Not full time cruising

[Tintin282]

Next year my wife and I are thinking of having a summer of “wandering by boat” - not full time cruising but good stretches of time in our 34’ catamaran, then leaving the boat somewhere secure and making trips home to recover / catch up / see family. Not being too ambitious as we are fair weather sailors, but aim to visit some of the West Country, Scilly, Channel Islands, Normandy and Brittany between May and September.

To do this we are thinking of giving up our marina berth in April, becoming itinerant sailors and will pickup buoys, anchor or stay in marinas and then getting a lift out in September wherever we end up. Giving up the marina seems like a big step, but why hold on to it? Then there are the costs of visitor moorings etc. And what about those trips home? Any experiences, thoughts or suggestions?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Giving up the marina seems like a big step, but why hold on to it? Then there are the costs of visitor moorings etc. And what about those trips home? Any experiences, thoughts or suggestions?

I gave up a permanent berth years ago. You won't look back. You can wander as you please and end up where you want to be in the Autumn. No more weekends of plugging around the same bit of coast all the time. Your first year you could do your West Country/France route, then subsequently head up to God's and royalty's own sailing area the West coast of Scotland, or leave the boat in France and head further south the subsequent year.

Trips home are all part of the fun and lifestyle - and not too expensive in the UK by train with flexibility and by using split ticketing. For the winter I usually contact marinas in July to find a berth and arrive at the start of September. If staying afloat winter rates usually start 1 October so September can be expensive at summer visitor rates, but it still works out ok over the year. Winter multihull berths are usually available by booking early and any location that insists on charging a multihull premium is off the list. An alternative is to spend the whole off season ashore. You won't need to rent a cradle to do that with your boat.

I usually come out when the winter rates end on 1 April for a month of maintenance (just when everyone else is going in), launch early May and then I'm off for the summer. You need to let your insurance company know but they are only concerned where you are over winter. If you leave the boat somewhere for a week or two in the summer any marinas are fine but moorings must be professionally maintained - that's my insurance company's rules anyway.

I left my boat in its winter location yesterday.

 

[Bristolfashion]

Here are over 200 suggestions!
Circumnavigation of Britain & Ireland : 2021 to 2024

 

[Tintin282]

I gave up a permanent berth years ago. You won't look back. You can wander as you please and end up where you want to be in the Autumn. No more weekends of plugging around the same bit of coast all the time. Your first year you could do your West Country/France route, then subsequently head up to God's and royalty's own sailing area the West coast of Scotland, or leave the boat in France and head further south the subsequent year.

Trips home are all part of the fun and lifestyle - and not too expensive in the UK by train with flexibility and by using split ticketing. For the winter I usually contact marinas in July to find a berth and arrive at the start of September. If staying afloat winter rates usually start 1 October so September can be expensive at summer visitor rates, but it still works out ok over the year. Winter multihull berths are usually available by booking early and any location that insists on charging a multihull premium is off the list. An alternative is to spend the whole off season ashore. You won't need to rent a cradle to do that with your boat.

I usually come out when the winter rates end on 1 April for a month of maintenance (just when everyone else is going in), launch early May and then I'm off for the summer. You need to let your insurance company know but they are only concerned where you are over winter. If you leave the boat somewhere for a week or two in the summer any marinas are fine but moorings must be professionally maintained - that's my insurance company's rules anyway.

I left my boat in its winter location yesterday.

Thank you! That is a really encouraging reply. I hadn’t considered insurance, so glad to hear it can be managed. Scotland certainly on the radar… thinking the temptation to head up the Irish Sea from Scilly will be very hard to resist!

 

[GEM43]

I think a lot depends on your commitments and responsibilities ashore. Alas the past four summers for us are peppered with elderly family fading and the inevitable consequences. Therefore necessitating multiple short notice/urgent trips back home. For two of those summers we had no summer home berth and finding somewhere to safely & securely leave the boat at short notice was difficult and stressful, just when we didn’t need more stress. So for the past two years we’ve gone back to having an annual berth contract and we’re very pleased with that decision. Maybe when our situation becomes less volatile we will revert to being homeless over the summer, we’ll see

 

[srm]

Go for it, that is what cruising boats are for.
When you go around the top of mainland Britain in two or three years time I can recommend Stromness Marina, Orkney as an afloat winter berth. It was my home port and stayed afloat all year round scrubbing off the Coppercoat between tides on the drying concrete hard. Their winter berthing rates were very reasonable and no surcharge for my catamaran but do not know the current situation.

 

[Tintin282]

Here are over 200 suggestions!
Circumnavigation of Britain & Ireland : 2021 to 2024

Thank you, that’s amazing and very much the style of sailing we have - visiting new places and exploring. Hadn’t thought about navigating stress of every single day being a new destination!

 

[Tintin282]

I think a lot depends on your commitments and responsibilities ashore. Alas the past four summers for us are peppered with elderly family fading and the inevitable consequences. Therefore necessitating multiple short notice/urgent trips back home. For two of those summers we had no summer home berth and finding somewhere to safely & securely leave the boat at short notice was difficult and stressful, just when we didn’t need more stress. So for the past two years we’ve gone back to having an annual berth contract and we’re very pleased with that decision. Maybe when our situation becomes less volatile we will revert to being homeless over the summer, we’ll see

I’m sorry to hear that, I’m hoping we have a window before we have the elderly family issue in full effect. That is partly why I’ve been looking at West end of the channel to practice being homeless.

