If you are looking to sail to the Western Isles, there are three ways to cross to the Outer Hebrides by sea:
CROSSING THE SEA OF THE HEBRIDES
The distance from Canna to Loch Boisdale is 25 miles and is the shortest sailing route to the Outer Hebrides for boats coming from the south. The seas can be steep due to the nature of the sea bottom which can give double the wave height of the seas in the Minch for a same wind strength.
CROSSING THE LITTLE MINCH
The Little Minch forms the northern limit of the Sea of the Hebrides and is an area about 15 miles wide between Skye and Harris. This area of sea can be dangerous in bad weather conditions due to the uneven sea bottom combined with the tide and wind. The preferred sea crossing to the Western Isles here is from Dunvegan or Uig on Skye to avoid the outlying hazards to the north west of Skye. A traffic separations scheme operates in the Little Minch.
CROSSING THE NORTH MINCH
The Northern Minch is more exposed in the strong northerly winds which can build up a swell. The distance of this sailing crossing to the Outer Hebrides is also greater than that of the Little Minch, however the reduced tidal streams can make for a simpler passage plan. From the North of Skye to Loch Shell it is 20 miles, passing east of the Shiants
