Reverse of some posts I've read here... Sailing from the US and would like to live onboard (near London?) for a winter

[laika]

FWIW, a friend had a job assignment in London, he sailed his boat to St Katherine and lived there for a number of months, they offered him a winter plan (IIRC £8k, 47' boat).

I strolled through St.Kats this afternoon and noticed a 14-ish metre cutter, obviously occupied (but no-one on deck) flying the stars and stripes. If the OP has the money (especially given the weakness of the pound vs USD) it's the perfect winter base.

 

[BobnLesley]

Are winter berths still/ever available in the Limehouse marina nowadays? We had a brilliant winter there once, but it is I now realise almost twenty years ago, when the Cruising Association still managed it.

 

[Gibeltarik]

Thank god Midsomer is landlocked

Not quite - scenes from Mapledurham to Shepperton seem to include the Thames.

 

[Roberto]

I strolled through St.Kats this afternoon and noticed a 14-ish metre cutter, obviously occupied (but no-one on deck) flying the stars and stripes. If the OP has the money (especially given the weakness of the pound vs USD) it's the perfect winter base.

My friend was there last year, he has a Boreal I am sure if you happened to be there you would have noticed Dutch flag, +Japanese at the spreaders (wife). Mind you, he was commuting every morning to the City dressed like a penguin, that might have helped him being an "acceptable" liveaboard

 

[srm]

I have lived aboard in the winter in both Orkney and Shetland. In both cases the boat was insulated to the level of the cabin sole and had Wallas blown air heaters (from Finland as they know how to keep a boat warm). There is a shortage of daylight plus the weather feels cold with wind chill and rain. Probably not suitable for the OP.

We did have visiting boats overwinter in Stromness. One couple stayed for two winters but they had cruised in Patagonia so were probably fairly comfortable. A young Frenchman doing a masters degree lasted until about Christmas by which time he had found a lady friend and moved ashore.

 

[PlanB]

One other place which gives easy access (rail) to London is Chatham Maritime. Good facilities at marina, give Chatham a miss but Rochester is fine.

 

[Clunk]

I live aboard in Nottingham, the last few weeks were a touch nippy, but the blower on overnight kept the boat at around 11c. Sherpa blanket at night, still waking up to warm.

 

[Pump-Out]

Thank god Midsomer is landlocked

Midsomer had a murder at their regatta, I seem to recall.

 

[Sailfree]

Just remember that if you need to travel around the UK it's cheaper to fly from the US to UK than do a 120ml train journey.

Hence moor where you need to be.

We regularly fly Lisbon to UK for circa £30 -35 each but if we tip up at a railway station and get tickets to New Forest we are looking at some £130 ea. Luckily we have friend that will collect us.

 

[laika]

tickets to New Forest we are looking at some £130 ea.

Sorry to question this but whilst South West trains are shockingly expensive this does seem like hyperbole unless you’re travelling first class in rush hour with single tickets for there and back. If you avoid morning rush hour which a gentleperson of leisure will do anyway, a 1 month return to brockenhurst bought on the day is £44 return. You can do it for a bit over a tenner with advance tickets but I’m rarely that organised.

 

[Sailfree]

Sorry to question this but whilst South West trains are shockingly expensive this does seem like hyperbole unless you’re travelling first class in rush hour with single tickets for there and back. If you avoid morning rush hour which a gentleperson of leisure will do anyway, a 1 month return to brockenhurst bought on the day is £44 return. You can do it for a bit over a tenner with advance tickets but I’m rarely that organised.

Check it out 2 people Stanstead to New Forest. Timing will be dependant on landing time as don't want to wait at Airport for 12 hrs to get an affordable fare.

It's actually been cheaper to hire a car for 24hrs and pay the surcharge to leave it at Southampton Airport.

Have a look at fares on the continent and you will see why trains are used more on Europe.

For a brief period Ryanair did flights Lisbon to Bournemouth for £5.99 to £9.99 but they were only half full all the time so they proved uneconomic.

Both Ryanair airfares and Continental train fares make UK train fares a joke.

UK need to seriously look at why costs in the UK are so expensive if it is ever to compete in an international world.

 

[laika]

Check it out 2 people Stanstead to New Forest. Timing will be dependant on landing time as don't want to wait at Airport for 12 hrs to get an affordable fare.

Given the context of the OP I incorrectly assumed you meant the cost from London to the new forest. Stanstead is double the distance. However a quick look shows a return on the stanstead express is £32.70 and 2xzone 1 fares is £5 giving a return total of just over 80 quid just rocking up at the station without railcards or an advanced deal. If you're returning within a month, buying single tickets is probably not optimal.

Point taken that this isn’t Europe and our train network is overpriced and under reliable, but unless things have changed rail travel in the US was never cheap either

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Train prices are odd, for example, from Edinburgh to Great Yarmouth, last year was over £300 per person, booked in advanced, such was the disjoined nature of rail pricing. This November £86, 1st class return Edinburgh to Aberdeen and in October my wife traveled Edinburgh to London for £180 return.

Rail in the UK could be more efficient and affordable, but it is not, it is a poor service, run for profit by private enterprises significantly subsidised by the British tax payer. There is little value in Rail travel because of that, compared to say, a months car hire and associated fuel cost. Car wins every time, even with north sea extraction subsides, again by the British tax payer.. Then there are flights, my son returned from Prague for £20, one way, to Edinburgh, Ryan Air.

Public transport in the UK is joke, crap and unreliable unless car hire. hence the OP should not really consider marina location to access public transport, just hire a car.

 

[srm]

It's actually been cheaper to hire a car for 24hrs and pay the surcharge to leave it at Southampton Airport.

Nothing new there.
When working for a govt organisation in the early 70's there was a car hire firm with desks at most UK main rail stations. If two or more people were traveling it was cheaper to hire a car at our local station and drop it off at the destination station.

 

[Marceline]

if you're not planning to do much sailing during th winter a suggestion could be Preston Marina - and they have a 'semi residential' offer which might work (not too many marinas officially allow liveaboard)

It's a fair way up the River Ribble and so somewhat 'inland' for shelter, plus on the west coast so a little warmer than east coast

It is also somewhat 'central' for the mainland UK - and has very good rail and road links, and the Marina is quite reasonably priced

and if you do rent a car theres parking, and a Morrisons supermarket walking distance for budget food etc (and a Booths 5mins drive away for more upmarket food)

Preston Marina – Where the city meets the sea

big downsides are it's not a big/picturesque place and tbh you'll be travelling to see almost all sights, but its on the budget end of things, and just looking at trainline it's possible to get a train to London for £60 each way (even £43 on some searches, though often much more as well) and some of the times posted are 2hours 15 to Euston (I've no idea though how reliable those times are tho - as others have mentioned UKs trains have been badly run for many years now sadly)

Trainline : Search, Compare & Buy Cheap Train Tickets

but there's Manchester and Liverpool not too far a drive away, also the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales/Moors and North Wales for outdoors and scenerey, and Scotland not too far a drive away (fast trains to Edinburgh/Glasgow as well etc) - and day trip drives (or trains) to places like the Roman cities of York or Chester are pleasant. (guess it depends what you're hoping to see/do in your time and your budget etc)

 

[Bob Took]

This has been incredibly helpful, great start to the new year. Thank you all.
I'll try to post the results of my pursuit of next winter's layover spot. Ramsgate and Brighton sound like a good starting point.