The Journey West UK

[Cactus Sailing]

Hi all,

looking to head west this summer, and my main question is weather to stop into Weymouth from the Solent, or do i bypass this and head on towards Brixham?

im estimating 9hrs Weymouth to Brixham keeping a 5.5knots SOG going with the tide to keep the passage "short" (kids) - is this realistic ?

although I'm tempted to do a night sail passing the bill and head straight for Brixham, that way the kids will be asleep but we will still get some decent millage done and arrive for breakfast.

i know ultimately its going to depend on weather the day i set off but i'd like to get a rough idea in my head, i have 2 weeks from Portsmouth and need to get back so its the west or channel isles , with kids on board who will get bored i'd prefer to keep passages relatively short but also open to suggestions, if it were just me i'd go for the isles of scilly and back but i have to compromise because while the kids love sailing it has to be mixed with a healthy amount of shore time / relaxing otherwise its not a "holiday"

Hope that makes sense ^^

thanks

 

[jac]

You don't say how old your kids are but with mine, Weymouth has been a must do, usually for 2 nights each way. That way they get a day on Weymouth beach which keeps them happy and adds to the holiday .

If looking to break the journey, then Studland to the Bill is not much further than Weymouth to the bill but nothing to do ashore for them other than the beach. We would prefer to do that but as a family it's important to keep everyone happy.

When we've done it ( when they were 10 and 8 and before at 8 and 6) we did first afternoon down to Yarmouth ( from Hamble.) Prefer to pick up a buoy if calm / neaps but inside if springs / fresher. Overnight in Yarmouth.
Then early start to get to Weymouth so that they sleep through the first few hours , 2 nights in Weymouth.
Then Weymouth to Dartmouth / Salcombe and onwards (or not.)

Coming back we've done passage to Weymouth - 2 nights there and then Weymouth to Hamble.

That means that the only long passages that they see are Lyme bay each way and Weymouth to home. Them sleeping in for the first 3-4 hours makes it a lot more pleasant for all!


As for your SOG estimates, IIRC 9 hours to Brixham is about ballpark, especially if you're happy to motor if the wind isn't helping. the tide in the bay is pretty negligible either way so as long as you time your departure round the bill ok then no issues.


All in all though, go for it but do prepare in advance on how to keep the kids entertained.

We have downloaded films to ipads and bought them new craft activities, games, toys, books etc which appear on longer passages. if they can sleep the first 2-3 hours and then have some food, spot dolphins, and play some games, watch films then the "Are we nearly there yet" bit is fairly limited.

 

[Cactus Sailing]

Thanks Jac, they're 9 and 7

i was thinking the same as you suggest to overnight in Yarmouth - my SOG is on the cautionary side to be honest, ill motor anything below 5 i think.

 

[Iain C]

I'm in exactly the same situation (although son is far to young so me and the lads are sailing to Cornwall, the Mrs and the little one are driving). IMHO it is utterly dependant on the weather and wind...if you arrive at the bill just in time to go basically nowhere for hours on end, you might as well drop into Wayheymouth and enjoy yourself a bit. If you get to go creaming past the bill with the kite up in blazing sunshine (as per the last time I did it in 2015) fill yer boots...if you're tacking on the spot in drizzle go and find a pub.

When are you going? We're off on the 16th...

 

[jac]

I'm in exactly the same situation (although son is far to young so me and the lads are sailing to Cornwall, the Mrs and the little one are driving). IMHO it is utterly dependant on the weather and wind...if you arrive at the bill just in time to go basically nowhere for hours on end, you might as well drop into Wayheymouth and enjoy yourself a bit. If you get to go creaming past the bill with the kite up in blazing sunshine (as per the last time I did it in 2015) fill yer boots...if you're tacking on the spot in drizzle go and find a pub.

When are you going? We're off on the 16th...

Completely different with kids.

When we did it BC we would just catch whatever tide out through the needles and go west. With a decent tide and favourable wind could go offshore round the bill on one tide and then be out of the main flow in lyme bay and then just stop v early morning somewhere like Dartmouth after a single long sail.

With the kids we have done 17 hours Guernsey to Hamble as the longest trip but wouldn't as a regular thing, especially when they were both below 10


I'm not convinced what is best; a small number of long passages with more days off just playing on the beach or a larger number of short passages with a 1/2 day of exploring / playing.


