Bad weather at the end of an early season cruise to Falmouth meant we had to leave our Duchy 35 Laila in the marina there rather than heading back to our home port of Noss on Dart, so when we returned in mid July for a 10-day summer break it meant we could set off from there instead. With no fixed plans of where to go, the world, or at least the South West, was our oyster!

Tuesday 22 July

We’d arrived a couple of days previously but with the wind still howling through the marina we used the time to stock up on stores and start making plans. Now the weather was looking much brighter, although there was still a stiff breeze from the east.

Confident in Laila’s seakeeping, we departed Fal marina mid-morning and headed up to Malpas. We called the Truro Harbour Authority and a helpful chap confirmed that the pontoon at Malpas was both quiet and deep enough for our 1.2m draft. By the time we arrived, the wind had dropped, the water was like sheet glass and the only sound was birdsong from the trees lining the banks.

Berthed on the pontoon at Malpas

Sara rustled up a quiche for lunch and I cracked open a nice bottle of rosé to kick-start the holiday! A lazy afternoon rolled into the evening, when the lure of the Heron Inn pub a stone’s throw away across the estuary proved too tempting to resist. We both opted for the paella, bursting with freshly caught local seafood – delicious!

Wednesday 23 July

Woke up to a fantastic view down the estuary. After fresh coffee and toast aboard, we headed ashore for a walk along the Tresillian estuary. Before long we came across the hamlet of St Clement with its beautiful Grade 1 listed church and a handful of picture perfect cottages. Phoning ahead to Mary’s Pasty Shop on a tip from the harbourmaster, Sara put in an order for “two Cornish pasties”, adding that we were “on our way from Malpas”. Mary’s reply was priceless: “You mean two pasties, my love, we’re in Cornwall, and it’s pronounced Molpos.”

I decided not to mention that we were from Devon when we arrived to collect our pasties but they were every bit as delicious as promised. Weighed down with pasty, we opted to catch the bus into Truro. The sun was shining and it was market day so all the stalls were doing a roaring trade.

Glassy conditions made for a perfect stay. Photo: Getty

We loaded up with fresh cheese, local honey and other local produce, popped into Fodders for a restorative cup of tea, then walked back along the east side of the estuary to Malpas. With stunning views in all directions and a well-trodden riverside path adorned with gnarled trees and abandoned craft, it was the ideal way to walk off our hearty lunch. We arrived back in Malpas at 1700 just in time for an ice-cold Cornish Orchards cider in the garden of the Heron Inn pub.

Thursday 24 July

We headed downstream and landed at the lower visitor pontoon on the Fal before taking the tender up to the pontoon at nearby Trelissick House. As National Trust members, entry was free and we spent a very happy few hours wandering through the sun-dappled forest, taking our dog Marmalade for a swim from the beach, and admiring the beautiful house and gardens. The weather was so nice, we decided to head back to Laila to feast on all the lovely goodies we’d picked up in Truro the day before.

Sara gets the holiday off to a good start with a picnic onboard

Lunch done, we departed for Helford. Light winds and flat seas made for an easy hop round and we arrived in the Helford at 1630 in the hopes of picking up a mooring. We couldn’t see the mooring officer or reach him on the landline (01326 250749), so we were all set to anchor for the night in Robin Cove or Polwidden Bay when we spotted a day boat leaving a mooring buoy. We grabbed the buoy, scanned the barcode printed on it and paid our mooring fees for three nights, giving us time to explore the whole estuary.

Once settled in, Marmalade and I hopped in the tender for our usual evening walk while Sara rustled up her legendary spaghetti Bolognese. We landed at the Helford Sailing Club’s pontoon, put a few quid in the honesty box and headed into the village over a small footbridge surrounded by picture perfect cottages draped with colourful flower boxes.

Stumbling across The Shipwright Arms, Marmalade insisted we pop in for some liquid refreshment. Chatting to one of the locals over a swift pint, I learnt that the pub’s owner is the son of Roger Taylor, drummer for the legendary rock band Queen.

Their Duchy 35 Laila is ideally suited to cruising these waters

Friday 25 July

Over a late brekky, we studied the weather apps and realised we were in for a settled North Westerly for the following week. We both had a light bulb moment – the Scilly Isles! They’ve been on our cruising radar ever since buying Laila but we’ve never yet had the time or weather to make it there. This was our chance.

I messaged Dave Cockwell, who built our wonderful Duchy 35, for advice. Dave and his family have been going there for over 20 years in his 1936 converted ring netter Marie. As luck would have it he was heading there himself on Monday. His advice was typically forthright: “If you’re going to go, go now!”

This was exactly the confidence boost I needed. I’d been to the Scillies plenty of times before to row in the Pilot Gig championships but I’d never cruised there in my own boat. After a quick conflab, we decided to go for it. While Sara took Marmalade ashore for a quick walk, I conducted a passage plan, checked the fuel and strainers, assessed the winds and tides. F2 to 4 WSW with an easterly tide – not ideal but should be OK! After all, we were in a sturdy semi-displacement vessel with two 380hp V8 Yanmars and a Seakeeper stabiliser.

I called up the Helford moorings officer to let him know of our change of plan. He was kind enough to bank our two extra days for our return trip to the Helford. We let go of the mooring at 1130 with a 60nm passage ahead of us.

We headed south east towards the East Manacle cardinal, refining our passage plan as we went. By the time we reached the Manacle buoy, we had a Plan A and a Plan B, with Sara noting our positions and times in our logbook. We could now relax into the passage, enjoying the moment we passed 2nm south of the Lizard and changed direction due west out into the Atlantic – Scilly Isles here we come!

Keeping a sharp look out for ships as we entered the Traffic Separation Scheme, we switched the radar on as visibility was closing in a bit. Maintaining our speed at 24 knots we romped through the swell with ease, marvelling at Laila’s comfortable ride. In the distance a cruise liner was not moving from our guardrail stanchion so I put the radar’s variable line marker on it to check its ‘closest point of approach’ (CPA) and took a hand bearing to double check.

It was bearing down on us from 6nm so I called L’Austral on the VHF to inform the crew I was reducing speed to pass by its stern. The friendly French captain acknowledged the message and confirmed my intentions.

Our plan was to arrive in St Agnes, stay a couple of nights and work our way around the rest of the Scilly Isles over the coming days. All being well we would anchor to the south east in the cove between St Agnes and Gugh.

Visitors’ buoys are always in hot demand on the Helford River. Photo Getty Images

We arrived at 1415 in perfect conditions. It was busy though, I counted 24 masts and not a single motorboat. Given that we would swing differently to most yachts, we tried to find a spot on the north east side of the cove. We set anchor perfectly but were asked to move by a nearby yacht who seemed to think we were crowding their space.

Minutes later their friends arrived in another yacht and took the exact same spot – they had clearly been keeping it for them. They did look pretty sheepish when we ended up sitting on the next door table to them at the Turks Head pub later that afternoon!

Once we found a new spot and set the anchor for the second time with our new snubber bridle attached, we could finally relax and cracked open a bottle of Prosecco to celebrate our arrival. I hoisted my Isles of Scilly courtesy flag, inflated the tender and we all went ashore for a little explore, through St Agnes across to Troytown Farm for a local ice cream and onto Carnew Point to the best glamping site I have ever seen – the view across to the uninhabited island of Annet with Bishop Rock lighthouse in the distance was spectacular.

Helford village is home to the Shipwright Arms

Saturday 26th July

After a good night’s kip, we woke up early and headed out across St Agnes on a circular walk to see more of the island’s magnificent views and wildlife. We passed through Wingletang Down, pausing to admire the Giant’s Punch Bowl, a naturally balancing stone, Beady Pool and Nags Head, a rock resembling a horse’s head. Later in the day, we went for a refreshing dip at Bar Beach, the narrow sand bar that links St Agnes and Gugh at low water.

Once dressed and warm again, we popped into the Turks Head for a gin and tonic. It was such a lovely evening we decided to head across to Gugh. You have to be very careful not to disturb the nesting petrels, great black gulls and ringed plovers, as we found out when we took the wrong path and the ground erupted with screeching seabirds!

The Isles of Scilly are famous for their pristine white beaches and turquoise waters. Photo: Shutterstock

We beat a hasty retreat back onto the correct path and continued up over Kitten Hill to the ‘Old Man of Gugh’, a leaning stone that was once a Bronze Age ritual monument, before heading back to the boat for a simple supper of jacket spuds, coleslaw and another bottle of Prosecco!

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This article “Go Now!” A Sudden weather window sparked our unforgettable Scilly Isles cruise appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Our cruise from Guernsey to the Morbihan aboard our Princess V50 Echo Beach had all gone very smoothly. The V50’s joystick, coupled with the IPS drives and the powerful bow thruster, definitely helped.

Now we had our friends David and Debra Corson joining us. Having another pair of hands on board is always welcome, as is fresh company. Not only that, but Debra is an excellent cook! Fortunately, Echo Beach is well equipped for guests with two comfortable cabins, each with its own en suite facilities. We’d arranged to meet them in Vannes, two hours south of St Malo by train and an easy place to get to if you ever need to leave your boat in southern Brittany.

Echo Beach moored in front of the old walled town of Concarneau.

Vannes is also an attractive walled city, with many interesting features, lots of good restaurants and cafés, numerous boulangeries and a lovely feel to it. This was made all the better by one of the best markets we have been to in Brittany, all in a beautiful setting.

We visited Auray by land and the area by the bridge called Pont de Saint Goustan is small but very pretty and would be great to visit by boat, although given the tides and the shallow approaches there, probably not in a 50ft motor boat that cannot dry out.

The old town centre in Roscoff is well worth wandering through for a browse in the various shops

Vannes to Crouesty

On the day we planned to leave Vannes, it was blowing a F4 gusting F5. Because access is restricted by tide, we were due to leave as soon as the gate opened at 2pm. We followed the marina attendant down the channel, knowing that departing boats have priority over incoming ones.

Camaret town is pleasant… The highlight, though, was the walk around the coast

The gate opened promptly at the published time. However, the operator then had to get back into his dinghy, go to the road bridge and open that separately, which took a further 15 minutes – not ideal when you’re trying to hold station in a narrow channel with a F5 crosswind whipping across it. In fact, thanks to joystick control and my full concentration, it wasn’t as problematic as we had anticipated.

Before long, we exited the channel and were back in the main channel of the Morbihan. Although it was not at its best, due to the overcast conditions, David and Debra still enjoyed seeing the many islands.

Coming out of the Morbihan, there was a nasty wind against tide. Thankfully, the rough patch only lasted for a few minutes and Echo Beach took it in her stride.
A short while later, Crouesty came into view, and we headed in to find a berth.

The walk along the coast to Haliguen encompasses several nice beaches and scenic paths

The mooring in Crouesty was our worst experience of the trip. Having been told they could accommodate us, the marina attendant said they were very full and asked us to moor on the outside of a 40ft motor boat, which was on a small hammerhead at an angle to the main causeway.

It needed David and Linda’s hard work and expertise to tie us alongside as best they could but our bow was left sticking out into the fairway. Without lines ashore to secure us both and a forecast of F5 during the night, I was worried about a boat of our size relying on the smaller boats’ lines to hold us both.

In the end, I telephoned the marina and eventually they found us a much better berth. It was not very accessible from land but we were relieved to be on a secure mooring.

Moored by the Capitanerie in Vannes marina

Crouesty to Trinité

The next morning it was still F4 gusting F5. However, the Bay of Quiberon is like an amphitheatre and sheltered from most directions. Even when the wind is from the south, the islands of Houat, Hoëdic and Belle Île provide some protection. The resulting short chop meant we were able to maintain a steady 25 knots en route to Trinité-sur-Mer.

We called the marina office a number of times on arrival on VHF9 but got no reply. With nobody on site to direct us, we moored on the hammerhead of the visitors’ pontoon just behind a 25ft yacht. I presumed one or both of us would be asked to move later on, when moorings became available, but it never happened so we stayed where we were.

Pont de Saint Gustan in Auray

Trinité proved to be an interesting spot. The town itself is attractive and blessed with a good selection of appealing shops. We also enjoyed an excursion on The Petit Train, a tyred tourist train that takes you on a tour of the Carnac Stones – a series of Neolithic standing stones erected around 3,300 BC.

The marina was undergoing development work at the time of our visit, including the fuelling pontoon, which should now be better able to cope with larger boats. Thankfully, the captain was very helpful and proactive, showing us the old facilities at our end of the marina and the much newer (and better) ones at the other end.

The finger mooring in Roscoff was the perfect size for Colin’s Princess V50

Trinité to Haliguen

Our next stop was Haliguen, just across the bay on the Quiberon peninsula. This proved to be one of the highlights of our trip.

We were met on arrival and shown to a good finger mooring on Pontoon I. The marina is lovely, with three sets of modern facilities and another Petit Train that takes you to Quiberon Town.

In Vannes’ market

Quiberon was bigger than expected and has a pretty beach front with lots of activities. We decided to walk back along the coast to Haliguen, which takes around an hour and encompasses several nice beaches and scenic paths.

Haliguen can also be used as a base to explore Belle Île. A ferry runs there all year round from Quiberon, and in the summer months there’s a smaller one from Haliguen. We very much enjoyed our stay here and will certainly go back again.

We enjoyed Etel so much on the way out that we decided to pop in again on the way back for an additional night’s stay. We knew what to do and when, so as soon as we arrived, David and Debra caught the tourist boat up the river before meeting us for dinner at the Restaurant Le BB and a trip to the market in Rue de la Libération.

Carnac’s ancient standing stones

This was our longest passage since David and Debra joined us, but it was still only 37nm. We passed close to Île de Groix and headed for an old favourite, Concarneau. The marina is pleasant and the walled town is lovely to visit – a bit crowded in peak season, but quieter in the evenings.

The only moorings for a 50ft boat are inside of the breakwater. This looks to be a solid concrete pier but it’s actually made up of several floating sections that move independently of each other so do not tie up between two different sections. Also, ensure you are not too close to the next boat, as the movement can bring you closer.

Article continues below…

Boating in a Princess V50 to Southern Brittany part 1: 'The Semaine du Golfe festival was heaving with people'

Channel Islands boating: Local’s guide to Guernsey and its stunning neighbours

Sainte Marine

Sainte Marine is one of our favourite places and although we had the pleasure of stopping there on the way down, we were keen to drop in again for a night on our way back.

On the day of our departure from Concarneau, I did my normal early morning croissant run to the boulangerie. On the way back, the skies darkened and within seconds the heavens opened, drenching me. It was an amazing thunderstorm and quite rightly, no one wanted to go to sea.

Echo Beach squeezes along the narrow Vannes channel

After a couple of hours, the storm passed, so we left our mooring and motored to Sainte Marine. It was great to be back and a visit to our favourite creperie, La Misaine, completed our day. Knowing how lumpy the Raz de Sein can be in any kind of tide, we left the Odet River two hours before slack water at the notorious overfalls.

Camaret

Although only F3 gusting F4, the forecast was for 2.6m swells. Sure enough, the sea was confused and seemed to be coming from several different directions as we passed through the various tidal streams on the south-west tip of Brittany. Nevertheless, we managed to maintain a steady 21 knots for most of the journey, and arrived at the Raz five minutes early. Our timing was spot on and once through the Raz de Sein, the sea flattened out and we had a good run to Brest.

We had such a good experience of fuelling at Brest’s Chateau Marina on the way down, that we decided to refuel there again. A quick call on VHF9 and the fuel pump was unlocked, with the attendant coming to collect payment once we were done. Very efficient.

Teignouse lighthouse on the tip of the Quiberon peninsula

We left Brest and travelled the 10nm to Camaret, heading for the outer, visitors’ marina, where we called on VHF 9 and were taken to our berth on the inside of the wave wall. It looked fine but the wall is lower than it looks and all visiting boats, including ours, had to quickly drop their fenders so they touched the sea. The bollards are a very old style and there is a constant surge, day and night.

Snubbers and nylon ropes helped take the snatch out of the movement but it was still pretty uncomfortable. It also had the worst facilities, being based in an old German bunker!

Although the marina was very disappointing, the walk to the town of Camaret, past the Vauban tower and the old fisherman’s chapel, is special and the town is pleasant with plenty of places to eat. The highlight, though, was the walk around the coast to see the semaphore at Pointe du Toulinguet, the ruins of the Manoir Saint Pol Roux, the Alignements de Lagatjar stones and the Liberation Cross at Pen Hir – all part of our favourite GR34 walking route.

The tranquil bay at Sainte Marine

After two nights of the unpleasant surge, we headed for Roscoff.

It is a surprisingly long distance from Camaret to Roscoff. You pass Pointe Saint-Mathieu, with its red and white lighthouse and derelict abbey, and up the Chenal du Four past Le Four Lighthouse, before heading east. It’s still 37nm from here, passing L’Aber Wrac’h, and as it was above half tide, slowly along the inside of Île de Batz.

Going around the outside of the Île de Batz is longer still, and can be rough due to the meeting of tidal streams unless you go a long way out.

Roscoff has a new “register my arrival” option on its website, which worked a treat. They were expecting us on arrival and showed us to a great finger berth, one of the best moorings of the trip.

The seafront at Quiberon

The walk to the town and the town itself is always special. We had booked into the Café du Port for lunch and had a great meal.

We had already sent in our “departure from the Schengen area” forms and were instructed to report to the douane office in the departures area of the Roscoff Ferry Terminal at 9:15. The officials were very helpful and efficient.

Formalities done, we headed back to Guernsey, via Sept Îles, and averaged 27 knots all the way back. The end of a great trip in a great boat.

French schooner looking majestic outside Concarneau

Lessons from Boating in Brittany

We contacted the marinas well in advance of our visit to see if they had any large events or rallies on which we should avoid. The only marina to say “Non” was Morgat, which will not take large boats.

None of the marinas take bookings for stays of less than a week, so the best approach with a larger boat is to contact the next marina a couple of days before arrival so they can give an indication of whether they can take you or not. The marinas in southern Brittany are fairly close, so if you can’t get into one, you can get to another in less than an hour. An early arrival, just before or after lunch, is ideal, as the yachts tend to arrive later in the afternoon.

The Liberation Cross at Pen Hir

Most cost around €44 a night for a 15m boat with no additional charge for electricity or Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is pretty slow in most marinas so a good 4G hotspot is the best solution.

The Passeport Escales loyalty card works well too. Etel, Crouesty, Île-aux-Moines, Vannes, Trinité and Haliguen are all part of this initiative. The card or app gets you into most of the facilities, your Passeport Escales number means the marina can look up all of your information and after a while you’ll build up enough points for a free night.

Gasoil is diesel and comes from the yellow pump. If there is a lorry sign on the pump, press it, and the fuel flow will go from slow to not quite as slow. We used 3,147 litres during the 597nm round trip.

Colin and David en route back to Guernsey after a fascinating tour of Southern Brittany

We only saw 16 amp sockets – no 32 amp sockets. Some electric points have push buttons, which you need to press every 24 hours. Take long leads and extensions.

Water connections mostly use the French bayonet type. Some of the cleats are just hoops, so it’s best to thread the rope through and take it back to the boat.
I took a video of Echo Beach going into each marina which you can view on www.digimapmarinas.com.

If it is your first visit, it is a great way to visualise the way in.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

This article Boating in a Princess V50 to Southern Brittany Part 2: 'The walk along the coast to Haliguen encompasses several nice beaches' appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Southern Brittany is an idyllic place to visit by boat – it seems to have its own climate once you go ‘around the corner’. It also enjoys much smaller tides than northern Brittany and Normandy.

As we are based in Guernsey, it seemed like an ideal place for us to explore in our newly acquired Princess V50, Echo Beach, but would the small harbours and marinas there be able to take a 15m boat, and would we be able to find fuel when most of the local pumps have a card limit of €180? There was only one way to find out…

The Princess V50. Photo: Colin Le Conte

Guernsey to Brest in a Princess V50

We always try to do the long mileages at the start of the trip. Even when travelling from the Channel Islands, let alone the South Coast of England, it is a fair distance to the west coast of Brittany.

We left Guernsey on Wednesday 21 May and headed directly to Brest Château marina. The wind was F3 to F4 from the NW, with gusts of F5. The boat handled the conditions really well, and we passed inside the Sept Îles rocks off Ploumanac’h, where we slowed down for a quick sandwich and cup of tea.

We timed our departure to arrive at the Chenal du Four with a following tide and the wind behind us; it was one of the calmest parts of the trip. This helped us make good time, covering the 140nm in 5 ½ hours at an average speed of 25 knots.

Aboard the Princess V50. Photo: Colin Le Conte

Our friend, John, an experienced yachtsman, was keen to expand his knowledge and experience by coming on this section of the trip with us. Brest Château marina was welcoming and efficient and an ideal functional stopover with easy fuelling and a nearby station for John to catch a train onwards.

Crucially, it’s also an approved port of entry (PPF) so we could clear passport control. The surrounding buildings are commercial but the area by the Marina office has a number of decent bars and restaurants.

We had sent in our forms to the Brest Douane for entry into the Schengen area as per the instructions on the Digimap Marinas website, and sure enough, on arrival in Brest, the stamped forms were already in our email inbox.

Colin and Linda with Echo Beach. Photo: Colin Le Conte

Very helpful, but in our case, we needed to have our passports stamped, as John would be leaving France on a ferry, and we’d be picking up our friends David and Debra for the return leg home. The rules require everyone on board to check out of the Schengen area together, and the only way of doing this was for us all to
have our passports stamped.

We walked to the Douane office, which is seven minutes from the marina, and explained the situation. They were very helpful and duly stamped all our passports. We were now free to enter any other marina without more form filling.

Brest is an interesting city and there is a maritime museum within walking distance of the marina. The other good news is that there is a Paul’s boulangerie near the port, one of our favourites. We stayed for two nights.

There are two fuel pumps at Brest on either side of the pontoon. This worked well as it meant we could fill up without upsetting the local boats and yachties, who only wanted a few litres. We called the office on VHF9 and they overrode the credit card limit of the pump, so we did not have to keep restarting the process every 100 litres or so. Fuelling completed, (Euro 1.77 a litre), we paid our bill at the marina office and went on our way for the next stage of our adventure.

Relaxing under the sunroof as the cruise gets underway. Photo: Colin Le Conte

Raz de Sein

Timing our arrival at the Raz de Sein was crucial. The short, sharp overfalls are notorious and need to be respected. Once again, we used Digimap Marinas’ times. It worked a treat, the tide had slackened and the white-capped passage became calmer as we approached.

Echo Beach took the short waves in its stride. With the two famous towers behind us, we enjoyed a calm run towards Bénodet, completing the 70nm trip in 2.5 hours.

Watching the sun set over the bathing platform of their Princess V50
on the River Étel. Photo: Colin Le Conte

Sainte-Marine

This is a beautiful stretch of Southern Brittany and we were delighted to be back. We were even more pleased to see a couple of vacant moorings on the visitors’ pontoon at Sainte-Marine on the opposite side to Bénodet.

Sainte Marine has a beautiful cove with good restaurants and crêperies and a nice walk to the headland. Bénodet is on the Odet River, and, like most tidal rivers, it is best to moor at HW or LW when the tidal flow is slack. Bénodet also has fuelling and they too were able to override the card limit from the office.

Étel Semaphore flying the flag to warn boaters of the ever-shifting sand bank. Photo: Colin Le Conte

A ferry runs between Bénodet and Sainte- Marine for the princely sum of €2 and there are good walks to the headland on both sides of the Odet River. We found a good patisserie in the road parallel to the riverfront, called Nektar, where we bought a selection of cakes to celebrate Linda’s birthday.

One of the joys of owning a V50 is that there’s enough space in the tender garage to stow our bikes, and the next day we cycled the customs path to Île Tudy (7km). We also took the ferry to Loctudy to check out the marina there.

Squeezing along the narrow channel to the marina. Photo: Colin Le Conte

Port-Louis, Lorient

We made an early start to beat the forecasted arrival of a F5 wind. Our target was Lorient, a relatively short hop of 37nm. We’d heard good things about the area and Port Louis seemed to be the boaters’ marina of choice.

The impressive Citadelle de Port-Louis stands over the entrance to the Bay of Lorient and Port Louis is on the right as you pass it. We were met by a RIB, which showed us to a prime hammerhead berth.

Most of the shops and restaurants in Brittany are closed on Mondays but we found a lovely one called La Reine Suzette in the town, about 10 minutes’ walk from the boat.

The following day, we caught the ferry to Port de Pêche on the Lorient side. It was a 30-minute walk from there to the K3 submarine pens but once we’d found the ticket office (in the Eric Tabarly building) they were well worth seeing.

The tidal gate leading to Vannes. Photo: Colin Le Conte

These massive structures are effectively bomb- proof and still used for commercial activities. You need to take the guided tour to go inside them (in French only, except mid-summer) but you can visit the Submarine Museum and the Flore S645 submarine using multilingual headsets. We can also recommend a detour to the tasty on-site crêperie!

The following day, we caught the ferry to Île de Groix. We had considered taking our boat, but it’s a small marina, and with the F5 winds continuing, we felt this was the sensible choice. Good fuelling is available at the main marina called Kernevel. Access is through the southern end but beware of the beach.

Colin takes the helm. Photo: Colin Le Conte

Étel

Most UK boaters seem to give Étel a miss as there’s a sandbar at the entrance to the river, however, a friend of ours told us it was well worth the effort. Given that it’s only 11nm from Port Louis, we decided to take a look.

We had timed our arrival for HW on a 92 coefficient tide but as the sandbank is constantly shifting, we took things very slowly and were soon safely into the deeper waters of the river Étel.

View from Saint Michel church on the Île aux Moines. Photo: Colin Le Conte

There are new facilities at the marina and the visitors moorings are on the outside of the marina wall. True to our friend’s word, Étel is beautiful. Our stay was slightly spoiled by the wash from passing boats – the locals show no respect for the 5-knot limit – but once they’d all come back in for the night we had a peaceful night’s sleep until 6am, when they all decided to go back out to catch the fish they missed the previous day!

We rode our bikes to Île de Saint Cado and the lovely town of Erdeven, where there’s a great walking and cycle route to Carnac, taking in the historic menhirs, dolmens and stone alignments known as the “Sentier des Mégalithes”.

We also took a small ferry up on a very scenic route up the River Étel via the oyster beds and back down again to the Barre d’Étel at the river entrance.

Article continues below…

Princess V50 Open yacht tour: See inside this classy new British open sportscruiser

Princess V50 yacht tour: Access-all-areas of Princess's classy 50ft sportscruiser

Crouesty

We wanted to be in Vannes in two days’ time to meet up with our friends David and Debra. As the crow flies, the journey is less than 20nm but you have to go around the southern tip of Quiberon, increasing the distance to 25nm.

We did consider some of the inside passages around the tip of Quiberon but decided that given the speed and size of our boat, it was safer to go around the Phare de la Teignouse.

As we passed the lighthouse, we could see 100 or more yachts battling it out in a race towards the island of Houat. We had already been warned by Trinité-sur-Mer that they could not accommodate us until early June due to the Arman Yacht Race, and sure enough, when we arrived at Crouesty, it looked like rush hour. This is a very large marina with over 1,500 boats but the fairways are not that wide, so you have to keep a lookout in all directions.

Île aux Moines was lovely. We ate on board that evening. Photo: Colin Le Conte

We made it to the fuelling pontoon under the tall tower to find no fewer than five pumps: two for smaller boats on the far side of the pontoon and three larger ones on the fairway side.

Once again we called the marina office and someone came to override the pump’s card limit, taking payment at the small office on the fuelling pontoon. Just allow plenty of time, as the marina attendants are all very busy!

‘We timed our departure to arrive at the Chenal du Four with a following tide and the wind behind us; it was one of the calmest parts of the trip’. Photo: Colin Le Conte

Crouesty is a stopping-off point for lots of boats so it’s well set up for it, with four sets of toilets dotted around the marina. The Passport Escales card worked well for accessing these facilities here and at other marinas – a handy tip if you haven’t got the code from the marina office.

Once settled, we walked to the headland of Port-Navalo to see the full force of the Semaine du Golfe festival of traditional boats. It was heaving with people, boats, tents, bands and parades. No wonder the marina was busy!

Safely berthed on a pontoon in Île aux Moines. Photo: Colin Le Conte

Île aux Moines

Turn right out of the marina and you are at the entrance to the Morbihan, a huge lagoon containing an archipelago of over 45 islands but with an entrance just half a mile wide so the tide rushes in and out.

We timed our entry half an hour after HW during neaps but we still had 2-3 knots of tide with us as we passed through the entrance. High Water in Vannes, at the top of the Morbihan, is almost two hours later than at the entrance, so water is still flowing into the Bay even when HW has passed.

With the tide behind us and travelling at a GPS speed of just over 5 knots, our Garmin chart plotter reported a range of over 1,000nm on our full tanks. If only that were always the case!

Calmer waters inside the magical Golfe du Morbihan. Photo: Colin Le Conte

Our destination was Île aux Moines, as recommended by visitors to the Digimap Marinas website. There are two pontoons for visitors outside a harbour in idyllic settings. The pontoons are supposed to have electricity and water but often one or other of them seems to be broken.

On this occasion, it was the water. There are no toilet facilities on the pontoon but there is a free water taxi service during marina office hours. Outside of these times, you are on your own.

The seagull-speckled crags of the Sept Îles. Photo: Colin Le Conte

We were worried there might not be a space for us as there were so many boats around for the festival. However, the marina office had said there should be room and sure enough we were soon moored alongside the outside of pontoon A, only to be moved to pontoon B as they wanted to keep the deeper water available for any yachts.

Île aux Moines was lovely. We ate on board that evening and watched the many boats passing through the passage between us and the mainland only 700m away – but a world apart in terms of tranquillity.

One of the many small fishing boats whizzing in and out of the entrance to the river. Photo: Colin Le Conte

Vannes

The next day was our big one as it would take us to Vannes – the furthest point of our cruise. We timed the one-hour journey to arrive 30 minutes after the gate was due to open.

Vannes Marina had been very helpful, responding to emails and advising us not to come until the big Morbihan event had finished. On arrival, a RIB met us and asked us to wait on the waiting pontoon for an hour, while some boats left but after 15 minutes we were told to follow the marina attendant in.

Southern Brittany. Photo: Colin Le Conte

It is not the widest channel but we made it through just fine and were directed to moor outside the Capitainerie. Watched by a number of visitors, we spun Echo Beach round and moored perfectly.

With a sense of satisfaction and a certain amount of pride we had reached our destination. Our friends from Guernsey would join us the next day for the return leg of our adventure and the opportunity to visit a number of new and not-so-new marinas.

Next month: the return voyage to Guernsey, a handful of surprises and final lessons learned.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article Boating in a Princess V50 to Southern Brittany part 1: 'The Semaine du Golfe festival was heaving with people' appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Fellow boaters, my name is Ian Furby and I’ve shared a couple of experiences in MBY recently. If you’ve not read them, we live in “The North”, in the beautiful former fishing village of Runswick Bay, 7nm north of Whitby in God’s own county of Yorkshire.

We beach launch from Runswick and so are a little restricted to the size of boat we can comfortably handle; our current craft is a Nordkapp Enduro 605 with a Mercury 150 Pro Xs slung on the back. I am particularly bad at naming boats, so she’s called Six 0 Five and no it wasn’t because I’m a tight Yorkshireman and didn’t have to write her name on the boat.

It’s often said that it’s “grim up north” – well it ain’t, but our season is somewhat shorter than in other areas of the UK’s amazing coastline. Sometimes we only get eight weeks in each season. That said, we had an amazing August, with flat conditions most days and several sightings of minke whales and bottle nosed dolphins. Some lucky individuals even spotted a couple of humpbacks and a basking shark in the area.

Friday Bramble Bank cricket game. Photo: Ian Furby

I’m at a fortunate stage of my life when I’ve a little more time and freedom to go boating so when I acquired Six 0 Five I also invested in a quality road trailer, a stainless steel Vanclaes. The plan was to extend our boating season by towing her to where the sea state allows us to start a little earlier and finish a little later.

Having kicked off our season early in May this year by dragging Six 0 Five the 300-odd miles to Oban, enjoying four amazing days round the Western Isles, I thought I’d finish it by going t’other way and dragging her ‘down south’.

The Southampton Boat Show has become a bit of an annual pilgrimage; we usually go for a couple of days to chew the cud and kick a few fenders, perhaps have a beer or two. It’s normally a lads’ trip but this year I thought I’d make it a boaty trip and invite my bestie, first mate and wife, Sheddy.

Six O Five is dwarfed by the vast ships docked in Southampton Water. Photo: Ian Furby

After doing a bit of research, I got a berth booked at Town Quay Marina, which has a slip and somewhere to leave your car and trailer. And it’s next to the show. Perfect.

The plan was for a five-day trip setting off Monday morning, returning on the Friday, having a couple of days at the show, and boating in between.

This beached Sealine acts as a cautionary tale to other boaters. Photo: Ian Furby

Cruising the Solent: Beautiful Beaulieu

The Monday came and fortunately we were blessed with some amazing weather; a high pressure system had settled over the UK with the mercury set in the mid-20s and blue bird days. The only fly in the ointment was a stiff northeasterly breeze.

The road trip went well, and five or so hours after leaving Yorkshire we were on the slip making ready to launch. The Marina Office had warned me that you can’t launch at low water, so we’d timed our arrival for mid tide. The launch went well and by mid-afternoon we were heading out on Southampton Water bound for Buckler’s Hard in the Beaulieu River.

