Crew wanted: Padstow-Penarth, possibly Thursday/Friday

TwoHooter

TwoHooter

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I'm looking for 1 or 2 crew to help me bring our Nordhavn 40 motorboat from Padstow to Penarth. I would like to leave Padstow in daylight on the first available date when tides and weather are OK, which at the moment looks like departure next Thursday morning 20 October to arrive Penarth Friday morning. We can provide transport from Cardiff or Bristol areas to Padstow, or meet a train at Bodmin Parkway. All expenses reimbursed. I've had some great offers from Bristol Channel boaters but so far nobody has been available at quite the right time. Please send PM, or text to 07881 220771 if interested. (Post repeated on Bristol Channel forum)

 
RobWales said:
Work......àaaargh!!
May be able to assist if delayed until the weekend.
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Thanks! But although the boat is capable of butting its way up the Bristol Channel through the forecast weather on Saturday/Sunday, boating is supposed to be fun not purgatory and the forecast for Thursday/Friday is much better so that's why I'm trying to get someone for those days.
 
Saturday, I'd love to help but work beckons in the week.
I think we saw your boat when we landed in Plymouth (from Padstow) on Rafiki a few months back?
 
Thanks to everyone who has taken an interest.

I have an offer from a forumite in the west country and with a bit of luck that will do the trick. He is ex. Royal Navy but I have decided not to hold that against him :).

If anyone else wants to come along for the trip a third pair of eyes is always a good thing.
 
TwoHooter said:
Thanks to everyone who has taken an interest.

I have an offer from a forumite in the west country and with a bit of luck that will do the trick. He is ex. Royal Navy but I have decided not to hold that against him :).

If anyone else wants to come along for the trip a third pair of eyes is always a good thing.
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Have a great trip, and enjoy the marine wildlife.
 
First thing is to say that this is a great forum. I had several offers from very experienced boaters and invited Idamay and Devon805 to join me. An interesting experience to be responsible for the boat, and therefore skipper, with a crew who have about a million times more experience and knowledge than I do. The biggest constraint was the limited opening of the gate at Padstow and this gave us two viable plans. The first was direct from Padstow to Penarth non-stop, about 15 hours, much of it stemming the tide, to arrive close to high water at around 23:00. The second was to anchor en-route and arrive at high water in daylight. We chose the second because none of us had experience of the lights around Cardiff. We went through the gate at Padstow at 07:30, had a quick MOB recovery practice just past the Doom Bar (one of the fenders was forgotten and dragged itself off), and I practiced drone flying in a stiff head breeze with unfortunate (but not irrepairable) results. A long low swell from the west was mixed up with some chop from the opposing wind which was OK until I went below to do engine room checks. After that we relied on the camera and the gauges. We chose Lundy as our anchorage, and after taking a look decided that Landing Bay was the best place for us. We were there soon after 14:00, spotted a large buoy and agreed it was probably the one used by the diving boats, who weren't likely to arrive late in the day, so we borrowed it. Came the evening and a fishing boat arrived who explained in very friendly manner that all the buoys in the bay belong to fishermen and the owner of ours would be back soon. We then found excellent holding in mud at 51 10.18N 4 39.45W, let out 50 metres of chain, watched the fishing boat arrive on "our" buoy in pitch darkness (so we were glad we had already moved), and got a bit of sleep. Engine start was at 00:40 and we set off again at 01:00 in lovely conditions. Now that I have seen the approach to the Barrage in daylight I would be willing to do it in darkness, but I think we made the right decision not to try it for the first time at night. We were tied up at 10:00. It was a great success and I hope the crew enjoyed it as much as I did.
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Michael, many congratulations! The barrage can be a bit daunting, so your decision to approach in daylight fully understandable. Very narrow window to approach or leave Padstow, and well worth a stop over, but I guess you were there for a while? Penarth will be nice and peaceful for you now. We really liked the marina there, and Stuart and the staff are fantastic.
 
I am sure I am speaking for both members of your crew when I say we had a "blast." Personally it was super to be on a Nordhavn, a boat I have long wanted to try. Although I won't be deserting Trader any time soon, Coracle was very safe and reassuring and felt she would go on for ever. No doubt one of Nordhavn's major selling points. The skipper gave off the same aura! Thanks for the opportunity to get in some night hours in an area (other than Padstow) that I had never visited.

Richard.
 
Michael & Richard

Really enjoyed your company and was great to meet you both. I have approval from the Admiral to start "market research" on second hand Nordhavn 40s. A few years away yet I fear but worth starting early. I thought the build quality and fit was first class and the only negative I really found through the trip was the "hippy tea" found in the galley. Hopefully mine wont come with any of that when the time comes ;)
Hope you enjoy your new marina and hope to see you both down my way in the future.

Mark
 
rafiki_ said:
.... Very narrow window to approach or leave Padstow, and well worth a stop over, but I guess you were there for a while? Penarth will be nice and peaceful for you now. We really liked the marina there, and Stuart and the staff are fantastic.
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Padstow is wonderful and so was Penzance. I actually prefer fishing ports to marinas, especially those where people wander along the quayside and stop for a chat, but you are right Penarth will be a great place to spend the winter (agree with you about the team here) and it's only an hour from home which will make day trips to the boat possible for the first time. We were at Padstow for 20 days at £21/night including electricity and the harbourmaster did a great job looking after the boat while we were away.

Richard, Mark - a big public "Thankyou" for being such good company and handling the boat so efficiently and safely. I do hope we have a chance to sail together again one day.

Devon805 said:
.... I have approval from the Admiral to start "market research" on second hand Nordhavn 40s. A few years away yet I fear but worth starting early. Mark
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Go and see Neil and Philip at Nordhavn Europe. Don't worry that you aren't ready to buy yet - they are used to that. Dan Streech wrote once that the average length of time between first meeting a customer and selling a boat, new or used, is 5 years. They treat everyone the same, whether you are thinking of buying a new 96 or a used 40. There are two 40s for sale at the moment, very different boats to ours (when you've seen one Nordhavn you've seen one Nordhavn) so now would be a good time to make a start.
 
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