Mine are now 12 and 10 and no boat till probably the autumn ( caught in the middle of a neverending house extension project) and I think for mine 1 longish sail ( 8-12 hours) followed by a day off works nicely. In the west country, nice to mix it up. Even a dinghy trip becomes a fun activity so a short trip to the to the next port, pick up a buoy / anchor then dinghy ashore and they are good.

 

[lw395]

It depends on how many spare days you have, and how the tide falls.
If you leave a buoy outside Yarmouth at first light and that gives you the very last of the Eastgoing tide, with a fair breeze from the S or SE, you can be in Dartmouth before dark.
We usually find it easier to plan a short hop on our leaving day, trying to get organised to catch tide to make a serious first leg just never seems to work, somehow the tide is always wrong?
My mate's kids have been doing full day and overnight sails since before they could walk. but every family seems to be different.

If you're asking, then you probably want to go to Weymouth, but in my view on a cruising holiday, there is no harm in having flexible plans. If you're out of the Needles and the wind suggests Weymouth, go with that. If it is good for Dartmouth with Brixham as a fall-back, you can aim for that and don't actually have to commit until you see how things are shaping up.
The thing to avoid is running out of days so that coming back turns stressy with an easterly.

 

[johnalison]

Although I normally prefer and advise setting off with long legs and returning slowly, I think that Weymouth makes an obvious break, especially with children. I like Weymouth, though the harbour can be gloriously chaotic when busy, but there is always the marina. I haven't been there for some years but I see that Floods restaurant is now closed (??) which is a great shame, since it was brilliant. The Isle of Scilly are brilliant, but ambitious for a two-week cruise, but the West Country is a lovely place for children of all ages to mess around in. As a teenager, we used to 'network' in the milk bar in Meva, but I imagine that modern children will find better things to do.

 

[LadyInBed]

If your kids get bored, then you could do night passages and let them sleep through it.

 

[Cactus Sailing]

Completely different with kids.

I'm not convinced what is best; a small number of long passages with more days off just playing on the beach or a larger number of short passages with a 1/2 day of exploring / playing.

.

that's where I'm at, not sure what is the easiest but if i stick a 12 hour max guidance on our passages i think the kids will keep entertained, night passages arriving tired with the kids full of beans wanting to go do something don't sound too appealing so Weymouth is on the cards

I'm in exactly the same situation (although son is far to young so me and the lads are sailing to Cornwall, the Mrs and the little one are driving). IMHO it is utterly dependant on the weather and wind...if you arrive at the bill just in time to go basically nowhere for hours on end, you might as well drop into Wayheymouth and enjoy yourself a bit. If you get to go creaming past the bill with the kite up in blazing sunshine (as per the last time I did it in 2015) fill yer boots...if you're tacking on the spot in drizzle go and find a pub.

When are you going? We're off on the 16th...

a little later I'm off on the 28th July just want a rough outline in my head though, I'm sure the weather will be the judge in the end.

 

[RobF]

I've done this trip a few times, although my kids are a bit younger than yours (twins , 6 years old). My strategy has been to do the trip on my own and have the family join me at Brixham. The MDL marina have got a large multi storey car park and land based activities there are a bit easier with a car at hand. Just offering another idea

 

[steve yates]

Another vote for weymouth, it's a great wee town, and your right in the heart of it.

 

[howardclark]

As it happens I’m about to go the other way this weekend from Dartmouth to Solent but have made your trip a number of times when we had four little ones on board - from 6months upwards.
As a stopover and for entertainment as already said then Studland is only good for beaches. If however they like beaches and messing about in inflatables then there is a lot of choice between studland and Weymouth for a stopover and short break. Swanage is nice to visit but for me only when it’s calm because the holding is dodgy when the wind blows- but a proper town with proper town things almost en route, many of the bays between St Albans head & Weymouth are lovely anchorages in fine weather and there’s always Lulworth cove though it can get busy. Weymouth is Great, but if you are en route to Dartmouth it is out of the way and if on leaving you head West taking the inshore passage with the tide ( to cut the corner ) keep a good lookout for black pots buoys which the tide keeps just below the surface.
Personally I wouldn’t take children who are not that keen across Lyme Bay in anything other than settled weather or offshore wind. Waves get reflected off the curved bay and it can be a quite confused sea. Have a good trip!