"Round the Britain Isles", a definition sought

Fascadale

Fascadale

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As the shortest day and therefore the next sailing season approaches I have been considering the options for next year.

I have always fancied sailing round Britain or sailing round the British Isles.

Now the question is what should I understand by round Britain or the British Isles ?

I have no problem with including Out Stack, Sula Sgeir, St Kilda, Ireland and the Sicily Isles in what I understand as the British Isles. I'm not sure about the Channel Islands and Rockall, I don't quite see them as part of the British archipelago.

I know others have different definitions of "round Britain" and thats fine: its just I'm a bit of a mappy and geographic bore.

Cheers
 
RWYC sailing directions for Round Britain and Ireland race state "all rocks to starboard" for the clockwise circumnavigation but specifically exclude Rockall and the Channel Islands. Seems as good as any definition to me.
 
British Isles

jimmyss said:
Round the British isles:eek::eek: hard to do as the Republic of Ireland/Eire/Hibernia is not part of it.. hasn't been for a while now and Rockall is debatable:eek:
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Ireland is part of the British Isles. It isn't part of Great Britain, or of the UK, but the British Isles means Great Britain and Ireland.

I'd be quite happy to ignore Rockall. All the other islands are included in the race mentioned above, including Shetland of course (they're sponsoring it). The Channel Islands aren't even in the EU.
 
That's easy--Loch Riddon to Bowling, Bowling to the Forth,up the east coast and round the corner to Inverness.
Inverness to Corpach, Corpach to Crinan ,Crinan to Ardrishaig, Ardrishaig to Loch Riddon---job done!!
 
Ireland is part of the British Isles. It isn't part of Great Britain, or of the UK, but the British Isles means Great Britain and Ireland.
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To your side of the pond maybe... but lets leave that aside.....

Am considering the idea of round Ireland with a venture scout crew... heres an interesting link (thanks to Dyflin) http://www.bluemoment.com/ireland/ might be of some help to you
 
Fascadale said:
As the shortest day and therefore the next sailing season approaches I have been considering the options for next year.

I have always fancied sailing round Britain or sailing round the British Isles.

Now the question is what should I understand by round Britain or the British Isles ?
Click to expand...

Are you wanting a nice cruise or are you after bragging rights?

Have a look in the Circumnavigators section for some useful links (Community...Social Groups...).

Just as there are options for sailing round the world varying between dashing round Antarctica without sighting land to spending 5 years island-hopping, so there are lots of variations for sailing "round Britain". For example the Caledonian Canal is a beautiful cruising ground in its own right but there are some on here who will sneer at you if you choose that route.
 
but there are some on here who will sneer at you if you choose that route.......

and do... Most of the sneerers sit in offices in front of "puters all day long though so who cares?
Sod that though, I still intend to go and see "Nessie" and find as many of those island distilleries as I can. My summer cruise....not a race!
 
jimmyss said:
Round the British isles:eek::eek: hard to do as the Republic of Ireland/Eire/Hibernia is not part of it.. hasn't been for a while now and Rockall is debatable:eek:
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Ireland both north and south is part of the geographical area called the British Isles though I can understand Irish sensitivities on the subject. Nevertheless, Ireland is part of the British Isles just like the UK is, and both are a part of the geographic area called Europe despite what UKIP might think. It's a geographic thing not a political one.

What I can't find is an answer to the question about the channel islands. My guess is that they aren't part of the British Isles but of continental Europe
 
We're planning a similar trip. I think you should do the trip you fancy really, whatever that is.

Does anyone know if you can take dogs to Ireland and bring them back here?
 
Bosun Higgs said:
.

What I can't find is an answer to the question about the channel islands. My guess is that they aren't part of the British Isles but of continental Europe
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I think that's another area where the political blurs into the geographical. They are part of Europe geographically, but like to be considered associated with the "Britishness" of the British Isles.

Of course some of the Channel Isles aren't British - aren't there are some partly-inhabited French islands? You'd have to avoid going round them.
 
Round Britain?

I think there should be a limit set on the number of English boats coming up here at any one time, there are already far too many sitting in Scottish marinas. Perhaps it is something useful we could get the guys in the wetsuits to enforce?
You can move dogs freely between both parts of Ireland and the UK, our dog is Irish, but he now lives permanently in Scotland, though he does occasionally sail back home.
 
I do believe I am qualified to express an opinion on this matter.

The only TRUE way to sail around Britain, is London to Stonehaven, then by road to Preston. Probably wait a couple of years while you earn some money, then set off again, in another boat.

I have, however, heard there are other (generally frowned upon) routes to choose.
 
If I can just chip in.... whilst people are 'circumnagivating' Britain, could they at least refrain form calling Islay and Mull 'The Western Isles'! I got all excited reading about a cruise in ST recently only to find they bottled out through the canal and came nowhere near the most interesting bit. Cop out.
 
Nico said:
Ireland is part of the British Isles. It isn't part of Great Britain, or of the UK, but the British Isles means Great Britain and Ireland.

I'd be quite happy to ignore Rockall. All the other islands are included in the race mentioned above, including Shetland of course (they're sponsoring it). The Channel Islands aren't even in the EU.
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Well, Rockall is on the continental shelf and is also part of the United Kingdom, and so part of the UK EEZ. So I think it ought to include going round Rockall, if I'm being pedantic. The Channel Islands are also on the Continental shelf, but an enclave in the French EEZ, I'd imagine. And as someone else has pointed out, the Channel Islands are NOT part of the United Kingdom - or even the EU!

However, I'd regard circumnavigating the British Isles by ANY route as being an achievement to be proud of!
 
Bosun Higgs said:
Ireland both north and south is part of the geographical area called the British Isles though I can understand Irish sensitivities on the subject. Nevertheless, Ireland is part of the British Isles just like the UK is, and both are a part of the geographic area called Europe despite what UKIP might think. It's a geographic thing not a political one.

What I can't find is an answer to the question about the channel islands. My guess is that they aren't part of the British Isles but of continental Europe
Click to expand...

This old chestnut... :rolleyes:

The British Isles is not an officially recognised term in any legal or inter-governmental sense. It is without any official status.

It is a geographical term used by some, but not all. Even The Times and the BBC have dropped it.

But that doesn't stop people knowing where you're talking about ;)
 
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