Sailing from the midlands

[smeaks]

Nightmare scenario....... A mate is having to relocate due work commitments to Derby. Could not get further away from the sea! Where do people sail? What's the nearest place to relocate the boat?

Thanks for any positive advice....

 

[Seajet]

smeaks,

what sort of sailing ? Dinghy, keelboat, cruiser ?

 

[NickRobinson]

Nightmare scenario....... A mate is having to relocate due work commitments to Derby. Could not get further away from the sea! Where do people sail? What's the nearest place to relocate the boat?

Thanks for any positive advice....

I work in Derby (and did my Day Skipper theory there too...) I've had canal boats nearby and yachts in Gosport, Skegness, Barrow, Fleetwood, Hartlepool, Aberystwyth etc.. see it as a virtue, they're all the same distance!

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

quite a few of us from the east mids.... mostly sail on the East Coast at the Thames estuary end.

 

[RobinBirch]

The distance is a pig but worth it when you get there. Boat is moored Wareham.

 

[smeaks]

smeaks,

what sort of sailing ? Dinghy, keelboat, cruiser ?

The boat is a moody 31 fin keel

 

[smeaks]

quite a few of us from the east mids.... mostly sail on the East Coast at the Thames estuary end.

Where on the coast? I am used to NE and once sailed a boat back from Ipswich but I am not familiar with the rivers etc...

 

[jac]

Just a thought but if he's going to be based in Derby, why not look further afield - are there any nearby airports with cheap flights to suitable places - northern france or Jersey for example.

He won't be able to nip down for a bit of maintenance but driving 3-4 hours plus each way would rule that out anyway so why not make a virtue out of the situation - move the boat somewhere really different and fly to the boat.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Most coming from the east mids head towards the Orwell, as its an easy drive straight down the A1 and A14 almost to the door.

I travel from the Lincs/Cambs border, and am usually on my boat in under 2 hours, often 1hr 45mins.

 

[NickRobinson]

If money no object (and he wants to sail with the crowd), Haslar's as good as any, 3hrs away and 24 access.

If like me, slightly impecunious, Fleetwood is two hours ish from Derby on the end of a motorway unlike Skeggy or Wells (which are no good for a fin anyway)

Fleetwood town is no Venice of the North but the marina is good with brand new South Coast quality showers/loos. You'd pay less than £2kpa for a 31'er. You'd then have all the Irish Sea to play in and no queues or endless radio checks...

 

[Caer Urfa]

Nightmare scenario....... A mate is having to relocate due work commitments to Derby. Could not get further away from the sea! Where do people sail? What's the nearest place to relocate the boat?

Thanks for any positive advice....

I moved from Northumberland to Shropshire earlier this year and looked to move the boat to the west coast, however I do not want my sailing time depending on tidal access to rivers/marinas so I now commute back up Tyneside where I have 24/7 deep water tidal access with good 24/7 security in the marina.

Distance one way from Telford 226 miles, time 4 hrs, however due to finance and distance I stay aboard min 7 days, from Derby I would say 3hrs.

Mike

 

[NickRobinson]

I moved from Northumberland to Shropshire earlier this year and looked to move the boat to the west coast, however I do not want my sailing time depending on tidal access to rivers/marinas so I now commute back up Tyneside where I have 24/7 deep water tidal access with good 24/7 security in the marina.

Distance one way from Telford 226 miles, time 4 hrs, however due to finance and distance I stay aboard min 7 days, from Derby I would say 3hrs.

Mike

Royal Quays? Nice. I've just paid up to over winter in Hartlepool, 22/24 hr access 170 miles M1/M18/A19

 

[Seajet]

Chichester Harbour Conservancy ( the Harbourmasters' office ) has moorings available, but do check on available car parking and somewhere at least vaguely secure to leave your tender, these aspects are often overlooked - and lacking !

Hayling Yacht Co probably has deep water moorings, but check tender parking as above.

Gosport Boatyard have deep water moorings; request a mooring near Hardway, the moorings in Spider Lake are way beyond normal tender range but they run a very good launch service.

Car parking as I last knew it was not particularly secure.

Wicor Marine in Portsmouth would be worth asking.

Emsworth Marina is a lovely spot - tidally restricted but there are plenty of fin keelers there who just choose their timing and look at the accurate guage over the sill, and a lot cheaper than the mainstream marinas; if I was a billionaire I would still prefer Emsworth Marina to the others as it has so much going for it, lovely place, short walk by the mill pond past the wildlife into town, where there are restaurants and take-aways ( best fish 'n chips on the planet ) of every flavour inc rather elite, 2 chandleries, banks and an Ironmongers; what more could a yottie want ?!

Beware car and tender parking though, especially costs and security; this is a nightmare for swinging moorings off Emsworth and a good question to ask anywhere on the South Coast !

 

[Bru]

Like Phoenix we travel down to the Thames Estuary from the East Midlands, in our case East(ish) Northants down to the R. Crouch

It's not just the distance and the journey that you need to consider, it's the options when you get there. The Orwell and the Crouch (and to a lesser extent the Blackwater too) offer local options for a change of scenery (and pub!) in almost any weather and the Thames Estuary could take a whole lifetime to explore properly (after four years we've barely scratched the surface). Then there's the continent within easy reach if you're feeling adventurous

But don't tell everybody how good it is in the Thames Estuary, we don't want it to get crowded

 

[Iain C]

I'm in Rugby, which admittedly is a bit south of Derby, however for me Gosport is a fairly easy run of a couple of hours. I've even made it down to the boat and then on, down to Lymington, on a Friday night, and that's with the faff of a swinging mooring.

And if you want a decent pond to sail on, join Draycote.

 

[smeaks]

I thought I had not seen you about much this season! How do you find Telford?

 

[Laysula]

We live in Burton on Trent and have had boats in Conwy 15 years and 2 hours away, Holyhead.5 years and 2 3/4 hours away and have now moved to Brixham which is 4 hours away and definately worth the extra traveling.

 

[RichardTaylor]

I admire the dedication, but travelling such large distances must use £50+ of fuel just getting there and back and assuming you are not retired then you finish work Friday 5pm join the grockle run (thinking queues at the end of the A34/M3 and/or A31 through the New Forest, then the reverse Sunday afternoon/evening), you must be mad!

 

[jac]

I admire the dedication, but travelling such large distances must use £50+ of fuel just getting there and back and assuming you are not retired then you finish work Friday 5pm join the grockle run (thinking queues at the end of the A34/M3 and/or A31 through the New Forest, then the reverse Sunday afternoon/evening), you must be mad!

That's the same for most of us still working though.

Even though I can get door to hatch in just under an hour and work from home on Friday it's still a mad panic. Add in school age children so no bunking off at Friday lunchtime and it becomes fun!!

 

[Laysula]

I admire the dedication, but travelling such large distances must use £50+ of fuel just getting there and back and assuming you are not retired then you finish work Friday 5pm join the grockle run (thinking queues at the end of the A34/M3 and/or A31 through the New Forest, then the reverse Sunday afternoon/evening), you must be mad!

Yes sometimes I think we are quite mad, so next year hopefully we are going to upsticks and move to Brixham.