Sailing to Scotland

[dylanwinter]

So you should be! Maybe that's why you seem to have stopped where you are? Ha ha.

stopping is the plan

I stopped on the colne for a whole winter,

I got stuck in the walton backwaters for a whole summer, then I got stopped on the Alde, North Norfolk and the Wash stopped me for 18 months

and now I am stuck on the Humber

I do seem to have had the most awful bad luck to have got stuck in so many lovely places

I hope that KTL will get stopped in all sorts of other places around our lovely coastline.

I love it when people tell me how horrible the East Coast is

that means that I have some lovely sailing ahead of me

so my plan is to get thoroughly stuck, stopped,halted, delayed in as many places as I can

Dylan

 

[maxi77]

In case someone starts arguing about how scenic Grimsby it --here is another one

View attachment 27433

But the club and their little home made marina are very good and welcoming. For that it is a great place to stop and there was and perhaps still is a good chandlers within walking distance.

Scarborough was also a good stop with very helpful harbour staff. Blyth was also a good stop but Tweed Dock at Berwick is pretty rough and ready though some yachts stop there. Over the border Eyemouth is a must again helpful harbour staff despite still being a working fishing port with excellent showers. Dunbar is a good stop too, but the harbour entrance does take strong nerves the first time. In good weather you can anchor at North Berwick and to visit Edinburgh you can use either Granton or Port Edgar. Anstruther is another must if just for a fish supper from the Anstruther Fish Bar, winner of many prizes for it's fish.

 

[ProDave]

so my plan is to get thoroughly stuck, stopped,halted, delayed in as many places as I can

Dylan

I do hope you make it to the Moray Firth before I retire. I reckon you've got 10 years.

 

[mainsail1]

stopping is the plan

I stopped on the colne for a whole winter,

I got stuck in the walton backwaters for a whole summer, then I got stopped on the Alde, North Norfolk and the Wash stopped me for 18 months

and now I am stuck on the Humber

I do seem to have had the most awful bad luck to have got stuck in so many lovely places

I hope that KTL will get stopped in all sorts of other places around our lovely coastline.

I love it when people tell me how horrible the East Coast is

that means that I have some lovely sailing ahead of me

so my plan is to get thoroughly stuck, stopped,halted, delayed in as many places as I can

Dylan

Good on you! it's just that I have looked at all your films and need you to move on so there are a few more. Its now some forty years since I did the trip by boat and swore I would never bother again, maybe it's better now.

 

[dylanwinter]

Good on you! it's just that I have looked at all your films and need you to move on so there are a few more. Its now some forty years since I did the trip by boat and swore I would never bother again, maybe it's better now.

do it again

GPS.... better pontoons.... more places with shore power.....and you might even have more time now

 

[King Penguin]

If you go through the Caley and head south again you'll miss the best Scotland has to offer...Places like this:

+1, the west coast of Scotland is truly an outstanding cruising ground, Skye, Mull and surrounding mainland lochs such as Sunart, Hourn and Nevis + so many more places.......a lifetime's worth of cruising, in fact.

 

[dylanwinter]

+1, the west coast of Scotland is truly an outstanding cruising ground, Skye, Mull and surrounding mainland lochs such as Sunart, Hourn and Nevis + so many more places.......a lifetime's worth of cruising, in fact.

I fear I shall get stuck there

although half thinking of selling up and renting a house up there while I do some of those crinkly bits

D

 

[King Penguin]

I fear I shall get stuck there

although half thinking of selling up and renting a house up there while I do some of those crinkly bits

D

A good place to get stuck though, mind you the dreaded midge (or Cleg as Mr Hiscock called them) didn't seem particularly attracted to me.......they much preferred my wife..........which is why the tub is now based in Caernarfon!

 

[Daydream believer]

Scarborough was also a good stop with very helpful harbour staff. Blyth was also a good stop but Tweed Dock at Berwick is pretty rough and ready though some yachts stop there. Over the border Eyemouth is a must again helpful harbour staff despite still being a working fishing port with excellent showers. .

Did a circumnavigation SH in 2012 & whilst what you say about Scarborough is correct I have to add that the showers were the most disgusting of the whole trip
Mind you Port Ellen & Oban marina left a lot to be desired

 

[dylanwinter]

Did a circumnavigation SH in 2012 & whilst what you say about Scarborough is correct I have to add that the showers were the most disgusting of the whole trip
Mind you Port Ellen & Oban marina left a lot to be desired

showers..... luxury

bucket in the cockpit after dark should be more than enough for any self respecting sailor

D

 

[jimi]

Planning my leg from Inverness to Ipswich with 2m draught left me concluding my options were a bit limited!

Lowestoft, Blyth, Eyemouth, Peterhead were the main ones on my list, however we just went direct without stopping.

If I was going from the Solent, I'd go

Solent,
Dartmouth
Plymouth
Falmouth
Milford Haven
Howth
Ardglass
Bangor or Glenarm
Gigha

 

[Daydream believer]

showers..... luxury

bucket in the cockpit after dark should be more than enough for any self respecting sailor

D

Depends on your interpretation of "self respecting"
Still it takes all sorts!!

