF Sailing]

In a different thread, a forum member described Bristol Channel, a funnel-shaped body of water with a 45-foot tidal range that faces the prevailing southwesterlies coming out of the Atlantic Ocean.

It got me, a bored guy with time on his hands 30 days to splashdown, curious.

What is the trickiest/most annoying/most challenging port you'd had to navigate?

Mine is banal and reflects my milquetoast sailing experience:

Woods Hole has currents that get above 4 knots and two channels that crisscross in such a way that the [largely unlit] markers get confusing. Woe betide the first-time mariner who arrives at night and doesn't time entry. It's so tricky that it's part of the American Sailing Association navigation class.

I'd say second place is exiting the Cape Cod Canal westbound into Buzzards bay. You're riding a six-knot current into prevailing westerlies that on any nice summer's day can kick up to 25 knots, pushing choppy wind waves against that current. The hassle here is that you're pretty much committed to about 10 miles in a channel that takes you into the teeth of this thing. It's motorsailing, but lots of pounding. That's aggravating.

Tocca a voi, forum!

[LittleWing77]

Liverpool is similar to Bristol, DMF, in that the Mersey River is dumping into the North Atlantic and, depending on the state of the tides and phase of the moon, it can get quite lively to say the least.

I'll never forget ferry-gliding a 60' ketch towards what seemed to be an absolutely MINISCULE marina entrance off of the Mersey, which, on approach, looked to be driving the vessel straight at the seawall.


Unforgettable Liverpool!
LittleWing77

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Liverpool is similar to Bristol, DMF, in that the Mersey River is dumping into the North Atlantic and, depending on the state of the tides and phase of the moon, it can get quite lively to say the least.

I'll never forget ferry-gliding a 60' ketch towards what seemed to be an absolutely MINISCULE marina entrance off of the Mersey, which, on approach, looked to be driving the vessel straight at the seawall.


Unforgettable Liverpool!
LittleWing77

Sounds rather grotty! Sound sailing by you. I saw a boss YouTube video with something like this. (Sorry if me antwacky Scouse-isms make me sound like a blert. After a few bevvies I get a bit bladdered...)

[dfelsent]

Woods Hole, South end of the Cape Cod Canal, The Race in eastern Long Island sound, pretty much the entire Bay of Fundy, Hell Gate (both New York and Maine), the Mull of Kintyre in a gale are all entertaining places I’ve been.

But none were quite as much fun (for some value of “fun”) as the Reversing Falls at the mouth of the St John River in New Brunswick. Slack tide is twenty minutes and you still have whirlpools. And we had thick foam above the gorge with whirling hidden logs in it

White water kayakers ride the currents at peak times.

But what a treasure that river is!

[StuM]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Liverpool is similar to Bristol, DMF, in that the Mersey River is dumping into the North Atlantic Irish Sea...
LittleWing77

There, FIFY

[psk125]

Woods Hole, Hell Gate and Buzzard's Bay do call for close attention. We had fun getting through those and a few other spots too. In Ireland, Strangford Lough had whirlpools as big as our boat swirling downstream as we motored in, barely moving against what looked like a five or six knot current while the occasional seal stuck his head up to see what was going on. Arcachon, France also has a hefty current. We entered just as the sun set and the tide turned, so the current got stronger as it got darker. After a while the skipper decided we weren't making any progress, and slid us over in the pitch black to anchor at the edge of the channel, Bahamian style. When we woke up in the morning we were a boatlength from an oyster bed wall made of woven sticks and branches. For revenge, the skipper got us a basket of oysters for us to shell in the cockpit once we tied up in the marina. Tacking up the channel from the reef opening near St. George's into Hamilton, Bermuda, was interesting too. We had no battery power to start the engine or run instruments, so a lookout watched for the water color to change, indicating the coral reef, and we'd tack. Lost count after about twenty five. At least it was downwind after rounding into the Great Sound, and there was no outbound traffic. Hamilton is always nice, once you get there.

[boatpoker]

Any inlet on the east coast of Florida on a Saturday afternoon.
It should be legal to shoot sportfishers dragging 5' wakes through
these narrow inlets.

[sv_pelagia]

Santa Cruz CA... a total gong show.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Santa Cruz CA... a total gong show.

I want to hear me, O Pelagic One

[carstenb]

Maupiti pass Polynesia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuPM5tC1OXY

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by StuM

There, FIFY

Thanks, Stu! (Haven't been there in a while...)

LittleWing77

[LittleWing77]

I thought of another one:

This is probably the worst entrance I ever did in my entire life: Lord Howe Island - about 600nn East of Brisbane, Australia (if I remember the distance correctly).

We were doing an out-and-back sea trial in a 60' catamaran (why were my WORST harbour entrance memories done in 60' boats?)

Lord Howe Island has a protecting reef which at the time had an unmarked entrance through the reef.

The way you got in was by hailing the Harbourmaster via VHF, who would then hop into his jeep and go up to the top of the hill overlooking the harbour and TALK you through the reef while watching from above. Yikes!

At least with Liverpool we could see the entrance!

Great guy. Fantastic island and lovely lagoon once you got in, but we sure did break out the VBs (local beer) once the anchor was down!

LittleWing77

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

I thought of another one:

This is probably the worst entrance I ever did in my entire life: Lord Howe Island - about 600nn East of Brisbane, Australia (if I remember the distance correctly).

We were doing an out-and-back sea trial in a 60' catamaran (why were my WORST harbour entrance memories done in 60' boats?)

Lord Howe Island has a protecting reef which at the time had an unmarked entrance through the reef.

The way you got in was by hailing the Harbourmaster via VHF, who would then hop into his jeep and go up to the top of the hill overlooking the harbour and TALK you through the reef while watching from above. Yikes!

At least with Liverpool we could see the entrance!

Great guy. Fantastic island and lovely lagoon once you got in, but we sure did break out the VBs (local beer) once the anchor was down!

LittleWing77

YIKES is right! What if he's hungover and can't get out of bed? Does he direct you in from there!?!?!

[Greg Mason]

For me it is entering Yaquina Head in fog, trying to get to Newport, Oregon after crossing the bar. A seasonal red flashing light is on the port shore identifying rocks. The gas dock under the bridge shows a chart of the routes and degrees to get in and out, but the Coast Guard can't tell you. They will, however, come and get you.

[Cheechako]

Hmmmm. Sea Otter Cove on the northwest of Van Isle. It was blowing 30-35 by the time we got there. The entrance is hidden and you are coming in from the wide open Pacific. To get there you head right into a lee shore. We had 10 ft waves/swell pushing us toward the rocks with no obvious entrance. Thank gawd for Radar! It allowed us to see the hidden channel and have some confidence.