 

[johnalison]

It depends on your frame of mind. I retired in '99 and we did 3-month cruises for many years but kept our marina berth, using it both ends of the season and for winter storage. Being East Coast based we went east to the Baltic more than west. Much as I love the West Country and Channel Isles, the attraction of much cheaper visitors' berths and not having to get up at 4 am for the tides drew us that way.

As with #5, it was not wanting to be too far from family and grandchildren that discouraged us from making ourselves unavailable. Though we didn't return during the cruise very often, we were often visited by family and others for visits of a week or so.

 

[Tintin282]

Go for it, that is what cruising boats are for.
When you go around the top of mainland Britain in two or three years time I can recommend Stromness Marina, Orkney as an afloat winter berth. It was my home port and stayed afloat all year round scrubbing off the Coppercoat between tides on the drying concrete hard. Their winter berthing rates were very reasonable and no surcharge for my catamaran but do not know the current situation.

That sounds good! I’ve got to scrub my copper coat more often - I think it is at 12 years so may well be time expiring.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Thank you! That is a really encouraging reply. I hadn’t considered insurance, so glad to hear it can be managed. Scotland certainly on the radar… thinking the temptation to head up the Irish Sea from Scilly will be very hard to resist!

It's a different style of boat ownership and cruising for those who either no longer need to work or can work afloat, and don't have home commitments. As Gem43 reports - it doesn't have to be a permanent change. If it's not for you or your home situation changes you can revert to a permanent berth. However, for those who have had the opportunity I've never met anyone who regretted the change - even if just fleeting for a year or two.

 

[Tintin282]

It depends on your frame of mind. I retired in '99 and we did 3-month cruises for many years but kept our marina berth, using it both ends of the season and for winter storage. Being East Coast based we went east to the Baltic more than west. Much as I love the West Country and Channel Isles, the attraction of much cheaper visitors' berths and not having to get up at 4 am for the tides drew us that way.

As with #5, it was not wanting to be too far from family and grandchildren that discouraged us from making ourselves unavailable. Though we didn't return during the cruise very often, we were often visited by family and others for visits of a week or so.

I have to confess I’m hoping kids and family will be keener to visit in more interesting destinations. Maybe once we adjust to doing a longer time on the boat we will see things differently. But I think officially becoming homeless will force us to really go for it.

 

[Mister E]

II have to confess I’m hoping kids and family will be keener to visit in more interesting destinations. Maybe once we adjust to doing a longer time on the boat we will see things differently. But I think officially becoming homeless will force us to really go for it.

Ould caution on being officially homeless you do need an address for bank accounts and so on.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Ould caution on being officially homeless you do need an address for bank accounts and so on.

My understanding is that the OP is considering giving up his permanent marina berth making the boat homeless for the summer, not his house.

 

[Mister E]

My understanding is that the OP is considering giving up his permanent marina berth making the boat homeless for the summer, not his house.

That would be the best thing. I just saw the homeless bit.

 

[dunedin]

....... finding somewhere to safely & securely leave the boat at short notice was difficult and stressful, just when we didn’t need more stress. ....

If tend to be stressed about finding a safe berth to leave a boat, perhaps join something like the Cruising Association. They have loads of information on places to leave boats, plus people posting on their forum getting lots of proven suggestions. Could invest a small part of the saving from not having a year round contract.
I too gave up our all year marina berth, being itinerant during the summer but with a winter berth (where headed shortly).

 

[AngusMcDoon]

While on the subject of houses and similar stuff here are some other ideas...

1) Set up all bills as direct debit if not already
2) Go paperless on bills and bank accounts
3) Check that your house insurance allows you to be away for extended periods or change to one that does
4) Have multiple payment methods from different accounts. I fell foul of this a few months ago. There was fraud on my account and my only card was blocked. The bank would only send a replacement to my home address so I had to go home and get it. A cheque book is still useful to take as a last resort.
5) If you have a garden that needs attention and need to pay someone to do it arrange it before the growing season starts as gardeners are hard to find in the spring
6) If you might visit anywhere in the Euro zone get a Euro card like Caxton or FairFX.
7) Consider an unlimited data SIM for at least one phone and a SIM that allows free European roaming. I use Lyca for both these reasons.
8) A tablet is easier to keep charged than a laptop.

 

[Tintin282]

Ould caution on being officially homeless you do need an address for bank accounts and so on.

Ah, boat being homeless not us was what I should have said!

 

[Tintin282]

If tend to be stressed about finding a safe berth to leave a boat, perhaps join something like the Cruising Association. They have loads of information on places to leave boats, plus people posting on their forum getting lots of proven suggestions. Could invest a small part of the saving from not having a year round contract.
I too gave up our all year marina berth, being itinerant during the summer but with a winter berth (where headed shortly).

Thanks, I think you might have just pushed me into joining the CA, it would now make sense. Thank you!

 

[Tintin282]

While on the subject of houses and similar stuff here are some other ideas...

1) Set up all bills as direct debit if not already
2) Go paperless on bills and bank accounts
3) Check that your house insurance allows you to be away for extended periods or change to one that does
4) Have multiple payment methods from different accounts. I fell foul of this a few months ago. There was fraud on my account and my only card was blocked. The bank would only send a replacement to my home address so I had to go home and get it. A cheque book is still useful to take as a last resort.
5) If you have a garden that needs attention and need to pay someone to do it arrange it before the growing season starts as gardeners are hard to find in the spring
6) If you might visit anywhere in the Euro zone get a Euro card like Caxton or FairFX.
7) Consider an unlimited data SIM for at least one phone and a SIM that allows free European roaming. I use Lyca for both these reasons.
8) A tablet is easier to keep charged than a laptop.

Great list - I feel a spreadsheet will be needed to cover all of this! Thank you.