I will circumnavigate Britain. The clock is ticking (Again)

[Zanziba]

After the success of my last target (To live aboard http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256712) I have decided I need a new target...

I have decided to get my yacht and personal experience up to scratch to enable me to safely (and successfully) sail around the mainland British Isles. I think via the Caledonian Canal.

The target date? Summer 2014.

Any hints, tips, worries, encouragement, offers to crew etc... gladly appreciated.

Tick tock tick tock... here we go again.

 

[ukmctc]

After the success of my last target (To live aboard http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256712) I have decided I need a new target...

I have decided to get my yacht and personal experience up to scratch to enable me to safely (and successfully) sail around the mainland British Isles. I think via the Caledonian Canal.

The target date? Summer 2014.

Any hints, tips, worries, encouragement, offers to crew etc... gladly appreciated.

Tick tock tick tock... here we go again.

Its so easy its not true.....we did it and still enjoying it very much.

Visit us on Yahoo groups "boatingdreams" or just PM us.

 

[RAI]

Why miss out on Orkney - Shetland - Fair Isle and the Hebrides, go round the top. You don't have to wait for foul weather to attempt the Pentland Firth, do it while its fine.

 

[Zanziba]

Why miss out on Orkney - Shetland - Fair Isle and the Hebrides, go round the top. You don't have to wait for foul weather to attempt the Pentland Firth, do it while its fine.

I suppose time limitation is the key. I would have an absolute maximum of 8 weeks and would hope to aim at 6 weeks. Using the canal looks like it would shave about 2 weeks off the trip?

If it is impossible to do safely in my timeframe then someone shout at me please and I will plan something more realistic. I'd have all of July and all of August free.

 

[icepatrol]

we did a half circum.
troon to suffolk. wonderful.the mull was magical. (although we had the weather)
if we could do the whole trip i think anticlock is the way to go. get the north sea out of the way first.(if poss)
oh and the caladonian canal was fab. the canal lock folk were so helpful. wish we had taken more time......
good luck. go for it.

 

[Andy and Lyn]

hi. we are going to do it this year - very similar boat - Westerly Renown.

Spent /will spend most of this winter doing a fairly major re-fit - culminating in a new BETA engine next month. Once round the UK (anti- clock) , through the Caledonian , then back to France and then the Med over the following year.

Always great to have a plan!!

 

[rib]

ahhhhhhhh but will you feel you,ve done it....if you go thru the canel ?

 

[Fascadale]

I suppose time limitation is the key. I would have an absolute maximum of 8 weeks and would hope to aim at 6 weeks. Using the canal looks like it would shave about 2 weeks off the trip?

Having sailed all the way round this island that most of us live on my advice would be yes, go through the Caley Canal but circumnavigate the top bit.

Save yourself more than a couple of weeks by missing the bottom bit.

Devon and Cornwall are OK, there are a couple of nice spots amongst the East Coast rivers but the rest of it is not very exciting.

Imagine the Humber then imagine the Fair Isle, where would you rather sail?

You might find this thread of interest.

Easy really

 

[Ninpo]

Wahey! Go Zanziba! Another goal eh? I'd love to be in your position right now

If you're anywhere near the Solent I'd happily crew with you for abit, I'll have my Competent crew by then

 

[lenseman]

. . . . I have decided I need a new target...

I have decided to get my yacht and personal experience up to scratch to enable me to safely (and successfully) sail around the mainland British Isles. . . . . .

Happy Christmas and New Year to you Steve.

You need to join and read the input of the Specialist Group YBW where a load of your questions will have been asked and answered:

http://www.ybw.com/forums/group.php?groupid=37

In year one (2012) plan to go sailing locally, year two (2013) go Cally and over the top, taking in the islands and finally year three (2014) Cally and down round the south.

In this way, you will have accomplished what many folk on this forum only dream about.

Best of luck with your new enterprise.

.
.
.

 

[Zanziba]

Wahey! Go Zanziba! Another goal eh? I'd love to be in your position right now

If you're anywhere near the Solent I'd happily crew with you for abit, I'll have my Competent crew by then

Thanks for the offer. I'm sure I will be needing ready hands

My yacht is currently full of wet Tent as I slept on Helvellyn last night alone in a Lightning storm.

 

[Zanziba]

Having sailed all the way round this island that most of us live on my advice would be yes, go through the Caley Canal but circumnavigate the top bit.

Save yourself more than a couple of weeks by missing the bottom bit.

Devon and Cornwall are OK, there are a couple of nice spots amongst the East Coast rivers but the rest of it is not very exciting.

Imagine the Humber then imagine the Fair Isle, where would you rather sail?

You might find this thread of interest.