The view of the Beaulieu River from Buckler’s Hard. Photo: Ian Furby

After the relative emptiness of Yorkshire waters, the vast array of waterborne traffic in this part of the world never fails to amaze me; in a small boat like ours the meaty wakes of the ferries, cruise liners and commercial vessels demand serious respect.

Anyway, it was a beautiful afternoon, the wind wasn’t causing much of an issue and before long we were entering the mouth of the Beaulieu, dropping down to 6 knots for the long cruise upstream. We hailed Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour on the VHF, who kindly let us tie up for a couple of hours at no charge.

The view from The Hut in Freshwater Bay is almost as good as the food. Photo: Ian Furby

Now, this was my first time in Buckler’s Hard, and it won’t be the last; sat in the beer garden in the heart of the New Forest, in full view of a magnificent oak tree with the river sparkling away behind it while enjoying a selection of fine nibbles and a pint, it was my idea of heaven.

Before long, it was time to leave. Retracing our track, we were soon tied up in Town Quay in time to collect our luggage from the car and head for the hotel. We were booked to eat at Kutis Indian restaurant that evening, the place just puts a smile on my face; sat on the pier, it’s like a mini-Taj Mahal but covered in tacky, brightly coloured neon lights. The food’s good too and after a long day in the car and boat, it really hit the mark.

Article continues below…

Cruising Brittany: We cruised to seven ports in seven days

Fowey: The cruising destination that never disappoints

Taking to the stage

A day at the show and a big one for me. One of my previous adventures was circumnavigating the UK in my previous boat, an 18ft Nordkapp, in just 11 days. Editor Hugo ran the story as a series in MBY a couple of years ago and suggested to the show’s organisers that I might do a presentation. I’m not a natural speaker but I like a challenge. I can’t vouch for how it went but no one threw any eggs or heckled me so I’ll take that!

No Solent trip is complete without a visit to the Needles. Photo: Ian Furby

The rest of the day was spent pawing boats and gin and tonics, interspersed with Sheddy constantly telling me, “We don’t need another boat,” so she’s not allowed to come again!

On the plus side, Sheddy had booked dinner at Porters Wine & Charcuterie, which turned out to be another top choice. Perhaps I’ll forgive her after all.

Lunch at the hut

Today had always been a bit of a punt as our ultimate aim was a late, long lunch at The Hut on the Isle of Wight. News of its fame as the ultimate Solent boating restaurant had even reached Oop North so I was keen to see if it lived up to its stellar reputation.

Its popularity means you can’t just rock up and expect to get a table so I’d booked it a month before and still only managed to get the last available table from 3pm to 7pm. However, the northeasterly was a worry as I thought we could be pretty exposed mid-Solent.

Berthed in East Cowes for a wander around town. Photo: Ian Furby

The plan was to fire over to Cowes for a potter and a coffee then head west to the Needles, going round the back to Freshwater Bay for a swim, which I hoped would be in the lee, before making our way back to The Hut.

The passage down Southampton Water was fine but mid Solent things did get very lumpy. We made it to Cowes and tied up on the short stay pontoons on Fountain Pier just behind where the Red Funnel ferry tips in.

Scooting back along Southampton Water as dusk falls. Photo: Ian Furby

Thinking it was going to be a fight to get to the restaurant, we sacked off the planned trip to the Needles and went for a leisurely wander round the busy cobbled streets instead. It’s a lovely little town with an incredibly laid back vibe and after a very enjoyable amble we ended up at The Mermaid Garden on the waterfront, where we passed a pleasant hour soaking up the sun, before making our way back to the boat.

Conscious of the potential sea state slowing our progress, we left in good time. However, this time the wind and tide were with us so we hugged the island, steaming west on surprisingly flat water at 30 knots and less than 4,000rpm. In no time at all, the Hut was on our port side.

Topping up the fuel tank of Ian’s imaginatively named Nordkapp Enduro 605. Photo: Ian Furby

Finding that we were well over an hour early, we switched back to our original plan and headed to the Needles. We’ve both seen them before but never together, so we pottered around this iconic landmark and took the obligatory photo with the lighthouse behind us before heading round to Freshwater Bay.

Now in my head, I thought it would be flat round the back. It wasn’t. It was massive – a turn round and retreat before you turn this puppy over kind of big. Not being a complete idiot, I did exactly that.

Back in the lee, we got well inshore and ambled up the coast to kill time before dropping in to Alum Bay. What a fantastic place – the first beach I’ve seen with a ski chair lift behind it – and the colours of the sand in the cliff are truly stunning too.

Heading on and a little further up the coast, we caught sight of a wreck on the shore. Moving in for a closer look it soon became obvious that someone had had a very bad day. “You can’t park that here, mate,” sprung to mind. We later learnt it had been there for some time, the skipper allegedly ‘mooring’ her there after leaving The Hut. Note to self, go easy on the wine list!

Photo: Ian Furby

We still arrived at The Hut early, anchoring off and being collected by the restaurant’s tender as instructed. We sat in the bar and had a pleasant drink while our table was made ready.

We couldn’t have picked a better day: fantastic food, amazing weather and fabulous views. If you’ve never been then go, but book well in advance.

Our slot ended all too soon. Reluctantly, we made our way back to Southampton with the sun setting behind us. Back at Town Quay, we just sat on the boat, kicked back to the sound of tapping halyards and took in the last of the sunset in the unbelievably balmy evening heat. There may have been a bottle of wine in the fridge too.

The Bugle Pub on the Hamble. Photo: Ian Furby

Hamble happy hour

Another show day and an exciting one. We had a couple of mates coming down on a mission to buy a boat. I always find it exciting buying boats, whether it’s for me or a mate.

Having spent a lot of time pawing over the new Sting 580 with Henry Turner of Wills Marine, Kingsbridge, who also happened to sell me my Nordkapp, we went off to look at alternatives. We did our best to find a better boat at a better price but a couple of hours later we were back with Henry shaking hands on a deal for the Sting 580. Well, that was easy.

Ian and ‘Sheddy’ Furby. Photo: Ian Furby

Feeling more than a little pleased with ourselves, we took ourselves off to The Shipyard stage/bar area, for a celebratory drink but as the afternoon wore on, I started to get twitchy. We had a boat in the water five minutes away and it would be a shame not to take her out.

As the northeasterlies had lifted to 25 gusting 35, I figured we’d hug Southampton Water’s northern shore and head up the Hamble River, to The Bugle pub. What a wonderful olde worlde place this is with its open fires, uneven wooden floors and ancient beams. It’s probably been the same for hundreds of years and it was easy to imagine swashbuckling mariners of old frequenting the place.

After a couple of very enjoyable beers and with dusk setting in, it was time to head back. We don’t do a lot of night steaming at home but when we do there’s not much to see. Here, in a busy commercial seaway, the vast array of navigation lights and buoyage markers twinkling away in different colours proved almost hypnotic but we made it back safely, in time for another visit to Kutis.

Bramble Bank cricket

The initial plan, weather permitting, was to go boating first thing in the morning, then recover the boat around lunchtime once there was enough water on the slip. However, Sheddy and I had already sacked off this idea midweek, hoping for a lie in before recovering the boat and heading home.

This sand bank only emerges from the Solent at dead low springs. Photo: Ian Furby

But we learned something else at the show the previous day. Apparently, there’s a very English and very eccentric cricket match that takes place every year on Brambles Bank, the infamous shipping hazard in the middle of the Solent that emerges for a couple of hours at dead low spring tide.

The match is played between The Island Sailing Club and The Royal Southampton Yacht Club and not only was it happening today, at 6am, but it also happened to be the 40th anniversary of the match.

This was a once in a lifetime experience that couldn’t be missed so at 0530, we slipped lines in the dark and made for a mark on my plotter in the middle of the Solent. We honestly didn’t know if we’d got the right pace and it wasn’t until we were a few hundred yards off that we began to see boats and nav lights gathered in the gloom.

Ian joins in the spirit of this typically eccentric Solent ritual. Photo: Ian Furby

Everyone was beached, nose in and anchored on the southern bank of Brambles. We touched the bank bang on 0600 as a very pleasant volunteer took and set our anchor. Low water wasn’t for another 40 mins, so all was safe. I simply couldn’t believe how many boats and people had gathered for the event; some revellers we spoke to hadn’t even been to bed yet. There were two RLNI boat crews on hand and a group handing out shots of rum as the game commenced.

I’m still not actually sure it all wasn’t a dream, such bonkers fun, and I’ve no idea who won but an hour or so later, the game finished, the tide started to reclaim the bank and we hurried back aboard and headed to Cowes for a marvellous full English at Comi Coffee, next to the Red Funnel terminal.

Teams gather for the annual cricket match on Bramble Bank. Photo: Ian Furby

By 0900 we were back at Town Quay for a couple of hours’ kip in the hotel while we waited for enough water to recover Six 0 Five. Boat duly recovered, we were heading north by 1300, regretting the fact that it was Friday afternoon with 7.5 hours of traffic dodging after a busy week of boating. Looking back though, it had been a magical few days, full of fun adventures, fine food, old friends and new experiences.

Yorkshire may be God’s own county but the Solent lives up to its reputation as the boating capital of the country.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

This article Cruising the Solent: 'This was my first time in Buckler’s Hard – and it certainly won’t be the last' appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Our new boat Iolar arrived at the end of October, just as the last glimpses of summer were fading. However, before she became ours, we had enjoyed two weekends of sea trials on the stunning Pembrokeshire coast as part of Dale’s handover process. We also had a confidence-inspiring “rough-water tuition” session with Mike Reynolds in early October. Over the winter and spring, we made numerous short trips, but we were itching to be away for longer, to explore somewhere new and to experience life on board Iolar.

Dealing with Betty

Our summer holiday began with a week of sailing in Greece, but the second half was reserved for Iolar. The plan was to head west and explore the Fal and Helford rivers for ten days. As we boarded our flight home, guess what – Storm Betty hit the UK with gusts in excess of 50 knots.

It initially seemed like a deal breaker, but happily, all was not lost. The forecast looked set to improve so we drove straight to Iolar from the airport. The next morning, the sea state was calming quickly, with lighter winds and a 1.5m head sea. To ease ourselves in, I had booked our first night in Mylor Marina.

We reminded ourselves over a coffee why we had chosen Iolar: a boat that could handle less than perfect conditions. Coupled with memories of our rough-water tuition, that gave us the confidence we needed to cast off and head west. Iolar ate up the miles with ease, and a little over two hours later, we entered the Fal and anchored at Molunan beach. This allowed our son Joe to have a swim before heading to Mylor for the night.

Young Joe taking the wheel

Finding our rhythm

The next morning, we topped up the fuel tanks in Falmouth. One of the key objectives when speccing Iolar was to have the independence to explore. Our main fuel source is, of course, diesel, which we carry in plentiful quantities. As well as the engines, the diesel powers a generator and our heating.

Everything else is electric: induction hob, electric oven, two fridges, even the outboard for the tender. Add in a hefty bank of lithium-ion batteries and we can run the boat for a few days in silence, before charging on the move or with the generator. Water is really the only other limiting factor. We carry 420L in our tank, so this would be a good chance to see how far we could make that go.

From Falmouth, it was a short hop to Helford, via a lunch stop anchored at Porthallow. We picked up one of the visitor moorings, and that became our base for the next few days. It was magical. Morning swims off the aft platform became the routine.

We explored the river and villages on our 2.8m aluminium RIB (carried on snap davits) and an inflatable paddleboard. From afternoons at beautiful Bosahan Cove to drifting in Frenchman’s Creek in the stillness of early morning, it felt like something really special. Evenings brought barbecues on the deck and meals in local pubs. We had the unexpected bonus of bumping into friends who were just three moorings away on their sailing yacht.

Aqueen-size bed with proper sprung mattress makes for very sound sleeping

We quickly settled into an easy rhythm and Iolar was perfect. Our cabin is spacious, and the bed is large and comfortable thanks to a proper sprung mattress. Joe was equally happy in his cabin, and we found ourselves using the whole boat, including that huge foredeck and even the roof!

St Mawes and Mevagissey

Eventually, the time came to move on. The next stop was St Mawes, where we picked up another swinging mooring. We showered and dressed up (well, clean shorts and a T-shirt) for dinner ashore. After that, Annette and I enjoyed a glass of wine and a snooze in the cockpit under blankets and a clear night sky.

Even the wheelhouse roof is a popular spot to sit

As we left the Fal and Helford behind, we were going to head for Fowey until a quick look in our cruising guide mentioned a handful of visitor moorings in Mevagissey. As we approached, the friendly harbour master confirmed that one of the moorings was free and we were indeed small enough to use it. The fore-and-aft moorings were another first for us.

We made a plan and, with a bit of help from another visiting yacht on the mooring behind, we were secured and ready to enjoy the hustle and bustle of this lovely little fishing port. The next morning brought blustery conditions as we set off for the River Yealm. We spent our last two nights there on a beautiful mooring in the main pool, thanks to another friendly and helpful harbour master.

The learning curve

Our ten days had flown by and, as we sat in the warm sun in the Yealm, we reflected on what we had learned. Firstly, it does take a day or two to settle into the rhythm of living on board, but the experience of exploring and living on Iolar was brilliant. Secondly, for a boat under 40ft, Iolar is incredibly spacious and comfortable, while remaining easy for us to handle as a couple and not too big to stop us visiting smaller harbours.

Sunset in Helford after a busy day on the tender and paddleboards

Thirdly, we can get ten days out of our water tank, even with regular showers. Coupled with the generator and lithium-ion batteries, that means we’re able to explore independently, as long as we have diesel in our tanks. Fourthly, Iolar’s immense seakeeping capability means that, while we do have to keep tabs on the weather, we’re much less anxious about it and that broadens the possibilities.

And finally, an electric windlass makes anchoring a joy. We had never had one before and we now try to stop and anchor as often as we can for meals or swims or just to relax. In short, our first cruise on board Iolar was everything we’d hoped for and more. It certainly opened our eyes to how much further we could go. And for proof of that, we’ve since been to north Cornwall, to the Scillies, to Wales and to Ireland – and often in the kind of weather that might once have put us off.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

This article First cruise reflections: The joys of exploring Cornwall's hidden harbours appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

I was relieved the overnight rain had moved on leaving a calm sunny morning as my Fairline Targa 40 Easily Distracted was booked in for the first lift of the day at 8am and I was cruising solo for the next few days.

A heavily fouled hull and drives emerged, hopefully accounting for the loss of revs I’d been experiencing, although I’ve never needed a mid-season scrub before. After an hour of thorough jet washing I was back afloat.

I decided I’d head for Salcombe as both the south-westerly F4 and the tidal stream would be on my stern. In Plymouth Sound I gradually throttled up and was relieved to feel Easily Distracted powering onto the plane and hitting 26 knots at its usual cruising revs. Phew!

However, once at sea I had to ease off again as the hull was starting to slam over the swell so I changed my transit to better manage the waves and settled into a slow, more relaxed cruising rhythm of 1,200rpm.

Two hours later I was in Salcombe. The timing was ideal as I was rewarded with a mid-estuary mooring buoy, with great views and a short tender ride into the town.

I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in the sun watching the clouds drift overhead followed by a quiet evening with a shepherd’s pie and a gin-less G&T, listening to waves gently lapping on the shoreline.

Entering the Dart

Day 82 Wednesday 24 July

The next morning I woke to warm grey skies with a few rays of sun doing their best to force their way through the gaps so I tendered ashore for some supplies and fuelled up the outboard on my return.

What started as drizzle at 1pm, turned into heavy rain and what I thought were passing boat wakes turned out to be waves whipped up by wind funneling down the estuary.

The turbulent weather continued all night long and even using earplugs didn’t block out the relentless sound of water slapping against the chines so I decided to move into the aft cabin to try and get some sleep.

Day 83 Thursday 25 July

I woke up to more rain and rocking, which was forecast to clear by early afternoon. As predicted, by the time my new crew mates Tim and Craig arrived, the sun had reappeared so we took advantage of it to enjoy a pint or two in a local beer garden before heading back to the boat for homemade curry and the usual catch up chat into the early hours.

Another chaotic ‘fender park’ at Salcombe

Day 84 Friday 26 July

We crawled out of bed to a hot and humid sun-drenched cockpit and the promise of fine weather for the next 3-4 days. Today’s plans involved a sweep of the Start Bay sands en route to Dartmouth for an important rendezvous. We departed on the 10.30 high tide to make use of the tidal stream and the south-west wind behind us.

We passed the 66m superyacht Elysian moored midstream, taking care to steer clear of its mooring lines after hearing that a couple of yachties had got caught on them the day before, resulting in a small collision – ouch!

Once past the sandbar we picked up an impressive 3-knot tidal stream, giving us 8 knots over ground at low revs but with waves on our beam, we upped the revs to blast round Start Point before dropping back down once the waves were on our stern.

A Pan Pan on Channel 16 alerted us to a dive boat with engine failure off Hallsands beach, which happened to be our brunch destination so we popped back onto the plane and arrived five minutes later only to find a yachtie had beaten us to the rescue.

Article continues below…

Salcombe and Beyond: My Mid-Life Cruise Hits the West Country Coast

If we’d wanted to do that exact trip any faster, we’d have needed a helicopter

'I sat for over an hour on my anchor seat just staring out to sea'

Hallsands was a delightful little anchorage so we broke out the BBQ for brunch before continuing at chug speed past Slapton and Blackpool Sands before entering the mouth of the Dart.

We had a berth booked at Noss marina where we’d arranged to meet Nick Burnham of Aquaholic fame so he could shoot one of his ‘meet the owner’ videos. The crew did a fine job of following my instructions and before long we were safely moored at H18 with a beautiful blue Mulder Favourite docked behind us.

It was great to meet Nick after reading his columns and watching his videos for so many years and you can view the results of the video we made on his YouTube channel (search for Meet The Owner: Fairline Targa 40). After an hour Tim and Craig returned from their temporary banishment and we took the Noss Ferry into Dartmouth for a few beers and a fish and chip supper – the perfect end to a very enjoyable day.

Craig helming up the Dart

Day 85 Saturday 27 July

Another lazy start before hopping round the coast to Torquay. We decided speed was the order of the day so planed round Berry Head before going back to displacement speed in Tor Bay. Disappointingly the three visitors’ buoys at Fishcombe Cove were already taken so we crossed to Torquay marina’s visitor pontoon for a few hours watching a bottle of gin miraculously evaporate! A short walk around the bay helped clear our heads.

Day 86 Sunday 28 July

It was another scorcher so the only challenge was where to anchor. I’m naturally cautious of just dropping the hook in case there are underwater hazards, so I tend to look around and imitate the locals.

Superyacht Elysian in Salcombe

I’d identified Goodrington Sands as a possible spot so was pleased to find a small boat already at anchor. We dropped ours at a respectable distance and settled in for another relaxed day. The sea temperature was a disappointing 17 degrees, below my swimming threshold, so we launched the SUP instead.

After a while we spotted boats collecting in the western end of the bay and decided to join them, taking note of the anchoring limits at Broadsands Beach and Elberry Cove.

After enjoying a long lazy day, we blasted back to Torquay marina at around 6pm where Craig expertly cooked up some pasta with tomatoes and chorizo. It was yet another beautiful and still evening, aside from distant views of a helicopter rescue taking place over Babbacombe Bay.

Late afternoon and sunset at Fishcombe Cove

Day 87 Monday 29 July

With the weather still set fair we had another attempt at bagging a buoy in Fishcombe Cove but once again all three were already occupied. Given the voluntary no anchoring signs for the seagrass/seahorses, we anchored at Elberry Cove instead for another sun-kissed day. Now that the water temperature had reached 20 degrees, we could enjoy a full day of sunbathing and swimming.

During the day I made a few returns to Fishcombe in the tender to monitor the buoys and cheekily investigate whether anyone had plans to leave. Annoyingly only one boat had crew onboard and they were staying!

We hung around at anchor until 6pm and then chugged past on our way to Brixham to see if we could get lucky. Bingo! A mobo was just leaving, so with crew primed on the bow we were on that buoy in seconds. It was worth the wait, the view of the Bay was breathtaking and we spent the rest of the evening paddling around on the SUP in oily calm waters before firing up the BBQ for chicken and chorizo with a glass or two of red. The setting sun was a sight to savour.

Coo-ee of Weymouth nestled in the town’s bustling harbour

Day 88 Tuesday 30 July

The alarm buzzed at 6am to capture an awesome sunrise and bring an end to one of my best ever nights afloat. Even the gentle rocking from a swell that rolled in during the early hours didn’t bother me.

We departed at 10.15 for a fuel top up in Brixham and moored on a visiting pontoon for a quick stroll around the town. Our next leg was a 50nm passage across Lyme Bay to Weymouth. In the calm conditions and with the help of a favourable tide, we were soon hitting 29 knots SOG and what a beautiful ride it was, streaking alone across the bay towards an empty horizon, with Tor Bay fading into the distance. A bird, possibly a Shearwater, flew alongside for a while before overtaking and zipping across our bow. Impressive given our speed!

Approaching my waypoint, I noticed the starboard rev counter starting to flutter, copied soon after by my heart beat! Coming off the plane to 6 knots, the rev counter went even crazier, although the exhaust note sounded fine. I put the starboard engine into neutral to maintain power steering and chugged towards Portland Bill on the port one alone, making 5 knots with tide.

A few phone calls to engineers provisionally diagnosed a faulty gauge or sender so I arranged a rendezvous with SeaStart at Weymouth bridge waiting pontoon before the 6pm lift. All was found to be in working order after turning the engine off and on again in true IT style – something I didn’t want to risk while crossing Lyme Bay! Reassured it wasn’t anything major, we motored through the bridge and onto our berth. It had been another fabulous day, though not many remaining now.

Joined by Cate and Emma

Day 89 Wednesday 31 July

With the risk of a passing thunderstorm now averted, I could delay our return to Poole to Thursday so we welcomed friends Cate and Emma on board for a morning coffee and took them through the bridge, disembarking at the waiting pontoon.

Once out of the harbour, we gave the engines a test, hitting our usual 29 knots at 3,300rpm with the gauges behaving normally before looking for and finding a lovely anchorage in the outer harbour not far from the marina entrance. We dug in for what was meant to be a lunch stop and a swim.

But after the HM charged us harbour dues, that I didn’t realise I had already paid for as part of my berthing fee, we decided to get full value by staying on for further swims and beers out of the wind on the bathing platform. Then it was back to Weymouth and the 6pm bridge, where Carl and Susie turned up with two dozen scallops he’d caught. Grilled on the BBQ, they were heaven on a plate.

Durdle Door’s iconic arch

Day 90 Thursday 1 August

My last morning and the last leg of my cruise. Where had the last three months gone? It had rained overnight but the day ahead looked great and we were soon exiting Weymouth Bay into an eerie calm, made even more peculiar by the sight of a 34ft motor boat a mile off the harbour wall, gently rocking with no anchor down and no sign of life. After chugging past to check everything was alright, they soon powered up and blasted past us!

After 90 mins chugging, we arrived at Durdle Door with the usual procession of visitors descending down to its stony beach. We motored slowly past and poked our nose into Lulworth Cove. I’ve always been wary of anchoring here after being spooked many years ago by katabatic winds dragging our anchor at 2am, almost hitting the adjacent boats!

Thankfully, this time we found good holding and were soon splashing about in the clear blue water, eating sausage sarnies and chatting to a fellow Targa 40 owner anchored next door to us about, errr, Targa 40s, until it was time for the home run.

We blasted round St Albans head at 28 knots and passed Swanage Bay bringing up the reassuring view of Old Harry Rocks. We had a final short stop on an eco-mooring at Studland before popping into Poole Boat Haven for a fish and chips stopover before catching the 19.30 bridge lift to Cobbs Quay. It felt good to be back after so long away and gave me time to reflect over a long weekend on all that I had experienced.

Anchored at Lulworth Cove

Final Thoughts

I absolutely loved my adventure, seeing so many places for the first time and learning how to navigate each one. I was surprised to discover that I had covered 711nm according to the paddlewheel log. Those numerous daily trips certainly added up.

Whilst I didn’t make the Isles of Scilly, I did go beyond Land’s End and visited around 65 locations, including every marina between Poole and Land’s End, as per my original goal.

Overall I had amazing luck with the weather – just 10 days affected by rain despite the summer of 2024 being considered poor. I had 12 solo days, which was more than I expected due to early departures, late arrivals, illness and a diary clash but this wasn’t really an issue except when moving marinas.

South-western views of Poole Harbour on entering from the Swash channel

But the 35 family and friends, who took time out of their lives to share the experience with me, really made the trip. I’m also so grateful to my wife Pamela for making home function without me and to my daughters – I loved having you onboard. I’m also owe a debt of thanks to my work colleagues for covering my sabbatical and to my engineer Richard Davies for all his help and advice.

The total fuel and marina costs came to £4,707, which I reckon is pretty good, plus a further £1,500 on various boat issues, including two lift outs, a broken toilet, a change of filters and petrol for the tender.

I also really benefitted from MDL’s ‘freedom berthing’ offer of 26 ‘free’ nights at other MDL marinas in exchange for my home berth, so it’s disappointing that this membership option has now been withdrawn.

However you look at it, though, £6,207 for a 12-week trip of a lifetime seems remarkably good value for money. Can you put a price on fun? I think I just did and it was worth every penny of it!

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article The conclusion of my 711 nautical mile south coast solo adventure appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Boat ownership is all I’ve ever known. The farm we own is basically a peninsula in the Fal Estuary. There’s a launching beach just 400 yards down the hill from the farmstead and we have a couple of deepwater moorings. In fact, I would have to concede that circumstances here are pretty much perfect for messing about in boats. And very much like Per Harrtoft in last month’s magazine, that’s probably how we ended up with two of them!

When we bought Molly, our Aquador 32C, in early 2022, we already owned Sula, our Yamarin 59HT. And as great as Molly is, we continued to love Sula. She’s as perfect as you can get for a launch-and-retrieve sportsboat.

It takes us less than 15 minutes to throw our gear on board, trundle down the hill and get afloat. But although she’s ostensibly a dayboat, we’ve spent many nights on board – and you can revisit our adventures in old issues of MBY.

Molly is also a fabulous boat, but she is only afloat from early May to the end of September. There are many times in the remaining months when it is a joy to be out on the water and the simplicity of getting afloat with Sula is a major plus. The Yamarin combines the best of Finnish boatbuilding with a 115hp Yamaha outboard, which is the engine chosen by the RNLI to power its Atlantic 85 inshore rescue RIBs. Sula is also remarkably good in rough seas. In fact, with her flared bow, I have only once seen green water on the foredeck.

The Yamarin emerged thick with straw and dust

So the big question was what to do with Sula once Molly arrived. We weren’t sure how it would go with the bigger boat and there are very few Yamarin 59HTs in Britain – especially with the 115 Yam rather than the more commonplace 90hp.

So we thought we would keep her. We have the shed space so it involves no extra cost at all. With interest rates being little higher than inflation and investments far from certain in this very uncertain world, we felt that the money may as well be tied up in a boat – plus it meant we would get to keep using her.

We had a blow-out holiday last spring that meant we were away throughout May and half of June. Circumstances dictated that it was a fortnight after our return before Molly could be put into the water and for those two weeks, the weather was lovely. Sula to the rescue! While she had been in a dry shed, it was one where half of it housed our North Devon cattle during the winter.

The Yamarin is tough to beat as a family dayboat

A shed where three times per week, we bedded the cattle with a straw shredder that blasts the straw and dust 40-50ft down the shed. She looked very sad covered in a layer of thick dust and straw but it’s amazing what an industrial jetwash with liquid foam can do.

An hour cleaning up the outside and half a day with a bucket and sponge cleaning the interior meant that Sula came up a treat. The battery was charged for 24 hours and I topped up her internal fuel tank with fresh E5 petrol and a good dose of fuel conditioner.

I checked the oils, lubed the cables and put some fresh grease in the wheel bearings. I put a hose to the engine and she started instantly. I ran her for a while and then we launched. The engine was initially a bit lumpy at higher revs, but it soon settled down. And it has since had a full service marine engine and is now purring a treat.

Family outings are cosy but fun on the 59HT

She is, of course, a very different beast from Molly. Molly is solid and steady; Sula is lithe and lively. Molly tops out at 17-18 knots and cruises at 13-14. Sula will hit 35 knots and enjoy a relaxed cruise at 20. Molly draws 3 feet and has exposed rudders and propeller while Sula can be beached with the engine trimmed up. But I wouldn’t want to go to Scilly in Sula!

Boats that make sense

Funnily enough, we nearly didn’t buy the Yamarin. We had bought a 16ft Fletcher, with the same configuration as Sula. We like being sheltered without being too confined so that kind of layout works well for us. But the guy selling her was doing so because he had just bought a Yamarin 59HT – and when we saw it, we knew it was what we were really looking for.

For longer trips Molly has proved to be a great choice

We kept watch in a lazy window-shopping kind of way before spotting one for sale in Devon for £24,000. It was four years old with just 36 hours on the clock. The guy had bought a bigger boat and Sula was being kept in a dry shed at his home.

About six months later, it was still for sale so I offered £20,000 and he immediately said yes. But it was at that point that two thoughts crossed my mind. The first was “Damn, I should have offered less!” The second was “Hells bells, now I have to stump up twenty grand!”

But that was 13 years ago so it’s been a brilliant buy for us and the fact of the matter is that we love both our boats. A great deal of thought went into choosing them and they work a treat for our lifestyle, so we have no plans to sell either of them any time soon.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

This article Why two boats are better than one: How we came to own an Aquador and a Yamarin appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

On the final leg of my three-month long cruise from Poole to the Isles of Scilly I woke up to find the rain had passed and better weather was on its way, although we knew there would still be a residual swell waiting for us. Not that the 4nm hop from Falmouth to the Helford River was going to pose too much trouble at chug speed.

On exiting the Fal, the expected Force 4 made its presence felt but by keeping it slow and steady we arrived at the entrance to the Helford within the hour. Once in the lee of the land, the wind and waves settled down and we picked up a mooring buoy.

Not wanting to risk a wet tender trip ashore, we summoned the water taxi to take us over to the Ferryboat Inn for an excellent lunch with a very pleasant view across the river, followed by a leg stretch before retiring back to the boat.

Article continues below…

Salcombe and Beyond: My Mid-Life Cruise Hits the West Country Coast

'I sat for over an hour on my anchor seat just staring out to sea'

Day 68 10 July

We departed a glorious Helford at 1030 in bright sun and minimal wind before turning to starboard and throttling up to the Manacles waypoint. The sea was lovely and flat and we arced round to line up for the Lizard, clocking up 12nm before the swell started.

It was only a Force 3-4 but the combination of wind against tide over an Atlantic swell proved very uncomfortable, so we eased back to a 5-knot chug. After rounding the Lizard, I changed to a north-west bearing for Newlyn harbour, engaged autopilot and after three hours and another 20 miles of riding the rollercoaster through Mounts Bay, we arrived and secured a finger pontoon.

Newlyn is very industrial with fishing boats everywhere and limited facilities. Ironically, by the time we’d recovered and relaxed, the swell had dropped and the sea looked remarkably calm. That swell had spooked me, despite all my preparations.

We visited Penzance harbour on foot to enjoy a curry at the Red Chilli restaurant before walking home under a moonlit sky.

Day 69 11 July

After being granted permission from the harbourmaster to slip the lines, we departed Newlyn at 0930 and chugged past Penzance to Mousehole. With an ebbing tide and knowing the harbour dries, not to mention some uncertainty of the anchorage position outside the harbour, we decided to gvive it a miss and get back underway to find the Minack Theatre.

Having read all about Rowena Cade’s vision to design, build and open this remarkable cliffside theatre, I was keen to appreciate it from the sea. Struggling to locate it on the nav charts, we used Google Earth to line up a 90-degree transit approach while closely monitoring the plotter. And there it was, clinging to the cliffs in all its rocky glory.

We spent a few minutes taking in the scene before pressing on towards Land’s End. I had decided that with the boat not reaching full revs and some anxiety over the Atlantic swell returning, a day trip to the Isles of Scilly felt a step too far.

That said Easily Distracted was loving the conditions, the bow getting airborne over the crests and landing with a gentle swoosh and plenty of spray.

Before long, the southerly cardinal waypoint came into view and we arced round towards Longships lighthouse a few miles off Land’s End. Here the swell suddenly doubled in height and now half the boat was airborne off each crest and the climb up the following swell was dragging on the props and straining the engine.

On a mooring buoy in the Helford – not far in the water taxi to the Ferryboat Inn

This was all perfectly normal but my paranoia always imagines the worst, amplifying my heartbeat. Once the chartplotter had confirmed we were further south-west than Land’s End, giving me the satisfaction of covering the entire south coast from Poole to Land’s End, I gently turned through 180 degrees and began to surf down the swell at 28 knots, trimming the drives up to prevent nose-diving into the next one.

Knowing that we were now on the way home with the Atlantic swell behind me brought a huge sense of relief. Our new destination was St Michael’s Mount.

Tom Cunliffe’s cruising guide made anchoring outside the Mount, 200m west of the harbour entrance, sound so easy despite the presence of rocks just 100m north-west of it and some uncertainty over the holding. Matt wasn’t keen but after circling slowly over the spot, we dropped the hook in 6m and deployed 20m of chain, achieving a stable hold almost immediately.

