WATCHET MARINA MARITIME WEEKEND 23rd - 24th July

[PCUK]

Watchet Marina in association with Watchet Boat Owners Association, Watchet Sea Scouts, the RNLI, Coast Guard and the town itself will be hosting several weeks of events beginning with the maritime weekend on the 23rd and 24th of July. High tides for this weekend are ideal being around around midday.
On both days in the outer harbour, there will be ‘try a boat’ sessions with the Sea Scouts, as well as RIB rides throughout the high tide period. This is coupled with demonstrations from the Hovercraft Club of Great Britain, and from the local Coast Guard (mud rescue on Saturday, Cliff rescue on Sunday). Subject to operational availability, the local lifeboats and SAR helicopter will attend as well.
WBOA will be conducting their ‘open boats’ sessions and MTB Gay Archer will be open for visitors also.
On both days in the evenings there will be a social event on Watchet Esplanade in conjunction with The Esplanade Club (Home of Watchet Boat Owners Association). This will consist of high quality hot food for sale, a bar and live music and other entertainment. There will be a small entry fee of £2 a person to cover some of the (rather horrendous)* costs of staging, fencing, staffing etc. for the event as it has to be run under guidelines from the local councils and authorities.
There will be various events through the following week finishing the next weekend with Watchet Kids festival and the Watchet carnival.
This is pretty much the first time the town and all the various organisations have come together to run an event based around the harbour and esplanade and it is hoped that it will tempt large numbers of boat owners from near and far to come along and pack the marina with visiting boats.
For those unfamiliar with Watchet Marina, it is one of those happy places where sail and power exist in perfect harmony in the surroundings of a 1950's harbour town, so all are very welcome. Call the marina on 01984-631264 for further details and to book your berth.

 

[Sneds]

We went last year, had a great weekend so will be down for this (probably in convoy!)

Lets hope for good weather as I have a bit of a problem with Watchet and F6s (Ask the RNLI!)

Looking forward to it

 

[PCUK]

Hoping that some of you South Coast Softies might brave the evil waters of the Bristol channel to come and see us! It's an easy day's run from Falmouth to Watchet. You get the same great scenery and empty seas as far as the eye can see!

 

[omega2]

Don't forget your rods

Edge Of Time Goes West

Our weeks fishing holiday this year was to be a repeat of last years. That is down to Watchet Somerset, and fish with Shawn Anning on his Offshore 105 “Sea Fire” from Monday the 13th to the Friday the 17th June. Only six of us this year, Richard, Steve P, Dave, Peter, Steve H, and myself. We left the Abbey at 0100 on Sunday 12th, just as it started to rain, and for the whole 210 miles it never stopped, it was like driving a boat down the M4/M5, but we got there in one piece. Arriving in Watchet about 1325, parked up and into the West Somerset Hotel our lodgings to be greeted by Jan and Ken our host’s. It was still chucking it down so we stayed in and chucked a few of our own down, Shawn joined us later having been out with a party all morning and he was looking a bit like a drowned rat, now for a skipper to get wet it must have been bad out there as well. We were to be on the boat at 0600 next morning (silly o’clock) so we turned in early and told Jan that we did not expect her to do breakfast we would take a packed lunch with extras to see us through the day. The weather for the week was to be mainly dry and winds were expected to be from the west or south west, that meant we would be fishing the English side of the Bristol Channel, and from previous experience I knew it would not be as good as we were hoping for, the Welsh side seems to fish better. Not to worry the day looked bright enough even if the wind was a tad strong it would not cause us any concern as we can hide under the cliffs, 100 yards away and still be in 50/60 feet of water. We were fishing inside an hour but the main species were doggies, there are more in the Bristol Channel than in the whole of the Southern North Sea. We did manage something different but they were well spread out during the day.

The next four days were much the same Doggies, Small eyed Rays, Bull Huss, One Bass, Spotted Rays, Thorn back Rays, Smooth hounds common and Starry, but to be honest we have caught more in one days fishing at home than we managed all week down there.

Except for doggies there are millions of them!! Still not to moan at least the weather was kind and we got out every day, but on Friday we got soaked to the skin and frozen, it was a Orrible day, but it did not stop us from trying.

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/edgeoftime/WatchetJune2011019.jpg[/IMG

[IMG]http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/edgeoftime/WatchetJune2011015.jpg

and no doubt God Willing we will repeat the episode next year, but somewhere different I expect.

Thank you to our Shaun, and our host’s Ken and Jan, we had a great time, no blame of yours the weather was iffy.
The journey home was repeat performance solid rain from start to finish, but it was “polished” off in just over three hours.

 

[STEVEDUNSTABLE]

blue anchor bay campsite ?

APOLOGIES for the thread drift but, the title jogged my TINY braincell...the last time i was there, we sat in a caravan at blue anchor bay, in a monsoon, listening to james burke on a "transistor radio" talking over the LIVE apollo 11 moon touchdown as it happened.....hohum

 

[PCUK]

That was a while ago Steve, You'd not notice any difference in Watchet though! Apart from the marina sneaked into the harbour.

 

[Sneds]

Now, if they could just do the same to Ilfracombe!

 

[DAVIDO]

Just put a deposit on our new boat, survey and sea trial this week. Would like to think she will be in Penarth in time for us to attend.

 

[PCUK]

I'll second that Sneds! In the meantime you need a couple of scissor jacks to stay upright!
Hope you can make it DavidO!

 

[PCUK]

Just keeping this post current in case anyone hasn't seen it and fancies visiting Watchet for the festival. Railway buffs may also be interested to know that the West Somerset Steam Railway runs right past the marina!

 

[Sneds]

................ and what a great old railway it is!
Mosy every time we go there we have a ride on the train to Minehead - real Famous 5 stuff!