What are your plans for next year?

[Daydream believer]

My plans for this year went out of the window- as can be expected.
We did a few east coast cruises in company to very local destinations but found that we had to book berths well in advance if there were several of us. Something unknown in earlier years.
This year I have done about 350 miles instead of the usual 1.8/2.0K
The east coast does not have much to lure one between Ipswich & Dover, once one has already been there a dozen times or more. Places need to be where groups can meet & have fun, enjoy the atmosphere. Even the RTYC at Ramsgate is only open part week now.
The trouble being that all the marinas have been pretty much full, so random visits have been difficult, even for me as a single yacht, having been turned away on arrival. I do not relish another year like this one.
I have avoided the south coast like the plague. Plus Brighton & Eastbourne are a slog. Stories of high prices & having to book in advance in the Solent area are not good for a SH sailor, who may have to divert at last minute.
So what will happen next year?
My plan is Boulogne, Dieppe, the French coast to The CIS, on to Camaret via a couple of stops then home for a scrub ( Coppercoat!!) Then off to Ostend for the Paulusfeesten, then meet up with the club for a cruise up the Dutch canals, September.
But my guess is that once released, the south coast sailors will go mad for the X channel trips & the ports like Dieppe, Boulogne, Fecamp, St Peter Port etc will be crammed full of UK boats & it will be a nightmare getting a berth
Any thoughts?
Or is everyone just going to stay at home, rather than face the hassle of customs border controls both sides of the channel

 

[Koeketiene]

Plans for next year are what they were for this year - either NW Spain or Ireland and the West Coast of Scotland.
This year was a bit of a damp squip cruising wise - a combination of technical problems, medical appointments and Covid.

 

[Channel Sailor]

For me next year will be more of the same: a mix of Solent and adjacent locality cruising and local club racing. Plus hopefully going further afield a little. I would look forward to doing the old “milk runs” to Normandy and the Channel Islands but I am not banking on it.

Often all I need to be content is 0-15kts of wind, with seas that are not too choppy and no need for heating when at sea. Even 20kts is OK too. Which luckily I can get where I am From April to October often stretching the season a little further at the edges, especially in the autumn. I don’t sail if there is ice on the deck. Just staying fairly local I have managed to log 1000 miles so far this season, which is typical for me. No complaints, I am busy right now ordering boat bits and maintenance jobs for the winter so the boat is ready for an even better season next year.

if more people on here keep saying on here to avoid the Solent, then great, more room for me and my chums. No problem.

 

[Bristolfashion]

This year : Southampton to Newcastle
Next year : Scotland!
Following year : Scotland to Southampton

 

[Kelpie]

Due to a combination of late departure, unfinished boat projects, and an unexpected emergency visit back home, we've had to admit that we won't be cruising the Caribbean next year. So I guess it'll be Spain/Portugal/Med then. Could be worse!

 

[Jonny A]

Definitely Dartmouth, hopefully the Helford and fingers crossed Alderney. I'm still bringing the boat up to a decent standard for single-handing so I'm taking it slowly with how far I venture each year.

 

[sailaboutvic]

This year was the first time in 30 years we didn't make a plain with covid not sorted we just played it by years ,
like DD our miles was well down with 4 sails to Malta we circuitnavagate Sicily and cruise the Eolie and Egadi Isole and back in Malta while writing this .
As for next year , we will decide in March when we have a better idea what's going on .

As for Brexit and all that goes with it , so far it's all been good the three visit we had from officially wasn't interested .
We spend another few weeks chilling then head back early to sicily for the winter stop , as we both have elderly mothers that need to be visited and a trip back to the UK as we not been back since covid started .

 

[AndrewB]

This year was the first time in 30 years we didn't make a plain with covid not sorted we just played it by years ,
like DD our miles was well down with 4 sails to Malta we circuitnavagate Sicily and cruise the Eolie and Egadi Isole and back in Malta while writing this

Pretty good, Sailaboutvic. Our plan this year was also Malta, back via Sicily. Best done fairly early in the season and of course we couldn't get out then. Its on order for next year, but I'm beginning to wonder if we'll still be up to longish sea passages. The Ionian is still a decent cruising area, but this year the charter fleets seemed to have doubled, and its impossible to get into any of the regular harbours without being waved away by 'flotilla leaders'. So much for the economic impact of all the British yachts leaving Greece.

