Port Ellen to Glenarm

A&R Lener

⛵ North Channel Crossing to Glenarm: A Lesson in Patience and Timing Good planning is everything when crossing the North Channel—wind and tide need to line up perfectly. We set off with a southerly wind, knowing it would turn westerly by the time we reached the tide running in our favor, from north to south. The sea state was rough at the start, with the tide and wind against us. But Lagertha, our trusty boat, handled the challenging conditions like a champ. We were tacking south with our stay sail, making little progress and fighting the tide. Then, just as we were about to complete a tack, we noticed we were still on the same heading. For a moment, we were confused—had something gone wrong? But no, it was the wind shift we’d been waiting for, arriving so abruptly that it took us by surprise. With the shift, we enjoyed a smooth 45°-60° sail down to Glenarm, this time with our genoa. The final stretch was a mixed bag of calm winds, squalls, heavy rain, and bursts of sunshine. We’re glad to be safely in Glenarm now, prepping for our next leg to Belfast.