Advice wanted on where to take friends sailing.

moondancer

moondancer

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In a couple of weeks I will be taking some work colleagues for a day sail. Now 2 are keen sailors and 1 has never sailed before. 2 are driving and 1 is getting the train from London.

The easy option is to start from Burnham and either sail out to sea the seals or go up to Fambridge for lunch.

However, I am quite keen to sail up the coast a bit during before and after when they are coming out.

So any advice on where I could arrange to meet them that is an easyish drive from the M25 and also on a main line from London, then have an interesting day sail. Shotley? West Mersea? Bradwell? Can you get trains to these places ? (I don't use the trains much other than the Fenchurch street line)
 
Shotley - if they got the train to Harwich you could pick them up at the pier or they could come over on the ferry

Reckon that would be better than going to Ipswich - long way up the Orwell

No trains to the Blackwater since Dr Beecham
 
You can get a train to Southminster - 10 or 15 mins in a cab (if there is one) to Bradwell or even an ocassional bus. Could the drivers pick the train traveller up on the way?

Brightlingsea or Mersea for lunch if the tides are right or a trip to the wind farm. Pyefleet creek for a lunch on board. Up the river to Osea and beyond if the weather isn't good.

Harwich probably gives you the best transport links and sailing options. If they want to come over on the foot ferry to Shotley then they need to ring and book
http://www.harwichharbourferry.com/contactus.html as it only takes 12 people and gets used by workers and those with a bus pass on a cheap day out (I kid you not).
 
moondancer said:
In a couple of weeks I will be taking some work colleagues for a day sail. Now 2 are keen sailors and 1 has never sailed before. 2 are driving and 1 is getting the train from London.

The easy option is to start from Burnham and either sail out to sea the seals or go up to Fambridge for lunch.

However, I am quite keen to sail up the coast a bit during before and after when they are coming out.

So any advice on where I could arrange to meet them that is an easyish drive from the M25 and also on a main line from London, then have an interesting day sail. Shotley? West Mersea? Bradwell? Can you get trains to these places ? (I don't use the trains much other than the Fenchurch street line)
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Burnham is easy on the train from London (I've done it a couple of times), and a sail up the roach to Yolkesfleet will impress the experienced ones, and inspire the new. If you want a coastal hop, then maybe the train links from further up, back to Burnham are the best option?
 
The Crouch is easiest for the train - N Fambridge, Bridgemarsh, Burnham YH are each in easy walking distance of Fambridge, Althorne, Burnham stations respectively.

Why don't you look at the tides and weather forecast first. If you stick to the Crouch, then if it's going to be rough, stay in the river and the Roach, and you can adjust the length of the trip by choosing the appropriate station and direction. It's rarely much fun sailing against the tide in the Crouch, so aim to go downriver and back if LW is in the middle of the day, and upriver if HW is. If the weather looks good, venture out to Buxey to see those seals or the windfarm. If the weather's less good, there are lots of seals in Yokefleet (16 last weekend before the mobos frightened them off!).

We took 2 complete novices out last october - it was blowing a hooley, so we went upriver to Fambridge - 2 reefs and a scrap of genoa, and heeling at 20+ degrees. We got them handling the genoa sheets as we tacked and helming downwind on the return (which we did under genoa alone). They loved it!

Shotley offers lots of variations too - out to sea if the weather's good, but both the Stour and Orwell are nice if it looks dodgy.
 
My tendency based on your Roach mooring would be to pick up the train traveller at Rochford and meet everyone else in the Paglesham carpark and take the boat out to see the seals with a picnic or up to Fambridge for a lunch at the pub depending on the tides.
I was impressed with the facilities at Harwich a few weeks ago if you wanted to take Moondancer north and meet them. Not aonly is there a free tieing up at Ha'penny Pier during the day within walking distance of the station, there is a large selection of restaurants nearby and lots of sights to see. Would highly recommend the 'Samuel Pepys', haddock was wonderful. Would not recommend 'The Bear', steak sounded good but did in no way match the description and was well overpriced for what we got. Of course that doesn't really work if the main purpose is to go for a sail.
 
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