Easy really

Thank you, added to my favourites. That's actually a REALLY good idea and one I had not thought of. I guess I could do that on 2014 and the bottom bit in 2015. That way I'd feel I had done it all and could compare the two.

 

[Ninpo]

Thanks for the offer. I'm sure I will be needing ready hands

My yacht is currently full of wet Tent as I slept on Helvellyn last night alone in a Lightning storm.

Oh my, thats brave of you! It's ripping it up something fierce down here in Chichester!

Glad to be of service.

 

[Zanziba]

Phase one... I have booked a week sailing out of Scotland on a charter yacht this summer. That should give me some experience of the waters in a safe environment and give me some more confidence in tide calculations and tidal gates etc...

Going to spend a couple of days at half term doing some work on the yacht.

Anyone want to volunteer to come and spend a day or two aboard at half term in February and show me how to service the engine and replace all the filters etc... Free alcohol and food included?

 

[Zanziba]

Couple of steps done...

Done my first skippered voyage a couple of weeks ago (Preston --> Isle of Man)

Just come back from the week in Scotland:

Largs --> Arran --> Mull of Kintyre --> Janu --> Croegh (sp?) --> Mull (Tobermoray) --> Conorsay --> Islay and then back to Arran and Largs.

Feeling full of confidence, going back to sea on Monday

 

[Zanziba]

Just a quick update as the summer draws to an end (What summer?)

3 skippered trips to Isle of Man (about 150 miles return each time) spending a few days there each case.

1 long trip as crew on the rented yacht in Scotland.

Really feeling I have so much more confidence now, especially mooring up.

Sea state on way back from IOM on the final trip saw a swell that was between 15 and 20 foot (The large car-ferry was late in as was having problems in it and was met by an ambulance for a passenger) but the old Westerly didn't seem to notice, she just bobbed up and over them. 3rd Reef and a small amount of headsail gave me 5.5kn which is about right as a good cruising speed for her with about a F5/6 wind (no wind speed gauge, you just suck a finger and stick it in the air and see how cold it gets) and onl heeling about 10 degrees. You did "lose your stomach" like going over a humpback bridge with some of the steeper ones.

Unfortunately my headsail has now ripped so its going to go and see if it can be repaired (15 foot rip along the edge where the UV cover attaches) but the wind dropped and I motor sailed the second half of the trip on the main.

 

[Zanziba]

Well, decided to start planning properly... Looking like the first 2 weeks in July to head up the West coast and see how far I can get, then a week rest and a crew change over...

Then I'll have 3 weeks or so to attempt to go over the top, down the right and back through the canal.

I will have leeway of a couple of extra weeks if need be as people are voicing concerns over the distance and time available.

Assuming an Isle of Man start and finish I am hoping 5 weeks of pretty hard sailing could be possible but maybe I am being a little optimistic!!!

Thinking of doing it for charity (RNLI) which would increase my motivation mid-voyage! Crewing possibilities are numerous but as yet nothing certain.

To do list:

1 - Easter; get boat out of water, cleaned and checked.
2 - Buy charts of all of scotland (unless anyone has any knocking about they would like to donate)
3 - Buy a life raft!
4 - Get round to sorting a tendor and engine (Still not got round to looking at the one Ros has for me!)
5 - Find out what the other 15 points are that I have left out.

 

[ukmctc]

After the success of my last target (To live aboard http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256712) I have decided I need a new target...

I have decided to get my yacht and personal experience up to scratch to enable me to safely (and successfully) sail around the mainland British Isles. I think via the Caledonian Canal.

The target date? Summer 2014.

Any hints, tips, worries, encouragement, offers to crew etc... gladly appreciated.

Tick tock tick tock... here we go again.

its a shame you'll only be doing a half circumnavigation, you will miss the best parts of the UK, Orkney, Fairisle, Shetland and the north west coast of Scotland.
Enjoy, we did it and its great, you can stop and work the winter season all over the UK and NI with no problems, jobs are plenty.

 

[Zanziba]

Yes, I understand your sentiment entirely but the truth is I still have a full time job in the UK and I am about 20 years from retiring - or 35 if the government has its way (although that is a work in progress so watch this space Ha Ha)

I may do the entire circuit one day when I can realistically take 4 months off... I think I would do Ireland first which, if Scotland works this year then that could be 2014's target. What a good idea

 

[NormanS]

Couple of steps done...

Done my first skippered voyage a couple of weeks ago (Preston --> Isle of Man)

Just come back from the week in Scotland:

Largs --> Arran --> Mull of Kintyre --> Janu --> Croegh (sp?) --> Mull (Tobermoray) --> Conorsay --> Islay and then back to Arran and Largs.

Feeling full of confidence, going back to sea on Monday

Your navigation and pilotage will come on leaps and bounds if you spell the names the same way as the charts.