Planning for next season.

[Capt Popeye]

We like to think that we go at a decent lick but it's more likely to be 6-7 knots. More probably our great circle route across the bay didn't get us close enough.

We only stopped in Torquay once and didn't find it very yachty, with just an expensive marina, but it was a while ago. Brixham is a quaint town but we didn't find the marina very congenial, though we had a pleasant night or two on the sailing club offshore pontoon. Again, it was some time ago. I remember enjoying the walk to Berry Head, where there are nesting shearwaters. We have usually headed for Dartmouth. Dartmouth is quite big, of course, but both sides have their attractions, and the lower ferry has to be seen to be believed.

Ahoy there Mr J . well reading your script above I get the impression that it WAS a while ago that you sailed into South Western Waters; Torquay has a Council Run Marina, built a few years ago now, on what was drying moorings plus an outer harbour, well is all pontoon acces now, both the Inner Harbour which has a cill to enable craft inside there to at least Stay Afloat all round tides plus the improoved Outer Harbour with visitor pontoons plus all walk on pontoons for those regulars mooring there. All in all, Torquay may not be everyones 'cup of tea' but there is plenty to occupy both Visitor and Bertholders.

Lyme Regis has also been updated with Visitor, Short Term and regular moorings provided by Council; plus of course the Very Best Fish & Chips for miles around, quaint shops to wander amoung.

Yes the Dartmouth Lower Ferry is a quaint operation, I have met fellow Sailers in Dartmouth Hosteleries etc who state that their Wives absolutely refuse to go on that Lower Ferry just in case the Tug and Pontoon part company by that Hawser breaking or parting, the tide does run fast there; many year ago I am told the whole Ferry and Tug were swept downstream owing to a malfunction or summat.

 

[PeterWright]

Don’t forget to take lightweight shore going oilies! It rains a lot in the West Wet Country, even in summer. Expect to be “holed up” more than we are on the East Coast in summer. One time, when we kept the boat in Plymouth , we just about made Dartmouth and back in a fortnight’s holiday. Wet, windy and a lot of swell. On a nice day it’s magical, no doubt about it. I hope you have many such days.

Fixed that for you .

 

[johnalison]

Ahoy there Mr J . well reading your script above I get the impression that it WAS a while ago that you sailed into South Western Waters; Torquay has a Council Run Marina, built a few years ago now, on what was drying moorings plus an outer harbour, well is all pontoon acces now, both the Inner Harbour which has a cill to enable craft inside there to at least Stay Afloat all round tides plus the improoved Outer Harbour with visitor pontoons plus all walk on pontoons for those regulars mooring there. All in all, Torquay may not be everyones 'cup of tea' but there is plenty to occupy both Visitor and Bertholders.

Lyme Regis has also been updated with Visitor, Short Term and regular moorings provided by Council; plus of course the Very Best Fish & Chips for miles around, quaint shops to wander amoung.

Yes the Dartmouth Lower Ferry is a quaint operation, I have met fellow Sailers in Dartmouth Hosteleries etc who state that their Wives absolutely refuse to go on that Lower Ferry just in case the Tug and Pontoon part company by that Hawser breaking or parting, the tide does run fast there; many year ago I am told the whole Ferry and Tug were swept downstream owing to a malfunction or summat.

I was walking along the town side of the Dart in the evening and watched the ferry set off. It got halfway and then did a sudden reversal and shot back at high speed. It rapidly discharged the cars and took an ambulance on before setting off for Kingswear.

I am glad that Torquay has been developed, though I don't think there is much there to draw visitors. I once spent a night at the Imperial Hotel while driving west with my father. This was about 1960, when it had a foodie reputation even then. I expect it costs a little more now.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Fixed that for you .

+1!!

 

[johnalison]

+1!!

Me too. On one occasion we were stuck on a pontoon up the Fal in company with a fellow club member from Essex. As the stair-rods persisted all day the time came when the sun would have descended below the yard arm if it hadn't forsaken us. Our friend in his Island Packet was tied up on the other side of the pontoon and invited us for drinks - by mobile text message.

 

[ex-Gladys]

In about 2010, wife and I were trying to get to the Scillies with a friend of mine who had a 42' cat, but the gales were westerly , and we couldn't so decided to head from Penzance(where the boat was kept) to Helford. Nice sail, and anchored up past Porth Navas creek. It started to rain that night and stair rodded for two solid days, preventing any forays in the dinghy. Even Culdrose Air Show was cancelled...

 

[Denek]

I don’t like all this talk of stair rods? seriously it does sound like a great area to visit by boat. Been there many times camping with the kids when they were young ( couldn’t afford anything else tbh) I do love the east coast but it will be nice to see water that is not the color of mud for a change. That is assuming we can eventually get to the boat to get her ready for the season.