The bacon was soon sizzling and we revelled in the moment being so close to the Mount with the sun out, the water as calm as oil and the whole bay to ourselves. We wanted to be at the Lizard no later than 1400 so at midday we set off once again, gently chugging to Porthleven and then Mellin Cove, getting in close enough to appreciate their beauty and locate the small harbour entrance but choosing not to push our luck by attempting to enter it.

Matt and Simon

Then, it was throttles down and a 270-degree arc to the Lizard. We timed it perfectly to avoid the tidal race and Matt even spied some dolphins getting airborne off our port bow but sadly they were too fast for any photographs.

Our next stop was Coverack Cove just inside the Manacles, a small bay with a few yachts at anchor but with sub 14-degree water I wasn’t tempted to take a dip. The final 9nm back to Falmouth were covered at a relaxed pace, albeit with the front cover up to shelter from the northerly breeze.

On entering the Fal we went to pick up a mooring in St Mawes only to discover I had left the boat hook at Newlyn. As rain was forecast, we decided to divert to Falmouth Haven, which duly found us a berth. What a superb day, and while I hadn’t quite made my ultimate destination of the Isles of Scilly, a safe return journey beyond Land’s End was satisfaction enough.

Easily Distracted in Newlyn harbour

Day 70 12 July

Given the rain, we settled on a return visit to the Minack Theatre by car and looking down from the cliffs. I wasn’t sure how I had missed the sandy beach on the east side, which would have been perfect for anchoring yesterday. We also visited the delightfully quaint Mousehole harbour and spotted a yacht anchored just where Mr Cunliffe said you could, funny that. Next time!

We even nipped into Newlyn to retrieve my boat hook before returning to Falmouth for a few drinks in the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club then back on board for chilli and rice and a glass of red.

Day 71 13 July

The forecast was superb and as Matt left early I had agreed to meet up with my old uni mate Steve at Pendennis marina for a spot of shark fishing from his sportsfisher. With his father also on board, we blasted a few miles east of Falmouth to fish for shark bait. Before long we had caught a perfectly good haul of mackerel, whiting, scad and pollock.

En route to Land’s End via the Minack Theatre

Now I’d have settled for that but no, this was merely sacrificial and after motoring a further 15nm offshore, out came the big rods and reels to entice some blue fin sharks. Despite all the effort no blue fin were landed, blaming our lack of success on the perfect weather. The nearest I got was a dogfish, which is technically a shark, so I’m claiming that as a win.

Returning to our berth at around 1700, we gave the boat a thorough clean and then reconvened at Gylly Beach Cafe for sundowners before wandering over to Steve’s house for a medley supper of the remaining ‘bait’ fish and a few games of pool and darts. I could really get used to this boating life.

Day 72 14 July

With new crew arriving mid-afternoon, it was time for some laundry and boat jobs on Easily Distracted before welcoming Dazza aboard.

Hard to find a more dramatic setting than the unique Minack Theatre

Day 73 15 July

Heavy rain scuppered my plan to make Mevagissey so we spent the morning swotting up on Dazza’s RYA Day Skipper theory and walking to the top of Penryn River.

Day 74 16 July

We departed Falmouth around 0900 after another small fuel top-up and soon covered the 32nm getting to the drying harbour of Porthscatho, anchoring for brunch at Gorran Haven and checking out the adjacent Portmellon Cove and Mevagissey harbour before pressing on to Fowey by 1500.

The only stop we couldn’t make was the private Charlestown harbour. I had intended to poke my nose in but there was a minefield of oyster farming buoys outside in St Austell Bay so I abandoned the idea for fear of snagging the props. I had also hoped to anchor at Polkerris beach in Par but the westerly wind made this uncomfortable so after some circling, we continued round the headland to line up a transit to enter Fowey River.

Tempting beach in the shadow of the Minack Theatre

We found a different mooring pontoon midstream in Pond Pill and being sheltered from the wind, we explored the area by tender and paddleboard. Then, a repeat disaster with the toilet outlet pipe blocked again. With no access to walks ashore we were reduced to a bucket! After two wasted hours trying to fix it, we took to the tender and Dazza treated me to a meal at the King of Prussia fish restaurant.

Day 75 17 July

Despite trying the chandlery and local shipwrights to source something we could ram the pipe clear with, it remained firmly blocked. Bucket on hand, we made for Lantic Bay for a final four hours of chilling in Dazza’s company before another crew change back in Fowey, where Jon, another old uni mate, took his place.

The view over Mousehole harbour on our day off due to the rain

Day 76 18 July

Another glorious day with plans to cover the 26nm to Plymouth. We departed before noon and chugged along at 6 knots making the most of a free knot of tide. We nudged in close to Polperro harbour but thought better of entering at this low’ish state of tide and chugged on, arriving in Looe at 1230 for a late brunch and a swim, now the sea temperature had risen to a more agreeable 19 degrees.

After passing a few military ships we entered the Sound, taking the western approach through Cawsands where we were taunted by a remote-control craft that maintained a collision course approach despite me trying to motor away. I could imagine the base control all laughing at our puzzled faces!

We docked back at Queen Anne’s Battery marina in Plymouth and met up with our old friend Squealer again for an onboard BBQ and drinks.

Shark fishing was fun but apart from a dogfish, the sharks refused

Day 77 19 July

Richard from Power Marine & Auto drove down from Cobbs Quay to fix the toilet. He knows my boat inside out and I was immensely grateful to him for coming all this way to replace the toilet outlet pipe. His diagnosis was a heavy build up of urate crystal – charming!

Allstars at QAB also gave me some discarded stainless steel shrouds, just the job for clearing future blockages! Robbo and I then picked up a buoy just north of Drake’s Island for some afternoon lounging in the sun and a few bragging drone photos to our hockey team-mates. In the evening we moored up at Yacht Haven, the only marina in Plymouth we hadn’t yet visited.

Mousehole harbour remains wonderfully unspoilt and tranquil

Day 79 21 July

We departed early for the River Yealm. It’s only 5nm east around Great Mewstone rocks. It was a lumpy Force 3 wind taken beam on so we endured a fair bit of rolling into Wembury Bay but we were delighted to find space at the end of a midstream pontoon in Yealm Pool, giving us unimpeded stern access to launch the tender.

We launched Little Distraction with the rising tide to explore further up the river and then back up Newton Creek to find Noss Creek. The scenery was beautiful but the wind had whipped up the surface waters a little to wet our derrières.

By chance the annual regatta between Noss and Newton Ferrers clubs was underway with lots of fun being had, especially the kids who launched themselves off anything above the waterline, and numerous competitive gig races being cheered on by opposing sides of the creek.

On the River Yealm

We had timed the journey perfectly, arriving 90 minutes before high tide to have our pick of tender tie-ups outside The Ship. A relaxing Sunday afternoon was enhanced by some comedy as shocked owners returned to find the water lapping at the doors of their cars. What a delightful location – no wonder local house prices are as high as they are!

Day 80 22 July

An 1100 departure gave us clearance over the sandbar, dodging the thoughtfully positioned lobster pots almost directly outside the channel as we went.

My novice crew passed the rocking and rolling test as we made slow and steady passage into, over and down the waves. After passing Mewstone the waves died down, allowing me to open the throttles for a brief finale thrill for Squealer and his fiancé Dawn.

We moored at Queen Anne’s Battery and tucked into a tasty lunch at Waypoint Bar in dazzling sun before the crew departed and I had an early night. The following day I’d booked an 0800 lift and scrub which I hoped would address the loss of WOT for the 150nm return home to Poole.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

This article Coastal Cruise Chaos: Atlantic Swell, Blocked Toilets, and a Quest for Blue Fin appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

With my eldest daughter, Beth, and her two friends staying on board for the next few days, I was hoping for some favourable weather to ease our journey west. The day started with overcast skies but as there was little wind to trouble us, and the promise of sun to follow later, we were keen to get underway as soon as possible. Our aim was to reach Looe for lunch and then press on to Fowey for the night.

The lock at Queen Anne’s Battery was on free-flow when we departed at 1000, leaving just the swinging bridge to negotiate. As we approached it, that swung open too and within minutes we were out at sea once again.

With the engines spinning at a gentle 1,000rpm and 1.5 knots of tide pushing our speed over ground up to 6 knots, we made the most of the conditions to drink in the scenery for just over an hour before raising the speed up to 20 knots for the final 7nm to Looe.

Dropping the hook opposite Banjo Pier, we fired up the BBQ for a brunch of good old bacon sarnies. We had the bay to ourselves, and as the overcast skies gave way to sun, things warmed up nicely. Even the sea temperature nudged past 16°C, the point at which I’m prepared to take a dip.

Two hours and a bracing swim later, it was time to move on. We still had some tidal assistance, taking our SOG up to 6.7 knots, so we chugged the remaining 10nm to Fowey. The sedate pace and gentle rocking from the eerily calm sea meant my crew slept on the bow most of the way, while I chilled out at the helm, noting how much I enjoyed this displacement mode of travel.

The entrance to Fowey gradually made itself visible as I reached my waypoint, taking care to keep well clear of the rocks. The harbour was relatively busy so I had to go quite far upstream to find a free berth on a mid-river pontoon. This meant no power or water, so after a spot of paddleboarding and exploring with the tender, I ferried the crew ashore to make use of the shoreside shower facilities as our 300-litre water tank had no chance of lasting for all four of us. Sadly, the facilities at the local sailing club were more yesterdecade than yesteryear!

A quick pint post-shower at the Havener’s didn’t prove quite as relaxing as I had hoped due to a direct hit from a seagull, so we headed back on board for a relaxed evening of drinks and dinner on a quiet mid-river pontoon.

Day 53 Tuesday 25 June

The next morning was amazing: no wind and the mercury already at 20°C. Summer had arrived and we soon had all the covers off. On the way in, I’d spotted the pretty-looking Lantic Bay. A chat with the harbourmaster confirmed it was a great spot to anchor, so long as I stayed well clear of the rocks on the west.

A quick blast to the bay revealed there were already some locals at anchor, providing further reassurance on where was safe. It was indeed a great location for brunch, sunbathing and a cooling 14.5°C swim; only slightly spoiled by the sweary rap my crew insisted on playing.

We returned a fraction after the 4pm threshold and once again were too late to find a walk ashore pontoon, settling instead for a different mid-river pontoon. We were helped alongside by a very friendly Dutch crew, who invited me on board for a tour of their beautiful 50ft yacht and a very entertaining chat. The evening ended with another excellent BBQ cooked by my new crew mates before tendering ashore for a few drinks at The Royal British Legion.

Day 54 Wednesday 26 June

This is how summer should be, another scorcher to enhance our return to QAB. After queuing to fill up the water tank, we chugged out of the River to find beautiful, glassy conditions.

We had about 20nm to cover, but given the weather, a day at anchor was calling, so I pushed the throttles down and rattled off the distance at a rapid 26 knots.

Unsure of where to drop the hook, I put a quick post on South Devon Boating Group’s Facebook page asking for local info on anchorages in Whitesand Bay. Within 10 minutes, I had a reply. Polhorn Cove, on the east side of the bay just around the headland of Plymouth Sound, was suggested.

Article continues below…

Salcombe and Beyond: My Mid-Life Cruise Hits the West Country Coast

If we’d wanted to do that exact trip any faster, we’d have needed a helicopter

We arrived around noon to find a few boats already there, giving pointers for where to anchor. Although a sandy seabed, I thought I’d try out my tripping line for retrieving the anchor.

Oh my, we’d struck gold with this location. It could have been the Med. The sun was heating up nicely, the water was already past 17°C and we slipped into the usual anchorage activity of doing absolutely nothing except suncream, beer, lunch, swim, repeat. I sat for over an hour on my Heath-Robinson anchor seat (a long fender board perched on the guardrails) just staring out to sea, as the view was simply awesome.

When 6pm arrived, we cruised round to Queen Anne’s Battery, with Ella at the helm. Back on our previous pontoon location, my crew cooked up a final dinner prior to their morning departure.

Day 55 Thursday 27 June

The crew departed and soon after I was collected by my mate Squealer for a three day hockey festival near Amsterdam with my old university team. I squeezed in a quick boat trip through the Amsterdam canals before the tournament, and returned on Sunday afternoon to meet my wife Pamela back at QAB.

Ella takes the helm for the run back to Queen Anne’s Battery

Day 59 Monday 1 July

We awoke to a brisk south-westerly wind, meaning it would be on our nose for the run to Falmouth.

We were due to rendezvous there with our friends Will and Cath for a week together exploring the Fal and the Isles of Scilly. I estimated the 45nm journey would take around two hours at planing speed, allowing a bit of leeway for the head seas.

Taking advantage of the discounted rate for MDL bertholders, we fuelled up and chugged slowly out into the Sound before opening up the throttles. Rounding Penlee Point, my planned 260° bearing to South of St Anthony’s Head was straight into the wind and the numerous white caps told me it was blowing at least a F4 – a little more than expected.

I steered a little further off course to take the waves at a more comfortable angle and then made regular tacks, sailing style, while maintaining our 26-knot cruising speed. There was still some slamming for the first 30 minutes, which caused a power trim dial to drop out of the fascia, and I was just mulling over a stop at Fowey when things settled down enough to keep on going for another 90 minutes.

Time has a habit of whizzing by when all your concentration is fixed on picking your way through the waves while keeping an eye out for pots and listening for any change in the engine noise. Pamela, meanwhile, focused on her book or dozed.

The young chefs did themselves proud

Before long, the log ticked past 48nm south of St Anthony’s Head. We came off the plane and soon secured a berth at Port Pendennis, docking just after noon. A reasonable journey given the conditions and my longest leg so far. What would have been daunting for me six weeks ago, I was now taking in my stride.

Will and Cath arrived about an hour later and we had the first of many celebratory toasts. Then it was time for a walk through Falmouth’s busy shopping area, pausing at The Boathouse Pub at the
top of the street for a much-needed pint.

Back on board, Will’s long arms made fixing the trim control back into the panel that much easier, and once sorted, we tucked into a big bowl of chilli and rice before crashing out for the night.

With Fowey ahead, the hunt for a berth begins

Day 60 Tuesday 2 July

With the first marina of the Fal ticked off, we headed straight up the estuary to Mylor Yacht Harbour. We made a small detour to explore up the Penryn River, past Flushing, to check out Falmouth Marina for future reference, before doubling back to Mylor where we were given a lovely berth, right at the marina entrance protected from the wind. I thought Poole harbour was big but the Fal estuary trumps it with dozens of different creeks and boats in their thousands.

We encountered a slight issue with shore power tripping the boat’s electrical system but a bit of teamwork soon tracked down a loose wire. Given the forecast, Pamela found a walk tracing the shoreline round to Flushing, ending at a lovely pub, the Harbour House.

In the event, the sun defied the forecast and came out to provide some beautiful views. Retracing our steps back to Mylor, we met up with Lucy, an old uni pal, and her partner Tim, who took us for a guided tour of the Fal in their RIB so we could scope out some anchorages before returning to our berth for sundowners and BBQ chicken.

Beth and her friends get 40 winks on the bow

Day 61 Wednesday 3 July

We woke up to grey skies but given the last two days we were hopeful the sun might return later. We decided to extend our stay another day and venture to the Pandora Inn at the entrance to Restronguet Creek. Setting off on foot after brunch, the views through Mylor Creek were beautiful and whilst the route looked straightforward enough on the map, by the time we arrived at Restronguet Creek my inner compass was totally disorientated.

What a superb location, though, with an amazing vista and the best beer garden ever – a floating pontoon with a large swan population. My knees requested a water taxi back to our boat, but at £40, my daily budget insisted on a slow and steady walk back home.

The picturesque Pandora Inn was worth the walk

Day 62 Thursday 4 July

Another mixed forecast and a north-westerly suggested we might find some shelter at Towan beach outside the entrance of the Fal, but when this proved too windy, we moved to St Mawes and picked up a mooring. After lunch, we summoned a water taxi for a traditional cream tea at Tresanton Hotel and spent a delightful couple of hours exploring St Mawes and enjoying the hotel’s hospitality.

Finding a berth was getting more difficult now but we secured an inside berth at Falmouth Haven and enjoyed a relaxing evening followed by excellent tapas at Bodega 18.

Rough seas caused one of the dials to drop out of Easily Distracted’s dashboard

Day 63-64 Friday 5 July

Will and Cath departed but I had to return to bed to get over a nasty 48-hour virus. I guess it was always going to happen at some point in my trip, but with wind and rain forecast for the next couple of days, at least I wasn’t missing out on any valuable cruising time.

Day 65 Sunday 7 July

New crew, Matt, arrived to replace Pamela, who left last night. The forecast for the start of the week was patchy but it looked like it might clear after that. I secured a berth at Falmouth Marina, the last of the four marinas on my tick list, and we chugged upstream in driving rain. By the time we’d docked, the sun was out again, so we wandered into town to check out the Maritime Museum.

We were immediately drawn to the very first Mirror dinghy, which way back in the 70s had provided a gateway into boating for both of us. I can remember fondly, as a seven-year-old, launching and retrieving our Mirror at Morfa Nefyn with my father.

A fine view of the Fal from Flushing village

After this trip down memory lane, the Chain Locker beer garden offered some refreshment and estuary views as well as shade from the now baking-hot sun. Back on board, we tucked into a G&T sundowner followed by homemade meatballs washed down with a nice St Emilion, matched only by the deep red skies of the setting sun.

Day 66 Monday 8 July

Another wet and windy day so we stayed put, tightened the lines, surfed the web, crawled a few pubs and waited for the weather to blow through. There was good news ahead, though, as the low-pressure front was moving on and a high-pressure window was opening.

Would this be my chance to reach the Isles of Scilly – the ultimate target of my three-month long sabbatical cruise? I was simultaneously buzzing with excitement and feeling butterflies in my stomach. With no proper marinas and limited mooring buoys, the Scillies are not somewhere you want to get stormbound. Only time would tell…

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Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

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This article 'I sat for over an hour on my anchor seat just staring out to sea' appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Compromise was key during this cruising adventure. My wife, Maire, is not a keen sailor but is happy to indulge my passion for boats on her own terms, so I agreed to cruise our Mitchell 28 Let’s Go from Plymouth to St Malo in Northern France, where Maire would join me for some gentle exploration of the surrounding area. I had three weeks to get there.

Picking a suitably calm day, I ambled across the Channel from Plymouth with just dolphins for company and the odd huge container ship. After about 100 miles I arrived in St Peter Port, Guernsey, for a couple of days rest and recuperation then carried on to Jersey for another few days before moving on to France.

St Malo would have been my easiest port of entry but having been there before, I decided on St Brieuc instead as the place to get my vital passport stamp showing I’d entered the Schengen Area.

I filled in the form and got a reply saying I had an appointment at 1400h on my day of arrival. It was time to get going.

Entry to Brieuc Légué is through a lock. Photo: Gilbert Park

St Brieuc

St Brieuc’s port is Le Légué (pronounced Leggay) and entry is via a lock. I was in it at noon, the lock filled and then emptied without letting me out because more boats were coming! An hour later the gates finally opened. There was no instruction where to go so I moored next to a boat that had been in the lock.

They told me I was in a private mooring, but after a little explaining in my best Franglais, they understood that I was a little stressed about my 2pm customs meeting. Google maps showed the office was a 35-minute walk away! They kindly got their car and drove me up a very long, very steep hill to the office and waited while my passport was stamped.

Once back at the boat I moved it to the visitors’ pontoon further up river. There are all the essentials there, such as two boulangeries, a small supermarket and a chandlery. Despite this, the next day I couldn’t resist a bus trip to St Brieuc itself for the amazing (and not to be missed) Saturday market.

Article continues below…

If we’d wanted to do that exact trip any faster, we’d have needed a helicopter

Boating in Scotland: 'We were the only boat on the water and my life was complete.'

There are quite a few restaurants in the town, but the one that attracted me the most was 20 metres from the boat – La Passerelle. The three-course set menu was €28 comprising a wonderfully zingy and colourful tartare of tomatoes with raspberries and rhubarb compote to start with, followed by fillet of pork and rounded off with forest nuts in the style of the chef. All washed down with a small pichet of a nice Sauvignon. One word describes this meal – fantastic – both for the quality of the food and value.

It was here that the idea of visiting seven ports in seven days was born.

At each port I would also have dinner in a local restaurant offering a similar set menu for about €30 before meeting Maire in St Malo in 7 days’ time.

The only problem was that nearly every port has some tidal constraint, with a cill or a lock to negotiate. This meant the earliest I could leave St Brieuc was early the following afternoon. I had decided my next port of call would be Erquy, around 14nm miles away, as I knew I could dry out there, utilising my boat’s custom-made legs. This would give me a chance to check the sterngear was all present and correct, after a slight tangle with a fishing pot on the way over here.

Gilbert made the solo trip aboard his Mitchell 26, Let’s Go. Photo: Gilbert Park

Erquy

Erquy is a lovely seaside town and by the time I arrived on a hot Sunday afternoon it was in full swing with packed streets and a harbour full of boats. I got a water taxi to the shore (included in the mooring fee) so I could find a restaurant, having been assured that by the time I’d finished my meal, the tide would have gone out and I’d be able to walk back to my boat on firm sand.

I wandered up and down the quay before eventually choosing a restaurant called the Table de Jeanne where the Old Lighthouse fixed price menu came to €29.50. From that I chose fish soup, followed by pork cabecero with honey and thyme and for dessert a Breton tart, all washed down with a little white wine. Not quite as tasty as the previous night, but still pretty good.

As the tide still hadn’t ebbed fully out by the time I’d finished my meal, I lingered a little longer in the warm evening sunshine sipping on a glass of wine and reading my book. When the harbour finally dried out an hour later at 9.30pm, it was still daylight and my inspection of the sterngear revealed all was well.

St Brieuc’s market. Photo: Gilbert Park

Paimpol

The longest trip across St Brieuc Bay at 48nm was well worth it on a sunny day with calm seas. There is a long drying plain on the way to Paimpol, and following the channel markers is essential but straightforward. As I came through the lock my Cruising Association flags were recognised and the Dutch crew from another CA boat came to help me moor up. Spaces in this marina are the tightest I have ever seen so the help was invaluable.

The town was a blend of tourist traps and old Breton – most enjoyable, especially the “Petit Train” tour around not just the town but also the area around it.

With my new friends from the Dutch boat, it was time for dinner. A small restaurant off the beaten track called Balthazar had been spotted by all of us and we decided to give it a try. It turned out to be the best yet and only €25 a head! It was clear there was a real passion for food in this restaurant.

A tight squeeze at Paimpol. Photo: Gilbert Park

Even mobile phones were banned so there could be no distraction. Yes, there was no choice on the fixed price menu, we all ate smoked salmon with hummus and pickles, roasted red mullet with thyme and fennel tandoori, and red fruits for dessert, but the food was amazing. Next time I’m in Paimpol, I’ll be back. In fact, I was tempted to stay an extra night just to go there again.

Paimpol is locked so you can only get out a few hours either side of high tide. At the time of my visit, that meant an early morning departure so my routine for the next few days would be to carry out engine checks the evening before, awake early the next morning then head straight out of the lock/cill to catch the tide. Tomorrow I was heading to St-Quay-Portrieux around 11nm away.

St-Quay-Portrieux

This is one of the few ports along this stretch of coast that has all-states access – handy for me because my Humphree Interceptors initially refused to work, limiting my speed to 8 knots, before they magically cured themselves.

St Quay has all-states access. Photo: Gilbert Park

The slower-than-normal speed did help me to identify probably the worst fishing pot markers I have ever seen: white, about 20cm long and barely visible in the bright sunshine reflecting off the surface. These were littered around harbour entrances, inviting trouble from visiting craft.

St Quay is a huge marina and the visitors’ pontoon is some distance from the capitainerie. The staff here are fabulous. I was met by a RIB and taken to my mooring where I was helped with the lines. Check in was easy but walking into town is quite a mission. On the way there I took the scenic route along the coastal path, past a signal station (with dire warnings about entering or even photographing the area).

The way back along the roads was easier but still about 30 minutes.

I couldn’t find a restaurant with a fixed menu so I settled on a fusion restaurant called La Cachette and had an enjoyable meal consisting of spring rolls, red Thai curry, and entremet Biscoff (a decadent cake combination) costing €40, including a pichet of wine.

Another day, another top-quality restaurant. Photo: Gilbert Park

Binic

Binic is a mere 4.4nm from St Quay but another tidal port, with limited access times. At low tide there’s nearly a mile of drying sand in front of the gate, which has the usual light signals to show when it’s passable. The visitors’ area is a long pontoon adjacent to the harbour wall.

The harbour master couldn’t have been more helpful. The facilities were excellent, including a handy DIY laundry in the marina. The town itself starts at the far end of the visitors’ pontoon and has a street next to the harbour full of restaurants and a further street behind it with a mixture of yet more restaurants and shops selling trinkets and the like.

In the evening I went to the La Sentinel for their bistro menu (€36). I chose scallops in a creamy sauce, followed by beef. I asked for it to be cooked in English-style (well done) and unlike most French restaurants, they did as I asked. The dessert was kouign-amann – a rich Breton butter cake.

Witnessing the huge tidal range at Binic harbour. Photo: Gilbert Park

Dahouët

The next day was another short trip to Dahouët, just 10.75nm from Binic, and as with every other day that week was blessed with a calm sea and brilliant sunshine. There were some fish farms to detour around, as well
as the odd rock or two, but with weather this good it was hardly a chore.

The entrance was fascinating with a large port hand marker and a cardinal marker on a pole showing the way. Once inside there was a drying channel that leads to a cill marked by a pair of port and starboard hand pole markers. Another really helpful harbour master came out in his RIB to help moor up.

I was expecting to have to walk into town to see anything of interest. How wrong I was! The far quayside had a market selling excellent food and there was a variety of shops. The pick of these was an extraordinary second hand book, newspaper and magazine store that filled an entire shed, with the odd boat inside it as well.

Colourful Brocante at Dahoët. Photo: Gilbert Park

The town itself was a 30-minute walk, albeit with a handy supermarket on the way. It’s a pleasant if unremarkable seaside town but I can highly recommend the walk back along the coastal path for the views it offers.
In the evening I went to La Voile (the sail) a few hundred meters from the boat.

I had the beetroot and feta cheese capuccino, pork collar marinated with thyme and honey, and then ‘far Breton’ – a rich, dense custard with dried fruit soaked in armagnac. Delicious and only €29.50.

St Cast

With 19.5nm to cover before reaching St Cast, I was a little dismayed to see that the weather was changing, with more wind and a moderate beam sea of 1.5-2m. My boat took it in its stride and once we’d rounded Cap Fréhel, the seas calmed down and the wind eased.

The thing that struck me most about the entrance to the marina was the extraordinary number of fishing pots. Once inside, I was met by a dory, taken to a finger berth and helped to tie up. This port had far and away the best facilities and organisation. Once moored up and paid up, it was off to town, about a mile away along the coast.

Gilbert found the harbour at Dahoët fascinating. Photo: Gilbert Park

The sun was shining, the wind had died down and there was a huge beach to walk along. It felt like being in the Mediterranean again.

The town had a plethora of restaurants to choose from but very few were offering a fixed menu, so it was off to Le Caravel Café just up the passageway next to the marina. Since it was my last night, I decided to have all sea food starting with a big bowl of shrimps, followed by – what else – but fish and chips! Not the usual heavy British offering, here the fish was coated in a thin layer of batter and gently deep-fried, giving it a much more delicate flavour. For dessert, the chef’s interpretation of tarte au citron – just a bit too sweet for me. Total cost, €31.

Let’s Go safely delivered Gilbert to his wife Maire, who was waiting in St Malo. Photo: Gilbert Park

St Malo

With conditions deteriorating further, I was relieved only to have a passage of 11nm to St Malo. I had to be there today though because my wife was due to arrive. Besides, I wanted to complete my seven ports in seven days!

Again it was an awkward beam sea but the boat coped and I caught the 0800h lock into Port Vauban, giving me 24hrs to get Let’s Go cleaned, victualled and ready for inspection by Maire. It had been a most enjoyable seven days.

The huge tidal ranges were really something to witness and added to the challenge of passage planning. All of the marinas were staffed by helpful people and by Solent standards were unbelievably inexpensive at about €20-25 a night. And the sheer variety, flavours and value for money offered by the multiple restaurants en route were worth the trip alone. But after seven days cruising on my own it was wonderful to see Maire again and enjoy a rather more relaxed and relaxing schedule.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

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This article Cruising Brittany: We cruised to seven ports in seven days appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

My mid-life crisis cruise has seen me get as far as Salcombe, but there was still plenty left to see in my quest to visit every harbour possible on my way to the Scillies.

Day 31 3 June

Today was going to be a big day. Destination Salcombe, the furthest west I’ve ever been with pleasant conditions of calm waters and a dash of early sun. My mate Ben was with me for the next couple of days and we departed Torquay at a gentle 5-knot chug then picked up the tidal stream to push our speed over ground up to 6-7 kts.

When the tide started to change after covering 13 miles in 2.5 hrs, we blasted the final 9 miles into Salcombe. Taking care to steer clear of the notorious sandbar at the entrance and following VHF comms with the harbourmaster, we picked up our allocated buoy opposite The Ferry Inn and tendered ashore.

A quick tour of the shops and a couple of hours R&R looking out over the estuary from the comfort of a local pub followed before it was time to head back to the boat. Only disaster struck! A gentle(ish) pull of the Yamaha outboard engine’s starter cord sparked the engine into life but the it failed to recoil, leaving a metre of cord lying on the tender’s deck.

The route

Taking great care not to stall as we pottered back to the boat, my mate Ben was just about to step onto the bathing platform, iPhone in hand, when I suggested he leave his phone in the tender until he was safely on the mothership.

Placing his phone carefully on the tender’s deck, he then stepped onto the bathing platform. At the exact same moment, I put the engine into neutral, causing the cord to whip back into place, catapulting the phone straight into Davy Jones’s locker. Oops!

Day 32 4 June

Following advice from the harbourmaster, we relocated upstream to a secluded midstream pontoon in The Bag, where the only noise was the bleating of sheep in the nearby fields. Once secure, we launched the tender to explore Salcombe further, walking to North and South Sands beaches near the harbour entrance.

Article continues below…

If we’d wanted to do that exact trip any faster, we’d have needed a helicopter

Boating around Britain in 26 days: How our charity challenge came to an end

In the afternoon we tendered 2.5 miles up the estuary in the other direction to Kingsbridge. We’d been told The Crabshell Inn was a must-visit pub but got soaked heading into the wind and waves. We made it on a rising tide and tied up outside, enjoying a restorative pint or two before returning on the ebb to cook up a steaming plate of pasta and meatballs.

Day 33 5 June

Woke up to glorious sunshine with a stereo soundtrack of baaing sheep from both sides of the estuary. The plan today was to depart Salcombe for Plymouth.

The harbourmaster confirmed the sandbar still had clearance a few hours before low tide at midday, which gave us time to lunch up the River Yealm enroute. A 13-mile chug round Bolt Head and across Bigbury Bay saw us arrive at the Yealm dead on low tide.

Taking advice from the Yealm HM, we waited 40 minutes for clearance over another sandbar before negotiating the twisting channel to pick up a mooring buoy for a sausage sandwich brunch and a couple of hours chillaxing before pushing onward to Plymouth.

Simon and Ben – one of many friends and family who joined the cruise. Photo: Simon Ellis

I was a bit apprehensive about negotiating this naval harbour with its eastern and western approaches but once there, it proved to be relatively straightforward. Aided by my attentive crew mate Ben, who was due to be heading back home that afternoon, we were soon berthed up on the visitor pontoon at Queen Anne’s Battery marina.

Day 34 6 June

Today I was on my Jack Jones so I could do what I wanted, when I wanted. After spending a poignant few hours watching the D-Day 80 coverage, I reprovisioned the ship’s stores then walked along the harbour seafront.

The Lido redevelopment looked enticing as were the lounging pads in the sea swimming area outside. I enjoyed some great views of Drake’s Island and the Sound and then found myself at King Point marina, where a small fleet of brand new Princess yachts were awaiting delivery to their lucky new owners.

Berthed on a pontoon in The Bag. Photo: Simon Ellis

Day 35 & 36 7/ 8 June

My plan of taking the tender out to explore the harbour from the sea took a hit as QAB marina wanted me to leave at noon. I was booked into Sutton Harbour, just 400m away, but accessed via a lock. From previous experience I knew this could be tricky on my own. However, as I was about to leave, a yachtie called Tony kindly offered to help, making the short trip that much easier. Once secure in my new berth, I wandered back to QAB with a bottle to thank Tony for his help.

The following day was sunny but chilly so I left the boat in the marina, exploring the Historic Quarter by foot before walking along the seafront to West Hoe for a fine Chinese meal at the Wet Wok restaurant overlooking the harbour.

Exploring Royal William Yard. Photo: Simon Ellis

Day 37 & 38 9/10 June

I took a walk to the Royal William Yard at the start of the Tamar river in gloriously summery conditions. The development of the old Grade 1 listed naval buildings didn’t disappoint and I even found its small but very beautiful marina. Spotting a couple of empty berths I pinged off an email to see if I could book one but sadly not. I continued round to Devil’s Point on the southwest extremity to enjoy a panoramic view of the Tamar, Drake’s Island and across the Hoe.

