Wansworth
Well-known member
Our star signs are not compatible
Wondering the practicality og a round UK trip next year
- Thread starter Birdseye
- Start date
Bouba
Well-known member
All that’s required is one of you be awake at all timesOur star signs are not compatible
Wansworth
Well-known member
He has to do it on his own it’s part of it a latent desire…..
Bouba
Well-known member
that you both share...
14K478
Well-known member
I find the stressful part is making port. Particularly a new to me, unknown, port.
Neeves
Well-known member
Many 'ports' were small fishing ports some now host marinas and others, marinas, appear to have been built in the best anchorage(s). If you source the relevant Admiralty Pilot there is chapter and verse on every port or you will find the marina will offer links to their facilities and how to enter. If you do access the Pilots they also define entry into larger ports like Hong Kong or Southampton. Your chart will define all the lights. You can supplement the information with screen shots of Google Maps or Earth.
We have no experience of circumnavigating the UK but have made regular forays from Sydney to and round Tasmania. We have the 'cruising' guides, the Admiralty Pilot books (and the cruising guides seem to have lifted the detail on anchorages from the Pilots 'almost' word for word). We have a hard copy of Google Earth for all the anchorages, all the charts and the terrestrial 1:50,000 maps (the Oz equivalent of the OS). We tend to anchor, as marinas are like hens teeth in Tasmania - and frankly its easier than squirrelling into a marina, late at night when you are tired and its raining.
The key point is - do your homework, take your time and relax (many have been there before you)
Jonathan
Daydream believer
Well-known member
I have done it SH twice & if it had not been for covid it would have been thrice. It gets addictive. A friend of mine agrees. He went round the top but I cheated & went via the Cally canal. But I made up for it by going round Guernsey on the way ( that is my excuse).personally I think you have to be prepared for trips much longer than 30miles.
there is a book by - I think- Roger Taylor about sailing round the U.K. it shows his 2 routes gives details of how he prepared his Sadler 29 or 26 I forget which sorry do not have book to hand.
someone on the forum will have the title & I found it an excellent source of info
there is a book by - I think- Roger Taylor about sailing round the U.K. it shows his 2 routes gives details of how he prepared his Sadler 29 or 26 I forget which sorry do not have book to hand.
someone on the forum will have the title & I found it an excellent source of info
Wansworth
Well-known member
capnsensible
Well-known member
Horses, courses. For me one of the great parts of travelling under sail is the chance to discover new ports, harbours and anchorages. We are all different!
14K478
Well-known member
Horses for courses indeed.
Singlehanding means putting in each night.
Edward Middleton went one better in his cruise round England in the “Kate”, 23’x7’, in 1869 and stayed at an hotel each night.
Interesting that he took the Forth and Clyde canal (mis-labelled as the Crinan Canal in the sketch chart).
I would prefer to sail with a crew, stay at sea for a week and get to Scotland in one jump. I’ve been to many places on the South Coast, and frankly the East Coast north of Lowestoft ne vaut pas le visite.
Singlehanding means putting in each night.
Edward Middleton went one better in his cruise round England in the “Kate”, 23’x7’, in 1869 and stayed at an hotel each night.
Interesting that he took the Forth and Clyde canal (mis-labelled as the Crinan Canal in the sketch chart).
I would prefer to sail with a crew, stay at sea for a week and get to Scotland in one jump. I’ve been to many places on the South Coast, and frankly the East Coast north of Lowestoft ne vaut pas le visite.
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B27
Well-known member
dunedin
Well-known member
If you want to do it this book might be a useful read - UK and Ireland Circumnavigator's Guide
(But from Wales I still wouldn’t bother with the East side - all the best bits are west of a line from Alderney to Shetland
)
(But from Wales I still wouldn’t bother with the East side - all the best bits are west of a line from Alderney to Shetland
)
AngusMcDoon
Well-known member
I don't think that's necessary. I've done it twice, tiller pilot both times. It's not crossing an ocean, it's 2k miles of coastal sailing. If a tiller pilot goes wrong then at the next harbour you order a new one & get DHL to deliver it the next day.
dunedin
Well-known member
Agree. And in practice for most people doing a “round Britain” it seems to turn into a delivery trip to maintain the schedule, so huge mileage under engine rather than sail. Hence for a solo trip a really good electronic autopilot is near essential (and vane steering gear not good for motoring, plus another hazard for mooring up in strange harbours)
dansaskip
Well-known member
I am with MisterBaxter in thinking a windvane self steering set up most desirable. As others have suggested not essential but most desirable. It certainly transformed my single handed sailing. It frees you from the tyranny of the tiller (or wheel). You can adjust your sails, make cups of tea, cook meals, check your charts, take photos, go to the loo etc and it makes the whole thing less stressful and more relaxing. Yes I know you can get by with an autopilot and many people do but personally I do not like the constant whiring noise they make with their almost constant auto course corrections and of course the drain on the batteries they make . Yes ok a windvane self steering is no good when you are motoring so I reckon you need an autopilot as well. Best of luck and enjoy it. ps I am 75 and still doing it never too old to start
14K478
Well-known member
It is the “delivery trip” aspect, with big mileages under power to get home in time that discourages me!
Where do I want to go? Answer: the Western Isles of Scotland. Do I enjoy motoring? No! So one or two longer passages, which are very good fun in their own way, and if it falls calm, we flop about for a bit.
Related question - how hard is it to leave the boat in Scotland?
Where do I want to go? Answer: the Western Isles of Scotland. Do I enjoy motoring? No! So one or two longer passages, which are very good fun in their own way, and if it falls calm, we flop about for a bit.
Related question - how hard is it to leave the boat in Scotland?
MisterBaxter
Well-known member
I think my preference for windvane self steering is part of a broader desire to keep it simple and self-sufficient, but belt and braces is always good so tillerpilot too sounds good to me...
dunedin
Well-known member
How often did you adjust the autopilot settings ? On mine it is the Response level and I adjust down to 3 for most sailing and motoring, which avoids any “almost constant auto course corrections”, but adjust to 4 or 5 if going fast downwind in waves.
Not noticed any significant power drain compared to all the other electric demands, certainly never been an issue.
And if power was the issue, I would increase the power generation (more solar or add a Wat&Sea) before adding a windvane.
dunedin
Well-known member
LOTS of boats with south of England owners (and further afield) winter in Scotland, both afloat and on shore. Some to extend a cruise round the British coast, some kept longer term. Lots of options, with the Clyde and around Oban area the most popular.
Remember that the Scottish NW and islands probably have twice the length of cruise-able coastline than the rest of the UK put together, hence needs more time to explore properly.
capnsensible
Well-known member
Really easy, you don't even have to wave goodbye.