We have (so far) done just 600 miles this year, our lowest for 30 years apart from 2020.

 

[Concerto]

Planned to sail up the east coast and then stop and look round The Shetlands before returning down the other side.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Spend more time and less money sailing.

 

[geem]

We have done 1440nm by the log this season. From Lancaster down to the Algarve. We should have been carrying on to the Caribbean but have decided to stay in the Algarve for the winter.
The covid situation in the Caribbean is not good. The chances of normal cruising look none existent. Grenada and Antigua in lock downs. French Islands not letting non EU boats in. Grenada and Antigua have community spread with only 20% vaccinated and vaccine hesitancy. Several sets of friends there suggesting we stay in Europe.
We plan to apply for Portuguese residency and cruise Azores next summer then resume the Atlantic crossing next winter. Now we have to face a few months in a marina. Something we never do and really dislike. Not been in a marina since begining of July. If we have a marina address we can get the residency

 

[WoodyP]

Nil miles this year. Boat on the hard. If l am realistic my commitment to the farm mean limited time. Contemplating selling the sailing boat and buying something to go day fishing. Even then it may make more sense to just do charters.

 

[Laminar Flow]

Leaving Brittany: Scillies, Ireland, Scotland, Hebridies, Shetlands and maybe Norway - Covid willing.

 

[Stemar]

Go sailing. I got out once last year and then sold Jissel, which was more or less sorted to get a project.

 

[Wing Mark]

I've done a fair bit of dinghy racing this year.
This Winter, hopefully getting a small cruiser of my own.
Next year, mainly fairly local trips, go away midweek for a couple of nights when work permits.
Maybe Cornwall if that's the way things work out.

 

[ashtead]

This year enjoyed Dartmouth by boat for first time and while the wind was rather lacking we did find a lovely anchorage just along the coast. Also discovered Brixham and might look into possibilities of keeping boat there one day for a few months. Still attracted back to Jersey and Brittany though for next year weather willing -I think we have to adjust to the new normal in a post covid world and I don’t have any plans to travel to Africa in immediate future and most of the EU jab rates are actually higher than UK looking at latest stats . Ideally those who have had 2nd jab will be taking the booster etc . There will also be more of a push in the UK for flu jabs this year and we might see more in work flu jabs being rolled out by responsible companies along with measures to pursuade covid jab take up eg by requiring regular testing of non jabbed,non use of in house breakout areas and mandatory mask wearing etc. This all ups the take up rate along with education for the doubters etc but is an interesting HR question of course. In summary I don’t think venturing back to cherbourg etc will cause any issues in summary provided no diesel issues or other shortages hit our supplies.

 

[Wansworth]

Due to a combination of late departure, unfinished boat projects, and an unexpected emergency visit back home, we've had to admit that we won't be cruising the Caribbean next year. So I guess it'll be Spain/Portugal/Med then. Could be worse!

There’s lots to see in the Galician rias all year round and much nicer as there are no tourists

 

[Porthandbuoy]

Learning to sail my new yacht.
And spend a month cruising North of Ardnamurchan.

 

[ryanroberts]

Well I made it to Plymouth weekend sailing, very contrary weather so didn't get to Cornwall never mind Scilly. Had just started a new job so didn't want to take random weekdays off to actually move when the wind was right. Will have that ability next year which should help. I'd like to get over the channel and see where it goes, I need to get out by May and not sneak back before September. A slightly nervous potential Admiral is another new issue however useful for the insurance, I had to bail Start point -> Studland to meet my 18 hour limit after cocking up the tide a little.

 

[Kelpie]

There’s lots to see in the Galician rias all year round and much nicer as there are no tourists

It will be a shame to leave the Rias behind, we have thoroughly enjoyed them, but all received wisdom appears to be that we really need to get south and around the corner to escape the Atlantic weather systems.