Thinking about going around again!

jimi

jimi

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I'm thinking about sailing round the UK again this summer but going anti clockwise. Last time I has crew and went direct from Inverness to Lowestoft without stopping. I'm thinking next year it might be tricky getting crew if Covid is still about so was thinking I might singlehand to at least Peterhead where SWMBO would join me for the more interesting bits. I've got 2m draft so am going to be a bit restricted as to what all weather ports I can enter and it looks to me as if I'll have to do about three 100 mile legs which is going to be hard work! I was thinking Orwell, Lowestoft, Humber, Blyth, Eyemouth, Peterhead,Burghead (as I used to go out on a fishing boat from there), Inverness. So any ideas as to other allweather all tide ports I could use to split it up a bit?
 
jimi said:
I'm thinking about sailing round the UK again this summer but going anti clockwise. Last time I has crew and went direct from Inverness to Lowestoft without stopping. I'm thinking next year it might be tricky getting crew if Covid is still about so was thinking I might singlehand to at least Peterhead where SWMBO would join me for the more interesting bits. I've got 2m draft so am going to be a bit restricted as to what all weather ports I can enter and it looks to me as if I'll have to do about three 100 mile legs which is going to be hard work! I was thinking Orwell, Lowestoft, Humber, Blyth, Eyemouth, Peterhead,Burghead (as I used to go out on a fishing boat from there), Inverness. So any ideas as to other allweather all tide ports I could use to split it up a bit?
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Hartlepool?

Edit: Maybe not at low water with your draft.
 
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I've heard that the harbour at Scarborough is deeper than the charts suggest. Next up is Whitby which has waiting pontoons below the bridge that open HW+/-2. The Royal Quays marina on the Tyne has all-tide, 24hr access as does the RNYC just up the coast from there at Blyth. 15 miles from there is Amble with tidal access approximately HW+/-3. Passing the Farne Islands and on towards the border takes you to Berwick-on-Tweed which has some new pontoons or carry on to Eyemouth. Neither Amble, Berwick nor Eyemouth are viable in all weathers. Across the Forth is Arbroath with tide constrained access. There are a few anchorages on the way too.
 
Yes, I was thinking that if I choose an appropriate weather window I might be able to get some kip by anchoring off if conditions are offshore calm
 
jimi said:
Yes, I was thinking that if I choose an appropriate weather window I might be able to get some kip by anchoring off if conditions are offshore calm
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That was my first thought. I love tucking ourselves in behind a headland if the weather is fair and catching up some sleep and most importantly, waiting for the tide to turn.

Look at the weather, look at the chart and choose a likely spot. I’ve had many an extended snooze whilst kedged and waiting for the tide to turn,
 
I normally ( twice) go the other way but bradwell, lowestoft, grimsby, hartlepool ( scarborough in difficult conditions to split trip) blythe, eyemouth, peterhead ( arbroath if difficult conditions) inverness ( whitehills if needed) i draw 1.8 & do it SH will do again in 2021 if i can get vaccine in time ( 74 years old)
 
With 2.1m draught I had no problems at Scarborough, Whitby, Hartlepool, Royal Quays/Tyne, Eyemouth (although we did touch bottom at the pontoon at LWS, Stonehaven, Peterhead (had to wait for enough rise of tide to enter the marina due to silting after a storm) and anchored for the night at Holy Island.
I would skip the Humber, it is merely a long detour.
 
westhinder said:
With 2.1m draught I had no problems at Scarborough, Whitby, Hartlepool, Royal Quays/Tyne, Eyemouth (although we did touch bottom at the pontoon at LWS, Stonehaven, Peterhead (had to wait for enough rise of tide to enter the marina due to silting after a storm) and anchored for the night at Holy Island.
I would skip the Humber, it is merely a long detour.
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+1 for the Humber. Further, I gather that the entrance to the Grimsby docks is not all-tide for yachts; I decided not to chance it, and also worked out that going into Grimsby would lengthen the journey from Whitby to Lowestoft quite substantially; basically it would be two almost 24 hour passages versus one that is about 27 hours. We touched the bottom at low tide springs at the Eyemouth pontoon, but only just (1.6m draught). No problem at Peterhead.
 
Just following this with interest, I fancy doing this wether next year or not depends on the nhs fixing my knee , but is Lowestoft to whitby the favoured option ? , I would look at going anti clock just to get the boring but done first .
 