Departing Sutton Harbour while the lock was on free flow, I enjoyed a sedate two-mile chug arcing round the Hoe shoreline, past Drake’s Island and into the Tamar towards Mayflower marina. It was another beautiful morning with gentle wind so I had all the covers off to help with solo docking manoeuvres.

I needn’t have worried, the marina staff welcomed me in and took my lines. My new berth was the perfect spot from which to explore the Tamar, so I launched Little Distraction and pottered upstream, taking care to keep out of the way of a French frigate!

Ben and Simon chillaxing. Photo: Simon Ellis

Day 39 11 June

The next day was sunny but windy – ideal for all those little jobs I never normally have time to do! After nine years of ownership I had never properly cleaned the tender’s inflatable tubes. So I purchased some RIB cleaner and UV protector and after a few hours of elbow grease the 22-year-old Little Distraction was looking the best I’ve ever seen her. I also made her a proper anchor line with some neat splicing, a skill I had taught myself during lockdown.

The one place I’d missed on my travels around Plymouth so far was Torpoint Yacht Harbour, so with that as my aim for the day, I set off in Little D. It didn’t start well, getting stopped by the police boat for allegedly coming within 50m of the Naval Buildings, but after a virtual slap on the wrist I soon found Torpoint opposite the Devonport naval jetties.

No wonder I missed it, it’s tiny, too small to get a 40-footer inside without a risk of damage. With that ticked off the list, I explored up a marked channel in St John’s Lake only to discover what looked like a boat graveyard!

Back onboard, I amused myself with some fettling, making up beer can holders for the new bow seats using two aluminium holders stored in the bowels of the boat intended for but never used on our first boat. A couple of self-locking screws to some stanchion clips and hey-presto followed by an immediate test of their beer-holding abilities – passed with flying colours!

On Easily Distracted while moored in the River Yealm. Photo: Simon Ellis

Day 40 12 June

My next stop was King Point marina, tucked behind two marine basins and the Brittany ferry terminal. The advice was to be through before 1pm when the ferry arrived from Spain. I inched carefully past the brand new Princesses and prepared to solo dock when one of the marina staff suddenly arrived to make life easy.

A spot of paddleboarding around the basins and into the adjacent private Millbay marina, which sadly wasn’t accepting visitors, before my brother-in-law Tony joined me for three days crewing. After some of Tony’s legendary Negroni sundowners, it was into town for a slap up meal at the Barbican Pasta bar, returning around midnight to deathly still waters – which turned out to be the calm before the coming storm.

A stunning morning at Mayflower Marina. Photo: Simon Ellis

Day 41 13 June

As predicted the next morning brought driving rain and winds gusting 37 knots. Just the excuse we needed for a tour of the Plymouth Gin distillery – very educational with the added bonus of some tasting and a free G&T in the bar. At £15 it was cost neutral and a very enjoyable hour!

The wind finally abated around 7pm, allowing us to walk the Hoe and listen to Gabrielle playing live on stage at the Summer Sessions festival. Back at King Point marina, sleeping proved challenging as the swell rolled into the marina causing the ropes to squeak and groan all night.

Tony pointing out Drake’s Island. Photo: Simon Ellis

Day 42-48 14-20 June

The weather was brighter so we made the move back to QAB in the hopes of a quieter night. Looking for an adventure, we took the tender up the Plym river. This wasn’t the best decision I’ve made as the weather soon changed and we ended up getting drenched by rain and spray.

The next few days continued in much the same vein. We watched Madness headlining the Summer Sessions music festival on the Hoe, then when Tony departed, I took advantage of the brief gap in my diary to catch up with a few jobs, including a rapid repair of my leaking cover by the helpful staff at Octagon Marine. Two more old friends, JB and Tim, then visited for 24 hours each. One of the joys of this trip was the chance to spend quality time with friends and family.

Before leaving, Tim helped me move back to Mayflower marina via a tour of the Sound. It was during this tour that I noticed my boat’s drives seemed reluctant to get on the plane again.

Berthed alongside at Queen Anne’s Battery marina in Plymouth. Photo: Simon Ellis

Day 49 21 June

Not a day I will forget any time soon. I had planned to move back to Sutton Harbour for the weekend with my wife Pamela, eldest daughter Beth and some of her mates. After my previous entry through the lock, I was feeling confident. The wind was moderate and in a favourable direction for tying up inside the lock.

After receiving permission to enter the lock, I eased in and engaged reverse to pull me alongside. Having looped the stern line onto a cleat, I stepped onto the pontoon to sort the bow line out with the remote thruster in my hand. Immediately, I sensed something was wrong.

The bow was pulling away from the pontoon and no amount of thrusting was helping. I’d left both engines in reverse rather than returning to neutral! Jumping back onboard, I rushed to the helm, engaged neutral and thrust the bow back in before tying up.

Mercifully, the low tide meant I was well below the pedestrian bridge so the only witnesses were a pair of swans and the lock operator, who was doubtless having a great laugh. Once on the berth, I was relieved to find the only damage was a black fender mark which would easily polish out.

Watching Madness perform at the Summer Sessions music festival. Photo: Simon Ellis

Day 50 22 June

The last time I hadn’t worked for 50 days solid was after sitting my O’levels in 1985! Pamela arrived yesterday evening as planned and now Beth was here too, celebrating the end of her first year of uni with her friends Ella and Grace.

This was turning out to be the perfect mid-life crisis – three months off work, an extended stay on the boat and a constant stream of friends and family. After another weekend of sunbathing, pottering and frequent trips to the seafront bars, I would finally be leaving Plymouth for Looe and Fowey. There was even the promise of a heatwave expected. At last!

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

This article Salcombe and Beyond: My Mid-Life Cruise Hits the West Country Coast appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Two weeks into my mid-life crisis cruise, and I had made it as far as Torquay with the help of various family and friends. Today brought the first official crew change, and who better to welcome aboard than three old university mates? Enter Jack, Nige and Del(boy). What do such mates do when they arrive? Obviously, toast another rendezvous on board with some beers and then head out for a few more!

This lads’ weekend on the boat has been an annual diary date for years, although this time they were planning to spend a week on board…uh oh!

No need for them to check the safety document again, so it was straight out to enjoy the delights of Torquay. The evening culminated in a live showing of the Fury vs Usyk boxing match, which almost induced another live showdown in the pub.

It’s amazing how easily blokes pick up where they left off 12 months previously.

Drinks with the lads at the Cary Arms in Babbacombe Bay

Day 16 Sunday 19 May

Waking at a reasonable time to a forecast of sun and minimal wind, it looked ideal for a day and night at anchor in Babbacombe Bay. We arrived at 1130 to an onshore easterly swell from Lyme Bay, so we picked up one of the Cary Arms mooring buoys rather than dropping anchor, to ensure we could relax without fear of dragging our anchor towards the rocky shoreline.

We enjoyed the usual banter and jokes, assisted by a drink or two, but the 13°C water temperature and murky surface debris failed to entice us to swim on what was otherwise a superb day. A short tender trip ashore for some sundowner drinks at the captain’s table in the Cary Arms seemed like a much more tempting option.

Positioned perfectly to oversee the cove, we enjoyed our drinks while watching school kids launching themselves off the small breakwater. On the other side of the cove a seal was feeding close to the shore, framed by the beautiful backdrop of Lyme Bay.

Back on board, we fired up the generator for a BBQ as the sun started to descend, accompanied by the satisfying pop of a cork being pulled from a rather nice bottle of Malbec. It was as close to utopia as it gets.

Article continues below…

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Day 17 Monday 20 May

We awoke to another day of clear blue skies.

Firing up the genny, we soon had a breakfast of tea, coffee and toast on the go to help overcome our late night ‘discussions’.

The sea temperature had now edged up to 16°C [my threshold is 14] but still looked rather murky so we returned to Torquay and set off on a leisurely walk to Paignton, where we drank in the views from the terrace of the Redcliff Hotel.

Back at the marina, some nesting swans were doing their best to look after a clutch of eggs at the base of the pontoon ramp despite all the passing foot traffic.

View through the cannon turret at Baynard’s Cove Fort, Dartmouth

Day 18 Tuesday 21 May

The easterly swell into Tor Bay continued, making my aim of anchoring and a swim far from ideal despite the sunny conditions, so we explored the coastline and pottered into Brixham instead.

The crew weren’t keen on stand-up paddleboarding but Del did manage a brief paddle on his knees before cooking up a fabulous Thai curry on the boat’s griddle. Then it was back into Torquay to see a beautiful rainbow, followed by a round of spot-the-most-neglected-boat-in-the-marina – we soon found a clear winner.

Day 19 Wednesday 22 May

We bid a sad farewell to Del after a fry-up at Below Decks just outside the marina and then made a slow 6-knot chug across the bay to Brixham Marina to make use of my MDL freedom berthing and the fuel discount that comes with it. After topping up the tank and finding our berth, the rain came lashing down, ‘forcing’ us to take shelter at the nearby Prince William pub.

Once it cleared, we enjoyed a sightseeing tour of the delightful harbour, then treated ourselves to some tasty fish offerings at Rockfish on the seafront, which must win the award for the urinals with the best view in the world.

The only complication of berthing at Brixham was an outbreak of cryptosporidium in the local water supply that meant we couldn’t top up the fresh water tanks. However, crates of free bottled water were being offered instead, so we loaded up with what we could.

Brixham harbour front

Day 20 Thursday 23 May

We said goodbye to the Brixham mermaid statue on a calm, sunny morning with a mixed forecast ahead. We blasted round Berry Head to find the mouth of the Dart, with Andy on helming duties and Nige on lobster pot buoy alerts, having seen a Facebook post about one lurking just beneath the surface.

Once safely inside the estuary, we pottered up the river hoping for a berth at Dart Marina on the west bank, where the water supply was unaffected by the outbreak. Disappointingly, their only visitor space was already occupied so we had to make do with a basic walk-ashore visitor pontoon without water or shore power.

We launched the tender for a trip up the Dart to see Agatha Christie’s Greenway retreat and boathouse before finding a good old curry house for supper.

Day 22 Saturday 25th May

The second bank holiday weekend started with another dry day and alternating sun and cloud. My uni mates were leaving later that day, to be replaced by my wife Pamela, my daughters Beth and Megan, and her boyfriend, Freddie.

Knowing Pamela would want superior mooring (bathroom) facilities, I booked a berth at the newly built Noss on Dart marina for the next three nights. Being on the east side of the Dart would also make the crew change easier, as it was a more direct route from our home in Dorset and a quicker trip back to Torquay for Andy and Derrick. However, this meant we were back on the contaminated side of the river so I still couldn’t fill the fresh water tank.

Changing marinas to Noss on Dart

A quick potter 0.3 miles upstream to Noss and we were safely tucked into our new berth. The crew even got congratulated on their docking skills by the marina staff – I’ve rarely seen grown men look so pleased! A quick clipper haircut on the bathing platform to smarten up before Pamela arrived, and then a brisk walk to Kingswear to find some refreshment at the Royal Dart Yacht Club, which has a reciprocal agreement with the Cobbs Quay Berth Holders Association.

Returning via the west side of the river, we granted Nige his wish for a Devonshire cream tea, followed by a fine curry at the Spice Merchant, before Pamela and Beth arrived later in the evening.

Day 23 Sunday 26 May

As usual, the bank holiday weather was mixed at best. We managed a short walk through Dartmouth to Bayards Cove Fort and enjoyed a chilled evening eating pizzas at Noss Marina. Then disaster struck: my first breakdown since leaving Cobbs Quay and it was a bad one – the toilet!

Luckily (or should that be unluckily) my boat has form in this department so I was at least au fait with what was needed. It was on with the mask and gloves, off with the outlet pipe and in with my fingers to remove the crystallised urate build-up – a grim job, but a necessary one.

At least a beautiful evening’s vista soon erased my memory of it as we spent a happy few hours playing cards and chatting prior to Pamela’s departure in the morning.

Steam train approaching Kingswear from Paignton

Day 24 Monday 27 May

A sunny but gusty start didn’t stop us hopping across the river to the pricey Dart Marina so we could finally fill up our tank with clean, fresh water. The outside hammerhead berth we were given suffered a bit from the wash of passing traffic but it offered excellent views of the river and the noisy yet magnificent steam train that puffs in and out of Kingswear every hour or so.

We spent some time in the RNLI shop reading the poignant stories of famous lifeboatmen such as Henry Blogg, who in 1917 spent 24 hours leading his team of oarsmen through the breakers off Cromer beach to rescue the crew of a Swedish vessel that had struck a mine during a fierce storm.

Day 25 Tuesday 28 May

I heard the rain from the early hours, even with earplugs in, and felt the boat rocking from the sudden gusts. With full water tanks but an empty wallet, I was anxious to move across to the more affordable Darthaven Marina at Kingswear.

I knew it would be an unpleasant 30-minute crossing but my young crew of Megan and Freddie did well sorting the lines out in the pouring rain with a helping hand from the dockmaster. We spent most of the rest of the day mopping up drips coming through the canvas and decided to cheer ourselves up with some hot grub at the Ship Inn.

Megan and Freddie re-enact the famous Titanic pose

When the rain finally stopped, we enjoyed a pleasant walk along the coast in the setting sun, hoping that the red sky at night boded well for the following day’s weather.

Day 26 Wednesday 29 May

The day dawned bright and clear, so we hiked up the hill to take some photos of the Dart before another fine BBQ breakfast. I use a disposable tin tray on the BBQ griddle to make cleaning easier and like to do my eco warrior bit by cleaning it and trying to get through the whole season with a single tray despite it only costing a few quid!

Following a rendition of the classic Titanic scene, we tried a quick blast out of the river to Blackpool Sands, only to be met with grey skies and more wind so, disappointingly, we returned to the last of my planned berths – a midstream pontoon. I tried to launch the drone for some aerial shots, but swiftly thought better of it when the warning alert came on because of the Naval College opposite. Oops!

Annoyingly, my main camera’s telephoto lens also decided to malfunction, but not before I’d captured a seal sunbathing on a mooring buoy and a very unhappy seagull. I’d never noticed their technique of dropping mussels on the pontoons to crack them open before; after repeatedly bombing the pontoon 10 feet away, the seagull in question then missed the target and launched itself into the water in search of the errant mussel. From the look on its beak, the mussel had a lucky escape.

Heading off in Easily Distracted’s tender Little Distraction

Day 27 Thursday 30 May

The day started bright and sunny but was still frustratingly windy. Dartmouth had been fabulous, but it was time to move on. The Torquay airshow started tomorrow and Megan and Freddie were leaving the day after so we decided to head off early.

We departed in the lee of the land, but our promising start soon turned into a bumpy wind-against-tide ride over the next 10 miles. And just to make things interesting, the north-northwest wind was blowing straight into Brixham harbour.

Luckily, the marina staff changed our berth at the last minute, making the entrance to it a little easier, but Easily Distracted still rocked all day on its finger berth. At least it was tempered by another lovely sunset and a chilled evening on board watching Pirates of the Caribbean!

Rain batters the covers at Dart Haven

Day 28 Friday 31 May

It felt like the wind blew all night. We decided to leave early before the wind got any worse, and amazingly, the young crew got up, casting the lines at 0815 and, making full use of the upgraded 80kg bow thruster, managed to exit the marina with relative ease.

The wind in Tor Bay gradually built up, but there were no waves of note as we chugged across to Torquay marina, managing an unflustered stern-to docking. We spent a chillaxing day at the marina sorting out domestic chores before Pamela returned in the evening.

Day 29 Saturday 1 June

Today was the first of two days of an airshow in Tor Bay, and right on cue, clear skies arrived. Pamela and I took advantage of the weather to walk to Cockington Country Park, where we took in a local cricket match and admired the various craftspeople at work, including a blacksmith, a glass blower and a carpenter, leaving Megan and Freddie to do some paddleboarding and sunbathing.

The locals advised me that the marina was the best place to watch the air show from. It didn’t disappoint, culminating with a spectacular display from the Red Arrows and a horn ensemble applause from the viewing boats.

Red sky at night… View up the River Dart from Darthaven

Day 30 Sunday 2 June

Another scorcher of a day and more remarkable aerobatics before bidding farewell to my family and welcoming my old mate Ben on board to take their place. Once we’d removed all the canvases, I went through the usual docking procedure, but somehow forgot to untie the rope on the non-pontoon side and arced slowly and embarrassingly into a neighbouring boat!

Apologies made, we joined the waiting fleet in the safety zone. Four delightful hours flew by – literally – with the highlight being a heart-stopping flyby from a Typhoon Eurofighter.

Back at the marina, Ben had a first attempt at paddleboarding. To cap it all, we treated ourselves to a superb meal at the Ephesus Greek Restaurant and revisited my passage plans for the following week. Excited? Absolutely, especially as I had a good friend by my side to enjoy it.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article If we’d wanted to do that exact trip any faster, we’d have needed a helicopter appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

We’ve all heard the old trope that if it flies or floats, you’re better off renting it but when it comes to boats, there is a third option – subscription-based boat clubs.

The premise is simple enough – rather than buying your own boat, you pay an annual or monthly subscription for access to a shared fleet of boats. These are typically modern, professionally maintained new or nearly new boats based in convenient marina locations that are cleaned, fuelled and ready to go the moment you arrive.

The appeal isn’t hard to see: you don’t need to stump up a big lump sum to buy a boat; you don’t need to spend precious time cleaning and maintaining it; and you don’t have to worry about variable and often unpredictable expenses such as unscheduled repairs and depreciation.

You could of course charter a boat but unlike the transactional experience of hiring, membership clubs offer a more immersive, longer-term proposition that allows members to use boats much as they would their own craft. This includes spur of the moment excursions, year-round access, familiarity with the boats and social interaction with fellow club members.

“Hassle-free boating” is a phrase commonly used on boat club websites and for those who relish the freedom and enjoyment of going boating but are worried about the commitment of owning and looking after their own craft, boat club membership certainly offers an easier route in.

All the financial risks of buying, berthing, insuring, servicing, maintaining and selling the boat are taken care of by the club, leaving you to pay for the fuel and enjoy all the fun stuff.

Obviously that comes at a price: the boat may not always be available at the time you want to use it; you can’t leave your possessions on board; and your time is usually limited to a few hours or days aboard at a time, but to Gen Zs and millennials, less concerned with the concept of ownership, it makes a lot of sense.

It’s also starting to appeal to a growing number of more mature boaters, who are either reluctant to tie up a large chunk of capital in a boat or like the idea of having a fleet of boats to choose from, allowing them to select the boat that best suits the occasion – a flybridge for a family outing, a wheelhouse boat for a fishing trip or a RIB for watersports activities and so on.

A range of boats to choose from and club social events are boat club bonuses

Boat club communities

Often, the club will also lay on social activities, training courses or cruises in company so you can meet other members and be part of a like-minded community. And because the boats are being used by more than one owner, there’s a case for it being a more sustainable choice too.

For reasons of safety, most clubs require proof of competency, normally RYA Powerboat Level 2 (or similar), but if you don’t yet have this, most clubs offer training as part of the joining process and many are approved training centres already.

The cost of membership varies according to location, the type of boats available, the ratio of members to boats and the amount of access you require. Usually, but not always, this involves a relatively modest one-off joining fee and a monthly or annual subscription often with different levels of membership based on the boats it gives you access to and the amount of time you can use them for.

This varies according to the size/value of the boats and the timing – weekends, school holidays and summer months are more popular than winter week days for instance – but some clubs offer unlimited year-round access for those who can take advantage of it.

More established clubs usually have an app or online booking platform that allows members to book boats as and when required. However, most also have some form of restriction in place to prevent block bookings and ensure a fair allocation of popular boats during busy periods.

Some clubs are also part of a larger international network of bases some of which offer reciprocal access arrangements, opening up a world of possibilities for foreign cruising and warm weather adventures.

Even if your heart is set on buying your own boat one day, joining a membership boat club for a year or two provides the ultimate ‘try before you buy’ experience, allowing you and your family enough time to try a variety of different craft before making that lasting commitment.

To give you an idea of what’s on offer we’ve pulled together our pick of the best UK and overseas offerings.

Pure Latitude operates from a number of locations and includes a mix of day boats through to motor and sailing yachts

Pure Latitude

Founded in 2007 and still in the same private ownership, Pure Latitude currently has a total of six motor boats with four based on the River Hamble and one boat each in Lymington and Windsor. As well as dayboats, there are larger boats for overnighting and multi-day cruising (one of very few clubs to offer this) with eight days being the maximum number of days in a single block.

I found Pure Latitude to have a very easy-to-understand website with details of their proprietary points-based booking system biased more towards boat availability, ensuring members get what they want at the times they want, instead of placing the emphasis on offering as many days as possible.

The exact number of days boating you get depends on the boats you use and when you use them. Larger boats at peak times cost more points than smaller boats at off-peak times so it’s up to you to decide how you spend them. A £7,950 annual membership provides 500 points which typically equates to 15-20 days boating.

There are plenty of sailing yachts in the fleet as well, and Pure Latitude is known for running a large programme of events with over 150 days a year across skill training, RYA courses and experience building trips. Members can choose to pay for events with their membership points or at an invoiced rate.

Contact: www.purelatitude.com

The Boat Club at Poole is also dog friendly, and its extensive fleet includes Axopars and an Invictus

The Boat Club

One of the pioneers of the boat club experience in the UK, The Boat Club has two prime locations on the south coast and access to a further club boat in Antibes, South of France. With its head office situated at Parkstone Bay Marina in Poole harbour, members enjoy access to a collection of premium day boats and motor cruisers owned by the club.

Members enjoy access to the club’s private deck and clubhouse with complimentary beverages where they can enjoy a light bite before heading out. Further use of the marina facilities, marina car parking pass and invitations to year-round events offer a feeling of exclusiveness befitting its location close to Sandbanks in Poole, known for some of the UK’s most expensive real estate.

Two levels of membership are offered: Club and Cruise, both incurring a £7,500 one-off initial joining fee.

At Club level members mainly have access to day boats up to 25ft whereas at the Cruise level opportunities for overnighting on a smarter range of boats in the 30-40ft category is possible. At this level boats such as Axopar 28s and 37s, Invictus GT320S and Jeanneau NC37 will make you feel you are truly living the life, but this will incur an upgrade fee of £7,500 paid annually in addition to a monthly subscription charge.

Contact: www.theboatclub.com

Premier Agapi Boat Club

Based at Premier Marina, in Swanwick, Hampshire, the Premier Agapi Boat Club is part of the Agapi network of clubs. With over 30 locations in 15 different countries, it’s a good example of how the reciprocal agreement between clubs in different countries really comes into its own, allowing members to extend their boating to multiple overseas locations rather than just their home turf, albeit at a cost.

The fleet at Premier Marina in Swanwick consists of five boats from two different manufacturers, including Ring and Agapi with a cruising range that extends from the West Wittering’s to the Needles and as far west as Poole harbour.

Membership types include Unlimited from £299 per month and PayGo which starts from as little as £900 for an annual membership, then a daily charge from £300 per boat. PayGo allows customers the chance to test and explore the concept with minimal financial commitment up front.

Solent familiarisation trips help new boaters build their confidence and familiarise themselves with different harbours and creeks and more confident boaters can join a flotilla and head out in small groups if they wish.

The Agapi app allows for last-minute booking enquiries and for planned-in bookings ahead of time. Club e-learning courses are also available through the app.

Contact: www.agapiboatclub.com

Boat Club Trafalgar

Situated in the tranquil setting of Trafalgar Wharf inside Portsmouth Harbour, Boat Club Trafalgar offers a personal touch to its club, which currently owns eight boats and has
a ratio of ten members per boat.

There’s an emphasis on customer service and supporting less experienced members with unlimited training and regular ‘Solent Discovery’ guided trips organised throughout the year by the club’s own instructors.

Arranged on a no-cost basis apart from any fuel used, these discovery trips are a good example of the ‘added value’ that a well-run club can offer members, allowing the chance to discover new destinations and ideas for places to visit, while building up confidence and experience.

Club Trafalgar has a no joining fee policy, instead members subscribe to one of three membership plans including bronze, gold or platinum. In addition, a platinum corporate level membership has been set-up for businesses wanting to reward or thank their staff, or to use boating and navigation for innovative team building and business networking events.

Contact: www.boatclubtrafalgar.com

Flexisail

Flexisail has been operating for over 19 years now but last year was purchased by Parker Adams Boat Sales, which has already introduced a number of changes to the business, including the option to add your own boat to the fleet to offset the running costs and even make a return on your investment.

It still operates out of two bases on the South Coast but the Lymington operation only has sailing yachts, while the Hamble one offers a wider selection of sail and powerboats, including an Axopar 37 Cross Cabin and Jeanneau Merry Fisher 1095 flybridge as well as smaller RIBs and sportsboats.

Unlike some clubs which use a points-based system to give access to a fleet of different craft, Flexisail members sign up primarily to one of the boats in the fleet, albeit with the option to borrow other craft from time to time.

They reckon this gives a greater sense of ownership and familiarity with the boat and its other members. You still have to book your time on board using the online system but each member has their own key and longer overnight trips are possible, including cross-Channel trips on some of the larger boats.

Three different membership options are offered: Midweek only; Weekend; Anytime. Prices range from £580 to £915 per month plus a one off joining fee of £495. The top Anytime level gives you up to 66 days boating per year with 12 guaranteed weekend days, 24 guaranteed midweek days and 30 last-minute bookings. The lowest Midweek level offers a maximum of 30 midweek days per year. There’s also a new Pay as you Boat plan from just £100 per month plus a daily fee for the boat.

As well as access to boats, Flexisail membership unlocks a number of other benefits, including free Skill Days to hone your boat handling and boost your confidence plus members’ rallies and organised trips to discover new places and meet other members.

Contact: www.flexisail.com

Lymington Boat Club

Located in one of Hampshire’s most charming coastal towns, Lymington Boat Club offers an ideal gateway to exploring the entire Solent region and beyond to the east or west, where picturesque destinations such as Poole Harbour, Swanage and Weymouth are easily attainable with overnight stays on one of the club’s three Axopar 28s or Finnmaster T8s.

For high-powered excursions, members have access to four high quality RIBs from brands including Scorpion and Ribcraft, ideal for watching and following one of the many events and regattas in the Solent.

Facilities at the club base at Lymington Yacht Haven are among the best on the South Coast, and the club holds regular social events on water and on land, such as touching up on boat handling or simply popping over to the island for lunch. The friendly ethos and sense of community surrounding the club means that members are always welcome to propose group social activities of their own.

With a maximum ratio of just six members to each boat, availability is rarely a problem and because the club is co-owned by Solent RIB Charter, extra boats can be pulled in at short notice if the demand is there.

Membership operates from sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year and is an all-inclusive annual fee of £10,200 for a single helm and £1,000 for additional named helmspeople from the same household.

Contact: www.lymingtonboatclub.co.uk

Freedom Boat Club

Founded in 1989, Freedom Boat Club has become the world’s largest network of franchised boat clubs, with over 400 locations globally and 100,000+ members.

In the UK, there are six locations, including Hythe, Swanwick, Chertsey, Windermere, Loch Lomond, and Torquay with many more clubs around the world, from Spain and Portugal to the USA, Australia, and New Zealand.

Members get unlimited access to their ‘home location’, so you can enjoy boating as often as you like. Each location offers a variety of membership options, including 60-day terms or 12-month agreements, giving you flexibility to choose the best plan that works for you.

Whether you want to use a boat every day or just on weekdays there are options to suit. Prices vary by location but members pay a one-off entry fee followed by a monthly subscription. The cost of the monthly membership is usually no more than monthly berthing fees alone, making it an affordable way to enjoy boating.

Members receive a login to an online reservation system where you can choose your preferred day, the boat, and arrival time. Bookings can be changed and cancelled online, but someone is always available at the end of a phone to assist with bookings.

Full-day orientation training is offered for new members to ensure they are fully confident before heading off for the first time and unlimited ongoing training is included and can be customised to individual needs.

With reciprocal access, you get up to four free day-visits per year to any of Freedom’s 400+ locations offering plenty of opportunities to explore new waterways but you must ensure you meet the training requirements of each location – RYA Powerboat Level 2 certification is widely accepted.

Freedom became part of the Brunswick Group in May 2019 and while many of the boats come from the Brunswick portfolio, much thought has gone into ensuring the right boats are in place for the prevailing conditions at each base.

When you arrive and return, a dockmaster will be there to assist with lines and ensure you’re set for a safe and enjoyable day. Afterwards, you are encouraged to relax and unwind with complimentary hot or cold drinks and refreshments in the clubhouse, making for the perfect end to your boating experience.

Regular guided trips and social events are organised, and members can connect with fellow boaters through WhatsApp and private Facebook groups, sharing tips, asking questions, and discovering new spots while being part of a supportive community.

The UK welcomed its first River Thames site in July 2024 featuring two electric Rands, offering an eco-friendly option that has become a huge hit with members and reciprocal guests.

Contact: www.freedomboatclub.com

Powerboat club.uk

Powerboatclub.uk is a family run ‘boutique-style’ business based at Cobbs Quay Marina in Poole. It uses its position as a privately-owned, independent membership club to its advantage by offering members unique ways to create memorable days out based on individual requests.

Listed on its website under the heading of Experiences, members can also take advantage of tailored ‘packages’ for special occasions such as an adrenalin fuelled ride on a motor boat combined with a fine dining experience at a Rick Stein restaurant. Or how about being picked up from home in a chauffeured car, whisked to Bournemouth airport for a helicopter ride over the Dorset coast, followed by a boat ride to Sandbanks in Poole, where Rick Stein’s culinary delights await.

If all that sounds a little too frenetic, standard membership opportunities exist across a small fleet of three dayboats under 8m and three Sea-Doo jetskis, with water toys and paddleboards for the young at heart.

Should you wish to exit with no hard feelings, a 28-day money back guarantee minus expenses, allows you to do so.

Contact: www.powerboatclub.uk

Urban Truant RIB Club

Urban Truant RIB club has been in operation for eight years but five years ago the club decided to simplify membership to a straightforward “pay per play” system. There is an annual membership fee of just £225 but from then on it’s just a flat day or evening rate.

Day sessions run from 9am to 4.30pm and cost £165. Evening sessions run from 5.30-9.30pm and cost £80 or you can book a combined day/evening rate for £225.

Alternatively, for £75 per month the club offers 12 months unlimited use but you can only book one session at a time up to two weeks ahead and you can’t book any combined day/evening sessions.

The club uses 6m Highfield RIBs and is due to take delivery of two 6.3m RS Pulse electric RIBs to its fleet.

To ensure availability there are restrictions on booking consecutive days, but we are assured by the club that it never has a problem with demand, even in high season.

Contact: www.utrib.club

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

This article Is it worth joining a pay-to-play boat club? 9 options under the microscope appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Early in 2020, with Covid not even a cloud on the horizon, two Broom Owners Club members, Keith and Carole Rowe, were developing plans for the summer. Their idea was to organise an international gathering of Brooms in Dutch waters, leading the British contingent across the North Sea from Norfolk, the home of Broom Boats.

We all know what happened next. With lockdown scuppering all activities for 2020, they postponed it to the following year and used the time to develop the idea further. They identified a suitable location, a picturesque marina next to the historic town of Naarden, and got others involved to bolster attendance.

As committee rep for Europe, I was brought into the discussions and offered my support, although I was not initially planning to take our boat there. With La Strega based in southern France, the journey through the canals and rivers of Europe would take too long, so we would instead be flying over to join them.

Then came the second lockdown and by Spring 2022 Marjorie and I were ready for a challenge, even if it meant 1,200km across four countries and 150 locks in 26 days. The story of that voyage has been recounted in the previous articles:

Article continues below…

Boating across Europe: 'The sun was illuminating the hillsides with familiar names of Moselle wines'

Boating across Europe: 'Traffic was very light and by lunchtime we had covered 25km and passed three locks'

Sinking feeling

We made it to Zaandam marina, the agreed assembly point for boats coming from the UK, on Monday 6 June, three days ahead of schedule. Keith’s boat was already there, having crossed the North Sea in April to get everything organised. The four other UK-based Brooms we were expecting (three 415s and a 39) were waiting in Lowestoft for better weather. Ideally, they wanted a sea state that would allow them to complete the 105-mile crossing to IJmuiden in around six hours.

Marjorie and I spent a few hours exploring Zaandam, enjoyed an excellent meal in one of the many restaurants, then decided we should use our free time to recover our car from St Jean de Losne. This involved a complicated train journey, an overnight stop in Dijon, then a 600-mile drive the next day.

Back at Zaandam, late Wednesday, we found the four Brooms had recently arrived, but with a tale of drama and near disaster on the crossing. Despite rougher than ideal conditions they had been making steady progress when, with about 25 miles to go, the crew of the Broom 39 noticed they were losing speed.

La Strega reached Zaandam marina three days early

Looking below decks they found water in the aft cabin.

A check of the engineroom soon revealed the source, water spraying uncontrollably from the starboard engine cooling feed. Attempts to stop the engine failed, as the solenoid switch was waterlogged. It was only by closing the fuel feed that they eventually managed to stop it. Listing heavily from the weight of water, they limped into IJmuiden on one engine, with the other three boats standing by.

Once in harbour, with the remaining water pumped out, the cooling hose fixed and the electrics dried off, they got the starboard engine restarted and completed the last few miles up the North Sea Canal to Zaandam. The atmosphere that evening was understandably a bit subdued.

