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

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Bob Took

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Am looking for advice on a liveaboard situation for my Morgan 34. leaving '23 and touring the British Isles the summer of '24, the year after, returning through the med. The winter in between I would like to leisurely tour the country by rail, etc from a somewhat central hub while living on my boat. My research has only turned into a meandering mess with London being way expensive and booked up . I would love a few good starting points and/or contacts from you guys. Thanks, Bob
 
The distances in the UK are tiny compared to the USA, so probably can be more flexible about winter location to find more space and more modest costs.
And whilst the term “British Isles” is perhaps non-PC these days in some minds, geographically it includes Ireland as well as all the Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland etc. Even on mainland Britain London, whilst a transport hub, is very far from central. Liverpool docks might be a little more so (though still southern half :) )
So perhaps widen search to a marina / dock with pleasant surroundings to winter in, moderate price and good rail connections.
Many sailing round the UK & Ireland choose to winter in the Clyde, for example - though may be more expensive than NW or NE England.
 
If you can't get a berth in London itself, the next best thing would be somewhere with a good train service into London, ie
Essex and Kent
 
I’m going to disagree with just about all of dunedin’s post (sorry, but hopefully there’s room for a multiplicity of opinions here).. “British Isles” is an uncontroversial geographic term, not a political one.

Look at a map: the UK’s transportation, rail, road and air fans out from London. I’m sure the USA has big-hatted evangelists assuring would-be visitors that they should avoid little places like New York stuck away at the edges because St.Louis is at the throbbing centre of things. Samuel Johnson’s comments here still apply. London as a base is a good plan. St. Katherine’s dock doesn’t accept liveaboards and is expensive but ideally situated: I don’t know how strictly they’d apply rules on staying aboard for an overwintering American. Don’t use the “liveaboard” word when enquiring and stress the intention to be touring. Your other choices would be Limehouse and south dock marinas: they may be more accommodating.

I have no idea why anyone other than a masochist would choose to overwinter in Scotland. Do we have any permanent Scottish liveaboards on this forum? Winter on the south coast can be cold enough in a draughty sailing boat and at least we have more light down here.

Brighton is a nice place to stay, tends to have winter deals (although they’re sometimes not announced until a month before they start, so don’t book ahead…) but you’ve got a 2 hour journey into London from the marina.

The Solent, which is crowded in summer, is magical in winter: don’t discount winter sailing if you choose to base yourself here. Downside is longer trip to London and 3x the train fare compared with Brighton
 
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This is the most comprehensive guide to marinas in the UK Marinas Archive - Practical Boat Owner

There are pros and cons to almost every choice. While London is the transport hub it is as you have discovered very expensive and limited choice. On balance the Solent - that is Southampton/Portsmouth/Gosport is the best location. Plenty of choice of marinas that offer winter berthing deals, good marine services and a relatively mild climate. Good transport links, particularly Southampton - most of the country is north and west of London and you can access much of this by rail or bus by passing London to the west, mainly for rail via Reading. Likewise by road which you may consider as having a car may turn out cheaper in the long run than rail fares, particularly if there is more than one of you! Really depends on what you want to see and where you want to go.

Plenty of more detailed local information available here if you have specific questions.
 
dunedin said:
The distances in the UK are tiny compared to the USA, so probably can be more flexible about winter location to find more space and more modest costs.
And whilst the term “British Isles” is perhaps non-PC these days in some minds, geographically it includes Ireland as well as all the Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland etc. Even on mainland Britain London, whilst a transport hub, is very far from central. Liverpool docks might be a little more so (though still southern half :) )
So perhaps widen search to a marina / dock with pleasant surroundings to winter in, moderate price and good rail connections.
Many sailing round the UK & Ireland choose to winter in the Clyde, for example - though may be more expensive than NW or NE England.
Click to expand...
I think that most Americans would be shocked at the crime rate in Liverpool ??
 
laika said:
… I have no idea why anyone other than a masochist would choose to overwinter in Scotland. Do we have any permanent Scottish liveaboards on this forum? Winter on the south coast can be cold enough in a draughty sailing boat and at least we have more light down here. …
Click to expand...

A neighbour at my marina, Craobh, lives aboard. He does alright. Lots of folks live weekends on their boats at Craobh, even when it’s super cold, strong winds and heavy rain. Scotland’s marinas, on a whole, have good amenities and are quite civilised in the winter.
 
laika said:
I have no idea why anyone other than a masochist would choose to overwinter in Scotland. Do we have any permanent Scottish liveaboards on this forum? Winter on the south coast can be cold enough in a draughty sailing boat and at least we have more light down here.
Click to expand...
Seen plenty of people winter aboard in Scottish waters, including young families. Not a permanent lifestyle perhaps, but one or two winters as part of a longer voyage, like the OP.
And lots of people have opinions on Scottish weather, but often from afar without direct experience. If the minor difference in climate between, say, the Clyde and the Bristol Channel is material to you, then certainly don’t winter in the south of the UK but head down to France,, Spain or Portugal.
 
dunedin said:
Seen plenty of people winter aboard in Scottish waters, including young families. Not a permanent lifestyle perhaps, but one or two winters as part of a longer voyage, like the OP.
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So no permanent forum liveaboards with actual first hand experience? I’m sure it’s possible to live in lots of places, especially in an appropriately insulated and heated vessel, but I’m saying from first hand experience that winter can be grim in Brighton in an ordinary sailing boat , and the OP can easily compare daylight hours, precipitation and temperature of Brighton vs Scotland from objective sources. And let’s not understate the effects of dark and rain when you’re already living in a dark, cramped environment.

Per original post, I’m sure there’s room for differing opinions here, although while the west coast of Scotland is obviously an unmissable part of a round Britain cruise, are you really saying it’s the best place to overwinter as a liveaboard with the best transport links to tourist destinations of the uk?
 
Even the regular English people can’t understand Scousers (people from Liverpool) accent
 
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laika said:
London as a base is a good plan. St. Katherine’s dock doesn’t accept liveaboards and is expensive but ideally situated: I don’t know how strictly they’d apply rules on staying aboard for an overwintering American. Don’t use the “liveaboard” word when enquiring and stress the intention to be touring.
Click to expand...
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).
 
laika said:
So no permanent forum liveaboards with actual first hand experience?
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I used to live in Stornoway, and we would always have at least one or two liveaboards each winter. Drake Paragon (Youtubers) used it as their base for high latitude sailing for several years. You need to be fairly hardy, most of those doing it had woodburners, although plugging in to shore power is more convenient.

I'm not saying it would suit the OP of course, but it is possible to live aboard in Scotland.
 
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