Discussion
_rubinho_ said:
Not ready to let this thread die just yet; I've another question (no crime this time).
This is a hard question to ask and is easily answerable by "how long is a piece of string" but bear with me. Ignoring for a moment the type of yacht, weather conditions, ocean currents and other variable factors extremely roughly how fast would you travel. Say, for example, given a month and average summer weather how long a round trip could you comfortably do e.g. France and back, Portugal and back, Italy and back? Bear in mind that it would be a holiday so the point would be to stop in a few places for a night and not sail 4 hours on and 4 hours off non-stop for a month!
A cruising boat might average 6 knots (nautical mph) or so, bigger lighter boats faster, smaller heavier boats slower. If going against the wind will be slower as need to cover much more distance. So not fast. However you can sail all day and night so can comfortably cover over 100 miles a day.This is a hard question to ask and is easily answerable by "how long is a piece of string" but bear with me. Ignoring for a moment the type of yacht, weather conditions, ocean currents and other variable factors extremely roughly how fast would you travel. Say, for example, given a month and average summer weather how long a round trip could you comfortably do e.g. France and back, Portugal and back, Italy and back? Bear in mind that it would be a holiday so the point would be to stop in a few places for a night and not sail 4 hours on and 4 hours off non-stop for a month!
Plus long crossings eg 100 miles at 6 knots can be sooooo boring or soooo scary depending on weather and sea state.
We regularly cross the channel to caen, cherbourg, channel islands etc. The harder bit is the run down the Bay of Biscay as there are big gaps between suitable ports and the Britanny coast is seriously dangerous.
We normally run out of stamina and have a holiday, so never get as far as we wanted to
We regularly cross the channel to caen, cherbourg, channel islands etc. The harder bit is the run down the Bay of Biscay as there are big gaps between suitable ports and the Britanny coast is seriously dangerous.
We normally run out of stamina and have a holiday, so never get as far as we wanted to
Paddy_N_Murphy said:
maser_spyder said:
Stuff I haven't done but want to do....
Maser ^. Finally decided I feckin don't like you ! 
f
k me we were lucky. We certainly didn't take it for granted then, and still don't.We've been lucky lucky lucky, and are very grateful for it.
Still, that won't make you hate me any less.
_rubinho_ said:
maser_spyder said:
One thing your post didn't say was where 'back' is?
Where would you be sailing from?
Thanks for your very interesting post. Sorry for missing the cruicial piece of information; consider "back" in the context of my question to mean English South East. Where would you be sailing from?
Cheers!
Head over the coast to Northern France. Not Cherbourg or any of the big places (they're crap), but smaller places can be nice.
Then on to Alderney (amazing place - a bit like 'League of Gentlemen'). From here, you've got Guernsey and Jersey (and Sark) about 20-odd miles in each direction, a nice afternoon sail from place to place.
Then on to St. Malo, which is a great place, and hop along the coast, coming back via the Channel Isles, and a hop over the channel to visit some of the places on the south cost of the UK (which is mostly stunning).
Spend a month doing that, you'd have a great time, never be under pressure to keep moving, and see some of the best places in the area with the best weather.
Portugal, southern Spain, etc. are all at least a week / 10 days constant sailing (allowing for weather gaps and stopping for supplies), so there and back is going to be the best part of a month.
If I was heading out that way again, I wouldn't bother with the sail down to Gibraltar and turn left, I'd probably go via French canals (which look stunning compared to the coast of Portugal), and come out in the best bit of the med, around central south of France coast.
You could then turn right, left, or straight on, depending on the choice to visit Languedoc-Roussillon and on to Spain/Barcelona, straight on to Corsica, or left to Monaco and Italy. Not a bad choice really.
Much better than sitting out a week in a Biscay storm and staring at the rocky Portugal coast for 5 days on watch.
Just my opinion of course, Portugal can be lovely, it's just so-spread-out lovely, compared to France and the Northern Med, where it's all in day-sail distance.
Or.... Do what our plan is next, and head off to Croatia and Greece. But that's more than a month!
All told, they're not bad decisions to be having to make!
Paddy_N_Murphy said:
Umm, Maser ?
I don't mean to Piss on you mainsheet, but OP Said :
Hmm. I don't mean to Piss on you mainsheet, but OP Said :
_rubinho_ said:
but I do consider myself a total sail (and boat) novice.
Cheers!
Cheers!
OK, I'll try again.
