Advice: boat for singlehanded UK circumnavigation

[Seajet]

Not 'better', just suggested as worth considering, and the A22 can be made surprisingly comfortable, too.

However Parkers have a tremendously snobby reputation, borne out by the attitude of their staff at boat shows; odd when one considers their light ballast ratio and the fact the original 26 / 27 was based on the Super Seal, a Ron Holland lightweight lightly ballasted flyer with a big rig not really suited to family or shorthanded sailing.

I've not heard of any Parkers going far, but I freely admit that may be my missing something in the 40+ years I've been sailing, since 1978 with the Anderson 22 along with other boats; any tales to enlighten me please ? - Seriously, not 'having a go' !

Andy

 

[twinkeel]

Having sailed my twin keel, 30 ft Seawolf up the East coast to Scotland last year I offer the following;

Choose a boat you like - all the opinions here, mine included, reflect the views of people who do not know how you sail or what your preferences are.

There will be some very long legs. Arriving in Grimsby across the Wash at midnight was perhaps the longest day although the welcome next morning was worth the trip.

There are legs where the ability to sit down does wonders for plan B. Eg Arbroath, if you miss the tide you can still use the outer harbour wall

Work out in advance and practice, how to come alongside a pontoon and a wall, on your own. I use short and long breast ropes with loops

Phone ahead to the HM and tell him you are coming and are single handed. Often they will greet you like long lost friends. You will also learn when they the harbour is shut - only happened once but that was on the south coast not the wilds of Scotland

Think about service intervals. My BUKH 20 is 150 hours but that is not a lot in this context. I did mine in Inverness

Waitrose sell some really good casseroles that store at room temperature

Unless you get well offshore you will encounter lots of 'pots'. Sounds trivial but at times the spacing means you have no chance to go below for quite some time - so food and water in the cockpit.

Caledonian canal needs long strings for the rise and fall in the locks

Above all, Enjoy. You will see some great places and wildlife plus meet some interesting people

 

[dylanwinter]

I will second the pot warnings

biggest bills of the trip so far

been got three times so far

one of the reasons for giving up on inboards

Dylan

 

[Seajet]

I agree with Twinkeel and Dylan, lobster pots are a menace and will kill someone or a whole family one day, so a means of dealing with them is essential - outboard in a well and an old breadknife is ideal, or at the very least a prop' cutter if doing such a trip with an inboard.

I know chums with twin keel Seawolf 26's and 30's, good sailing boats though the big rig on the 30 might be a handfull for an inexperienced sailor, especially solo.

 

[twinkeel]

I know chums with twin keel Seawolf 26's and 30's, good sailing boats though the big rig on the 30 might be a handfull for an inexperienced sailor, especially solo.[/QUOTE]

You are right about the 30's rig - pays to reef early. In fact off the wind I often don't bother with the main at all - the 130% genoa hauls Wolf along very nicely

 

[mainsail1]

Not 'better', just suggested as worth considering, and the A22 can be made surprisingly comfortable, too.

However Parkers have a tremendously snobby reputation, borne out by the attitude of their staff at boat shows; odd when one considers their light ballast ratio and the fact the original 26 / 27 was based on the Super Seal, a Ron Holland lightweight lightly ballasted flyer with a big rig not really suited to family or shorthanded sailing.

I've not heard of any Parkers going far, but I freely admit that may be my missing something in the 40+ years I've been sailing, since 1978 with the Anderson 22 along with other boats; any tales to enlighten me please ? - Seriously, not 'having a go' !

Andy

Hold on! Where did you get the 'snobby' idea from? Bill Parker is a wonderful guy. I bought two boats from him (275 and 31) and never found anything 'snobby' about his outfit or any of the Parker/Seal rallies I went to to.

 

[dylanwinter]

Hold on! Where did you get the 'snobby' idea from? Bill Parker is a wonderful guy. I bought two boats from him (275 and 31) and never found anything 'snobby' about his outfit or any of the Parker/Seal rallies I went to to.

really interesting bit of social observation

No idea how much a new parker is....

it is a boat that is miles out of my financial comfort zone

but I am sure that the salesmen could spot some-one who could not afford to buy one and would hustle me off them off the stand pdq

similarly I am sure that I would be very much at home in a gathering of corribbee owners but maybe a bit uncomfortable at a gathering of nicholson owners

it is all about spending power


Dylan

 

[Wave22]

Thank you all very much for your replies and interest. There is some very helpful information in there and I have some new ideas to research so thank you very much. Also a pleasure to see some eminent people being kind enough to offer their advice, thank you.

In reply to the poster who thinks I shouldn't do this trip if I don't know boats (as he puts it), thank you for your concern but it's just that I don't know this type of boat. All of my sailing has been in much bigger boats and singlehanding a small, probably old boat will be something new for me which is why I want to do it!

I'm off to research your suggestions now...

