Aren't we lucky?

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Alcyone

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I spent two out of the last three weekends on the South Coast, sailing in the Solent and then around Poole. Good experience, but it really made me appreciate the Bristol Channel and Pembrokeshire.

We are so lucky to be able to cruise in such relatively unpopulated waters. Yes, Milford and the upper Severn has a few ships, but generally we have a small amount of commercial traffic. In the Solent, it seemed to be just minutes after the last one before I was working out whether I was on a collision course with the next ship, ferry, hovercraft or yacht.

We have so many quiet anchorages, friendly clubs, free pontoons and so much space!

Here's to the Bristol Channel!

:D
 
Alcyone said:
.

We have so many quiet anchorages, ..........................Here's to the Bristol Channel!
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You're kidding yourself. It might be relatively empty but there arent as many places to go to pre mile of sailing by a long way. And Milford really is the back of beyond!
 
wotayottie said:
You're kidding yourself. It might be relatively empty but there arent as many places to go to pre mile of sailing by a long way. And Milford really is the back of beyond!
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Well Milford may be the back of beyond, but you should see the front of beyond........:D

And there may be less places to go, but at least there's not 50 other boats there when you get there. :p
 
Alcyone said:
Well Milford may be the back of beyond, but you should see the front of beyond........:D

And there may be less places to go, but at least there's not 50 other boats there when you get there. :p
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Agree totally and you don't have to queue for everything and pay stupid money when you finally get to the front of the queue. Left the Solent for that very reason and certainly wouldn't go back.
 
Alcyone said:
I spent two out of the last three weekends on the South Coast, sailing in the Solent and then around Poole. Good experience, but it really made me appreciate the Bristol Channel and Pembrokeshire.

We are so lucky to be able to cruise in such relatively unpopulated waters. Yes, Milford and the upper Severn has a few ships, but generally we have a small amount of commercial traffic. In the Solent, it seemed to be just minutes after the last one before I was working out whether I was on a collision course with the next ship, ferry, hovercraft or yacht.

We have so many quiet anchorages, friendly clubs, free pontoons and so much space!

Here's to the Bristol Channel!

:D
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Completely agree, there are so many places to visit in the area, especially within the haven where shelter can be found fairly easily.

There is so much to offer within fairly close proximity, we recently went swimming in Watwick, lunch in Castle beach bay, afternoon in Dale on the pontoon and then when the weather turned we could easily get to the upper reaches of the haven where it feels like a completely different world. Picked up a mooring just down from Lawrenny and watched the water skiing before going into Lawrenny and picking up a mooring before going ashore for an evening meal. And then only a short trip back to Neyland!

Ian

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The whole of the Bristol channel is the "back of beyond". I have been to many horrid places this year, from Lydney to Appledore and Tenby. Later in the year I plan to add Brittany and Ireland to the list. If you add the horrible tides that can drag you from Cardiff up to Lydney or down to Watermouth, I can only advice people to stay on the south coast. You really wouldn't like it up here, honest!
Allan
 
Allan said:
The whole of the Bristol channel is the "back of beyond". I have been to many horrid places this year, from Lydney to Appledore and Tenby. Later in the year I plan to add Brittany and Ireland to the list. If you add the horrible tides that can drag you from Cardiff up to Lydney or down to Watermouth, I can only advice people to stay on the south coast. You really wouldn't like it up here, honest!
Allan
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:D:D:D:D
 
Allan said:
The whole of the Bristol channel is the "back of beyond". I have been to many horrid places this year, from Lydney to Appledore and Tenby. Later in the year I plan to add Brittany and Ireland to the list. If you add the horrible tides that can drag you from Cardiff up to Lydney or down to Watermouth, I can only advice people to stay on the south coast. You really wouldn't like it up here, honest!
Allan
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And there's people like you cruising about the place in their underpants.......
 
No it was pyjamas, and it was in a Cardiff Bay Tesco I think.

You're all trying to convince yourselves that you are right. As a cruising ground, the bristol channel is very limited.
 
