UK cruising/circumnavigation planning - big questions so far

[steveeasy]

Life is too short and one has to make the most of such an opportunity. If you want to get to the west coast then enjoy the West Country port hopping for 2 weeks then make your way to Scotland with min stops. Enjoy a weeks sailing and then head back south perhaps stopping in some places not visited on you way round. Yes it might get chilly and a wee bit wet but then it may be a Indian summer in October. If so you can spend more time along Devon coast. See how you go.

Steveeasy

 

[steveeasy]

Oh forget the caladonian canal and east coast. If you want a nice canal trip come back thru the Crinan. A little gem and nice places to visit.

Steveeasy

 

[Mark-1]

Some of those advantages are going to be significantly diluted or lost completely though on such a long trip so far from base. You can't just pop back to base for the engineer to take take a look etc. If your wind instrument breaks on week 3 who's going to fix them? Does that mean you lose the ability to "sail to wind" on the autopilot? If there's a bunch of niggles when you pick it up - on a week long cruise you maybe just ignore them; if you were setting off round britain you'd definitely fix them. Perhaps the charter co can fix them if you don't go too far in the first week...

Its not like hiring a car from a big chain where if you have a problem them (a) have UK wide recovery services and (b) have another branch not "that" far away who can get you a replacement.

The charter co is probably not stupid though and realises that you are going to put a lot more wear and tear on some things that a typical pair of couples chartering to hop from pub to pub (although you might wreck it less than some charterers), and they'll know there is a non-zero risk that you call them and say "engine is broken - boat was towed to Largs marina - come and get it". Who's liable for that would be worth checking. Does starting mid-late season mean you are more likely get a boat with some latent fault thats on the "fix at tend of season" list?

From post 2:

"I presume the charter company/guy will be responsible for fixing any issues/worn out stuff during the trip, is he happy to perform that function from a fair distance away?"

 

[Tranona]

I do wonder why some people bother to go sailing at all if everything is soo difficult.

If you have your own boat it is not difficult, but when restrictions are placed on you because you are using somebody elses' boat your options are more limited.

Even then with your own well found 31' boat doing the trip that time of year is a challenge.

 

[Sandy]

Hi All,

My partner and I have a charter yacht (31ft, fixed 1.6m draught) from mid-August this year to the Start of November, out of Portsmouth. Its insurance covers it up to 20nm off the coast of the UK and it will just be the two of us crewing.

Way to late! I'd start in late April.

You might get lucky and have an Indian summer, on the other hand you might not.

Last August we had to run for Falmouth with Storm Antoni hard on our heals. 50 knots in Falmouth was recorded.

I'd be charging up the east coast, Portsmouth --> Lowestoft --> Amble --> Peterhead --> Stornoway --> then bumble down the west coast until you got to the Clyde --> Northern Ireland --> Cork --> Sillies --> then bumble up the south coast.

 

[Mark-1]

Life is too short and one has to make the most of such an opportunity. If you want to get to the west coast then enjoy the West Country port hopping for 2 weeks then make your way to Scotland with min stops. Enjoy a weeks sailing and then head back south perhaps stopping in some places not visited on you way round. Yes it might get chilly and a wee bit wet but then it may be a Indian summer in October. If so you can spend more time along Devon coast. See how you go.

Steveeasy

...and the fact that many of us don't fancy it doesn't mean the OP won't. For all we know the OP might thrive on a trip like this at this time of year.

It's certainly not for me, though. And I'd be concerned about getting 400 miles from home in great weather with adequate daylight and then finding I've got to claw my way back in poor weather in the dark.

 

[Daydream believer]

I went clockwise from the Thames estuary SH twice, via the Cally Canal. 12 weeks both times. Only stop in 24 hour ports. You need to sort that 20 Mile limit. I went via the french coast to Cherbourg then the CIs then Falmouth then Milford H then DunLoaghaire. In all I did 6 legs over 100 miles & I think that the OP needs to consider that. ie Peterhead-Eyemouth, Grimsby-Lowestoft for example as the east coast is not so good. One just wants to get home by then. My 12 weeks included time waiting for a new rudder on one trip & waiting to recover from illness on another. 27 stops in all plus the canal. I left mid May, which is about right. Earlier would be too early. Imet my family in St Peter Port for a few days so stopped there for a week. I would not advise leaving late season if possible. Be prepared to use the engine 30%

 

[Cpt-Pugwash]

The west coast can indeed be a wonderful place to sail but only for spring to summer. The East Coast is better for winter sailing for the simple reason that virtually every river is navigable and have mud or sand for anchorage. Also once south of Eyemouth far fewer and often no rocks. The dogey part is Grimsby to Yarmouth with almost nowhere to hide if a storm brews up. The Suffolk, Essex and Kent coasts are spectacular sailing.
Look up a channel on YouTube called 'Keep Turning Left'. A guy who lives on the Deban near Felixstow did it in an old Westerly.

 

[michael_w]

Sailing close to the coast is like flying close to the ground, with not dissimilar risks.

 

[srm]

If the Scottish canals are part of the plan it would be wise to check that they will be open, depending on when you will be there, as winter closures may have started. Also, towards the end of one summer we had to wait for over a week to get into the Caledonian Canal, and then only at the top of the tide, due to a gate failure at the sea lock. We became very familiar with Loch Aline while waiting and listening for daily updates by the CG.

 

[Mark-1]

We became very familiar with Loch Aline while waiting and listening for daily updates by the CG.

For us southern sailors, being stuck in the Sound of Mull/Loch Linnhe for a week would be like winning the lottery.

 

[Sandy]

For us southern sailors, being stuck in the Sound of Mull/Loch Linnhe for a week would be like winning the lottery.

A nice wee new 'marina' at Corpach. Sadly, the Corpach Hotel is no longer.

 

[Daydream believer]

I had to wait a couple of days in Oban due to lock gates at Fort William being serviced. They then decided to open once at a declared time. I motored gently up the lock, only to hear that the time had been advanced 2 hours, so it ended up in a flat out sail assisted motor to get there just as they were going to close the gates. It would have been another few days delay if I had missed it.

 

[Daydream believer]

For us southern sailors, being stuck in the Sound of Mull/Loch Linnhe for a week would be like winning the lottery.

Yeah - Lucky dip more like

 

[Wansworth]

The OP looks like he or she has lost interest

 

[Sandy]

The OP looks like he or she has lost interest

Why do you say that?

 

[Daydream believer]

Why do you say that?

Because he seems to have followed the trend of all new OP's. Asks one dreamy question. We all dive in & the Op f.s off never to be seen again. Have you noted any comment since #1?

 

[jwilson]

It could be that a 31 foot yacht is limited by coding?

It is probably category 3 coded: ie up to 20 miles from a "safe haven". Even if you include Padstow as that as a stop, from there to Milford Haven is way over 40 miles. IMHO (and I have sailed this coast several times) his is a bad plan, even if the boat got recoded to Cat 3 - 60 miles - but that might involve structural alterations or even be impossible for a 31 ft boat.

 

[lustyd]

even the Isles of Scilly

Although the Islands are 23NM from Lands End, you'd never be more than 11.5 miles from the UK coast since the Scillies are a part of the UK.

 

[Mark-1]

Because he seems to have followed the trend of all new OP's. Asks one dreamy question. We all dive in & the Op f.s off never to be seen again. Have you noted any comment since #1?

That's a bit harsh, it's only been 24 hours or so and further engagement from the OP is a nice to have, not an obligation.