 

[WoodyP]

A new Parker will be a bespoke boat since Parkers went out of business a couple of years ago. If you really want one then the moulds still exist and David Parkinson at Fosdyke Yacht haven has them. Some of the chaps that made them are still about.
Nice boats, and he has some interesting ideas for updating them.

 

[nathanlee]

Wave22,

I'll stick my neck out and say what others are thinking; if you're not experienced enough to know boats, you shouldn't be thinking of going around Britain !

nonsense.

 

[Wave22]

nonsense.

Well said Nathan! Your story with Kudu was one of the things that inspired this project, thank you. I look forward to reading your further adventures.

 

[Seajet]

Nathan,

not nonsense at all, would you suggest to a lady in the street to circumnavigate the UK under sail ?!

If you wish to be nasty there's still a bit of a question mark over your own effort re doing the whole trip and donated goods isn't there, and when I PM'd you recently for liveaboard advice for a chap who needs it and is no connection to me, ' no answer was the stern reply '; so much for ' what goes around comes around ' !

As for Parkers, the attitude of the salespeople at shows was notorious and probably assisted their downfall; however I must say their owners association seems good, they contacted me at the Anderson owners a while ago suggesting a local meet up, which only failed to happen for reasons beyond any of our control.

It would be interesting if a Parker or two came along on the Solent to Poole rally, they'd be very welcome; and how about a guest star appearance from you, Dylan ?! You needn't bring the accordion and book of shantys / fossil fuel user - clobbering bat with a nail through it unless you feel it compulsory...

 

[Deleted member 36384]

..... suggest to a lady in the street to circumnavigate the UK under sail ....

The above is really an irrelevant comparison to make your point I would have thought. You have made a judgement on an individuals capability based on a question about yachts. A sailor requesting advise about a yacht does not imply that they are incompetent to sail around the UK. It is a reasonable assumption that the person has considered their capabilities and decided that they can do it.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

I agree with Twinkeel and Dylan, lobster pots are a menace and will kill someone or a whole family one day, so a means of dealing with them is essential - outboard in a well and an old breadknife is ideal, or at the very least a prop' cutter if doing such a trip with an inboard.

Would it be better to have a long keeler to help avoid the pots if you don't wish to 'sit' ?

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

really interesting bit of social observation

similarly I am sure that I would be very much at home in a gathering of corribbee owners but maybe a bit uncomfortable at a gathering of nicholson owners

it is all about spending power


Dylan

Well that's a surpise coming from your keyboard Dylan.
I know a few Nic' owners and over many, many years, their spending has been extremely low as they bought cheap after saving over a long period then spent much time and effort getting them in a fit state to then enjoy...... and like me still struggling to keep up with general running costs.

If it floats and there's an owner about I readily chat and mostly enjoy the meeting whatever the craft.

Now if you were talking about the odd mobo or jet owner, who rudely washes down the moorings arrogantly ignoring pleas to 'go away' then that's the Dylan I thought I may know.

 

[nathanlee]

Nathan,

If you wish to be nasty

Not really. Who the hell got sand in your vagina? Christ man.

there's still a bit of a question mark over your own effort re doing the whole trip and donated goods isn't there, and when I PM'd you recently for liveaboard advice for a chap who needs it and is no connection to me, ' no answer was the stern reply '; so much for ' what goes around comes around ' !

There's no question mark over anything. I failed. End of. Best thing I ever tried though.
I have neither read nor seen this PM so far as I'm aware, so the lack of reply should not be ever so surprising.

Edit: found message. Had read it. Thought I'd replied. Didn't. Couldn't help anyway. Honest mistake, though I do apologise.

 

[maby]

Wave22,

I'll stick my neck out and say what others are thinking; if you're not experienced enough to know boats, you shouldn't be thinking of going around Britain !

Whooo, you are going to get shot down! Most of the regulars here seem to take the view that you're not living unless you are actively trying to stop living!

FWIW, I agree with you...

 

[nathanlee]

Well that's a surpise coming from your keyboard Dylan.
I know a few Nic' owners and over many, many years, their spending has been extremely low as they bought cheap after saving over a long period then spent much time and effort getting them in a fit state to then enjoy...... and like me still struggling to keep up with general running costs.

As somebody who owned both a Corribee and a Nicholson at the same time, and who is perpetually skint, I'd like to say that everybody is always welcome to an impoverished sailors gathering, no matter what they sail, so long as it's not a planing mobo, because you can't be skint and pay for that much fuel.

 

[capnsensible]

I reckon sailing around UK is an ideal way to get skill and confidence in sailing. Get the biggest boat you can afford and go for it.

Hope this helps.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

As somebody who owned both a Corribee and a Nicholson at the same time, and who is perpetually skint, I'd like to say that everybody is always welcome to an impoverished sailors gathering, no matter what they sail, so long as it's not a planing mobo, because you can't be skint and pay for that much fuel.