Sailing in Britain

[Wansworth]

People rave about theGalician rias or the Caribbean islands or the Greek isles but really the coastline of Britain has as much to offer ………if only the harbours where not so expensive and the sun a little hotter

 

[Fr J Hackett]

People rave about theGalician rias or the Caribbean islands or the Greek isles but really the coastline of Britain has as much to offer ………if only the harbours where not so expensive and the sun a little hotter

Plenty of places to anchor away from the flesh pots and even there there are places to drop the hook. Not everyone wants blazing sunshine.

 

[Wansworth]

Plenty of places to anchor away from the flesh pots and even there there are places to drop the hook. Not everyone wants blazing sunshine.

No I agree the chargeing weather of Britain is a delight ,days of heat and steady winds just doesn’t come close

 

[Wansworth]

When we had a boat inChichester my wife spent one day on her own on the yacht and still recalls how pleasurable it was,sitting and reading watching the world go by.

 

[capnsensible]

Apart from cold, rain, sewage and grey, delightful.....

 

[Wansworth]

Apart from cold, rain, sewage and grey, delightful.....

Bright sunny weather with the x boats and one designs racing ,sailing boats wafting all over the place a handy hard to get ashore to reach a nearby pub…..

 

[rotrax]

Apart from cold, rain, sewage and grey, delightful.....

I well remember my first sniff of the top end of Port Mahon.

That was VERY raw sewage.

The port of Arklow runs with raw sewage too.

Although, to be fair, it is being rectified. After forty years.......................................................

 

[The Q]

There's a lot more to Britain than the south coast, particularly the inner and outer Hebrides. It's also cheap mooring up there.

 

[Concerto]

After anchoring, I think I found the cheapest harbour fee. Irrespective of length it was £20 for up to 4 nights and all done on by an honesty box. No electric, but a tap on the quay. For those who sail there will find half of the island is a bird sanctuary, so quite quiet. Bet you cannot guess where. It is Fair Isle, halfway between the Orkney and Shetland. Even here most marinas are only £15 per night with electricity (2022).

 

[johnalison]

It depends what you want from a cruise. Reasonably weather helps, but I don’t want oppressive heat or UV rays, and variety is part of the fun. Also important are: interesting scenery, whether cliffy or flat, sufficient safe harbours or havens, friendly natives, access to wildlife and historic places, and bearable costs. I haven’t met places that serve all functions, though some come close, but I have a short attention span and like to chop and change anyway.

 

[LadyInBed]

Got it in one, except that you missed out the bonus, if you hunt around, you can also pay for the privilege of using your anchor.

 

[Zing]

July and August is OK.

 

[Skylark]

British weather is a matter of having the right clothing. It’s only ever a minor and usually temporary inconvenience and is far outweighed by the many wonderful attributes of UK sailing.

Nice waters, some stunning scenery, wildlife, many interesting and varied landslide attractions. An abundance of pontoons, moorings or anchorages.

Plentiful options from exploring rivers and lochs to coastal hopping or offshore passage making. It’s normal to receive a warm and friendly welcome at new locations and to meet like-minded people to share stories and experiences, generally good banter. There’s usually good options for a local hostelry to add a new culinary experience to the mix.

Another advantage is the ability to walk away at the end of a weekend, week or longer break aboard to pursue other recreational activities to bring balance in one’s life.

My idea of sailing hell would be living aboard Groundhog Day, oppressive heat in a cramped boat with nothing better to do than to spend time on an internet forum writing observations about others’ malpractices and making disparaging comments about any boat that isn’t theirs

 

[jamie N]

There's a lot more to Britain than the south coast, particularly the inner and outer Hebrides. It's also cheap mooring up there.

Rubbish! It's awful!!! The weather's ALWAYS horrible, the sun is a myth, hidden by the clouds of plaque ridden, flesh eating midge that are so large some have tattoos. The people are the most unwelcoming, the "Tarbert Taliban" roaming the streets seeking tourists to fleece, and the locals insisting on practising their English to cause deliberate confusion!!
Trust me; stay away.......

 

[Daydream believer]

When we had a boat inChichester my wife spent one day on her own on the yacht and still recalls how pleasurable it was,sitting and reading watching the world go by.

Well if you both dislike the UK so much then it was nothing to do with the weather or surroundings---I wonder if it was because you were not there

 

[[2574]]

Rubbish! It's awful!!! The weather's ALWAYS horrible, the sun is a myth, hidden by the clouds of plaque ridden, flesh eating midge that are so large some have tattoos. The people are the most unwelcoming, the "Tarbert Taliban" roaming the streets seeking tourists to fleece, and the locals insisting on practising their English to cause deliberate confusion!!
Trust me; stay away.......

Yes, that’s a fair assessment. I recommend the Solent, much nicer.

 

[Daydream believer]

I love the weather in the Uk. Back in 2004 my wife & I started heading to the Med. It was a really hot year & by the time we got half way down Biscay her bad knee & the heat plus the fact she was seriously missing family, friends & the cat. Not helped by the constant presence of the locals.
She got on a plane & left me there. I sailed home via the Channel Islands & it was such a relief to have a polite chat with a friendly waiter about the menue & to speak to the most welcoming people for a change. Conditions were so much better.

We finished the year in the Dutch canals in a great climate.
The UK is excellent & where I am, on the east coast, is just right for a 2 month foray to the CIs, or Netherlands, if one feels so inclined.

Sailing round the UK a couple of times one does not expect (or want) hot overbearing weather. There is always plenty to do & the variety of conditions makes the trip an enjoyable challenge. But not one that is so difficult that the average sailor cannot do, given time. It gives it a sense of having achieved something. It also shows what a wide variety of places one can sail in if one chooses correctly. I suspect Concerto might agree to that one.

Sailing UK is an attitude of mind. Just get on & enjoy what comes one's way

 

[Wansworth]

Well if you both dislike the UK so much then it was nothing to do with the weather or surroundings---I wonder if it was because you were not there

You have it all wrong,I left the Uk in search of adventure and ended up marrying my dear Galician wife in her village onthe ria de Vigo.We have returned to the Uk but work dictated we live in Spain.My dearest wouldlive in England at the drop of a hat but now it looks like we are firmly planted in Galicia

 

[Daydream believer]

..

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We have great sailing conditions in uk. Sailing requires wind, first and foremost. Many parts of the world have too much, or too little. Whilst uk waters have their moments of that, it’s sailable about 80-90% of the time.