Cardiff Bay is nice. You can't get lost, there are no tides, and you're never more than about 2 miles from safety.
Fill your boots!
Going back to the OP, I think we should remember that he has gotten interested in sailing because he is in the South Coast of Norway.
South and Eastern Norway in the summertime is simply beautiful. I have been to Tonsberg a couple of times and messed about in other peoples boats around there and I can really, really see the appeal. The days are long in the summer, the people are friendly and attractive, the food is great and the whole place is generally brilliant, with loads of little islands and sheltered bays.
The south and west is fantastic as well. It is easy to see why the Norwegians are so mad on boats.
It is very different to the Solent.
I would even consider keeping a boat in the Tonsberg or Sandefjord area. Ryanair fly near there ( Torp ) out of Stansted I think !
South and Eastern Norway in the summertime is simply beautiful. I have been to Tonsberg a couple of times and messed about in other peoples boats around there and I can really, really see the appeal. The days are long in the summer, the people are friendly and attractive, the food is great and the whole place is generally brilliant, with loads of little islands and sheltered bays.
The south and west is fantastic as well. It is easy to see why the Norwegians are so mad on boats.
It is very different to the Solent.
I would even consider keeping a boat in the Tonsberg or Sandefjord area. Ryanair fly near there ( Torp ) out of Stansted I think !
Edited by toppstuff on Thursday 12th August 16:52
tank slapper said:
toppstuff said:
It is very different to the Solent.
So is most of the rest of the UK. There are some really very nice places around our coast - it's not all the same as that over crowded, overly expensive 20 mile stretch.
maser_spyder said:
If I was heading out that way again, I wouldn't bother with the sail down to Gibraltar and turn left, I'd probably go via French canals (which look stunning compared to the coast of Portugal), and come out in the best bit of the med, around central south of France coast.
Sadly the French canal route cannot not accomodate anything with a draught of more than 1m 95cm and in the Summer that really drops to 1m 75cm on certain sections. There is a bargain JOD35 on the French South Coast, but I have to pay EUR3k to have it shipped by truck from Toulon to Le Havre as the canals are to shallow...Paddy_N_Murphy said:
Not a big fan of Moodys (except their boatyard) but that does look rather nice
Gibralter has some good schools for courses, means you get sun, some interesting sailing as it can get pretty heavy in the straights, especially when the wind picks up, quite heavy shipping traffic so you get you used to it (especially useful if your going to be around the Channel and south coast) and the opportunity to have jaunts over to North Africa and along the coast into some nice marina's and they run all year.
With boats, your budget will be a massive factor as prices vary enourmously.
With boats, your budget will be a massive factor as prices vary enourmously.
Paddy_N_Murphy said:
maser_spyder said:
Pageant, pah. 
I cut my teeth in my teens on a Westerley Ocean Lord (dontcha know) around the Solent/channel. That seemed bloody huge at the time.
Maser - remember this Thread ?I cut my teeth in my teens on a Westerley Ocean Lord (dontcha know) around the Solent/channel. That seemed bloody huge at the time.
Well, from another Forum, the ACTUAL little Pag is still afloat !
Dear old Pagina
Through our adventures aboard we visited all those wonderful places I am envious you still have access to !
My Grandfather sailed her more or less up to the end of his life single handled for the most. The wonderful story I remember is when heading up to his swinging mooring opposite the Royal Lym and when to crank up the Volvo Penta she wouldn't kick in to life.
Ho-Hum, sailed her up the river, picked up the mooring single handed, and dropped the sails, and rowed ashore to a round of applause.
He was 80 that year !
A Few changes from when I was a boy, but largely the same !
I have the Barometer from the bulkhead in my Conservatory at home, and my Brother has the Ships clock.
anyway. as you were......
I actually know David Evans, bought my sun odyssey from him many years ago. Let me know if you'd like an introduction! Actually, I'm sure he'd give you a test sail around Cardiff Bay, it's a nice part of the world.
Cheburator mk2 said:
Sadly the French canal route cannot not accomodate anything with a draught of more than 1m 95cm and in the Summer that really drops to 1m 75cm on certain sections. There is a bargain JOD35 on the French South Coast, but I have to pay EUR3k to have it shipped by truck from Toulon to Le Havre as the canals are to shallow...
I'd happily sail it back for you for £3 / mile. JODs are awesome boats - very quick & still quite competitive (not really a cruising boat, though). I used to race & sell them as a part time job when I was a student. One of the sweetest boats I have sailed tbh.Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff