Slow round-Britain plan advice....

ProDave said:
Easy when you add Harris, but you have not specified East or West.

Just saying "Tarbert" could be any of several places.
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You should take that up with CalMac. One of their ferry's destinations is Tarbert Harris, and they usually manage to find it alright.
 
NormanS said:
I realise that my approach is more independent than most. Generally, I much prefer to anchor, almost never tie to pontoons, and only use visitor moorings in places like Tobermory, where because of the number of moorings, it is now difficult to anchor.
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Scalpay aside, your approach is highly unusual. I have never met anyone else who leaves their boat for extended periods at anchor unattended. It won't work for most because of the insurance issue. You haven't said whether you remained insured. I don't give my insurance company any chance to cop out through small print. If my boat was damaged during an unseasonal NW wind on the pontoons in Scalpay I'm covered. At anchor while away I'm not. I expect the OP's insurance will have the same exclusion on unattended anchoring longer than 24 hours because it's a common exclusion. Therefore the only recommendation I could make to the OP when leaving the boat unattended while away is find a sheltered marina, pontoon or mooring that his insurance covers. There are enough about.

We're not going to change each other's opinions so I'll leave it at that. The OP can talk to his insurance company like I have mine and decide for himself. If they are like mine, they are pretty well clued up on locations even in far flung extremities of the UK.
 
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Over that period of time you might want to plan a haul-out. It would be worth considering what options you options have and what their prices are in your planning.
 
merjan said:
Over that period of time you might want to plan a haul-out. It would be worth considering what options you options have and what their prices are in your planning.
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From what we saw and heard, everyone in Scotland seem to lift out at Ardrossan. So much so they can't accept visiting yachts at the moment due to the influx of boats :eek:
 
ProDave said:
There have been at least 2 cases, one local to me, on this forum of boats either sinking at anchor or the anchor failing and the boat wrecked on the shore. If only they had spent a few ££ for the safety of a harbour or marina.
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Yes with Storm Amy still blowing which drove yachts ashore from anchors, it is a strange time to argue the case for leaving boats unattended on the hook.
 
In terms of leaving a boat for returns to work etc, we live on a relatively small archipelago inhabited by lots of people who enjoy boating. So most places have enthusiastic locals who also make use of marinas and lift out facilities. So you are rarely that far away from facilities and certainly few places suffer a paucity of facilities that affect the coast between Gt Yarmouth and the Humber or perhaps even Hartlepool. So the west coast of Scotland is quite well catered for as are the Shetland Islands, probably Orkney as well.
 
AngusMcDoon said:
Scalpay aside, your approach is highly unusual. I have never met anyone else who leaves their boat for extended periods at anchor unattended. It won't work for most because of the insurance issue. You haven't said whether you remained insured. I don't give my insurance company any chance to cop out through small print. If my boat was damaged during an unseasonal NW wind on the pontoons in Scalpay I'm covered. At anchor while away I'm not. I expect the OP's insurance will have the same exclusion on unattended anchoring longer than 24 hours because it's a common exclusion. Therefore the only recommendation I could make to the OP when leaving the boat unattended while away is find a sheltered marina, pontoon or mooring that his insurance covers. There are enough about.

We're not going to change each other's opinions so I'll leave it at that. The OP can talk to his insurance company like I have mine and decide for himself. If they are like mine, they are pretty well clued up on locations even in far flung extremities of the UK.
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My approach may be unusual nowadays, but when I started sail cruising on the West Coast, rather a long time ago, there were NO pontoons, marinas or Visitor moorings. The fishing harbours were busy with working fishing boats, and tended not to welcome yachties.
There was no other option, but to be self reliant. That's still my philosophy, but we're all different, and I'm not trying to persuade anyone to change their habits.
 
lustyd said:
OP is starting from Essex so it may be useful to use more words to describe “Tarbert” which could be pretty much anywhere 🤣
Although I think I know where you mean, even “East loch Tarbert” feels a but ambiguous to a southerner.
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I wouldnt start from there.
NormanS said:
My approach may be unusual nowadays, but when I started sail cruising on the West Coast, rather a long time ago, there were NO pontoons, marinas or Visitor moorings. The fishing harbours were busy with working fishing boats, and tended not to welcome yachties.
There was no other option, but to be self reliant. That's still my philosophy, but we're all different, and I'm not trying to persuade anyone to change their habits.
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Thanks for posting this. Its something I've wondered about and its good to know that it can work, though of course with a degree of risk.