 

[westhinder]

If I was going from the Solent, I'd go

Solent,
Dartmouth
Plymouth
Falmouth
Milford Haven
Howth
Ardglass
Bangor or Glenarm
Gigha

Thanks, apart from Plymouth, they're all on my list. Weather permitting, so will be the Scilly Islands.

 

[snooks]

Thanks, apart from Plymouth, they're all on my list. Weather permitting, so will be the Scilly Islands.

Yup, we skipped Plymouth and headed for Fowey then Falmoth, Newlyn, Kilmore quay then up to Arklow, Howth Ardglass, Bangor, Rathlin, Islay, all easy 6-10 hour day sails with the tide. If you leave the Solent so the west going tide starts at around 8 ish, you have sensible starting times all the way up the Irish coast

Blog of our trip in my sig

When we came back from Largs, via Orkney and the Caley, we did Largs, Howth(29 hours), Falmouth (48 hours), Dartmouth, Solent.

 

[awol]

A good place to get stuck though, mind you the dreaded midge (or Cleg as Mr Hiscock called them) didn't seem particularly attracted to me.......they much preferred my wife..........which is why the tub is now based in Caernarfon!

The midge (culicoides impunctatus) and the cleg (family tabanidae) are very different beasties though it is the female of both species that want your blood. The cleg's range offshore is considerably greater and it is not deterred by Goretex, or any known insect repellent. Reliable literature from the last century tells of English tourists having their stocking tops chewed off by the midge.

 

[King Penguin]

The midge (culicoides impunctatus) and the cleg (family tabanidae) are very different beasties though it is the female of both species that want your blood. The cleg's range offshore is considerably greater and it is not deterred by Goretex, or any known insect repellent. Reliable literature from the last century tells of English tourists having their stocking tops chewed off by the midge.

That's what I love about this forum, you learn something new everyday......2 types of critter! Hiscock called them the 'murderous cleg' when he transited the Crinan Canal but most people I meet call them the midge. I must admit though that if anchored off (not in marinas) when there was a bit of a breeze, they never bothered us apart from in Loch Sunart - i'm guessing they must be the cleg variety there.......

 

[snooks]

Midges are midges, teeth with wings, clegs are horse flys.

Expedition 50 is the stuff to keep midges away, also get some midge nets for your head when relaunching the dinghy etc.

 

[awol]

Expedition 50 is the stuff to keep midges away, also get some midge nets for your head when relaunching the dinghy etc.

My impeccable source from early last century advises liberal application of treacle to all unclothed areas as a sure-fire solution.

 

[NormanS]

Midges, (note, no "i") can only fly at 4mph, so are not a problem if there's any wind.
Clegs are totally different creatures, which bite, causing big lumps, which don't usually last very long, on most people. At least Clegs, or horseflies, usually come in fairly small numbers, and can often be swatted. Usually just after they have bitten you. Midges come in numberless clouds.

A worse problem is arising now. Ticks are becoming a real menace, and some of them carry Lymes Disease, which is very nasty.

There now, that should keep the numbers down a bit.

 

[nathanlee]

Initially I thought you were joking.... but reading further down Grimsby gets another plug so looks like it could become a destination on our voyage!

I was advised to skip it. Apparently the "red light" district lives just outside the marina gates, and I heard plenty of stories from the reasonably locals about bag of unwanted chips on decks. They were just stories though. I didn't go myself so could be nonsense. It's also quite a detour.

Bridlington. I wouldn't go there again by choice, but if you don't do Grimsby that means quite a lengthy sail to get to Scarborough. It was insanely expensive when I went. £23 per night for 21ft, if I remember correctly. I ended up on the unserviced harbour wall which was about half the price. Worth a visit though, if you have deep pockets. You could perhaps anchor in Filey bay, not sure, or go on to...

Whitby - I'd definitely go in there. Well worth a visit.

Hartlepool is a decent marina. Quite sizeable, and very friendly staff. It's a bit of a desolate hinterland outside the gates, but there's a supermarket within easy walking distance, and everything else you need to break up the journey for a couple of days.

Blyth - also worth a visit. Well sheltered. Great clubhouse and nice people.

Next, Holy Island. A MUST. One of the best non river anchorages I've stopped at. You can dinghy ashore (or swim as I had to) to the pub/shop.

Eyemouth. There's deep water, good shelter, plenty of pubs, a nautical museum, and some cheeky local teenage girls. Showers are in the fisherman's building, which is odd, but very modern and clean. You'll get seals following you in if you're lucky - the harbour, that is, not the showers.

Anstruther - shallow. Nice enough town, but facilities are somewhat lacking.

Arbroath - deeper. I don't remember the town, which at the risk of an injustice, probably sums it up.

Stonehaven - well sheltered in the inner harbour, but dries. Outer harbour has more water, but gets nasty if there's any east in your blow. I have very fond memories of spending a couple of weeks in that town. Lots of great little shops, places to eat, places to explore, and a very friendly bunch of locals.

North of Stonehaven, there be dragons.