Good Sailing Ideas

[Rod Shiers]

I'm planning a late summer trip (up to a week). Living in 'landlocked Derbyshire' isn't ideal but it does mean I'm not an impossible distance from anywhere. I have lots of pilots but would appreciate any local knowledge of good places for a few days away in the Baycruiser. Would prefer somewhere that doesn't dry out completely, has a few landing places, good pubs etc. Don't want much do I?

Many thanks

Rod Shiers
BC23
Gracenote

[Julian Merson]

I can heartily recommend the East coast, particularly anywhere between the Blackwater and the Ore.  lots of sheltered sailing up estuaries, the potential for interesting sea passages in the right conditions and, yes, potential landing if you know where to go for pubs, etc. 

[Ged]

Falmouth, Carrick roads and Helford make a wonderful sailing area.

[Graham W]

Some of the information is probably out of date now but there’s this in the library https://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/?page_id=343

[Rod Shiers]

Thanks for the ideas. The library document is a good tool. I'll add my contributions to date.
Julian, can you  recommend a good place to launch and store the car and trailer?

[Julian Merson]

Julian, can you  recommend a good place to launch and store the car and trailer?

Yes, my three favoured slips are:
Bradwell Marina on the Blackwater - about £20 for in/out plus car/trailer parking.  Trailer/car not secure so need a good clamp.  HW +-4.  Good.
Titchmarsh Marina, Walton Backwaters - they recently charged me £36 for in/out plus parking plus 2 nights berthing in the Marina which I thought was quite good value.  Without berthing, <£20.  Trailer is always kept behind a locked gate here.  Really nice place.  HW+-4. You can technically use slip all tides but it gets increasingly muddy.
Woolverstone Marina (River Orwell, Suffolk)- about £36 for in/out plus parking.  No secure area, needs clamp.  Slipway good for HW+-2.5, but cross currents if not at HW.  Really expensive, but probably most accessible - about 10mins from A14 whereas the others involve longer forays into deepest, darkest Essex...
Also a v. Steep slip at Suffolk Yacht Harbour which I don't use since it isn't good for single handed launch/recovery - they have a wire thing there which connects between car and trailer.  This keeps the car on the level and hence prevents it from sliding down the slip but means the driver (usually the skipper) can't see what's going on, so need at least one other to wave arms.