Not, however, something I would do unless I'd acquired quite a lot of anchoring experience which I currently lack.

My boat is currently uninsured and may eventually only have 3rd party cover (to be investigated) so that may not be an issue.
 
Crisp, what you are generally planning is very possible. Having sailed from Chatham anticlockwise, there are a lot fewer places to visit on the East Coast. Wells-next-sea should be your first port of call as it is delightful. Then hop to the Humber to visit Grimsby and Hull. Bridlington is possible but dries in mud, so the next marina would be Scarborough. Next would be Whitby and Hartlepool, then Seaham as you are under 10m. Then Sunderland and Newcastle, followed by Blythe, Amble and Alnmouth. There a number of small harbours or anchorages all along the coast depending on the wind direction. At the Scottish border you have Berwick on Tweed, then Eyemouth before heading for the Edinburgh area. Harbours become more sparse as you head north with Aberdeen not being yacht friendly, with Peterhead offing the next marina. You can stop at Lossiemouth before heading to Inverness. This I doubt you would take a season to visit every possible place to berth or anchor.

My advice would to have no fixed idea of where you want to over winter, but see where you end up. I can certainly say visiting Orkney, Fair Isle and Shetland are worth spending a lot of time. In the future I will head back there. You could over winter up there and then fly or catch the ferry and rail it home.

The Scottish Western isles are delightful. I only passed through quickly, but will return. This will be easier. For me now I berth in Pwllheli, N Wales. Before I do this trip I am planning a round Ireland single handed.

You my find the threads I posted on the YM forum and videos on YouTube useful. Just follow the link in my signature to find them. They should help plan your visits to some harbours.
 
boomerangben said:
…So the west coast of Scotland is quite well catered for as are the Shetland Islands, probably Orkney as well.
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For lifts the Shetland Islands have/had a bit of a limit on boat size - possibly 8 tons. Cullivoe on Yell got a “new” lift this year which has higher rating, but limited depth in the access channel.
But if the OP is heading home, cost and time of travel is at least as important as boatyard prices. For example travel from Yell to Exeter could easily take 3 days one way by public transport, unless can afford very expensive air fares :-)
 
Concerto said:
……… I doubt you would take a season to visit every possible place to berth or anchor.

My advice would to have no fixed idea of where you want to over winter, but see where you end up.

……..
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That is great advice. Have a list of potential ideas for layovers but don’t decide till mid trip - based upon the weather, where you end up going, and eye balling the places as you travel.
 
dunedin said:
Loads of people do this every year - and Concerto of this Parrish comprehensively documented his trip (though he was in a bit of a hurry latterly to get back to Southampton, so missed most of the Hebrides which to me is the best bit).
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This is a common point amongst almost everyone I’ve spoken to who goes round - they tend to split the country up into equal sections rather than working out where the fun bits are a lingering there. The OP is sensibly taking his time and planning ahead. He might want to ask himself if the east coast is worth it at all - if it’s Y1 you do lots of long legs without the pretty bits. If it’s Y4 you’ve just spent the last 3 yrs in sailing “heaven” so it will seem mediocre simple to tick an “all the way round” box.
steve yates said:
Oh and I suppose the important one, don’t shortcut through the cally canal, take the time and go round top and visit orkney & shetland.
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Most people who do the canal enjoy it - same with Crinan. On a leisurely sail they don’t preclude doing both.