No, it was definitely underpants, I was there!
Maybe you should read my post again, I was trying to put people off and keep it for us. In my opinion the Bristol channel is a great place to sail. Obviously in your opinion it is not. Fine, we can agree to disagree. I don't like too many boats or expensive berths. I like to sail a decent distance between stops and prefer anchoring to mooring. Good access to places like Ireland, the Scilly Isles and Brittany are a bonus. I prefer the interesting sailing that good tides give, I used to live in another place with 10m+ tides. I'm not as keen on Milford as Alycone, but I'm not rude enough to knock it, each to their own.
Allan
 
Allan said:
I like to sail a decent distance between stops and prefer anchoring to mooring. Good access to places like Ireland, the Scilly Isles and Brittany are a bonus.
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I've just had a pretty miserable trip from Cardiff ( my base) via Lundy to Penzance, all against the usual westerly / south westerly. Combe is useless unless you sail a ditch crawler :D and calling in at Padstow often means a stop for several days waiting weather. And how you can reckon that Cardiff is nearer Britanny than the Solent I do not know!

After 20 years in the channel I know spend my summers cruising the south coast / France / Spain and park the boat in Cardiff near home for the winter.
 
Allan said:
No, it was definitely underpants, I was there!
Maybe you should read my post again, I was trying to put people off and keep it for us. In my opinion the Bristol channel is a great place to sail. Obviously in your opinion it is not. Fine, we can agree to disagree. I don't like too many boats or expensive berths. I like to sail a decent distance between stops and prefer anchoring to mooring. Good access to places like Ireland, the Scilly Isles and Brittany are a bonus. I prefer the interesting sailing that good tides give, I used to live in another place with 10m+ tides. I'm not as keen on Milford as Alycone, but I'm not rude enough to knock it, each to their own.
Allan
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I agree with all of that, except the bit about you not being rude enough.......:D

I'm sure the Solent teaches it's sailors a different set of lessons than the Channel does, and for sorts that enjoy the hustle and bustle, it's probably great. It's just that when I want to 'get away from it all' I'm not keen on finding everyone else there as well.
 
wotayottie said:
I've just had a pretty miserable trip from Cardiff ( my base) via Lundy to Penzance, all against the usual westerly / south westerly. Combe is useless unless you sail a ditch crawler :D and calling in at Padstow often means a stop for several days waiting weather. And how you can reckon that Cardiff is nearer Britanny than the Solent I do not know!

After 20 years in the channel I know spend my summers cruising the south coast / France / Spain and park the boat in Cardiff near home for the winter.
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Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your sail, I agree with your comment about Padstow, I have said the same. Even if the weather is OK it adds too much time to the passage. I prefer Cardiff to Newlyn or the Helford, depending on where I'm heading. I tend not to stop at Lundy as it a little out of the way and agree Combe Martin is not much use and too close to Cardiff. In the past I have got the tides wrong and stopped at Watermouth which offers much better shelter.
Who said Cardiff is nearer Brittany than the Solent? I've done Binic to Gosport in a little over 24hrs. I allow 24hrs to Newlyn and another 20hrs+ over to Brittany. I will be over there from the end of this month, maybe we will meet?
Glad you have found somewhere to enjoy your style of sailing.
Allan
 
Alcyone said:
I spent two out of the last three weekends on the South Coast, sailing in the Solent and then around Poole. Good experience, but it really made me appreciate the Bristol Channel and Pembrokeshire.

We are so lucky to be able to cruise in such relatively unpopulated waters. Yes, Milford and the upper Severn has a few ships, but generally we have a small amount of commercial traffic. In the Solent, it seemed to be just minutes after the last one before I was working out whether I was on a collision course with the next ship, ferry, hovercraft or yacht.

We have so many quiet anchorages, friendly clubs, free pontoons and so much space!

Here's to the Bristol Channel!

:D
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No, jump on a jet and keep the boat in the med.Just as cheap but nicer weather.
 
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