The fuel convoy heads off on a collective bargaining hunt

Fuel for thought

Happily, Thursday morning dawned bright and sunny, lifting everyone’s spirits. As we got to know the new arrivals and learned more about the previous day’s experiences, the conversation moved on to preparations for the weekend.

All four boats had arrived with near empty tanks and refuelling was a priority. That reminded me that we were in a similar position. The skipper of the 39 knew of a fuel barge close by and suggested we all go together, as big volumes usually meant a lower price per litre.

Collectively, we reckoned we would need over 2,000 litres, so we set off in convoy to see what sort of deal we could get. I never heard the initial price but was happy to get our tanks filled (390 litres) for E2.00 per litre. That worked out at 4.2mpg for the second half of our journey, record economy for La Strega, illustrating the advantages of travelling downstream at moderate speed.

A tailwind made Oranjesluizen tricky to negotiate

Back at Zaandam, the crew of the “nearly sunk” 39 invited everyone on board to celebrate their survival. What started as an informal drink developed into a party that went on well into the evening, leaving a few of us feeling less than fully fit for the short cruise to Naarden next morning.

The plan had been to reach Naarden around noon, in good time to welcome the “Continentals” (Broom owners with boats based in mainland Europe). But by the time the hangovers had cleared enough for us to get going, it was already the afternoon.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed cruising through Amsterdam in company with five other Brooms. There was a little difficulty getting the fleet through Oranjesluizen due to a fresh tailwind pushing us into the lock, but we made it through in two batches.

Event organisers Keith and Carole Rowe

Pride of place

Once out into the IJsselmeer, the cruising became a bit more ‘competitive’, leaving La Strega trailing in the wake of the larger, faster boats. Arriving last at Naarden, we saw 16 Brooms moored in pairs, filling what looked like all the available space. Getting closer, we were greeted with the news that they had saved the prime mooring for us – brilliant but for the fact that it meant reversing past all the double-moored boats, in front of a friendly but critical crowd of observers!

Actually, it was not a problem and once moored, I was truly grateful for the prime space saved for us. Stern-on to the main quay, we had easy access to all the marina facilities. It also gave us the chance to meet everyone else as they walked past. There were no formal plans for the Friday evening but it was great to meet all the new faces and to entertain a good number of them on our (relatively) tiny aft deck.

Saturday morning, after coffee and croissants on deck, we got out our folding bikes and set off for our first visit to Naarden town. Amongst the pretty cobbled streets, we found a busy open-air market close to the ancient citadel, now converted to an events venue. Preparations were under way for a wedding there, and the whole town looked ‘en fête’.

Broom boy racers on IJsselmeer

For the afternoon, club members were divided into two groups for guided tours of the town, by boat and on foot. The boat took us on a canal, originally a moat outside the town walls and part of the impressive defences against attack from land or sea.

We enjoyed an excellent commentary on the design and construction of the fortress, before swapping with the other group for a guided walking tour of the town and historic buildings. Their efforts clearly worked as Naarden never suffered an attack from land or sea, unlike several less well defended Dutch towns which were destroyed by Spanish raiders during the Middle Ages.

After the tour we lingered over coffee in the Cathedral square, chatting to an English couple who moor their Broom in Holland, and a Dutch couple, Rene and Elsbeth Gorter, who had spent time exploring French inland waterways in their Broom Continental. We also discovered that Elsbeth is an artist, who painted some lovely watercolours of the gathering.

Pampus Island looks calm but strong winds are on their way

By the time we returned to the marina, the fires were already lit for the evening’s group barbecue. We gratefully accepted an invitation to share cooking facilities with an Australian couple, who keep their boat in Holland, and after dinner, spent time with the German couple who had given us invaluable help, planning our trip down the Moselle and Rhine. We enjoyed a tour of their splendid 415, chatting over a few more beers before bed.

Sunday was reserved for a visit to Pampus Island, another historic fortification, but much more modern than the walls and moat surrounding Naarden. Pampus is an artificial island created in the 1870s, just 60 years before the Afsluitdijk enclosed the IJsselmeer, effectively eliminating possible attacks on Amsterdam by sea.

Painting by Elsbeth Gorter showing the windy Pampus moorings

Tunnel vision

Built to similar standards as the Maginot Line, and equally ineffective in preventing the German advance in WW2, it is now a historic monument, accessible only by boat. The harbour was only big enough for the regular service craft and one other, but Keith had obtained permission for our party to make the four-mile crossing in four of our boats, conditional on three of us mooring between piles on the outside.

Mooring in calm conditions was straightforward and we enjoyed our guided tour of the facilities, designed to enable the fortress to withstand an extended assault. However, when we emerged from the tunnels, looking forward to lunch on the island, we saw that the wind had got up and waves were now threatening the boats moored outside, blowing them onto the jetty.

Lunch was forgotten, and it was all hands to the jetty. With some impressive teamwork and excellent throttle control by skippers, all three boats were reversed out to open water. Thankfully, no damage was done but it was a good lesson on the risks of being caught in open water on the IJsselmeer.

A final atmospheric dinner in Naarden Citadel

European reunion

Safely back in the marina, we had time to get dressed and ready for the formal dinner served in Naarden Citadel, the venue of Saturday’s wedding. There were 40 members round the table that evening, 35 of us from the 17 boats, plus five who had come by car. Collectively, we represented at least five European nations.

For Marjorie and me it was a great experience, making new friends and catching up with others we had known since the Club was formed in 2004. It’s amazing how people bond over a shared love of boats, perhaps even more so when it includes shared appreciation of owning a much-loved but no longer active marque like Broom!

As we assembled for the group photo on Monday morning and said our farewells, plans were already being made to do it all again next year. We may have had the ‘Longest Journey’ by boat, if not the toughest, but it was well worth the effort.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article Boating across Europe: 'A tale of drama and near disaster on the crossing' appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Regular subscribers may remember reading about my voyage of a lifetime from Sweden to the Lofoten islands, inside the Arctic Circle, which I wrote about last year. We made that journey in our Grandezza 40 Fly, Deamare, but I also have a second smaller boat which I use for shorter trips all year round.

Until recently, this was an aluminium-hulled Buster Magnum, which I’d owned since 2014 and have been very pleased with. However, I was tired of constantly having to take off and erect the canopy at the start and end of every journey.

Its successor would have to have a cabin and be faster but preferably have only one engine to keep the weight and fuel consumption down – I often trail the boat behind my car, so it needs to be light. A place to sleep would also be nice, but not if it came at the expense of a second engine, and ideally, I’d like suspension seats to improve ride comfort in rough weather.

I looked at the XO DFNDR 8, but it was just a bit too big and heavy. The Hydrolift X27 SUV also tempted me, but I’d heard its stepped hull can be prone to spinning out during high speed turns, so I crossed that off my list too. The Viggo C8 and Anytec A27 are fantastic to drive, and built out of lightweight, maintenance-free aluminium, but I discounted both of them when I realised I wanted a sliding door next to the helm to give the feel of driving an open boat.

I’d heard good things about Iron Boats, especially the speed, efficiency and seakeeping of its Mannerfelt-designed hull, but originally they were only available as open sportsboats. Then I stumbled across a prototype of an 827 Coupé at a boat show in Gothenburg in 2023.

It was a bit rough and ready, but in March 2024, I got to see the finished production Coupé at the Stockholm boat show. It looked the business, so in early April, my son Martin and I went to Gothenburg to meet Henrik Petersson, one of the founding partners of Iron Boats, for a proper sea trial.

A proud Per gets ready for a sea trial of his new fully loaded all-weather sports boat

Feature-rich build

Henrik explained that it was possible to set up a pair of temporary berths in the wheelhouse by wedging them over the seats. More importantly, the driving characteristics proved to be fantastic, with almost no planing threshold, and although there was no option for suspension seats, the ride quality of the hull was so good that it wasn’t a major issue.

With the seat cushion folded up, I could brace against the backrest with my head well above the cabin roof and both side doors propped open for the full wind-in-the-hair experience. A basic toilet under the sofa was there for emergencies, but most of the time, I prefer to bucket-and-chuck-it anyway, and there was plenty of dry stowage space under the cabin seats and deck, as well as a sociable dinette in the aft cockpit for al fresco meals.

When Henrik printed out the quote (as usual, I’d ticked the entire list of extras), I was pleasantly surprised. We were well under £130,000, even with the largest engine option of a 450hp Mercury Racing outboard.

A month later, I ordered an 827 Coupé in grey with a radar, dual Simrad screens, VHF radio with AIS, extra lights, and almost every extra going.

When it was ready for collection, I drove up to the factory in Mölndal with a view to completing the engine’s 10-hour running-in period in the local area so it could be serviced before I towed it back home.

My son Martin and I went to Gothenburg to meet Iron Boats founder Henrik Petersson for a proper sea trial

My new boat was ready and waiting for me in the factory. It looked immaculate, the only thing missing was an extension bracket to raise the steaming light above the radar.

The nearest launch site was 10km away in Hovås harbour, so a couple of guys from the yard towed behind their pick-up with me following in my car. Half way there, I saw the trailer come loose.

Luckily, it landed on the raised jockey wheel and came to a halt without damaging the boat. The guys were mortified but helped hook it up to my car, and we reached the launch site without further drama.

With the boat safely launched, I pottered out of the harbour into Gothenburg’s lovely archipelago. Even with the limited revs of the run-in period, it drove beautifully. The hull cut through the waves like a hot knife through butter and responded instantly to steering inputs. I was also pleased to discover that the helm position offered excellent protection, even with the doors open.

I threaded my way through the islands east of Klåverön, then west to Marstrand, where I picked up my friend Jörgen, who had joined me on my trip to Lofoten. Our plan was to run in the engine and get to know the boat properly. We took turns at the wheel, driving at a brisk pace. Iron Explorer, as I’d named her, felt wonderfully well-balanced with no need for trim tabs.

The 827 Coupé sits ready for its maiden voyage

We tried the sofas and the table in the cockpit, where a meal of cold pancakes with strawberry jam and coffee tasted all the sweeter for being on board my new boat. After just over six hours at sea I dropped Jörgen back where I’d met him and motored across to the nearby guest harbour of Marstrand, where I’d booked a hotel for the night.

The following day, I made an early start, hoping to complete the 10-hour running-in period before lunch. With no canopy to wrestle with, I just unlocked the doors, opened the sunroof, started the engine, and set off. It was bliss.

Disaster looms

After a couple more hours flitting between the islands, it was time for breakfast, so I pulled into the port of Vrångö. I found a cafe and enjoyed a coffee and a shrimp sandwich overlooking the boat, allowing myself a smile of satisfaction at how good it looked and how well everything worked. I called Iron Boats to say that everything was running like a dream and I’d be ready for collection in Hovås a couple of hours earlier than expected.

I returned to the boat and started the engine but as I made my way out of the port, the steering felt strangely sluggish. As it’s a fly-by-wire system rather than hydraulically assisted steering, I tried a complete restart in the hope of resetting the system, but when I switched the main power back on, everything went dead. I tried turning it off and on again – no result. I was still inside the harbour but the wind was now blowing me towards a pebble beach.

Preparing to launch in Hovås harbour

I dropped the anchor but it didn’t bite so I had no option but to jump into the shallow water and try to stop my new boat from beaching itself. No one seemed to have noticed my distress, despite me waving frantically while trying to prevent the hull and engine from grinding against the rocks.

Rescue operation

Eventually, I managed to Google the number of the local shop and call a staff member, who promised to send help. A small fishing boat came to the rescue, but the water was too shallow for him to pass me a line. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, but was in reality only about half an hour, a smaller open boat pulled me free and towed me back to safety.

Per chose a deluxe helm station with dual Simrad screens

After thanking them and paying for the rescue, I called Iron Boats to tell them what had happened. Henrik apologised profusely and immediately organised a rescue mission. Minutes later, one of their open boats arrived in the middle of a fierce rainstorm with a mechanic, a spare battery, and a replacement circuit breaker on board. They soon had my boat up and running again. A lithium-ion battery had died but then mysteriously woke up again once it was back in the yard.

We cruised back to the factory in company through the pouring rain, thankful that I was sheltered from the worst of it by Iron Explorer’s wheelhouse, unlike the driver of the other boat, who arrived soaked to the skin. Back on land, I headed out to lunch in a local restaurant while Iron Explorer went straight into the workshop for her engine service and a thorough investigation of what had happened. They also promised to repair any scratches and deliver her directly to my home as soon as the work was done.

It may have been an unfortunate end to a very promising start, but Iron Boats’ willingness to get everything sorted as quickly and painlessly as possible reassures me that its customer service is every bit as good as its boats. I am now looking forward to the summer season with even more excitement than usual and many more, hopefully trouble-free, hours of fun!

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article 'No one noticed my frantic waving as I tried to prevent my brand-new boat from grinding against the rocks' appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Given the wonderful weather we’d been enjoying, it was an unpleasant surprise to wake up at 7am on 29 May feeling perishingly cold. This was meant to be prime cruising season. But perhaps what had stirred me so early was the thrill of anticipation. We were 13 days into our voyage from the South of France to Amsterdam and after one night in Luxembourg, were now leaving the French Moselle to enter Germany.

All that I had read indicated that while this might be the same river, there were subtle differences in the navigation rules and customs. My first act when I woke up was to take down the faded French courtesy flag and hoist a fresh new German one.

As I cast off and pulled out into the stream, I reflected on what lay ahead. We were 240km from Koblenz, where we would join the Rhine, and I anticipated making four overnight stops along the way.

This German section of the Moselle was only opened for navigation in the 1960s and the 12 locks which made this possible were designed to accommodate 1,500-tonne barges.

With this emphasis on large commercial craft, marinas for small craft were few and far between, meaning careful planning was required.

A German friend who knows the river had helped me identify possible stopping places and advised me to make advance reservations. My plan was to reach Schweich, a small town just downstream from Trier, a city we would have loved to visit but had no suitable moorings for us.

The resort town of Remich in Luxembourg

Barge queuing

We set off in bright sunshine but with a biting north wind on our bow. For the next 35km the river marked the border between Luxembourg and Germany so we were keen to take in as much of this unique little country while we had the chance.

Just a short way downstream, we passed Remich, a lively holiday town with a couple of campsites. There was even a party boat moored there but no sign of small craft moorings. A few minutes later, approaching our first lock of the day, we met a barge loaded with scrap metal.

The lock gates were open but a red light indicated we must not enter.

Article continues below…

Boating across Europe: 'Traffic was very light and by lunchtime we had covered 25km and passed three locks'

Channel Islands boating: Local’s guide to Guernsey and its stunning neighbours

I called the lock keeper on our VHF but got no response, so we simply had to wait. After a frustrating 25 minutes delay, we finally got the green light to enter. It was only when the bottom gates opened and we saw a laden barge coming upstream that we understood the lock keeper had been waiting for this commercial customer to arrive.

The Luxembourg side of the river was relatively hilly and lined with vineyards, including the splendidly named Wormeldange Vineyards Cooperative, while the German side was notably flatter and dedicated to conventional agriculture.

Reaching Grevenmacher, our second lock, we had the same experience but this time we were kept waiting for 45 minutes before the lock keeper finally relented and allowed us through. We passed Mertert, Luxembourg’s commercial port, then 2km further downstream, we spotted the river Sauer, which marks the end of Luxembourg’s border with Germany.

Heading towards Trier lock behind a Moody 38

Minutes later, we came to the junction with the Saar, a major tributary which enables 1,500-tonne barges to access the Saar coalfields. Upstream of the mining area, a canalised and heavily locked section of the river climbs through the Vosges, allowing smaller craft through navigation to the Rhine/Marne canal and a more attractive route to Strasbourg and the upper Rhine.

Due to the delays at locks, it was nearly 2pm as we approached Trier Lock, squeezing in behind a coal barge, alongside a Moody 38 yacht on passage from the Med.

Leaving the lock, we found ourselves in a narrow valley, with a hotel ship and several smaller craft queuing to pass upstream. We tucked in behind the other boats and watched with bated breath as a vast barge squeezed between the ancient stone piers of the Romerbrucke. Dating from Roman times, this bridge was the first recorded Moselle crossing and although the arches had been rebuilt a few times over the centuries, the piers themselves were 2,000 years old.

The famous vine-clad slopes of the Moselle river

Sleepless in Schweich

The weather, which had been deteriorating all day, finally turned to rain as we negotiated the tortuous twists and turns of a deep valley, carved out by the river over millennia. The south-facing valley sides were now covered with vines, planted on slopes so steep the grape pickers have to rope themselves on like mountaineers.

After an hour of slow progress, we were relieved to reach Schweich marina and moor at the first berth we saw. It was only after we’d paid a very reasonable 19 euros for our berth including electricity, that I discovered our mooring was too far from any power supply.

I found another vacant berth a few boats away but in the fresh wind had to moor bow first once again. With only a very short jetty and no possibility of getting stern ropes ashore, I had great difficulty securing the boat satisfactorily. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Marjorie told me the couple in the neighbouring boat had been watching my antics disapprovingly. I went over to speak to them and was advised that my boat was not secure enough to cope with the wash from passing barges.

The Wormeldange wine cooperative in Luxemborug

Quite why they hadn’t offered to lend a hand when they saw me struggling was beyond me. Even now they were not offering any actual assistance so I was left to solve the problem myself with extra lines ashore and pegs in the ground.

When I finally settled down below, it was to an uncomfortable night, as much due to the unwelcome feeling our neighbours had created as to the rocking from the passing barges.

Valley of Vines

After a restless night, we were happy to be up and underway early. It was a grey morning but the forecast seemed promising and the interesting-looking town of Bernkastel-Kues was only 48km and two locks downstream, so I hoped we would have time for some sightseeing.

The skies brightened as the morning wore on, helping us appreciate the beauty of this spectacular river. Just 12km downstream, we came across our first lock and were pleased to see the gates open and the Moody we had been following yesterday, tied up as if waiting for us. The lock operated as soon as we arrived and we were on our way again in 15 minutes.

Now the clouds were clearing and the sun was lighting up the hillsides with familiar names of Moselle wines picked out amongst the vines, the most recognisable being Piesporter.

Detzem lock is extremely deep

We were now meeting a steady stream of hotel boats, working their way upstream and perhaps because of this, we also found our second lock open and happy to operate, just for our two little boats. With this good fortune, by 1pm we were turning into the lovely sheltered Kues marina. Other boaters were already queuing to be allocated moorings, so we were pleased that we had reserved a place.

It was only a short walk from the marina to the bridge across the Moselle to Bernkastel, so we decided to wander into town for lunch. Bernkastel is famous for its ancient timber frame buildings and narrow streets, climbing up the steep valley side.

Finding an attractive Gasthaus in the town square, we ordered flammkuchen (a pizza-like dish) and sat outside in the sun, sipping our wine and watching the tourists go by. It felt almost like being on holiday!

Pre-booked berth in attractive Kues marina

Twists and turns

Feeling nicely refreshed, we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring this quaint town. We didn’t have the time, or energy, to make it all the way up to the castle but we did admire the neat rows of vines leading up to it before retiring to the boat for dinner on deck and spot of forward planning.

From here I reckoned we could reach the Rhine in just two days or we could take an extra day and explore Cochem, recommended as one of the main tourist attractions on the Moselle. I thought that we might be able to reach Cochem the next day but was concerned to learn that it only had a sportsboat moorings and it wasn’t possible to book a place, so a late arrival could be dodgy. We agreed the best plan was to start early and see how we got on.

Despite the fine weather, we woke to another chilly morning, setting off at 8am into a fresh northerly wind. We were now following a particularly sinuous stretch of river, winding through deep valleys with endless twists and turns. On one occasion we motored 13km to return to a point less than a kilometre from our starting point as the crow flies.

A deep wooded valley just north of Piesport

Our pleasant morning cruise was interrupted when, nearing the first lock of the day, the river widened out into open water, exposing us to the full force of the wind. Our bimini was acting like a sail, making it hard to control the boat, and the bollards were set so far back from the quay wall that it was impossible to throw a line. This meant that Marjorie had the dangerous challenge of climbing down onto the quay while hanging onto a stern line.

After a very similar experience at the next two locks, we decided against pressing on to Cochem. Instead, we had an hour’s cruising through deep rocky valleys and because there were no more locks to worry about we could relax a bit and enjoy the scenery to the full.

Shortly before Senheim, our alternative overnight stop, the valley opened out revealing the roofless ruins of Stuben Abbey, a 12th-century monastery. It was now just before 4pm and we were still 25km from Cochem when we turned off the river into Senheim marina, which had been touted as being in a beautiful setting, with an authentic restaurant serving good-quality and traditional German food.

Negotiating our second exposed lock

Like many Moselle marinas it shared facilities with a busy camping and motorhome park. Sadly for us, the bustling restaurant had no vegetarian option for Marjorie, but we were happy to spend some time exploring the beautiful village and prepare a meal on board, enjoying a relaxing evening in very pleasant surroundings.

The big question for the next day was should we go the short distance to Cochem and spend a day there or continue on to Winningen, our last stop before joining the Rhine?

Thinking of the challenges that still lay ahead for us, we made the wise decision to press on, seeing what we could of Cochem as we passed through.

Castle country

The next day was 1 June and as if recognising it was now officially summer, the weather was much calmer. We were delayed for 30 minutes at the first lock but once through we quickly reached Cochem with its dramatic setting and 1,000-year-old castle perched 300ft above the town.

The picturesque village of Zell

The sportsboat moorings were centrally located and, being early in the day there was space for a couple of boats, but we resisted the temptation and headed onwards.

Despite the constant stream of barges, we did find time to enjoy the constantly changing scenery. In this flatter, more open countryside, there were a lot of pretty little towns, almost always with a castle on the hillside above.

By 3pm we were mooring, at Winningen, just 121km from Koblenz lock and recommended as a better launch point for the next phase of our journey, running down the Rhine.

It was a small marina but with excellent facilities, supported by an extensive caravan and camping site. There was even a swimming pool, but sadly, the persistent north wind meant we could not be tempted to take the plunge.

Senheim marina’s picturesque location at the end of a short valley

We contented ourselves with a walk round the village and then, before dinner at the restaurant, filling the water tank and carrying out engine and filter checks, conscious of the very real danger of losing an engine in the Rhine current.

The Moselle had been fascinating – full of interest and crying out for more time to explore than our circumstances had allowed. Tomorrow was no doubt going to bring a very different boating experience for us both but as always we were excited by the challenge of what lay around the next bend.

Read the first part of Donald and Marjorie’s journey across Europe by boat

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

This article Boating across Europe: 'The sun was illuminating the hillsides with familiar names of Moselle wines' appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Back in June 2021 I went round the UK in 10-and-a-half days in my 18ft NordKapp Enduro 550 called Summer Buoys. You may have read about it in previous issues of this magazine (MBY Jan to June 2024). I certainly learnt a lot from that trip and came back itching to go on more adventures.

By that point I’d had Summer Buoys for several seasons and fancied an upgrade, and no, not because I’d just spanked her round the UK! I opted for another Nordkapp – an Enduro 605 with a Mercury 150 XS Pro.

I’ve always found it difficult naming boats but eventually I settled on Six 0 Five, as it reminded me of ‘Seven of Nine’ – the character from Star Trek. She had nice lines too!

Six 0 Five is awesome. She may only be 2ft longer than Summer Buoys but she’s much more stable and despite the extra weight and power, she’s more efficient too – music to the ears of a Yorkshireman like me. Summer Buoys’ 115hp 2-stroke Evinrude managed just 2km per litre at 23 knots, whereas Six 0 Five covers 2.5km per litre at 28 knots. So if I ever pop round the UK again, I can do it quicker and use less fuel…works for me!

Ian’s wife and best mate Sheddy came along to see what all the fuss was about. Photo: Ian Furby

As I said, I learnt many things on my big trip, the main one being the hugely diverse and beautiful coastline we are blessed with. So I also invested in a Vanclaes twin-axle road trailer, which I consider to be the Rolls-Royce of boat trailers. This would enable me to tow the boat from our home in Yorkshire to anywhere in the UK or Europe.

This year we decided to drag the boat up to Dunstaffnage Marina just north of Oban for boating in Scotland. I’ve been to the Western Isles of Scotland countless times and absolutely adore it, but my best mate, Sheddy, who also happens to be my wife, never has so she agreed to come and see what I’ve been harping on about all these years.

Boating in Scotland – Day 1:

Dunstaffnage, Tobermory

We set off North on the 285-mile drive to Dunstaffnage in early May, arriving six hours later. Part of the experience is the amazing scenery on the drive up – Loch Lomond is truly stunning. After booking in with the marina office we set about unstrapping the boat and making ready to launch.

When I went round the UK, I spent most nights sleeping on the boat under a tarpaulin but Sheddy didn’t seem so keen on the idea (strange girl) – so I’d booked us a room at the Western Isles Hotel in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull to use as our base.

Six 0 Five arrives in Dunstaffnage Marina on the back of her Vanclaes trailer. Photo: Ian Furby

I chose Tobermory as it’s a pretty, natural harbour protected from the elements, and offers easy access to the many beautiful lochs and islands nearby. The marina itself has floating pontoons and petrol is available from the Harbour Garage on the quay, only two minutes’ walk away.

The sun was shining as we put to sea, but this being Scotland it was still chilly so we wrapped up well and hunkered down behind the windcreen. From here we headed west, rounding Lismore point before turning north-west up the Sound of Mull. You need eyes on stalks in this part of the world as there are lots of hazards, mainly rocks, but the ferries are a nuisance too.

The sea was a little choppy, but 90 mins later we were safely tied up in Tobermory. The harbour office was closed but we called the harbourmaster, who gave me the code to the loos and agreed to meet us the next day.

The Western Isles Hotel is at the opposite end of the quay from the marina and enjoys fabulous views over the harbour from its equally fabulous restaurant.

An old mooring buoy marks the route to Salen village. Photo: Ian Furby

Article continues below…

Circumnavigating Great Britain in an 18ft speedboat: Harwich to Brixham

Day 2:

Coll, Muck, Loch Sunart

The wind was due to be south-westerly 8-9mph and lifting during the day. I wanted to visit Fingal’s cave on the isle of Staffa, one of the UK’s natural wonders and a hideout of Bonnie Prince Charlie during his failed attempt to seize the English crown. Staffa lies about 5nm off Mull’s West coast and some 25nm from Tobermory.

My best mate, Sheddy,who also happens to be my wife, agreed to come along and see what I’ve been harping on about all these years. Photo: Ian Furby

There’s no lee from a south-westerly on that side of Mull but I figured if we made Staffa before the wind lifted, we could then turn tail, putting the sea behind us, and head for Coll. Having paid our dues we slipped lines and were underway by 9am.

We steamed north at 30 knots before rounding Mull’s northern shore and turning south-west for Staffa into the wind. It was very lumpy and not helped by the tide ripping past the point. This was supposed to be a leisurely trip not a feat of endurance. Sheddy went very quiet.

Fearing that if I continued with this, I might not have a crew for the rest of the trip, I made an about turn and headed NW to Coll in the hopes of finding some lee and visiting some of its amazing white sandy beaches.

Unfortunately, the going remained uncomfortable. We were taking a pounding and getting wet so I turned due north, putting the sea behind us and rounding Coll to the NE. This was definitely more comfortable and before long we nosed into the first idyllic beach through gin clear water. I was hoping we could go ashore but the tide was mid ebb and the weather didn’t lend itself to a romantic walk.

Their new Nordkapp 605 is faster and more efficient than their previous 550. Photo: Ian Furby

Our day was rapidly going south. I needed to get ashore, find a coffee and go for a walk. As luck would have it I knew of a coffee shop on Muck.

Muck lies 10nm NE off Coll so with the sea and wind behind us we made for Port Mor on Muck. Forty minutes later we were tied up to a rickety pontoon, damaged in a recent storm, and ashore we went. Muck is the smallest of the inner islands and has a massive population of… 38!

It was midday, and the Tea Room didn’t open until 12:30pm so we went for a short but very pleasant walk enjoying the views and chatting to some of the very tame locals, the sheep, before heading over to the tearoom. What an amazing cosy little place it was – a couple of coffees later and feeling fully restored, it was time to go.

The direct route home would without doubt be an unpleasant fight into a head sea so I aimed for the mainland, which was 5nm away, to find some shelter. The plan worked well until we rounded Ardnamurchan point, which brought us back into the oncoming sea. It was still early afternoon and I had one last chance to save the day so I made a beeline for Loch Sunart on the opposite shore to Tobermory.

Powering along a mirror calm Loch Linnhe towards Fort William. Photo: Ian Furby

Being narrow and running west to east it’s nearly always calm. Sure enough, the further we ventured up its narrow inlet the calmer the sea became. About 7nm into the loch we tied up to the small pontoon in Salen Bay on the northern shore.

Salen is like the land that time forgot. We walked up to the village store, which looked more like a Canadian log cabin, checked we were ok to leave the boat for a while, and carried on up the road for another ten minutes, past tin shacks and a proper old telephone box to The Salen Hotel, one of the most remote but friendly pubs you’ll ever find.

A couple of beers later and it was time to head back to Tobermory. Thankfully the sea had backed right off and less than an hour later we were back in our hotel, showered, changed and ready for a truly superb supper at The Cafe Fish on the quay – the day had officially been saved!

Another day, another glorious view, this time from the Western Isles Hotel in Tobermory. Photo: Ian Furby

Day 3:

Staffa, Ulva, Calgary Bay

Looking out over the bay to light rain and a sea fret was not the start I was hoping for. We were heading home the next day so I had one last throw of the dice to make Staffa.

Thankfully, the wind was due to drop during the day with the sun breaking out late afternoon, so we had a leisurely breakfast before heading down to the pontoons.

The Corran ferry where Loch Linnhe narrows to a bottleneck. Photo: Ian Furby

Four big RIBs had just come in from Muck and as I’d hoped, the news was good; the sea had flattened. We might just make Staffa yet. The rain duly dried up and just before midday we were underway on close to glassy seas. A small pod of porpoises briefly appeared ro raise our spirits further.

Just over an hour and 24nm later we were looking into Fingal’s Cave. It was too lumpy to get ashore on the stone jetty so after a good potter round in the boat we headed East for Ulva.

I’d not been to Ulva before but I had researched the area and discovered a restaurant called The Boat House, next to a jetty on its south-eastern shore. The tide was on full ebb when we entered the Sound of Ulva, fortunately it was gin clear with a sandy bottom, so with Sheddy rock-spotting on the bow as we edged our way in, we made it to the stone jetty just in time for lunch. We ordered inside then sat outside on picnic benches in sight of Six O Five.

Ian’s chartplotter tracks their progress up the narrow loch. Photo: Ian Furby

After a very pleasant lunch it was time to get underway again, continuing north. The channel has a small island in the middle with routes on either side. The one to the north has a lowest chart datum of 0m, to the south it was 1.1m but littered with rocks. Caught between a rock and hard place, we opted for the south side, edging slowly along for a tense 15 mins before reaching deeper water. In the distance we could see a waterfall cascading into the sea off Mull.

We pulled into Calgary Bay for a brief look at its famously pristine white beach before continuing on with Mull to starboard. The first mate then decided she wanted to check out The Bellachroy Hotel at the end of Loch a’ Chumhainn, in Dervaig. The passage was narrow, shallow and full of rocks, but the tide was now rising and it couldn’t be any worse than Ulva so I agreed to give it a bash.

And that’s exactly what I did, catching the outboard on a rock. Bugger! Once in deeper water I tilted up the engine and thought I’d got way with it until I spotted a small but visible chip in my skeg. I’m a bit (very) OCD about my boats and it hurt. Badly.

Ian Furby

Well, nowt I could do about it now and very much in need of a beer, we steamed back to Tobermory as the sun finally made an appearance. We’d been out just over four hours and other than ‘skeg gate’ it had been a fantastic day. I nipped off and got some tinnies and we spent a couple of hours just kicking back on board and watching the sun sink lower in the sky.

When it finally dropped behind a hill, we headed back to the hotel for supper. The thing is you’ve got to pass several pubs on the way so we never made it back in time and ended up eating in The Mishnish, still in our oillies, before staggering back to our bed.

Day 4:

Home, via Fort William

Rather than heading straight to Dunstaffnage and home, we swung sharp to port at the bottom of the Sound and fired up Loch Linnhe towards Fort William. We weren’t far into the loch when that rarest of things happened. The sea hadn’t just turned to glass, it had become a vast mirror so smooth and perfect that you’d struggle to discern reflection from reality.

Fingal’s Cave where Bonnie Prince Charlie was said to have hidden. Photo: Ian Furby

We were the only boat on the water, I had the hammer down at 44 knots and my life was complete. If I didn’t boat again all season, I wouldn’t care.

However, as I’m a Yorkshireman and I didn’t want the experience to end prematurely, I eased her back to the mid 30s and glanced at Sheddy, who was wearing an equally giddy grin.

We slowed down briefly to negotiate the bottleneck where the Corran ferry crosses and tidal eddies start to form, before speeding back up for the final 7nm to Fort William under the shadow of Ben Nevis, snow still clinging to its northern slopes.

Shortly after we tied up to the visitor pontoon at Fort William and paid our dues in the honesty box. We stretched our legs, grabbed a coffee and some grub, then sat on a bench in the sun overlooking the loch. It was idyllic. Sadly, we still had 30nm to steam and a boat to recover before trailing it back to Yorkshire.