NormanS said:
If you want to leave a boat on the West Coast or somewhere in the Outer Hebrides, it would be very limiting if it had to be in a harbour or a marina. In the whole length of the Outer Isles, there are only two weather secure marinas, and very few facilities on the mainland coast north of Ardnamurchan.
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But as others have said transport links make many locations limited anyway.
lustyd said:
From what we saw and heard, everyone in Scotland seem to lift out at Ardrossan. So much so they can't accept visiting yachts at the moment due to the influx of boats :eek:
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It’s popular but it is by no means the only option. Within the Clyde there’s about a dozen options. On the “Oban side” there’s at least 8. Further north fewer but still some options.
merjan said:
And does it cost the same everywhere? In my experience prices vary by hundreds of pounds depending on where in the UK you are.
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Costs do vary but any bargain place probably is less ideal travel connections or provisioning when you come back. Although I’ve done a little of this one way trip stuff and getting public transport back and it’s a fun adventure it would be a PITA if you were trying to do it in a hurry to get to work.
 
ylop said:
This is a common point amongst almost everyone I’ve spoken to who goes round - they tend to split the country up into equal sections rather than working out where the fun bits are a lingering there. The OP is sensibly taking his time and planning ahead. He might want to ask himself if the east coast is worth it at all - if it’s Y1 you do lots of long legs without the pretty bits. If it’s Y4 you’ve just spent the last 3 yrs in sailing “heaven” so it will seem mediocre simple to tick an “all the way round” box.

Most people who do the canal enjoy it - same with Crinan. On a leisurely sail they don’t preclude doing both.


But as others have said transport links make many locations limited anyway.

It’s popular but it is by no means the only option. Within the Clyde there’s about a dozen options. On the “Oban side” there’s at least 8. Further north fewer but still some options.

Costs do vary but any bargain place probably is less ideal travel connections or provisioning when you come back. Although I’ve done a little of this one way trip stuff and getting public transport back and it’s a fun adventure it would be a PITA if you were trying to do it in a hurry to get to work.
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Not done it, but if you are transiting anyway the Caledonian canals short term overnight rate seems to be currently 15.50 and the marina at the Inverness end would be relatively well connected.
 
ducked said:
Not done it, but if you are transiting anyway the Caledonian canals short term overnight rate seems to be currently 15.50 and the marina at the Inverness end would be relatively well connected.
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Inverness marina always has 'winter berths' available, but not 'hard standing' over winter, as these are taken by berth holders for their winter maintenance.
The marina is at the mouth of the River Ness, where it meets up with the Beaulieu/Inverness Firth, so the water in the marina varies between salty and brackish with each tide, which in turn reduces the marine growth forming on hulls, meaning that antifoul is good enough for at least 2 seasons of 'normal' sailing.
Inverness is very well connected for travel by road, air and rail, Portsmouth being 10 hours by road.
 
ylop said:
This is a common point amongst almost everyone I’ve spoken to who goes round - they tend to split the country up into equal sections rather than working out where the fun bits are a lingering there. The OP is sensibly taking his time and planning ahead. He might want to ask himself if the east coast is worth it at all - if it’s Y1 you do lots of long legs without the pretty bits. If it’s Y4 you’ve just spent the last 3 yrs in sailing “heaven” so it will seem mediocre simple to tick an “all the way round” box.
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Sorry I have to disagree, sailing up the east coast is worth doing. The OP is used to the Essex and Suffolk coast, which is generally very flat and featureless. From the Humber northwards there are cliffs, woodlands, fields, castles, majestic buildings galore, sandy beaches, islands, bird sanctuaries, towns and villages - all of which you can sail close by or stop and visit. You are sailing in a fairly straight line along the coast, but in the lee of the prevailing wind in smooth water. Have you sailed these waters? I doubt it. Before I did my round Britain, I had a similar opinion to that you have expressed, but can say there is far more to see and a lot more varied that most of the UK coastline. I even considered berthing in Hartlepool for a season to explore this coast more. This coast is not as spectacular as the western isles, but should not be passed by quickly unless you have a tight schedule, which the OP does not have. These 2 videos will show how different this part of the UK is.



As you are currently exploring the western isles, might I suggest in the coming season you head further north to Orkney, Fair Isle and Shetland. They are delightful and I shall definitely be returning there in the future.



 
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