 

[johnalison]

I don’t like all this talk of stair rods? seriously it does sound like a great area to visit by boat. Been there many times camping with the kids when they were young ( couldn’t afford anything else tbh) I do love the east coast but it will be nice to see water that is not the color of mud for a change. That is assuming we can eventually get to the boat to get her ready for the season.

You are right. The West Country is glorious most of the time, and looking up at cliffs makes a change from wondering where the land is. Much of the wildlife is different too, and the natives reasonably friendly, though they do talk funny.

 

[BabySharkDooDooDooDooDoo]

You are right. The West Country is glorious most of the time, and looking up at cliffs makes a change from wondering where the land is. Much of the wildlife is different too, and the natives reasonably friendly, though they do talk funny.

The scary thing is being able to see the bottom and not be hard aground...

 

[Bigplumbs]

Pity to see all the mentions of the C word in this thread..... I thought it was supposed to be a positive uplifting thread........ Initially thought it would cheer me up but too much glass half empty stuff.... No one knows so why not be positive. I kind of think too many people don't realize how important being positive actually is

 

[Tomahawk]

The scary thing is being able to see the bottom and not be hard aground...

True, but folks from them thar furrin parts get scared when they have less than 5m below the keel...

 

[TwoHooter]

Nobody has mentioned 5 of my favourite places.

Chichester Harbour is magnificent. Very occasionally on a really nice day the anchorage at East Head gets full up, but only in the day time. Overnight there is always space. There is another anchorage just below Itchenor where there are also plenty of visitor buoys. For something completely different see if there is a visitor berth at Birdham Pool. The Chichester marina is an excellent modern facility. For shopping it's a bus ride to Chichester if you want to see the cathedral or East Wittering for a really old-fashioned retail mix (assuming the lockdowns haven't killed the shops off).

On the Isle of Wight I agree Yarmouth is lovely, and has a direct ferry link to the mainland, but Bembridge is possibly even prettier, and the town is delightful. Plenty of walks on the Island and a great bus service.

The Beaulieu River is unique. There was a small anchorage when we were last there, and visitor buoys, but the marina at Bucklers Hard is being transformed so that all the pontoons are walk-ashore. Plenty to do in the area. The drawback is that shopping is more limited.

Poole is OK but the marinas don't appeal to me personally. We spent some lovely days anchored at Pottery Pier off the north shore of Brownsea island in 2016. It is shallow but that should make an east coast boat feel at home!

Finally there is Polperro, on the visitor buoys (but not in a wind with any east in it).

 

[SailingDog]

By June things will be back to normal. Most of the people who have bought boats this year because they could go to Marbella will be back in Marbella.

I'm sorry but you are mistaken, the normal you have previously enjoyed has gone.

 

[[178529]]

I'm sorry but you are mistaken, the normal you have previously enjoyed has gone.

In what way? By June all the vulnerable people will be vaccinated, people's short memories will have excised covid.

 

[SailingDog]

In what way? By June all the vulnerable people will be vaccinated, people's short memories will have excised covid.

The vulnerable won't be out boating. The government is talking about restrictions until spring, if they are saying Spring it's going to be longer.
Boats that have previously done channel hops may well stay UK side and if allowed go west.
June is a good way off, last February is further in the past.

 

[[178529]]

The vulnerable won't be out boating. The government is talking about restrictions until spring, if they are saying Spring it's going to be longer.
Boats that have previously done channel hops may well stay UK side and if allowed go west.
June is a good way off, last February is further in the past.

I've tried re-arranging the words into different sequences but they still don't seem to make much sense. Oh well.

 

[SailingDog]

I've tried re-arranging the words into different sequences but they still don't seem to make much sense. Oh well.

The condescending Oh well was not necessary,
You said the vulnerable would be vaccinated, I suggest not many 75+ year olds go boating
You said we will be back to normal by June, I'm saying there will be tier 4 lock downs until at least April hence the normal you hark back to doesn't exist or will it return.
You said the Marbella crowd will go back to Marbela if they have spent funds on a boat they will give boating ago for a season at least.
Recently spoke to 3 boat owners all normally go cross channel, all looking at going west.
You suggested that folks will have forgotten about Covid by June, I said June is quite away off but not as long as last February is in the past and Covid is very much in people's minds.
You are quite free to disagree with all of the above and imagine that life will be rosy by June, tell that to the 000's waiting for surgery or collecting food from the food bank in Lymington which is quite a favoured location by the boating fraternity.

 

[RivalRedwing]

Just remember to tell anyone that asks the East Coast is horribly shallow and littered with sand banks ;-)

 

[Koeketiene]

Just remember to tell anyone that asks the East Coast is horribly shallow and littered with sand banks ;-)

And the water is brown.

 

[johnalison]

And the water is brown.

Sand and brown water won’t worry them, though they will get the willies if they are foolish enough to trespass. What really scares the poor dears off is mud. They have this vision of Essex and Suffolk as one great stinking morass, which is, of course, entirely correct.