The view from The Boat House restaurant on the Isle of Ulva. Photo: Ian Furby

Back aboard we reversed our transit towards the bottom of Linnhe before veering to port. Detouring only briefly to check out Castle Stalker, we powered on back to Dunstaffnage.

The fun wasn’t quite over yet. The tide was ripping out through the marina, doing about Mach 10 on our nose, so we had to come in quick with enough momentum to reach the pontoon but without bashing it. Mercifully, I nailed it and we were soon tied up, having enjoyed an epic day’s boating. By 3pm the boat was back on the trailer and heading south again.

It had been a fantastic trip; 240nm covered, amazing food and scenery. Best of all, Sheddy loved it and is keen to do more boating together as a couple. The Western Isles had worked their magic once again.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article Boating in Scotland: 'We were the only boat on the water and my life was complete.' appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

After nine days cruising north on the Saône and Vosges canal, we had reached the French town of Toul, completing stage one of our passage to Naarden in the Netherlands. There we planned to join a gathering of Broom owners in 18 days’ time, meaning we were under some time pressure. However, friends had spoken warmly of the attractions of Toul so I reckoned we could afford to take a day out of our schedule to explore it.

Part of my interest was in the history of the town as a vital link on France’s canal network. This part of the Moselle was only made navigable in 1979 and for more than 100 years before that, all traffic from France and Belgium to the province of Lorraine had to pass through Toul and onwards by canal to Nancy. While poor Marjorie caught up on the laundry at the well-appointed marina, I took the opportunity to explore the now abandoned canal and inspect relics of the old industrial port.

La Strega safely moored in Luxembourg’s Schwebsange Marina. Photo: Donald Walker

In the afternoon we visited the 11th century cathedral, taking the opportunity to stock up on French wine, cheese and other delicacies in the market. I also spent some time planning our route from here, now that we were entering unfamiliar territory.

Boating across Europe: Researching the onwards route

For our travels in France, we have always relied on a range of excellent waterways guides. For the Moselle and the Rhine, we had only been able to find a couple of basic charts showing the routes, place names and distances. The information was all in German and did not include anything about marinas or other moorings.

From talking to friends who had travelled both rivers, I gathered that it was essential to identify secure stopping places each night. It was not safe to moor by the bank and there were relatively few proper marinas where we would be protected from the wash of passing commercial craft.

Mooring bow-first in Metz. Photo: Donald Walker

Based on this, I had drawn up a list of possible overnight stops and places of interest, taking account of the distances we might expect to cover each day. From Toul the recommendation was to head for Pont-à-Mousson about 45km downstream. However, if we could manage another 30km, we would reach Metz, the last major town in France, and a place I particularly wanted to explore.

With that in mind, I got everything organised for an early start the next morning, only to discover as I was about to cast off, that the locks to
get out of town did not open till 9am. This meant that, despite my best efforts, it was already 10am by the time we reached the river.

Article continues below…

French canal boating: What we learned from hiring a boat on the Canal du Midi

Dutch cruising guide: Exploring the nether-Netherlands

Motoring to metz

As we approached our first Moselle lock of the day, just 6km downstream, we saw it standing open as if waiting for us. There was a boat already there and we were surprised to recognise it as the yacht that had set off 36 hours before us.

As we moved into the lock beside them, they told us they had been stuck for two days because the locks between here and Pompey were closed for annual maintenance so they had spent two nights moored on the canal bank. How lucky that we had unwittingly made use of that time to visit Toul.

The section between Toul and Pompey is particularly interesting. The river here was only opened for traffic when the German Moselle was enlarged to Rhine barge dimensions in the 1970s. It took us through picturesque countryside, with traces of the original canal to Nancy still visible on the left bank.

Minimal traffic on the new canalised Moselle heading north from Toul. Photo: Donald Walker

The aqueduct, which had carried the old canal across the river, was sadly long gone but amongst all the evidence of modern engineering, our attention was caught by a beautiful old stone viaduct carrying the railway over the river. We could not help wondering how this Victorian-era structure had somehow survived all the wars and the navigation improvements of the 20th century.

Traffic was very light and by lunchtime we had covered 25km and passed through three locks. We were now looking at just four more locks and another 50km to Metz. There was no barge traffic, presumably a result of the 10 days closure, so I started to think we could do it.

Soon after 3pm we passed Pont-à-Mousson, our original overnight stop. It looked an attractive town with an impressive river frontage but the prospect of having an extra day to explore Metz was more than adequate consolation.

The Moselle valley near Contz Les Bains lives up to its reputation as one of Europe’s prettiest rivers. Photo: Donald Walker

Roman relics

We were now cruising meandering stretches of river and lakes in a wide valley, and as we neared Metz we came upon the highlight of our day, the remains of a Roman aqueduct. Originally of 110 arches, it was not as high as the more famous Pont du Gard in Southern France but it was longer and equally impressive.

Roman remains beneath the Metz museum. Photo: Donald Walker

I saw from the chart that we should now be close to a branch off the main river, an old arm which would lead to Metz. As I turned into the channel, I found it opened into a wide expanse of water more like a lake than a river, with a line of buoys showing us which way to go.

I quickly learned I needed to keep close to these navigation marks as any slight deviation provoked an immediate reprimand from the echo sounder. Unfortunately, on this summer evening there were lots of small hire boats meandering around in front of us, unaware that we had no space to take avoiding action.

We picked our way between the little boats till we reached the Yacht Club, a few pontoons on the far bank, below the town. I spotted a space close to the shore and other boaters kindly came out to take our ropes as we backed in. Unfortunately, due to a tricky cross wind, there was simply not enough room to get
La Strega lined up so, rather than risk damage, I reluctantly gave up that space and moved round to the other side of the pontoon where I could better control my approach, nose into the wind.

The 13th Century German Gate. Photo: Donald Walker

It was now 6.40pm, a rather long day, but worth the effort because having covered 75km and 10 locks, we could afford to spend tomorrow exploring Metz. But for now, it was time for drinks on deck, watching the sun go down, and dining aboard.

Magnificent Metz

Friday morning was windy with the threat of showers but fine for exploring the town. Our starting point was the magnificent 16th century Gothic cathedral, at the
heart of the old city, but as we wandered further out, we discovered just how strong the German influence was. To the north, outside the ancient town wall, is a 13th century fortification known as the German Gate.

There is more modern evidence of German occupation in the architecture of that part of town, including a very fine 1890s vintage railway station building, where we had a delicious lunch.

Impressive remains of the Roman aqueduct near Metz. Photo: Donald Walker

We rounded our day off with a visit to the museum, which is built over Roman remains on display in the basement. As you climb from there the museum gives an excellent chronological picture of the city’s history through the ages.

We had walked a long way, so it was a pleasure to relax and dine on board again that evening, as we prepared for another early start on Saturday morning. We were planning to reach Luxembourg the following day, having been advised by a German friend that we ought to stop at the marina there, perhaps most importantly because Luxembourg was at that point the cheapest place in Europe to buy diesel.

Lucky in Luxembourg Rising at 7.30am, after a remarkably cold night, I spotted our neighbour, in a Dutch-flagged boat, getting ready to leave. Learning that he was heading in our direction I decided to follow him, as having another boat to share the locks with was likely to speed progress.

It turned out that our companion knew this stretch of the river very well and he guided us towards a smaller channel with two original French 38m locks, which bypassed the new giant ones. These we could operate ourselves and with no worries about commercial traffic, we were able to work through them quickly.

Working through the smaller locks outside Metz with a Dutch vessel. Photo: Donald Walker

For the third lock, Richemont, we were back in the 172m locks and here we met our first Rhine-sized barge, working upstream. I feared that now we were starting to see commercial traffic, we might suffer delays at the four remaining locks between here and Luxembourg. However, as the first of these came into view, we caught up with a barge going our way, and happily there was room enough for our two small craft at the back of the lock.

From here on, we simply tucked in behind the barge, content to follow at 10kmh. We were able to relax and enjoy the countryside, which was mainly agricultural, with one big port at Thionville. We were beginning to wonder when we were going to see the grape vines for which the Moselle Valley is famous.

Making steady progress, it was 2pm as we approached Apach, where we joined the Moselle. This was the last lock in France and marked the border crossing. From here for the next 40km, we would have Luxembourg on our port side and Germany to starboard.

Departing Toul on the old canal. Photo: Donald Walker

We were now just 6km from Schwebsange, the only marina in Luxembourg and the recommended re-fuelling point. We had motored just over 500km since filling up in Saint-Jean-de-Losne, and while the gauges were not quite showing empty, I wouldn’t have wanted to go much further. I also reckoned that by re-fuelling now, we should comfortably make it to Holland without having to buy diesel again.

Just 30 minutes later we spotted the arrivals pontoon on our left, with a substantial marina protected by an embankment behind. Pulling up, I allowed myself a smile of satisfaction that we had reached the halfway point of our journey on schedule.

Diesel discount

I set off to find the harbourmaster and secured a berth for the night. Everything was going so well until I said that we needed fuel, only to be told that, unfortunately, the fuel pump closed at 2pm on Saturdays!

AIS gives advance warning of approaching barges. Photo: Donald Walker

I sat down and explained our situation, as calmly as I could manage. I think what may have swung it was telling him we needed at least 400 litres. For that quantity he agreed to open up the fuel berth and serve us himself. I was slightly embarrassed, though pleasantly surprised, when it transpired we only had room in our tank for 328 litres but if he was disappointed, he didn’t show it.

At €1.78 per litre, the price was the best I had seen that season, so I was well pleased with the outcome. Business completed and boat safely moored, I was keen to do some exploring, conscious that we would only be spending this single night in Luxembourg.

As we crossed the border, I had noticed a little village called Schengen. The name seemed to ring a bell with me, and I was interested to find out more. I set off cycling through pleasant countryside, passing a few farms and a couple of riverside campsites. On distant hillsides rising from the edge of the flood plain, I caught my first sight of the famous Moselle vineyards.

:Apach lock that marks the border between France, Germany and Luxembourg. Photo: Donald Walker

Reaching the border village, I found a notice saying that Schengen was the place where in 1985, representatives of the six founding nations of the EU, came together to sign the agreement allowing border free travel within their customs area. Given that we would be passing through five countries and four border crossings on this trip alone, I was very grateful for their efforts.

Sadly, there was little else to see in Schengen, only a few shops aimed at tourists like me. But since we were in Luxembourg, I took the opportunity to buy a few bottles of wine at prices unlikely to be matched in Germany or Holland.

Promising progress

As we relaxed over dinner at the marina restaurant, Marjorie and I reflected on our progress to date. We began our journey 13 days ago and still had 13 days until the start of the Naarden event.

Our boat was performing faultlessly and the rate of travel on the Moselle had been better than anticipated. We had already covered around a third of the distance to Koblenz, so were confident we could reach the Rhine within the next five days. Allowing for five more to the Netherlands, we should have three days in hand for rest breaks, exploring or unexpected problems.

Following a friendly barge sped up the passage through the locks. Photo: Donald Walker

On the other hand, we still had 650km to go, including the infamous Rhine with its strong current and fast-moving barges. Thankfully, that was still a while off and we had the rest of the Moselle to look forward to, one of the prettiest rivers in Europe.

Next month Donald and Marjorie take in the sights of the Moselle with its famous vineyards, castles and luxury cruise ships.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

This article Boating across Europe: 'Traffic was very light and by lunchtime we had covered 25km and passed three locks' appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Boating has always been part of my life. My father was a sailor and my wife, Dominique, has always had a passion for boating, so it makes sense that our love for the water runs deep. We’ve expressed this over the last decade by spending lots of holidays on charter yachts – and we’ve enjoyed it so much that this summer, we took the next step and became proud owners of Cuba Libre, our very own custom-built Super Lauwersmeer Discovery 46.

Making the change

After a long career in charge of successful transport companies in Antwerp, it was time to make our dreams come true. Our three children had grown up and we had become proud grandparents to two grandchildren. We also had a great circle of friends around us, so after a lifetime of hard work, we decided the time was right to focus on the finer things in life. Naturally, our passion for the water was front and centre…

The primary port where both we and our friends tend to stay when we go boating is Tholen, about 40 minutes north of Antwerp. It’s a nice gathering place for the family in its own right but it’s also a fine starting point for day, weekend or week-long trips further afield.

It makes a great staging post for longer holidays towards Scandinavia, Germany and France too, so while our focus was initially on a planing motor yacht, our ambitions quickly changed. We started thinking about our travel goals, about fuel consumption and about stability and in the end, we decided to look for a relatively sedate displacement or semi-displacement model instead.

Visiting the yard was a key part of the process

A search at various boat shows followed, looking for the right yard to build our dream boat. From HISWA to Boot Düsseldorf, we put in a lot of time and a lot of miles; and we also visited plenty of shipyards. But when we came across a pair of boats – Pursuit of Happiness and Yanos from the Dutch yard, Super Lauwersmeer, on YouTube – we got a really good feeling about it.

What we had here were two Discovery 47 OCs – the same model of boat, yet totally different from one another. We loved the Porsche chalk-white exterior colours of Pursuit of Happiness, and in the case of bright orange Yanos, the relaxed lounge-style arrangement of the interior saloon really appealed to us. So we made an appointment to meet up with Bastiaan Jousma, the co-owner of Super Lauwersmeer, in Noardburgum in the Friesland province of the Netherlands.

Every request was carried out to the letter

Design dilemmas

Once we had decided on a Super Lauwersmeer, the various options were then explored in more detail. And after working with the guys at the yard, we quickly arrived at a model that combined the exterior colour scheme of Pursuit of Happiness with the interior layout of Yanos.

Plenty of additional wishes could also be incorporated, so that it would really feel like a custom-built boat. From an enlarged bathroom to a long roof and from a shortened swim platform to lockable gates for the dog towards the gangways and the aft deck, Super Lauwersmeer incorporated every single element of our wishlist.

They were even happy to include all the finer details, like black taps and dark windows and so, buoyed by the prospect of beginning the build, we signed the contract in September 2022. Bastiaan came to Antwerp especially for the signing of the contract so it was no surprise to us that the schedule was faithfully followed. Construction started in early 2023 and our finished boat was launched in July 2024.

Cuba Libre will now cruise home to Tholen

Super Lauwersmeer kept us intimately involved throughout the entire process, with photo and video updates on a weekly basis. We were always welcome at the yard too and, while our initial brief was pretty detailed, it’s amazing how many extra features began to make sense later on in the process.

For us, they included a remote control for docking the yacht from the gangway, as well as air conditioning to keep us comfy. We even specced a spud pole (a telescopic steel pole that projects through the hull into the river bed) for secure, fuss-free anchoring at the touch of a button. And to the credit of the guys at the yard, every requested upgrade was implemented.

The Porsche-inspired colours look superb

Cool times on Cuba Libre

We’ve already got our first few hours of cruising under our belts and they have been extremely happy in all respects. Our dream yacht has been given the name Cuba Libre – and while that obviously references the dark rum cocktail Dominique and I so enjoy, the name also stands for freedom.

We intend to use our boat a lot, and whether we go cruising in Norway, France or Germany (or anywhere else in the world) we know they will be able to pronounce it correctly. It might sound trivial but believe it or not, that was genuinely important to us when choosing the name.

For the time being, Cuba Libre has a short itinerary to carry out. It will be used by Super Lauwersmeer as a calling card at the HISWA boat show in Lelystad from 28 August to 1 September. But once that’s done, the much anticipated trip to my home port of Tholen via Amsterdam and Dordrecht will begin. And from then, on to wonderful voyages, great memories and unforgettable experiences…

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

This article How we traded work for a life of wanderlust and boating appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Per Harrtoft is on the home straight of his adventure of a lifetime, cruising his Grandezza 40 flybridge from the east coast of Sweden to the remote Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway

Trondheim to Silda

After ten memorable days in the Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway, we are on our way back south towards Sweden. We have already made it as far as Trondheim, a charming place even if it was raining so hard we had to cycle round the city centre clutching umbrellas. But now we are back on board Deamare, our Grandezza 40 Fly, eating up the miles at a steady 31 knots.

It’s a 30-mile trip just to get out of Trondheimsfjord, the fjord where the city itself is based, and further still to the outer archipelago where our next destination of Veiholmen lies. The channel leading to the sheltered little harbour in the middle of the island is extremely narrow and winding but it’s worth it to reach this gem of a place. We have arranged to meet up with our friends Micke and Cina on their Grand Banks, and we spend a lovely afternoon together at the Smira fish restaurant, enjoying the stunning sea views and sharing tales of our adventures.

Later on that evening, my friend and crew mate, Jörgen, and I continue our cruise through the archipelago and back out into open water all the way to Molde, another small town with a sheltered location on the mainland.

After a peaceful night and a thorough wash and sort-out of our inflatable tender, we make time for a relaxed brunch on the pier before continuing south on a pleasantly calm sea. By 4pm we are approaching the infamous Stadpeninsula for the second time on this trip. To avoid the notorious tidal race, we head offshore on a northwesterly course for two miles before tracking round the peninsula in 2m following seas.

Pleased to have put that challenge behind us, we slow down and try our fishing luck over one of the local shoals, where we swiftly reel in three good-sized cod on our newly purchased jig.

Feeling unduly pleased with ourselves, we crack on again towards our next stop on the island of Silda. The guest harbour is surrounded by houses with mountains rising steeply behind it, creating a protective barrier against the Atlantic swell. It’s warm and perfectly still inside the harbour and we enjoy a magical evening swimming and grilling our freshly caught fish as we follow the sun’s slow descent listening to ABBA – who else?

Photo: Per Harrtoft

Silda to Stavanger

It’s still warm, sunny and calm when we cast off from Silda the next morning and head south once more at a fast but comfortable pace. At lunchtime, we stop and eat in Vaerlandet, far out in the archipelago, but as there’s no diesel available we press on to the next island of Bulandet.

Fully refuelled, we pin the throttles and power on south until we arrive in Bergen later that afternoon. The tide is so low that we manage to sneak under the Småpudden bridge without waiting for it to open, before berthing alongside in Marineholms guest harbour. Jörgen is catching a flight home from here tomorrow, leaving me to carry on alone. We have travelled over 1,700nm together, making memories that will last a lifetime. It is a poignant moment for both of us but also a happy one.

After waving Jörgen off the next morning, I put to sea alone, bound for Stavanger. It takes two full days in gusty winds and messy seas to reach it, with only a night stop in Fitjar providing some respite from the relentless southerly breeze.

Article continues below…

Cruising a motor yacht from Sweden to the remote Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway

Lofoten or bust: A motor boater's adventure to the far north continues

Once safely in Stavanger, I empty the septic tank and fix the failed pump. I also get a haircut before my new crew shows up. After five weeks at sea, I am being reunited with my wife Eva and daughter Andrea, as well as her husband Teo and their dogs for a few days exploring the area. By the time they arrive in our motorhome, Deamare and I are both looking presentable.

We have a lot to catch up on during our evening meal.

The following morning, our first stop is the fuel berth in Vassöy. Once we’ve topped up the tanks, we cross the strait to Langöy for a few hours R&R before pushing on again. Today’s trip ends in Vikevåg’s guest harbour on Rennesöy.

Photo: Per Harrtoft

The next morning we press on to the bottom of the Lysefjord and moor at Lysebotn, a pretty little village wedged into a narrow valley between the mountains. Retracing our steps out of Lysefjord, we pause for a quick look at Kjeragbolten and a refreshing dip in front of Preikestolen before heading back to Stavanger city centre, where we discover that we have docked behind the stage for that evening’s rock concert, featuring the Norwegian band Ingenting (Norwegian for nothing). The resulting din is far from nothing!

Stavanger to Kristiansund

The following morning, Andrea and Teo head off in the ‘land yacht’ while Eva and I make an early start to try to beat the winds due to arrive later that day. Despite the early departure, we encounter big waves when we round the northern cape at Tungeneset and turn south.

Atlantic swells up to 4m high are coming at us from three different directions, tossing us around like an ice cube in a cocktail shaker. Frantic use of the throttle to try to limit the effect of each wave takes the edge off it but Eva, who chose this leg of the journey in a bid to avoid the harsher conditions up north, is now in the thick of the worst pounding we have endured so far. After what seems like an eternity, we finally reach the calm waters of Egersund, allowing us a much-needed second breakfast and a nap.

South of Egersund, the sea state remains much calmer so we press on at good speed, reaching Korshavn in two hours flat. After lunch, we carry on towards Lindesnes headland, another potential danger spot. Thankfully, the waves are behind us and we make good speed past the lighthouse on the headland before ducking back into more protected waters.

Devouring their catch of the day in a flat-calm Silda harbour. Photo: Per Harrtoft

The journey continues at a good lick with a short stop outside Höllen before arriving at 5pm in Kristiansund with another 135 challenging nautical miles under our belt.

Kristiansand feels remarkably like my home town of Karlskrona. They are around the same size and both have lovely beaches and a stunning archipelago. We spend the day cleaning and fixing, and exploring the city centre. In the evening, our friends Ulrika and Ingemar join us on board for the final week-long journey home.

We awake to clear blue skies and light winds from the west so we choose, for once, to motor slowly and enjoy the archipelago in all its glory from the vantage point of Deamare’s flybridge. It’s so pleasant that we drop anchor in a nice sheltered spot near Ulvöya to have lunch before carrying on at the same languid pace through countless beautiful passages until, after five hours, we stop for the night at Lillesand. Even here in Lillesand, in the middle of the Blindleia archipelago, there is a bustling harbour with busy restaurants, bars and shops.

The next morning in Lillesand, the sea is mirror-smooth under a clear blue sky and we enjoy another blissful day, pottering slowly through the islands.

Truly spectacular valley views in Lysebotn. Photo: Per Harrtoft

We pass a popular natural harbour on the island of Malöya and then Grimstad before continuing northeast to look for more natural harbours with fewer boats. Eventually, we find a sheltered bay inside Kvalöya where we drop the aft anchor and tie a bow line round the rocks so we can clamber ashore, light the BBQ and spend a magical evening under the stars.

Kvalöya to Havstenssund

We have been invited to attend a Grandezza owners’ meeting in Havstenssund, Sweden, in three days’ time. However, the most direct route across the Skagerrak strait from Norway to Sweden looks likely to be uncomfortably rough due to high winds, so we follow the coast and try to cross a narrower, more sheltered section of the strait. We follow the fairway in a northeasterly direction over open water until we can turn due north, inside Tromöy then towards Arendal, which we glide slowly past, wondering why Disney chose to name the fictitious kingdom in the movie Frost after this modest Norwegian city.

It’s still windy as we motor on past Risör and then Langesund before moving on to Nevlunghavn, where we moor for the evening at the outer pier with the bow against the high bridge.

Atle Knutsson from the Norwegian boat magazine, Båtmagasinet, comes to visit after dinner and interviews me about the trip. At bedtime, we find that the wind has changed and the anchor is slipping, so we have to move quickly and raft alongside a helpful Swedish sailboat.

From Nevlunghavn we continue north for a while. The strait still looks menacing so we motor to Mågerö, where we refuel and eat waffles while the rain sets in. Only when we are safely in Oslofjord do we cross to the northern tip of Rauer island.

Vikevåg’s attractive guest harbour on Rennesoy. Photo: Per Harrtoft

Here, the sea is calmer and we can take advantage of the shelter behind the islands to speed up once again. Soon, we’re flying past Risholmen and then east of Hankö before pulling into the marina at Sand on Spjaeröy, minutes before the thunderstorm we’ve been running away from catches us up.

On the next day’s leg to Havstenssund, the waves are on our nose so we take a short diversion north and round Asmalöy for shelter before a faster, more comfortable ride south.

We cross the border into Sweden without having to check in at any border control and after six fantastic weeks in Norway, we are back in our home country. We soon arrive in Havstenssund, where GBM, the Swedish Grandåezza dealer, has reserved a berth for us.

The evening is a joyful one, with like-minded members of the Grandezza Owners’ Club and GBM’s ever cheerful boss, Rolf Hansson, who presents me and Eva with a bottle of champagne for “the biggest navigational error in getting to the Grandezza meeting” due to our 3000nm detour via the Lofoten Islands!

The island of Gardsoya. Photo: Per Harrtoft

Havstenssund to Karlskrona

The next day, we make a short trip back north to Nordkoster where, after some waiting, we get a berth alongside the pier. Nordkoster is a buzzing seaside town nestled in among traditional red-painted fishing sheds. We have a final celebratory dinner at a restaurant called Strandkanten.

The next day we say goodbye to Ulrika and Ingemar, who take the ferry to the mainland for their onward travel home, leaving me and Eva to explore Nordkoster’s dramatic cliffs, verdant pastures and sparkling beaches for the remainder of the day.

After filling up the water and diesel tanks, we continue our journey once again, stopping in Vasholmarna to meet up with Jörgen and his wife Lotta in their motorboat. It’s a happy reunion, especially as we now have our wives with us, so we can thank them properly for “lending us to each other” for our boys’ trip to Lofoten.

Korshavn makes a charming bolthole for a spot of lunch. Photo: Per Harrtoft

The next day, we move both boats to a nice new marina named Basteviksholmarna, where we enjoy one final day together before carrying on our journey south for the 400nm trip home.

We soon pass Gullholmen and then continue offshore for a while before ducking in between the islands until we finally arrive at Marstrand. We spend a few days here with our son Martin, Frans and Hugo.

Marstrand is the West Coast’s premier summer hotspot with lots of boats, restaurants and shops to keep everyone entertained. The only fly in the ointment is a sailing boat that crashes into our boat while berthing, leaving scratches in our topsides.

Speeding past Havstenssund’s verdant coastline. Photo: Per Harrtoft

When the rest of the family leave, it is time for me and Eva to go home. We motor through the archipelago, staying close to the mainland at Torslanda and then cutting across to Gothenburg and on through its southern archipelago. After Donsö, we are forced to slow down by building seas and decide to turn in for the night in Träslövsläge.

The next morning, we manage a 47nm leg to the Kullen lighthouse before the autopilot throws a wobbly, and we make a stop in Viken for lunch.

After lunch, we press on again on the Danish side of the strait, passing through the eastern fairway underneath the Öresund Bridge. There we are met by heavy head seas, so we stop and tuck into Klagshamn for the night.

Nevlunghavn makes a handy stop en route to the Grandezza owners’ meeting in Havstenssund. Photo: Per Harrtoft

The home straight

The following morning, the 9nm passage to the Falsterbo Canal goes quickly and, once through the canal, we recalibrate the autopilot and get it working again. It’s almost as if Deamare knows she’s on the home straight, following the southern Skåne coast until we pass Ystad, and at Sandhammarens lighthouse, changing course towards Karlskrona Angöring and the last 60nm leg home.

At the quay, we are welcomed by Andrea, Teo and the dogs.

It’s great to be home again but after covering 3,500nm in two short months, it all feels strangely surreal. The distance we have travelled is the same as the distance to the equator if I had chosen to go in another direction. It has been an amazing adventure and by making the most of the weather windows and Deamare’s speed, we have only actually added 200 hours to the engines.

Our journey to Lofoten and back was every bit as magical as I’d hoped, and the adventure itself has left me wanting more, which begs the question – where are we going next?

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article Lofoten or Bust: The final stretch of an epic journey appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

There are times to stick doggedly to a plan and there are times to cut and run. This was the latter, if only to protect Molly, our precious Aquador.

After last year’s cruise to the Isles of Scilly was cut short by bad weather, my wife Jillie and I decided to give it another go this year. Once again, all the preparations were made – fuel, water, food, weather window – and on 16 June, off we set. As we motored towards the Lizard so the cloud started to build and the closer we got to the most southerly point, the choppier the sea became.

By the time we rounded Black Head, it was getting quite unpleasant and we hadn’t passed either the Lizard or Land’s End yet. We also felt very alone as there were barely any other boats out. Neither of us fancied another three hours of cloudy skies so we turned around and headed back to Fowey.

Two other factors clinched the decision: the weather forecast for Scilly was breezy and cloudy, while Cornwall and Devon was going to be bathed in sunshine and light winds. And something wasn’t quite right with Molly’s electrics; the voltage was a bit low and variable.

When I bought her, we inherited three domestic batteries and one starter of uncertain age. I decided to replace all four of them in case there was a faulty battery or cell but it still wasn’t quite right and it didn’t feel safe or sensible to be heading out into the Atlantic knowing there was an issue.

Dropping anchor in Cawsand Bay. Photo: Matt Dale

Although we have been to Fowey many times, it never disappoints. We put alongside one of the mid-river pontoons, level with the lifeboat, and we settled in. As charming as the town is, we are very content to do our own thing. The Lotus barbecue came out, we cracked open a few beers and mixed
some gin and tonics, and the evening was sorted.

The following day dawned bright and warm. We were heading east, partly to explore further afield, partly because the wind was due to become easterly and I wanted the shelter of south Devon. Our first stop was Cawsand – still just within Cornwall.

When we did our trip to this neck of the woods in Sula – our previous Yamarin 59HT – we fell in love with the place. Cawsand, and its adjoining Kingsand, lie just inside Plymouth Sound, tucked into the lee of the Rame Peninsula. The two pretty villages boast pubs and cafes, sandy beaches and a sheltered anchorage.

The only downside being the wash that rolls in from the commercial traffic that plies the Sound. That, and the fresh northwesterly that blew up on our first night to make it a noisy, choppy and sleep-deprived introduction.

Jillie eyes the horizon en route to Hope Cove. Photo: Matt Dale

Exploring ashore

Part of the attraction of Cawsand was its proximity to Mount Edgcumbe Park, a former stately home and grounds now owned and run by the local authorities. I had seen it across the Tamar from the Mayflower Marina and the Royal William Yard but never visited it.

We chose the hottest day of the year to walk there but it was glorious; the scenery, the surroundings and the views. We had taken our swimmers so we enjoyed a cooling dip before a leisurely lunch at the Orangery. Having walked around the headland, we then walked back over the top to enjoy the shorter route home and the even more amazing views.

Article continues below…

Breakfast in the Dale household is usually a thing of function, a matter of fuelling up for the day ahead. On our second morning off Cawsand we opted for a slow start and breakfast ashore at Olives; a
lovely café in the adjoining Kingsand with outdoor tables overlooking the sea.

There was definitely a battle of wits with the resident gulls who made the Artful Dodger look like an amateur. I reckon that a tennis racquet and a good backhand would sort matters out. But given how good the breakfast was, you can hardly blame them for trying!

Pointing the bow towards Rame Head. Photo: Matt Dale

Hope springs eternal

Our next planned stop was Hope Cove, just north of Salcombe. If Cawsand is one of our favourite parts of south Cornwall, then Hope Cove and Thurlestone is the Devon equivalent. It was only about 16nm away as the crow flies but we pootled in around Burgh Island and Bantham Beach en route, passing the big arched rock at Thurlestone.

Hope Cove is tucked in behind Bolt Tail, which is the smaller relative of Bolt Head that protects Salcombe. The conditions were perfect; an easterly or offshore breeze and no swell – the bay also has fairly hard sand which made anchoring easier.

Despite all of these advantages, the anchorage was very quiet, with just the occasional day visitor from Dartmouth or Salcombe and one or two local boats. We swam a couple of times a day and did some glorious coastal walks, stopping off at some of the eateries in the cove for refreshments.

After two wonderful nights in Hope Cove, we set off for Salcombe. We hadn’t gone far when I decided that perhaps we ought to be heading for somewhere with shore power.

The couple have fallen in love with Cawsand Bay. Photo: Matt Dale

The voltage and charging still weren’t right and as far as I was aware there was no shorepower in Salcombe. That left three choices: Dartmouth, Plymouth or Fowey. Dartmouth was 24 miles away in the wrong direction. Plymouth was nearest and had a choice of marinas, but we were more familiar with Fowey and it was closer to home.

We opted for Fowey. I didn’t use the autopilot and I turned off the fridge to keep power usage to a minimum. It was a little tense for the two-and-a-half hour journey but the sea was calm, we weren’t too close to shore, we had a decent handheld radio as well as the 12V one, and we had mobile reception. If the engine did cut-out, we would just have to drift until the lifeboat got there, then make a very hefty donation to the RNLI!

Thankfully, the batteries held out and we tied up alongside the pontoon at Mixtow Pill where we plugged in the shorepower. So intent was I on getting to the pontoon that I hardly noticed the huge cruise ship dominating the harbour – The World, all 43,000t tonnes and 644 feet of her. It must have been quite a squeeze to get her in, as the entrance to the estuary is only about 250m wide and there’s an ‘S’ bend through moored boats that she would have had to negotiate.

Despite perfect conditions, Hope Cove was surprisingly quiet. Photo: Matt Dale

Fabulous Fowey

Fowey was fantastic, as usual. We had a very relaxed couple of days spent walking and swimming, eating and drinking – coffee at the Harbour Hotel being a particular treat, with views to die for. Then, batteries charged, we motored to Polridmouth Cove, just to the east of Gribbin Head, where we swam and had lunch before heading to St Mawes for a drink and a bite to eat at the St Mawes Hotel before turning in for the night.

Our last day dawned sunny and warm without a breath of wind. We headed for a beach across the inlet, on the St Anthony Head side. A leisurely swim was followed by egg and bacon butties, all cooked on a driftwood-fuelled Kelly Kettle, and washed down with a nice hot brew.

Spectacular sea views from St Mawes hotel. Photo: Matt Dale

All in all, it had been a super week away. It had perhaps felt a little tense at times, but it all worked out well in the end. We picked up our mooring below the farm at Restronguet in the late afternoon and pottered up the hill to home. Once we were back I had a proper look at the electrics.