Whitby might be a no no if what i have heard about the charges is correct. I am told that after a certain time one has to pay another day & there is no waver on this. So if one delays departure due to missing the bridge opening, or waiting for tide, it can be expensive. Normally one might want to leave early afternoon & paying for a full night's stay is unreasonable.
Perhaps locals can confirm
If so, a good reason to avoid.
Besides Hartlepool, Grimsby, Lowestoft is 2 No. circa 100 mile hops & 20 hours each, which is not a bad trip.
One has to watch tide heights at Grimsby & Hartlepool though.
I have entered Eyemouth at night in F 7 onshore & it was a bit hairy, to say the least. But I was being escorted by the lifeboat 20 yds in front of me. The last turn in to the entrance has to be timed so as not to catch a wave sideways on.
When I lived there as a child it was a regular occurance for the lifeboat to stand by, . to escort smaller fishing boats in. if weather turned bad whilst the fleet was out. We used to stand on the quay & watch them coming in. Never though I would have to come & go through it myself one day
 
nigelm said:
Just following this with interest, I fancy doing this wether next year or not depends on the nhs fixing my knee , but is Lowestoft to whitby the favoured option ? , I would look at going anti clock just to get the boring but done first .
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Basically, it's either Lowestoft - Whitby OR Lowestoft- Grimsby and Grimsby-Whitby. There are very few all-weather, all-tide ports on the East Coast, so that's pretty much the only options (discounting places like Wells-on-the-Sea, which is a difficult entrance and not all-tide, or Kings Lynn, which has few facilities and is a very long way off-course). Grimsby is further off the direct line than people think, and also has VTS lanes to be transited with care, which increases the distance again. Basically it's swapping one 24+ hour passage (it was 27 hours for me, in a Moody 31 under engine) for two 20-ish hour passages. I decided it wasn't worth going so far off track, and did it in one. It isn't as if Grimsby is particularly scenic or of historical interest, and the Humber has very strong tidal currents. I did sail in the Humber as a child, and I personally have no interest in doing it again - memories of staying in the same place for hours while waiting for the tide to turn still remain with me!
 
nigelm said:
Just following this with interest, I fancy doing this wether next year or not depends on the nhs fixing my knee , but is Lowestoft to whitby the favoured option ? , I would look at going anti clock just to get the boring but done first .
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I beg to differ on the ‘boring bits’.
There are fewer all tide all weather harbours than on other stretches of the coast, and there are a couple of ugly industrial blemishes, but the scenery is not boring. Once North of the Humber the coast is rather beautiful in its starkness. It does not have the grandeur of the Scottish West coast, but few coasts do. If you want boring, try the coast on the other side of the North Sea. Try travelling from Calais to Skagen, then you’ll know a boring coastline, if you see any of it, that is, apart from the apartment blocks in Belgium. They are my home waters and I’m always glad to see that ’boring’ East coast
 
I guess it depends if you want to explore the historic harbours or just cover the distance. I don't see the point in rushing it.
We visited the house where Captain Cook did his apprenticeship, in Whitby, met a big black friendly dog called Dracula :) and the HM let us off paying, because he was drunk and couldn't find his biro...
In Scarborough there is a small Albert Strange museum, with some original books and drawings.
In Hartlepool, there is an old RN square-rigger with attached museum.
Grimsby is worth the detour for the Fishing Heritage Centre.
In Newcastle, you can see Charlie Parsons' Turbinia', the first effective steam turbine powered vessel.

Yes the coast is beautiful, Westhinder, especially Flamborough Head, it was easy for us heading South with the flood, arriving at high water, it could be a PITA heading north.
We missed Bridlington, Staithes, Yarmouth, etc due to pressure of time, which was frustrating.

Horses for courses!
 
AntarcticPilot said:
Basically, it's either Lowestoft - Whitby OR Lowestoft- Grimsby and Grimsby-Whitby. There are very few all-weather, all-tide ports on the East Coast, so that's pretty much the only options (discounting places like Wells-on-the-Sea, which is a difficult entrance and not all-tide, or Kings Lynn, which has few facilities and is a very long way off-course). Grimsby is further off the direct line than people think, and also has VTS lanes to be transited with care, which increases the distance again. Basically it's swapping one 24+ hour passage (it was 27 hours for me, in a Moody 31 under engine) for two 20-ish hour passages. I decided it wasn't worth going so far off track, and did it in one. It isn't as if Grimsby is particularly scenic or of historical interest, and the Humber has very strong tidal currents. I did sail in the Humber as a child, and I personally have no interest in doing it again - memories of staying in the same place for hours while waiting for the tide to turn still remain with me!
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Grimsby not of historical interest? To a sailor? It was one of England's top 3 fishing harbours, with a fleet of 100's of deep water side trawlers, one of which is preserved in the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre with guided tours etc.
 
Gary Fox said:
Grimsby not of historical interest? To a sailor? It was one of England's top 3 fishing harbours, with a fleet of 100's of deep water side trawlers, one of which is preserved in the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre with guided tours etc.
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Depends what you regard as history and what you're comparing it with. Basically, the place was only a tiny village until the 19th century. Whitby has history back to the Romans; it hosted one of the events that changed the course of English history (the Synod of Whitby), and it still preserves much of that heritage, not forgetting Captain Cook!
 
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If time permits why not drop in at Grimsby &then sail up to Hull. I have never been there, but I am told that they have made an effort to tidy the immediate area up a bit . If i have enough time I intend to try. Especially if weather outside the Humber is not playing ball.
 
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