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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Force 2 - 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.
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.
Sunday brought variable F 2 – F 4 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.
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".
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