Firstly, I took off the alternator and noticed that the lead that presses onto a spade on the back of the voltage regulator was loose. I squeezed the connector with some pliers and it popped back onto the spade terminal as snug as a bug. I had found the source of the problems. Since then I have had 200W solar panels fitted on the roof to keep the batteries topped up. Even with the fridge running overnight the batteries are now fully charged by late morning without having to run the engine.

It is a huge relief and means we will be able to go away for longer and with more confidence next summer.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article Fowey: The cruising destination that never disappoints appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

We managed to cover the 1400nm from Karlskrona to the Lofoten Islands in under a month, pushing through whenever the weather allowed. However, it took a toll. The supercharger drive belts on my Volvo D6s, fitted to the Grandezza 40 Fly Deamare, wore out despite being new this year. After reaching Röst a week ago, we diverted to Svolvaer for repairs.

Yesterday, while waiting for new drive belts, my crewmate Jörgen and I rented a car to explore the island in pouring rain. Today, the sun is out, and after a successful sea trial, we took the boat out for a fishing trip, each catching a good-sized cod.

With renewed confidence, we headed north between the islands, sheltered from incoming winds. We enjoyed calm waters, especially in Öyhellsundet. Just before Trollfjorden, another hissing sound came from the engine – the compressor drive belts had broken again after only an hour of use.

This far north the mountains are capped with snow all summer long. Photo: Per Harrtoft

Unable to get immediate help in Svolvaer, we booked into the Volvo dealership in Harstad. Knowing we could continue without the superchargers, we carried on, taking in the breathtaking beauty of Trollfjorden. We drifted in awe, surrounded by the towering landscape, with only a few tour boats for company.

We continued north, pushing through the calm waters. Near Hinnöya, we had to slow for a shallow fairway. After a long day, covering 96nm, we finally arrived in Harstad and moored at a marine workshop. The mechanic confirmed our issue was common but unresolved by Volvo. We decided to carry on and get it fixed back in Sweden.

We spent a quiet day in Harstad, doing laundry, exploring the town, and grilling our catch. Tomorrow is Midsummer’s Eve, but here in Norway, it’s business as usual. At least the sun is shining, and our spirits are high.

Berthed in Bjarkoya, the northernmost point of their epic Norwegian adventure. Photo: Per Harrtoft

Harstad to Nergårdsviken

The next day, we set off from Harstad, taking advantage of calm seas. An hour later, we reached Bjarköya and its stunning harbour, framed by mountains. Although tempted to continue north, this was as far as we planned to go.

I launched the drone to capture the landscape but had a scare when the screen went blank, and the drone almost crash-landed in the sea. Thankfully, the signal returned in time.

Article continues below…

Lofoten or bust: A motor boater's adventure to the far north continues

Lofoten or Bust: Taking a motor yacht to the far north of Norway

In the afternoon, we cycled around the bay and across to Bird Mountain, enjoying a peaceful picnic while watching thousands of seabirds nesting on the cliffs. Afterward, we returned to the boat, keen to get a few more hours of cruising before sunset.

Leaving Lödingen for the crossing back to mainland Norway. Photo: Per Harrtoft

By the time we left, the sun had disappeared, and the wind and rain followed. We reached Lödingen in the fog, where we celebrated a foggy Midsummer with schnapps. I took a moment to FaceTime my wife Eva, who was home alone with Covid.

Lödingen to Bodö

The next morning brought clear skies and light winds. After ten days in Lofoten, it was time to say goodbye. As we left the harbour, the snow-capped peaks reflected in the calm water. We cruised at 31 knots toward the mainland, easing down to 26 knots as the waves built.

The summer heat had finally arrived and we had to dig out our shorts. Photo: Per Harrtoft

Three-and-a-half hours later, we arrived in Bodö. Much to our delight, summer had arrived, and we dug out our shorts. The harbour was lively, and we secured a berth near the square. Although the tour boats to Saltstraumen were fully booked, some friendly Norwegians invited us to join them for rum and shrimp, teaching us about the local waters and whirlpools.

We ended the evening on the flybridge, enjoying chilled wine and watching the square come alive below.

Hiking to the mouth of the glacier. Photo: Per Harrtoft

Bodö to Sandnessjöen

The next day, we set off under clear skies towards Saltstraumen, navigating the world’s strongest tidal current. The whirlpools were calm today, but we still felt the power of the swirling waters as we pushed through. Once clear, we continued through calm straits, cruising at 35 knots towards the Svartisen glacier.

As we entered Holandsfjorden, the still water mirrored the surrounding mountains. We moored at the floating dock, had lunch, then cycled along the fjord before hiking up to Engebreevatnet, a small lake. From a rocky ledge, we gazed at the glacier, hearing it groan as it crept towards the sea.

Glacier hiking proves tp be thirsty work. Photo: Per Harrtoft

After a refreshing dip in the fjord’s cold water, we cruised south, passing the Arctic Circle monument. We reached Sandnessjöen at 8:30pm and discovered our septic tank was full, but we made do for the night.

After dinner, we toasted with gin and tonic, using ice from the glacier.

Holandsfjorden leading to the mighty Svartisen glacier. Photo: Per Harrtoft

Sandnessjöen to Trondheim

A bit slow to start after a late night, we set off south under light winds, cruising at 35 knots. We stopped for lunch at the picturesque harbour of Abelvaer and continued, switching drivers every hour.

Later, we fueled up at Faeringen and spotted the royal yacht Norge as we entered Trondheimsfjord. We pulled into Skansen’s Guest Harbor just as the rain began pouring down. After covering 220nm, we were now closer to Bergen, where Jörgen would sign off. Tomorrow, we’d explore Trondheim and get the septic tank emptied.

This is the third part of Per Harrtift’s adventure, see the Part 1 and Part 2.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article Cruising a motor yacht from Sweden to the remote Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

What would be your ideal holiday if you lived in a country so cold it had 40 different words for snow? How about sunbathing on the deck of a brand new Princess Y80 while a smiling crew member topped up your gin and tonic? It would certainly be very near the top of my list and I am guessing it’s the same for the two Finnish businessmen who bought the very first Princess Y80 off the production line, set it up as a charter business and called it Lumi – one of the many native words for, you guessed it, snow.

Sitting on its home berth in Cala d’Or marina, Mallorca, Lumi certainly looks as clean, white and sparkling as freshly fallen snow but the sun warming our backs at the tail end of October tells a very different story. We’re here to spend a few days on board so we can experience what it’s like to be a charter guest on this very special boat.

It’s rare enough to spend any length of time aboard an 80ft motor yacht but three days and nights on a brand new model we haven’t even sea trialled yet is next-level lucky.

Skipper Paul Askew and stewardess Liz Jepson are on hand to greet us, chilled champagne at the ready to help erase the memories of our Ryanair flight – most guests opt for a rather more exclusive means of arrival! I’ve met Paul before when he was working as a charter skipper for Boats.co.uk so we know we’re in safe hands and Liz seems equally happy to meet us.

After a quick tour of the boat, and to the surprise of absolutely no-one, my wife and I opt for the midships master while our friends Dan and Victoria settle for the forward VIP. That still leaves two very comfortable ensuite doubles free for other guests without anyone feeling like a second class citizen.

A spotless-looking Lumi on her home berth in Cala d’Or, Mallorca

Not that there’s any danger of that in our party. Dan and Victoria are experienced sailors but their idea of boating is night sailing across the Channel in a 30-year-old bilge-keeler, so sleeping in a king-sized double bed with hot and cold running crew is all rather overwhelming. Luckily, Victoria seems to be getting the hang of it just fine, especially after the second glass of champagne!

Dan is proving a little more reluctant to embrace the dark side (all motor boats are regarded with a degree of scepticism) but soon warms up when talk turns to today’s cruising itinerary. The plan is to potter gently south along the east coast of Mallorca, stopping off at a couple of pretty Calas en route for a bite to eat before heading out to the national marine park of Cabrera, some 10nm further south, to spend the night on a buoy.

Easing along Cala d’Or’s long, slender entrance channel, lined on both sides with what looks like an entire year’s output of the combined European boat building industry, is my idea of heaven even if the girls seem rather more smitten by the luxury villas keeping watch over them from the hillsides above – each to their own!

Sheltered as we are from the prevailing southerly, it comes as a bit of a surprise to witness white horses on the peaks of the waves as we nose out of the entrance into the rolling swell. At this time of year you do have to take your chances with the weather, unlike the wall-to-wall sunshine that is all but guaranteed between May and September.

Smiles all round greet another of Liz’s magnificent lunchtime spreads

The plus side of cruising here in October is that the sea is still a balmy 24 degrees and the beaches, marinas and restaurants are far less crowded than during the peak summer months. Besides, it will take more than a few white caps to spill your drink on a boat as large and seaworthy as this one.

Cala hopping

Safely ensconced up on the flybridge we settle into a relaxed canter, gently rising and falling with the motion of the waves, blissfully unperturbed by the occasional bursts of spray being thrown out from Lumi’s bow. Even from the co-pilot’s sea, it’s clear this is a very capable sea boat.

Right on cue, Paul points the bow in towards another narrow fissure in the cliffs called Cala Figuera. This one’s barely any wider than the boat is long and the further we crawl up its narrowing channel, the more impressed I am by Paul’s close-quarters control. One false move and we’ll be graunching the metalwork on the cliffs. When it’s clear we can go no further, he spins Lumi on its axis and heads back out the way we came before pushing on south towards Cap Saline, the southernmost tip of Mallorca.

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Before we leave the shelter of land altogether, Paul tucks up under the lee of Cala Lombards, dropping anchor but leaving the stabilisers on so we can enjoy our first lunch on board; a fabulous spread of fresh tomatoes, basil and burrata with serrano ham, rocket and parmesan. Served in Lumi’s aft cockpit, it’s a perfect opportunity to admire how the Y80’s longitudinal dinette arrangement gives everyone a much better view than the usual athwartships layout. It seems so obvious that you wonder why it took so long for designers to come up with it.

Fully fed and watered, the girls retire to the teak sunloungers with a book and a glass of rosé, while Dan and I join Paul at the upper helm for the passage across to Cabrera. Yomping along at 10-12 knots with the engines purring away and the silhouette of the islands gradually growing larger on the horizon, it’s an exhilarating feeling.

Cala Figuera is barely any wider than the boat is long and the further we crawl up its tapering channel the more impressed I become

Cabrera nights

Less than an hour later, we’re passing through the gap in the outer islands, the low-lying sun casting long shadows on the ochre-coloured earth of this beautiful but barren landscape. Pretty as they are, the islands hide a dark history; in 1808 some 9,000 French prisoners were abandoned here but intermittent supplies from the mainland and few natural resources to rely on meant only 3,600 of them survived long enough to be repatriated in 1814.

These days the whole archipelago is a protected national park inhabited only by a handful of staff who look after it and manage the visitors’ moorings in the large natural harbour.

A buoy in the shadow of Cabrera’s castle provided a memorable overnight stay

Paul has pre-booked one of the buoys and it’s here, in the shadow of the 14th-century castle perched at the entrance to the bay, that we find our spot. Once secured, Paul wastes no time launching the Williams Sportjet 435 from Lumi’s hydraulic platform and whisking us across the bay to visit a large natural cave. Steadying pole removed to reduce our air draft, we penetrate deep into the mouth of the cave, voices echoing off the rocky walls as the light from the entrance fades to a pinprick behind us.

By the time we return, the sun has set and Lumi is lit up from the inside like a giant glass lantern. A more welcoming sight is hard to imagine, especially with the aroma of Liz’s cooking drifting out from the midships galley. There’s just time for a quick swim in the illuminated pools of Lumi’s underwater lights before supper is served; chilled gazpacho followed by an authentic Spanish paella with succulent octopus and prawns the size of cigars. Heavy with food, wine and the excitement of a day well spent, we collapse into the embrace of our wonderfully soft, cosy beds.

Angled sofas make for a really sociable layout in the saloon

Windy weather

Waking to the gentle gurgle of water lapping against the hull, two things quickly become clear. First, the wind has started to pick up and second, even though I can feel the stabilisers working, both the fins and the generator are all but inaudible in the master cabin – a major improvement on previous boats I’ve slept on.

With the forecast predicting 30-knot winds this afternoon, Paul recommends heading back to the safety of Cala d’Or and spending a day in the marina, exploring the many onsite restaurants and bars, which we happily agree to.

There’s no point getting beaten up just for the sake of sticking to a pre-planned itinerary; far better to go with the flow and make the most of the boat and location. In fact, we all rather enjoy a quiet day checking out the local beach, dining at a fabulous fish restaurant and coming and going from our luxury floating hotel where there’s always a hot shower and a cool drink at the ready.

The view that greets you every time you wake up in Lumi’s magnificent master cabin

The next day dawns bright and clear and after another fine breakfast of freshly baked croissants, scrambled eggs and locally sourced yoghurt and honey, we’re all keen to get back out to sea. The wind has died but a residual swell provides another chance to admire the Y80 in action, including a quick burst of throttle to see what those big 1,900hp MAN engines can do – an impressive 32.5 knots is the answer albeit at the cost of over 700lph (something to bear in mind when planning your own itinerary).

At Paul’s suggestion, we’re popping a few miles down the coast to Cala Mondrago, reputed to be one of Mallorca’s prettiest anchorages, with a pristine beach and wonderfully unspoilt surroundings. We arrive just as a small fleet of sailing yachts are leaving, freeing up a spot right at the head of the inlet where it splits into two natural coves. With practised efficiency Paul and Liz drop the hook in water so clear you can see the anchor settling into the white sand below. Minutes later the platform is lowered, the tender launched and an array of water toys is at our disposal, including an ever popular Seabob.

Cala Mondrago deserves its reputation as one of Mallorca’s prettiest anchorages

Cala Mondrago

Dan and the girls drive straight in, while Paul takes me off for a tour of the Cala in the Williams to find the best angle for photographs. This is truly Instagram heaven with hidden inlets, rocky promontories and a handful of spectacular villas providing the perfect backdrop for the Y80, occupying centre stage at the heart of the action. There’s no denying that Lumi is a very pretty-looking boat and it’s hard not to feel a little bit smug at all the envious eyes pointed in our direction.

We return to the boat just in time to hear gales of laughter from Victoria as she scoots around the boat behind the Seabob. Dan is quick to follow, heading off to the rocks where the waves have worn a natural tunnel through the cliffs. We watch him disappear cautiously into the gloom before reappearing 30 seconds later on the other side of the headland. It’s moments like this that make a charter holiday such an unforgettable experience.

The Seabobs and Williams Sportjet means there’s plenty to keep guests entertained

Feeling suitably refreshed, we ask Paul to drop us off at an old landing stage on one side of the bay so we can walk around the two long branches of the Cala. A coastal path leads up through wooded headland before working its way back down to the fine sandy beach where the last of the season’s holidaymakers are splashing about in the sapphire blue waters. It’s hard to believe that today is 1 November.

We pick our way along the rocks at the head of the bay then along the cliffs to the second beach before calling Paul to pick us up from an old boat house tunnelled into the rocks on the other side. With consummate skill, he manoeuvres the 435’s bow close enough for us to hop across from the rocks before whisking us back to the boat in our very own waterborne limo service.

Mallorca’s many Calas mean there’s always an attractive sheltered spot to drop anchor

Porto Petro

For our final night, Paul has booked a buoy in the neighbouring natural harbour of Porto Petro so after another glorious lunch under the shade of the flybridge hard top, we weigh anchor and head round the corner to this pretty little fishing village. Once again Paul is on hand to drop us ashore for a beer or three in a quayside bar, where we watch the sun set over our floating home from home. Tomorrow we’ll come crashing back to reality but for the moment all four of us are living the dream and relishing every moment of it.

Chartering a boat like this doesn’t come cheap but being able to share precious moments like this with family and friends while being royally looked after by Liz and Paul is a truly unforgettable experience. Even hardened sailor Dan has fallen for Lumi’s charms, while secretly cursing me for setting such an absurdly high bar for any future boating holidays. I know how he feels, my 22ft Karnic sportsfisher will never feel quite the same again but even if this proves to be the peak of my boating career, I will go to my grave knowing that for a few dazzling days I’ve lived like a royalty aboard the ultimate Snow Princess.

Prices: October-April €63,000 p/w,
May-September: €70,000 p/w
APA: Additional 25% of charter fee (deposit for fuel, berthing and provisions)
Crew tips: At your discretion but up to 10% of the charter fee is the norm
Contact: lumi.yachts

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Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article What it's like on a €70,000 per week, 80ft motor yacht charter appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

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After cruising solidly for two weeks, we have finally reached Bergen on my journey from Karlskrona in southeast of Sweden to Lofoten in the far north of Norway aboard our Grandezza 40 Fly, Deamare. I am 60 years old and although I have started to take life at a slower pace, I have only allowed two months for this 1,400nm trip, so when the weather permits I am making the most of my boat’s near 40 knot performance.

After a day in port, during which we saw a lot of Bergen and a lot of rain, it is time for a change of crew. Jørgen, an old friend of mine, has agreed to join me for the next three weeks before returning to Gothenburg.

After topping up the tanks, we head out of Bergen and push the throttles forward until we reach our cruising speed of 31 knots, where both the hull and the engines feel at their happiest. We drive north inside the island of Askøy and then slalom through the narrow straits west of Holsnøy and Radøy. The views are outstanding with immaculate houses perched on remote headlands or tucked deep inside bays like pearls in an oyster. There are even a few lighthouses standing proud on lonely, deserted islands. The one on Florøy is an absolute gem.

Mile after mile rolls under the hull and we are careful to change helmsman every hour to ensure we stay focussed at the wheel. When it’s time for lunch, we anchor in a sheltered bay near the tranquil village of Leirvik.

It’s tempting to stay for the afternoon but time is pressing on and so do we. After another long stint we finally arrive in Maløy, quietly satisfied with today’s haul of 114 miles.

Deamare safely moored-up in Maløy

Heeding a warning

We make our way towards the fuel dock, where a large bunker ship is already berthed. At the last moment Jørgen spots a blue rope lying across our path. Relieved not to have got it fouled around our props, we fill up the tanks, oblivious to the pouring rain, before docking in the guest harbour.

Walking along the pontoon we meet two Norwegians, who had suffered an engine breakdown on their way here in 6m waves and had to wait two long hours being rolled around in the swell before the sea rescue team could reach them. It is a sobering reminder of how challenging the conditions can be off the infamous Stad Peninsula, which is where we are heading tomorrow morning.

Arriving in Ålesund

Maløy to Kristiansund

With our grab-bags and survival suits at hand, we set off from Malǿy early the next morning. Skimming along at 37 knots we head out into the infamous Stad Sea. Once outside the shelter of the islands, the sea is as rough as expected, with waves of at least 3m. Luckily it’s a following sea and we can maintain a planing speed of 23 knots, increasing to 31 knots as we pass around the cape. Once past the final headland, we enter the more sheltered waters north of the Stad peninsula. Now, at last, we can slow down, exhale and celebrate with a traditional Swedish fika (coffee and cake).

After this challenging passage, we stay inshore, protected from the Atlantic by islands and skerries.

We stop in Ålesund for a quick lunch before continuing on through straits and fjords with fantastic views, until we reach Kristiansund – another long day and 135nm covered.

The lighthouse at Uthaug is magnificent

Kristiansund to Forvik

The waves follow us the next day, too, as we head out of Kristiansund and drive north through the archipelago. We cross paths with multiple commercial craft, from sizable freighters and salmon farm ships to small fishing boats.

Around 4pm, we start looking for somewhere to refuel and dive into Rørvik. Every harbour round here seems to have a fuel dock and sure enough we soon find one and top up the tanks while enjoying a fika before driving on.

This far north it stays light long into the night and we carry on cruising until we hit a new daily record of 213nm. Finally, at 8pm we turn into the small harbour of Forvik. We’re still a long way from Lofoten but now it is starting to feel closer.

A typical fishing vessel passes by on our journey north

Forvik to Røst

The following morning we awake to find mirror calm water surrounded by dramatic mountains soaring up into the clouds. We are far enough north now that even when the sun comes out it remains cool. Even without the warmth we are grateful for the weather windows that come with it and simply put on a sweater when necessary.

Today’s plan is to reach Bodø but then continue pushing on further north before making the crossing to Lofoten to reduce the length of the open water passage.

As soon as we are outside the harbour limits, I pin the throttle hard down and we power north at our maximum speed of 37 knots, cutting a white swathe across the dark, clear water.

Article continues below…

Lofoten or Bust: Taking a motor yacht to the far north of Norway

Passing the island of Vikingen, we see a steel monument shaped like a globe that tells us we are entering the Arctic Circle. From now on we will experience daylight 24 hours a day.

We press on through the archipelago, only making a short stop for fuel and lunch on the island of Bolga, 20 miles inside the Arctic Circle.

The conditions are so good and we are making such good progress that I suggest abandoning our original plan and cutting directly across to Røst, the outermost island group in Lofoten, instead. It is 50nm across open sea but if it stays this calm, it won’t take long. Jørgen agrees and before either of us succumb to second thoughts, I steer out into the North Sea towards Lofoten.

The swell starts to build as we leave the shelter of the islands but the wavelength is long enough for us to maintain a speed of 27 knots. After 90 mins or so a small speck appears on the horizon that grows in size as we draw closer.

It stays light long into the night and we carry on cruising until we hit a new daily record of 213nm

It’s the neighbouring island of Vaerøy whose high mountains are easier to spot than the lower-lying island of Røst. Before long, Røst appears. It is every bit as beautiful as expected and surrounded by countless small islands, none more than 11m high.

The Røst archipelago is a separate municipality to the rest of the Lofoten Islands comprising almost as many islands (640) as there are inhabitants (670). The main industry is fishing, most of which is air-dried for export.

There are few visiting boats at the guest dock so we have no trouble finding a berth alongside a pontoon and are soon met by the harbour master.

When we check the engines, we discover the drive belts for the superchargers on both engines have failed. They were new this season so it’s a mystery why they have worn through. The nearest Volvo Penta workshop is in Svolvear on Lofoten, so I’ll have to call them when they open tomorrow.

While the engine hatch is open, we lift out the two bikes we stowed there. Jörgen, who was an elite cyclist in his youth, takes the lead. Jackets, hats and mittens are needed in the cool weather, but it’s a great way to explore these remote islands. On our route we see countless drying racks, waiting for the next catch to come in. Time passes slowly here and neither the landscape nor the way of life seems to have changed much over the centuries. The island is flat, enabling us to keep up a good pace, and once we’ve seen everything there is to see, we return to the boat.

Traditional wooden fishing vessel in Röstmemon

Røst to Vaerøy

It’s a surreal feeling to wake up in Lofoten, after 18 months of planning. I’m excited to start exploring more islands but first I have to call the Volvo Penta workshop in Svolvaer to check the boat is still safe to use. They confirm that it is fine and book us in for the new belts to be fitted in four days time. Perfect, we now have time to enjoy Lofoten at our leisure.

It is a magical sight leaving the harbour and seeing all the low, flat islands emerging from a calm sea like blobs of pancake batter in a giant frying pan. Long swells lift and lower us as we cruise the 23 miles to the next big island of Vaeröy. To our surprise there is already a Swedish sailing boat in the harbour.

Deamare and Deamini dwarfed by the mountains in Måstadviken

The area around the harbour is flat but a few kilometres further out, the mountains rise steeply. Fish-drying racks dominate every square inch of free space and the smell of dried cod hangs in the air. Most of the houses here are made of wood and painted the same shade of white. Like everything here they are built to last and lovingly maintained.

Once again we wheel out our bikes to explore the island. The long days mean time is not an issue so we stick a picnic in our backpacks and stay out well into the evening.

Vaerøy to Ramberg

The following day dawns bright and sunny and after a short cruise south to the nearby bay of Måstadviken, we drop anchor in 8m of water as still and clear as a bottle of Bombay Sapphire. We launch our inflatable tender, Deamini, for a trip to the beach.

The view is magical, with the turquoise waters framed by sandy beaches and mountains that soar up into the cloudless sky. There isn’t another soul in sight and we spend the afternoon wandering along the beach and checking out some caves. When we head back to the boat, the breeze has picked up and we get soaked by the breaking waves. By the time we reach Deamare we are already so wet that we decide to take a quick dip. It may look the same colour as the Caribbean but at only 11°C, it certainly doesn’t feel like it!

Jörgen at the helm, north of Vaeröy

The sun is still shining brightly from a clear blue sky, and after weighing anchor we motor to the opposite side of the bay and follow the fairway that hugs the west coast of the island. The drop off here is so deep that at times we can almost reach out and touch the rocks. We carry on round the north side and then hop across to the next island, Ramberg, where we hope to experience the midnight sun.

After mooring and making ready, we have dinner at the campsite restaurant with a panoramic view of the beach. I even try the local delicacy, cod tongue, but I can’t pretend I enjoy it very much!

As midnight approaches, we walk along the beach with a French couple we met in the harbour. There are no clouds in the sky, so we enjoy a flawless view of the midnight sun as it clips the horizon directly outside the bay. It’s a major event here, with lots of people roaming around and joining in the fun.

In the early hours, we take refuge on the flybridge for one last nightcap, raising our glasses to the night-time sun.

Dreaming on the beach at Måstadbay

Ramberg to Ballstad

To our surprise, we wake up the next morning to rain and wind. After last night’s escapades, we settle for a gentle wander into town to buy gifts for home and some fishing tackle. In the afternoon we cast off and head south along the fjord that cuts through the larger islands. There we continue west along Moskenesǿya until we reach Reine, where we book a berth on the pier and fill up with the most expensive diesel so far. Reine is the main town in Moskenes municipality, even if only 300 people live here.

Being connected to the mainland, there are many more tourists here and after our usual cycle ride around the area we stop off at a pub near the boatyard for a much-needed beer. As the evening wears on, the sky clears and once again we get a fine view of the midnight sun as it shimmers above the low mountains north of us.

Moored in Ramberg

The following morning, I skip my usual workout and instead we pedal off on our bikes to the Reinebringen mountain, which we plan to climb despite my fear of heights.

The peak is at 1300m with a 400m climb from the road to the summit. Thankfully, the path up is paved with large rough-hewn granite steps rather than the slippery track I’d feared we’d encounter. After an hour and ten minutes of climbing we reach the top and are rewarded with a fantastic panoramic vista of the sea, the fjord and Reine. We can even see Deamare.

After recovering from our excursion, we set off that same day on the 15-mile cruise east to Ballstad. Here the Kymmerviken hotel has its own little marina and after a good dinner in the restaurant, we take advantage of the never-ending daylight to take our bikes out for an evening ride around Ballstad.

Jörgen and Per take a well-earned rest at the top of Reinebringen

Ballstad to Svolvaer

Later that night the wind picks up and when we leave Ballstad the next morning, we are greeted by big waves. By steering an eastern course, we keep the waves on our stern and maintain a relatively comfortable, if rather winding, 26-knot cruise. After a little less than 90 minutes we arrive in Svolvaer and dock in one of the workshop’s berths.

A mechanic cleans the remains of the broken drive belts from the cogs but discovers that one of the gears for the supercharger on the port engine also needs replacing, which they arrange to be air-freighted from Bodø the following day.

As it’s due to rain all day tomorrow, we’re not too bothered. Svolvaer is the capital of Vågan municipality and the centre of the Lofoten archipelago, so a day spent exploring the island by car is no big loss and there is plenty left to see once the engines are fixed.

Read the first part of this feature
Next month: Per and Jörgen continue their journey through the Lofoten archipelago to Bodö before tackling the infamous Saltstraumen tide race en route to Trondheim.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article Lofoten or bust: A motor boater's adventure to the far north continues appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

I am a calm person with a restlesss mind. Living in the south-east of Sweden, close to the sea, boating has been a core part of my life for over 60 years. As well as having a shared interest in boating, my family also shares a workplace. We run a real estate firm in Karlskrona and named the business Utklippan after an island just outside Karlskrona archipelago.

My wife Eva and I started our boating life with a Flipper 620 when our youngest child, Andrea, was just five years old and our oldest, Martin, was ten. The Flipper gave us a lot of pleasure but as our children grew so did our need for space, so after five years we upgraded to an Aquador 26.

The Aquador lasted another seven seasons before we sold that and tried life without a boat for a while. We couldn’t remain boatless for long and soon bought another small craft, an open aluminium sportsboat called a Buster Magnum. We used it regularly all year round and my son Martin and I even competed in the Blue Ribbon gentleman’s race from Ystad to Haparanda, an 810-mile marathon across the Baltic Sea in less than 24 hours.

Now my restless mind has settled on a new goal, the Lofoten islands in the far north-west of Norway – some, 1,400nm away. Thankfully we now have a larger, more comfortable boat for tackling this challenge, a Grandezza 40 Fly named Deamare, which we took delivery of in 2017. Deamare alludes to the family and means “sea goddess” in Latin.

Heading down the Falsterbo Cana. Photo: Per Harrtoft

She has proved to be the ideal boat for us, both in terms of her layout and seaworthiness. The heavily glazed saloon keeps us wonderfully warm during the season but is filled with natural light and still allows us to admire the view out. A few steps down from the saloon are two good-sized cabins and a large galley open to the windscreen above, which means the chef never feels cut off from the action.

She came extremely well-equipped from the shipyard, including a pair of 370hp Volvo Penta D6 engines on sterndrives that deliver an impressive top speed of 37 knots and an efficient fast cruising speed of 31 knots, but I have installed a few more things like an electronic kill cord to suit my style of cruising. As I only have two months in which to complete this trip, I plan to cover big distances at speed when decent weather windows occur.

Karlskrona to Helsingor I spot the first of these coming at the end of May. The time has come to start my journey north and, having brimmed the tanks in anticipation, I slip the lines in Karlskrona for the first stretch to Gothenburg. The sun is shining, the sea is calm and the winds remain light as I power out through the familiar waters.

It is a long straight leg with just the lightest surface ripple, allowing the Grandezza’s smooth- running hull to lap up the miles with ease all the way across Hanö Bay, where I pass east of Bornholm.

After two hours, I change course at Sandhammaren lighthouse only to be greeted by a messy chop, forcing me to slow down to a much less economical 14 knots in order to make the 14.00 bridge opening in Falsterbo Canal. After the Falsterbo Canal, the fairway turns north towards the Öresund Bridge and the sea settles. I choose to go more westward, closer to the Danish side after the Öresund Bridge, and soon arrive in my first planned port of call, Helsingör, having covered 157 miles.

Per and wife, Eva. Photo: Per Harrtoft

So far so good, but it has not gone entirely smoothly; the ceiling in the forecabin has come loose in the rough sea and later that evening I discover that the toilet no longer flushes. Not ideal…

Helsingor to Långedrag

The next day I am met by big waves outside the harbor of Helsingör and I cross the traffic separation zones as quickly as possible at right angles.

The rough seas in Öresund soon calm down after rounding the Kullen peninsula and I am able to gradually accelerate up to my preferred cruising speed of 31 knots en route to Kattegat.

When I pass inside of Hallands Väderö and the sea is still smooth, I call my good friend Ingemar who lives in Halmstad to see if he’s up for joining me on my travels North. After getting over the initial shock of what I am up to and the all-important thumbs up from his wife, Ingemar agrees to join me so I make plans to pick him up in Halmstad.

In Falsterbo Canal, waiting for the road bridge to open. Photo: Per Harrtoft

Now with crew to keep me company, we press on north with a course west of the Onsala Peninsula. We stick to the fairways through Gothenburg’s southern archipelago, past Nidingen, Donsö and several other famous islands until we reach Långedrag harbour, south of Gothenburg.

Article continues below…

Here, having ticked off 124 nautical miles, we replenish our depleted fuel supplies and moor with the bow to the bridge in one of the free marked green berths. Långedrag is an active harbor with all the amenities we need to carry out running repairs so we decide to stay a few days and prepare the boat properly for the journey ahead.

Ingemar helps me reattach the loose ceiling lining, while Jörgen (an old friend of ours who lives in Gothenburg) sets to work replacing the water pump for the toilet. We also repair the sonar and install a battery charger for the genset, making the most of the pause in our schedule and enjoying the sense of satisfaction it gives.

After three days, my new crew arrives – my son Martin and his wife Ebba with their two young children, Frans and Hugo. I move my things to the forward cabin so the four of them can live in the master cabin for the ten-day trip to Bergen. Jörgen, meanwhile, will drive their motorhome to Bergen so they can swap places on arrival.

Preparing to pass under the 5-mile-long Oresund bridge linking Sweden to Denmark. Photo: Per Harrtoft

Långedrag to Gullholmen

After four days in port, it feels good to crank up the engines once again. The wind is blowing briskly from the west, so we decide to head north through the archipelago instead of directly west towards Kristiansand in Norway as planned.

The sea is quite rough as we tiptoe our way across the enormous exposed inlet of Gothenburg on our route north. Wherever possible we seek shelter from the waves in the lee of the islands, Martin and I taking turns at the helm to ease the stress of concentration as we pick our way through the worst of it. After passing the party island of Marstrand, we duck inside Tjörn to avoid the waves and keep the speed up.

The plan works and we enjoy a pleasant ride, making the most of the scenery and keeping the little sailors entertained. However, most of the time the motion of the boat and the drone of the engines works its magic, sending Hugo to sleep in seconds, with Frans following a few minutes later.

Two-year-old Frans lends his grandfather a hand with helming duties. Photo: Per Harrtoft

By late afternoon we have reached the island gem of Gullholmen, where thanks to our pre-season timing we are relieved to find there is plenty of space in the harbour. Once again though, the constant pace has taken its toll on Deamare, triggering an electrical failure which means we get no power from either the shore lead, the generator or the inverter.

That puts a stop to making any further progress today so we move to Ellös, 3 miles away on the mainland, where we can get quicker assistance from home. It turns out to be an electrical cable to one of the sockets in the master cabin, which has chafed against the diesel tank and shorted. Finding the cause and an equally quick resolution to it comes as a big relief, as it means we can crack on with our journey tomorrow.

Ellös to Risor, Norway

Today we are finally hoping to reach Norway but as soon as we leave the shelter of the archipelago and set course for Kristiansand across the Skagerrack sea we are met by heavy waves straight on the bow. In these conditions the best way to make comfortable progress is by maintaining a bow-up semi-displacement attitude of 12-14 knots but at this pace the fuel burn goes through the roof so we reduce speed to 8.5 knots to keep consumption under control.

After almost two hours of stomping through the waves, we change course and head due north instead towards Stavern. Now we can get up to planing speed and maintain a comfortable 24 knots. What had been a tedious slog now becomes an enjoyable passage and after a couple of hours skipping across open sea we moor in Stavern with another 77nm safely under our belts. The sun is shining once again and the holiday atmosphere of this bustling harbour gives off an almost Mediterranean vibe, even though we are now in Norway.

The boat suffered an electrical failure in Gullholmen. Photo: Per Harrtoft

We agree to press on from Stavern after a good lunch and a light nap has restored energy for young and old alike. It’s a lovely place but we have ended up quite a long way east of our intended destination and I am keen to get back on course. After filling up the tanks, we cruise west, initially over flat, open water, making good speed. As the sun dips lower in the sky, we end up back amongst the islands and the last stretch inside Big Vardöya to Risör looks particularly beautiful in the golden glow of the setting sun.

Before putting the boys to bed we run through the events of the day together, remembering the highs and lows of another long day on the water. I am lucky to have such a great crew. Despite the difficult start to the day, there have been happy faces all round with Frans leading the charge by giving a thumbs up at the start of every passage.

Risor to Korshamn

Today’s first destination is Kristiansand and we start well, staying inshore to make the most of the eerily calm waters. We maintain such a good pace that before long we arrive in Kristiansand with enough time in hand for the kids to take advantage of a nearby playground, followed by a relaxed lunch in the centre of town.

Gorgeous Gullholmen, with lots of free space and Deamare docked alongside. Photo: Per Harrtoft

By the time we leave Kristiansand the waves have built up a fair bit but as it’s a following sea we can still keep up a good pace, surfing from wave to wave in comfort. The journey is still inshore and we pass within a few hundred feet of the Michelin-starred restaurant called Under, where diners eat underwater at Spangereid. The building looks spectacular and we promise that next time we will make time to stop and eat there.

Our next landmark is the headland at Lindesnes, an exposed and infamous passage for which multiple warnings apply, especially in wind-against-tide situations. We leave the protection of the islands behind and head out to meet the sea.

The wave heights build rapidly to 2m but much to our relief they remain with us rather than against us, allowing us to maintain our current speed and heading without discomfort. This is our first big challenge and it feels good to overcome it and tuck back into the lee behind the headland, where safe conditions for the boat and the crew are all but guaranteed.

We enter a pretty little inlet lined with wooden houses and bridges leading to Korshamn where we dock at the visitors’ pier provided. It is a beautiful spot with a lively community huddled next to the water with a mountain rising steeply behind it. Martin and Frans set off on the usual hunt for a playground where they can kick a ball. I take the opportunity to Facetime Eva as today is our coral wedding anniversary.

Korshamn to Skudeneshavn

Before leaving Korshamn, we stop off at the fuel jetty. Diesel feels cheap here as we have to pay at least 6 SEK (45p) more per litre in Sweden but Norwegian boat owners are less happy, having had to swallow a 100% increase in the price of fuel since last summer.

Lindesnes lighthouse crowns this dramatic headland. Photo: Per Harrtoft

Once again we start the day sheltered by some smaller islands but we are soon out of the archipelago and in the Atlantic Ocean on a long and unprotected passage. Luckily, although the swell is sizeable, it is widely spaced and travelling in the same direction as us so we can cruise at 31 knots and enjoy the gentle roller coaster ride. The kids fall asleep quickly like the accustomed little sailors they are becoming.

The journey continues at good speed and we follow the coast until Egersund, where we pause for a much-needed rest and some lunch.

After Egersund we are met by a head sea as the wind direction has turned against us and we have to slow down. The next 20nm are uncomfortable and hard won before the sea subsides and we pick up shelter behind the islands of Tjör and Rott, south of Tananger. Everyone perks up, especially when we see porpoises jumping in our wake. High on endorphins from our dolphin encounter, we decide to celebrate with ice-cream all round.

The weather is now so good that we can drive at full speed in comfort, so instead of stopping at Stavanger, we put the throttles down and power on towards the little town of Skudeneshavn on the south side of Karmöy.

The entrance to Skudeneshavn is narrow and chocolate-box pretty, lined with a long row of large, white wooden houses with immaculate gardens rolling down to the water’s edge. This carries on all the way into the centre of town where multiple piers connect the sea to a maze of equally perfect narrow streets.

Moored alongside in the city centre of cosy Skudeneshavn. Photo: Per Harrtoft

It feels like we’ve entered a fairy tale landscape where everything has been designed around visiting boaters’ needs. We dock next to the service building and head straight off on a tour of discovery. After a quick shower in the free and perfectly clean facilities, we wander into town and enjoy a restorative lunch at a simple restaurant before examining the route and weather for tomorrow’s passage.

Skudeneshavn to Bekkjarvik

Our departure from Skudeneshavn is as memorable as our arrival, with bright sunshine and flat water illuminating the picture perfect scene. We even get to see porpoises again as we motor southeast towards Lysefjorden.

The views are stunning with mountains towering over the islands on the mainland. Before long we enter Lysefjord itself. The fjord is between half a mile and a mile wide and has very few mooring places available so we simply kill the engines and allow ourselves to drift in the deep, peaceful and still waters below Preikestolen.

The crew give a thumbs up in Bergen. Photo: Per Harrtoft

We take advantage of our surroundings to enjoy a brief but invigorating dip in the ice-cold water before warming up with a hearty lunch on board and heading back to Stavanger for a night in port.

Börevigå guest harbour is close to the centre of town and we are pleasantly surprised by the colourful, winding streets bristling with shops, restaurants and other distractions. Stavanger is actually a major hub for the offshore oil drilling industry (we passed one of the large oil rigs earlier in the day) but the town itself is surprisingly pretty.

After Stavanger, we continue over open water east of Karmöy then pass under the arched bridge leading to Haugesund. A large strait cuts through the city providing good protection from the sea, which makes it the ideal port for visiting commercial sea traffic.

Korshamn is home to a bustling community. Photo: Per Harrtoft

After a short stop in Haugesund, we head north towards Bekkjarvik. Everyone seems to own a boat here and we pass countless small craft helmed by people of all ages who seem to know these waters like the backs of their hands. We, conversely, have to keep a close eye on the charts as we carefully thread our way through the narrow channels separating the islands and skerries south of Bekkjarvik.

It’s a challenge we all enjoy, requiring lots of active steering from the helmsman and a careful look out from everyone aboard.

Bekkjarvik to Bergen

Our last leg with this crew is to Bergen and once again we are greeted the next morning by calm waters allowing us to hoover up the 29nm passage in short order.

We enter Bergen after little more than an hour at sea and meet Micke and Cina from our home marina on their stunning Grand Banks 48. They are also heading for Lofoten and have been ahead of us until now, feeding us handy tips about where to go and what to see.

Flat calm conditions en route to Lysefjorden. Photo: Per Harrtoft

Bergen is one of Europe’s rainiest cities with an average of 2,250mm of rainfall per year. Sure enough our walk through town is accompanied by pouring rain, forcing us to take cover in an ice-cream shop much to the children’s delight.

We continue round to the other side of the bay and find a great playground while the rain increases in strength. Tomorrrow we are due a crew change. After ten memorable days and 500nm of magical cruising, Martin and Ebba and their delightful children Hugo and Frans will head back to Sweden in their motorhome, while Jörgen will join us for the long journey north, where hopefully more adventures await.

Next month Per and Jörgen push on north through steep seas and mirror-calm fjords to Malöy and Ålesund, before making the final crossing to the remote islands of Lofoten.

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This article Lofoten or Bust: Taking a motor yacht to the far north of Norway appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Chartering sail and motor boats in my native Canada and around the US is something I’ve been doing for years, but I’ve always wanted to try a different style of boating on the waterways of France. Charter company Le Boat is one of the largest operators in this sector of the market with an extensive fleet of boats as far afield as Scotland and Italy, but the bulk of which are based in France.

As there were four of us we opted for a 38ft Horizon 2 based on the River Saône at Saint-Jean-de-Losne in Burgundy, France, for a week in May 2023.

Not only would this mean cruising through the heart of this world famous wine region but the route would allow us to enjoy a few hours of relaxed boating each day, leaving plenty of time to explore the picturesque towns and villages along the way. It also had just seven locks to navigate, whereas some have as many as ten or more in a single day.

The route

Saint-Jean-de-Losne

Staying two nights at the highly recommended Les Charmilles B&B gave us ample opportunity to recover from our flight, and shop for groceries prior to collecting the boat.

After completing the necessary paperwork at the Le Boat office, watching a safety video and being shown around our boat, we were taken on a short accompanied trip to familiarise ourselves with the controls and practise our stern-to docking.

According to Le Boat, driving one of its boats is easier and more relaxing than driving a car; no experience is necessary and no licence is required. You can even bring your dog and rent bicycles to take with you on your cruise.

Article continues below…

Boating around Britain in 26 days: How our crazy charity challenge began

Our historic Northwest Passage adventure on 45m superyacht Latitude

Our friends Barry and Joan were as impressed as Sandy and I with the boat’s cleanliness and features: two separate cabins and bathrooms and lots of useful facilities such as a microwave, gas BBQ and large fridge freezer. As skipper, I was impressed with the bow and stern thrusters to make docking and locks easier.

Our boat had two separate helms: one inside on the main deck and one on the flybridge. A governor prevents the boat from going more than 8km per hour but we often cruised at lower speeds to admire the countryside and as slow as 3km per hour when passing oncoming boats (port-to-port) and anglers on a narrow river.

Larry enjoys the relaxing vibe of life in the slow lane on the Saône

By 2pm we were underway on a two-hour cruise downstream on the Saône River. Shortly after our departure, we had an opportunity to practise a successful person-overboard drill when Sandy’s hat blew into the water. Every day was delightfully sunny and we were seldom out of sight of white swans and cormorants gathered in the water, as well as cattle and sheep grazing on the grassy riverbanks.

En route to Seurre

Along the way we passed through our first lock. A lock keeper opened and closed the gates and sluices while Barry and I adjusted fore and aft lines attached to bollards, holding us against the wall while we dropped several metres.

Shortly thereafter, we arrived at our first night’s marina in Seurre, which offered electricity and fresh water (mooring fees ranged from free to 40 euros per night).

A friendly white swan and family of muskrats welcomed our arrival by meandering through lily pads beside our boat while we enjoyed dinner on the flybridge. As night fell we were serenaded by the sound of birdsong and clocktower bells chiming in the distance.

The charter is based at Saint-Jean-de-Losne, in the heart of the Burgundy wine region

The next day, after a leisurely breakfast of omelettes and fresh croissants, we were off to our next destination two hours downstream. Navigation is easy as every boat is supplied with a binder containing detailed charts of the river, while numbered signposts along the bank and coloured markers (red to starboard when going downstream, green to port) help keep you on track.

It wasn’t long before we were passing through our second lock, accompanied by another boat, before reaching the Doubs River and the village of Verdun-sur-le-Doubs.

Another delicious haul of French pastries from a local bakery

The strong current flowing past the marina provided a bit of a challenge when stern-to berthing. It took us a couple of attempts to figure out how far to go upstream to compensate for the current. On our third try, I nailed it using the side thrusters to negate the current as I backed straight onto the dock.

After a walking tour of the town to view a variety of historic sites, we enjoyed a quiche dinner topside with fresh baguettes and crème brûlée from a local bakeshop, supporting our recent addiction to French food and wine!

We spent hours meandering upstream, with cuckoos and kingfishers sounding our passage

Charming Chalon

The following morning, we set off downstream towards Chalon-sur-Saône, the largest town on our route.

Once again we moored at the marina and explored the historic centre, replete with old stone houses, fortifications and cathedrals. The birthplace of Nicéphore Niépce (inventor of photography), this charming city is brimming with art galleries, boutiques and restaurants as well as a major supermarket, all within walking distance of the marina.

Our next stop was Tournas and the three-hour stretch along the gently meandering river provided plenty of opportunities for friendly waving and bonjours with the numerous cyclists and anglers on the river bank.

Strong currents at Verdun-sur-le-Doubs proved a challenge when berthing stern-to

On arrival, no suitable berths were available but a friendly Swiss crew encouraged us to raft alongside while we waited for another boat to leave. A short walk from the marina led us to the Musée du Vélo (bicycle museum) with a fascinating collection of over 200 bicycles, tracing the history from its invention in 1818.

We followed this up with an organ concert at the majestic Abbaye St. Philibert and a delicious escargot dinner at a nearby restaurant with tables spilling out onto the pavement.

We had originally planned our next stop a couple of hours away but were told about a famous livestock market on Mondays at the village of Louhans, just beyond our terminal Le Boat base in Branges. We decided this was a must-see event and spent five hours meandering upstream on the narrow Seille River through lush green countryside, with cuckoos and kingfishers sounding our passage.

You don’t need a licence or any experience to charter one of Le Boat’s craft

This segment involved three locks, two of which were unmanned. Fortunately, we’d taken note of how the previous lock-keepers had opened and closed the gates and sluices using the various wheels and levers, and simply repeated their actions, mooring at the waiting dock and walking along the bank to the first set of gates. By our second lock, we were beginning to feel like experienced lock-keepers!

Lively Louhans

Monday morning after breakfast, we followed market goers with their tote bags to the livestock market where aisle after aisle of vendors were selling live chickens, geese, ducks, rabbits, guinea pigs, pigeons, goats and even dogs… a ritual that has gone on since medieval times.

We continued along cobbled streets to the longest arcade in France, 157 stores of every description, most of which had moved their wares out into the street, a true shopper’s paradise. It was such fun that we stayed an extra night allowing us to explore the city the next day without the mayhem of the market.

Louhan’s vibrant market

The next morning at the Le Boat base in Branges, we cleaned our craft and stood by for our noon inspection, which was completed within an hour to everyone’s satisfaction.

Gauges on board indicated the levels of fuel, as well as the fresh, grey, and black water tanks. During our week, we used only half of our fuel and refilled our fresh-water tank once. A macerator switch on the electrical panel allowed us to empty our grey water into the river… just once. Employees at Le Boat’s base pumped out our partially filled black-water tank.

A short taxi ride back to Louhans had us checking into Moulin de Bourgchateau, a remodelled grain mill dating back to 1778. An exquisite dinner at the Hôtel restaurant overlooking a lazy river topped off what we all agreed was one of our most memorable holidays ever, both on and off the water.

The 38ft Horizon 2 was more than spacious enough for four

Charter costs

A seven-night charter of a Horizon 2 based at Saint-Jean-de-Losne starts at £1,959 in low season rising to a maximum of £3,619 in high season during 2024.

The cost is for the whole boat, which sleeps up to four people. You will also need to leave a refundable boat damage deposit of around £2,500 and an engine hours deposit of around £350 to cover expected fuel and water use.

This article This boater got lost in the waterways of rural France appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

How did you come to own Latitude?

After owning several smaller boats – a 48ft Imago and three Pershing yachts (64ft, 80ft and 92ft) – I had pretty much had my fill of cruising around in Phuket and Malaysia, and diving in those waters. I wanted something with a bit more range, which would make it possible to go further.

I started looking at yachting magazines and then contacted a couple of brokers. Simon Goldsworthy at Camper & Nicholsons understood most clearly what I was looking for, and he started showing me boats, both on paper and with actual visits to the South of France and Italy.

I looked at 27 boats for sale but there was always something missing. Latitude was the first boat I saw that ticked all the boxes – build quality, age, facilities, size, range and, of course, price!

Was it always your intention to cruise adventurously?

I enjoy photography and my favourite subject is wildlife. I also enjoy being in the wilderness and going to places that have not been frequented by many. What I was clear about in my mind was that I did not want to use the boat to cruise the Mediterranean and Caribbean.

I wanted to go to places where I would not otherwise have gone. Of course, the extent to which we actually fulfilled this desire for adventure went far beyond what I had expected but it was basically a combination of the enthusiasm of [Captain] Sean [Meagher] and myself, and a young and eager crew that was willing to try anything.

What have been your favourite aspects of the yacht?

The thing that impressed me most about Latitude the minute I first boarded her was the build quality. It felt like a yacht that had been built for heavy-duty use. The way it has performed through three summers in the Arctic Circle has confirmed my original impressions. There are several other features that I liked.

The bridge has a large seating area so there is plenty of room for guests to hang out there while the yacht is under way – the bridge is the most interesting place to be, so this is a nice feature. I like the fact that there is a day head on every level – from the garage to the bridge deck.

I thought the crew quarters were well designed and relatively comfortable for a 45m superyacht. Finally, the sundeck is uncharacteristically large for a yacht of this size – this will be a very useful feature once we get to warmer climates.

What have been your most memorable moments on board Latitude?

Considering how we have used the yacht, you’ll realise that there have been too many memorable moments for me to list here. However, a few that come to mind are these:

• Whale watching in Newfoundland.
• Dodging icebergs and large floes of ice while trying to get into the harbour in Ilulissat, Greenland. That is a 5-7 mile journey that will stay with all of us forever.
• Seeing our first polar bear on the cliffs of Scotts Island.
• Sailing around Beechey Island and Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic are some of the most graphic memories I have. We had clear blue sky days with the water surface like glass. Absolutely perfect yachting conditions with the most spectacular landscapes that you can imagine.
• A four-hour up-close encounter with a polar bear we named Jerome and a two-hour encounter with a polar bear mother with two cubs on an ice-floe. We learned a lot about these incredible creatures.
• Being stuck in the tender in ice for about seven hours in a snowstorm in the Bellot Strait with polar bears around us.
• Being hit by a 30-40ft rogue wave at 5am while sailing from Dublin to London. I was knocked out of bed and landed on the floor. The sofas in the main salon were thrown across the room and ended up on top of each other. A big photo printer was thrown off its stand, flew across the room, and ended up going right through the wooden door of a cabinet in the library.

First published on SuperYachtWorld.com on February 3, 2017

This article Latitude: Owner Anil Thadani on his 45m globetrotting superyacht appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

The Bellot Strait is a 20-mile-long, mile-wide shallow and winding canyon separating Somerset Island from the northernmost part of North America. It’s an alarming leg of the Northwest Passage, where the changeable current can rip through at up to eight knots, hurtling down ice on anyone crazy enough to be there.

If National Geographic ever produce a series called ‘Northwest Passage Nightmares’, it could do worse than start here. And yet, at one end of the strait, sat Latitude, a 45-metre steel and aluminium Vripack superyacht, with Captain Sean Meagher weighing up the options.

He needed to take a look in the tender at what was up ahead, so off he went, along with the yacht’s owner Anil Thadani, Anil’s cousin Ravi and son-in-law Lappo, and wildlife photographer John Issac.

Docking was sometimes a case of improvising

The conditions started to close in, and soon they realised that there they weren’t getting back to the mothership any time soon, with the ice gathering around them. They were now stuck on the opposite side of the canyon to Latitude. It was blizzard conditions.

“We were there for seven hours, with polar bears running around and staring at us,” Sean says, with a disarming nonchalance. “All we could do was wait and watch the current and the ice-floe.” Then he noticed that the ice around him was starting to compact.

“That meant the edge on the other side a quarter of a mile away was opening up. A little corridor appeared, about as wide as the tender. I told everyone to hold on and we went for the gap,” he says.

The tender – a 35ft Everglades in Kevlar with triple 350s (“that boat is a tank!”) – punched through the gap at 40 knots. It was just another chapter in the extraordinary voyages of Latitude.

Captain Sean on bear watch on Ragged Island

Even aboard a 21st-Century superyacht, there’s something very 19th Century about cruising at these latitudes. At least Sean and his guests were well prepared: “We were properly dressed, armed, we had food, and an Iridium sat phone.”

He recalls “a phenomenal piece of advice” from Captain Phil Walsh – a veteran of the Northwest Passage: “When you step into the tender, assume you are spending the night there, and equip yourself accordingly”.

It was, adds Sean, “something we lived by”, and it proved its worth in the Bellot Strait, when their only option was to wait it out and watch the polar bears.

Locals on a family outing

For centuries in the minds of mariners, the Northwest Passage was one of those mythological ocean regions that fired the imagination and chilled the blood in equal measure – a mare incognitum on the margins of the early charts, where there really might be dragons and sea serpents.

History books credit Sir John Franklin with the discovery of a route from the North Atlantic to the North Pacific in the 1840s, although neither he nor a single soul from his 120-strong party made it home. Roald Amundsen was the first to get through in 1905. Since then, only a handful of private craft have made the treacherous passage.

Latitude‘s sundeck became the ice deck at times

It takes a special captain and crew to get a superyacht with guests on board to successfully cruise the region, but also an owner with a vision and a sense of exploration. Sean joined the yacht in December 2013, when the current owner bought the yacht. Anil had come to Latitude in a number of steps, the last of which was a 92ft Pershing.

“He wanted to pull the trigger on something a little bigger, and was looking for a captain. A mutual friend recommended me, and that started the conversation with the owner.

Had he said: ‘I want to go to St Tropez and drink cocktails’, I wouldn’t have taken the job. What he actually said was: ‘I want to go on adventures and photograph wildlife’. That was it. I was in!”

There were stunning landscapes on the Northwest Passage

The planning for the Northwest Passage began in Latitude’s salon, with the nearest ‘chart’ available – an Ikea map of the world. “We were discussing where to take Latitude with the owner, and he suggested Alaska,” Sean says.

“I told him we could go via the Panama Canal, or I pointed to the Northwest Passage and said we could go this way. He looked at the map, looked at me, and said: ‘Yes! We have to do that!’”

There was plenty of time for fun…

With the decision taken, the only question now was planning and prep. “We were mid-refit,” says Sean. “We’d just replaced the sauna with a dive-room. Then we decided to go to the Arctic. After ten hours in sub-zero temperatures, I’d often ask myself: ‘Why on earth did we rip the sauna out?’”

…but a constant lookout was kept for real polar bears

Even though Latitude was a little rusty on the cruising front, the early impressions were good. “Our first cruise with the owner on board was out of New York, and we were heavily tested by the weather, but the yacht handled well.

After a couple weeks’ running around New England, I knew a couple of things needed sorting. We went into Delta in Seattle and sorted out a steering issue, and into Bay Ship & Yacht in California to realign the shafts. After this, we were a knot-and-a-half faster.”

Latitude in the ice at Ilullisat on Greenland

With the ship ready, the personal preparation could begin. “I looked around for guys who’d done this trip before. I found Captain Phil Walsh, formerly of Turmoil and now of Mogambo. I had a couple of hours chatting with him on the phone, and ended up flying to see him for a weekend,” Sean says.

“The equipment list I had prepared was pretty good, but he was able to suggest better Arctic suits, and recommended putting a bag filter over our watermakers because there is a lot of plankton and krill.”

The Northern Lights put on a show in Iceland

Another source of great advice was an experienced commercial ice pilot, Patrick Toomey. “He’s 81 years and full of experience. I called him, and explained what I wanted to do, and he asked me if I’d ever read the book Ice Navigation in Canadian Waters.

“I told him that I had, and that it was extremely well written. He said: ‘Good. I wrote it.’ I knew I’d found the right guy!”

The rugged 35ft Everglades tender was a highly practical tool

Patrick provided Sean with a wealth of experience. “You learn pretty quickly to instinctively appreciate how ice is moving,” says Sean. “But sometimes I needed Patrick’s advice because the best approach might be counter-intuitive. He was great at strategising a course through the ice-field.

“When we got back to Latitude in the Bellot Strait we had six to eight knots of current, and huge chunks of ice whipping at us. At the end, it was frozen solid, and I saw a gap in the ice by the cliff and was thinking about heading to break the ice there, but Patrick told me to aim for the centre of the channel, even though the ice is thicker at that point.

“Too close in and we ran the risk of being run up onto the land, he told me. You can pick up all sorts of techniques, like using your bow wave to push a chunk of ice out of the way. I even used to wedge a piece of ice the size of the yacht’s beam between the bow and the bulb, using it is a battering ram.”

Walruses in Dundas Harbour

What Latitude achieved in that first east-west run was one of the most remarkable superyacht adventures ever undertaken, in a season when despite the general reduction of ice in the region, the ice was at its worst for decades.

“It never occurred to be me that we wouldn’t make it. One of the fortunate things in this industry is that you get to work for guys who’ve beaten the odds and don’t take no for an answer. I guess that kind of rubs off,” says Sean.

Latitude had to take on some difficult waters

But cruising somewhere as alien and unfamiliar as this did have an effect on the crew. “We did 126 days straight. We were looking after guests, and the engineering guys were kept busy.

“By Vancouver, we were fried. I looked at everyone around the table in the mess, and it was like a scene from Das Boot! A friend asked me if I’d just got back from Iraq!”

Captain Sean with a humpback off Nova Scotia

Fried they may have been, but the adventures weren’t about to stop there. “At San Francisco, I was putting some itineraries together for the owner and it suddenly occurred to me that we had to go back.

“The owner’s response when I called him was: ‘What? Are you crazy?’ He went for it though, and so did the crew, and the experience we had gained the first time made it a lot less painful. We were veterans now, and it also helped that there was less ice.”

A polar bear on patrol

The available charts are “real sketchy”, according to Sean, with whole areas left blank. One part of the passage meant cruising along Amundsen’s original route (the planned route was full of ice). It needed some improvisation.

“We were using charts from the 1930s. Captain Phil Walsh reckoned that they were a thousand metres out. There was very little data to be had off them, but I thought that what little there was must have been surveyed close to land, where there were more likely to be reference points.

“So we went closer to land and we were able to make use of that small amount of reliable data.” Navigation was a case of using all the wheelhouse tools. “We had three chart plotting systems and the paper charts. Sometimes all four would disagree!” says Sean.

A reminder of how things can go wrong – a wreck on Bear Island

Latitude’s historic passage-making is continuing. This year they have become one of the only vessels to circumnavigate Svalbard, and the only superyacht to reach 82˚ North. Had Sean learned any lessons from the Northwest Passage that fed into the Svalbard cruise?

“Certainly, but there was a big difference, too. There were places to hide in the Northwest Passage, but Svalbard was just rough, nasty seas.”

Fifty knots of wind off Devon Island

When we talked to Sean last September he was on the brink of heading back to Boston for some much-anticipated R&R.

So is that it for adventuring? You can sense the excitement in his voice as he says: “I’ve just got off the phone with the owner. We’ve agreed on Antarctica.”

• A version of this story appeared in SuperYacht World Issue 52 and on SuperYachtWorld.com on January 20, 2017

This article Our historic Northwest Passage adventure on 45m superyacht Latitude appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

After a brief trip home we are back at Zea Marina in Piraeus, Greece where our Marlow 72, Azura, awaits us. The inner harbour is completely surrounded by apartment blocks but it does mean that shops, restaurants and supermarkets are all within easy walking distance while diesel can be delivered by tanker trucks.

They drive to the quay and then roll out their hoses. However, our need lies in another direction: water. We drink more water than ever before due to the unrelenting heat of 25°C at night and 35°C or more during the day.

We barely feel like leaving the air-conditioned comfort of our trawler yacht but we are in a country with some of the richest cultural history in Europe, so there’s no way we’re going to miss it.

We take the tram from Piraeus to the centre of Athens to visit the Acropolis. The terminus is next to the Greek Parliament building and from there it’s only one stop on the underground metro to the Acropolis.

The Greek Parliament building

The remains of the temples are enthroned on a high rocky plateau, visible from miles around. The ascent is strenuous but manageable thanks to a cooling breeze. The ruins are in varying degrees of condition and crowded with visitors from all over the world, but the view over Athens to the sea is stunning.

It is easy to imagine how in ancient times, visitors were in awe of the people who built such magnificent buildings in this exposed location.

The pair defied the exceptional heat to explore the historic sights in Athens

Wind of change

After enjoying our fill of the ruins and the views, we climb down the steps on the northern edge of the Acropolis leading into the old town.

Suddenly we are in another world. Cosy tavernas, sparsely filled at this time of the afternoon, proactively vie for our custom but we prefer to choose for ourselves – preferably a row or two back where the crowds of tourists rarely get to.

The Acropolis

We settle on a beautiful taverna under the shade of some plane trees with a tempting menu of Greek dishes chalked up on a slate. It’s still too early for dinner but the starters we order are so delicious and plentiful that we leave Taverne Platanos as full as if we’d eaten a three-course meal.

Our original plan, after visiting Athens, was to cruise around the Cyclades and take in some of the well-known islands such as Mykonos, Naxos and Eos. However, by September the notoriously strong Meltemi wind, which blows at a near constant Force 5 to 6, with gusts of 7 or 8, makes things tricky even for seasoned boaters like us.

Since we don’t feel the need to practise our sea survival training, we opt to spend the next few weeks in the Saronic Gulf, southwest of Athens, instead. This region of Greece is new to us and we are excited to explore it.

Article continues below…

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Peter Cumberlidge picks out his favourite spots on the Campagnia coastline, from Sorrento to the Bay of Naples and the

After prepping Azura for the onward journey, we set off for Vathy – a tiny port off the beaten track of the local charter operators. As soon as we leave Zea Marina we are met with a strong local wind and current from the north.

We barely cover a few miles westwards before we pick up a May Day call on the VHF radio. Lively radio traffic follows between the distressed vessel, the sea rescue centre and various leisure boats in the vicinity. After the initial panic, it turns out that the stricken vessel has only suffered a steering failure and the emergency system is now working fine.

We aren’t sure a May Day was necessary, but we stay tuned until we’re assured that no further help is needed.

Azura moored stern to the quay in the small but picturesque harbour of Vathi

The virtues of Vathi

Vathi turns out to be an expected gem – a picturesque harbour, very few leisure craft, numerous fishing boats and a handful of tavernas and small guest houses surrounding the harbour basin.

Unlike in larger marinas, the arrival of our 72-footer causes quite a stir. One motorboat is quickly pushed aside to make space for us to drop our anchor and moor stern to the quay. There isn’t much room to lay out a lot of chain but the anchor bites and holds us securely.

Later the harbourmaster arrives and charges us such a small berthing fee that after the rates we’ve become used to in Piraeus, it seems like an error. We spend a wonderful evening in one of the fish restaurants overlooking the harbour, watching the sun dip slowly over the horizon as darkness settles over the scene like a snug blanket.

Houses cling to the hillside at Poros harbour, protecting its waters from the wind

Onwards to Poros

The following day we set sail for Poros, a little further south on the island of the same name. It’s located on the edge of a bay, spreading up the slopes that surround it on all sides and shelter its calm waters. Even from afar, the houses glow invitingly in the sunlight. Boats can anchor in the bay or moor at a seemingly endless pier in town.

A friendly harbourmaster turns on the water and electricity for us and explains how to operate it. Poros is home to a fleet of charter yachts, whose boats we see frequently over the coming days.

Azura berthed in the centre of Poros

Thwarted at Hydra

After two days in this pretty setting, we cruise through the southern entrance of the bay in the direction of Hydra. Long before we arrive we can see several large ships anchored in front of the port. The narrow harbour is completely overcrowded and can only offer us a cramped mooring in front of the outer mole.

To use it, however, you need a long yellow floating stern line, which someone needs to swim or ferry ashore with a dinghy. This line seems to be standard equipment on many boats here but we don’t carry one and even if we did the berth is open to the swell of ferries and taxi boats constantly coming and going.

The harbour at Hydra was completely overcrowed

We decide to postpone our visit until later and look for a suitable daytime anchorage on the north coast of Hydra. Even here the few small coves are full of boats with shore lines, so we give up the idea of ​​anchoring and head for Ermioni instead. Luck is on our side here and we are given the only remaining berth alongside the harbour pier.

There’s a bit of a swell coming in from the east due to the wind, but in the evening the wind dies down and we enjoy the peace and gastronomy of the Greek islands at their best, interrupted only by the occasional hustle and bustle of fast ferries shuttling back and forth to Hydra.

Lost and found

The next morning we take a taxi boat to Hydra and, for a change, enjoy the rapid ride as passengers on the small upper deck. We can hardly believe how busy Hydra is.

Boats, traders, shops and restaurants are all hives of activity and numerous handcarts piled high with suitcases, goods and building materials are being pushed through the narrow, car-free streets.

Thomas and Jutta to seek a quieter spot at Ermioni

When we return to Ermioni in the evening and settle down for dinner in one of the quayside restaurants, the waiter suddenly approaches and asks if we are the people from the blue motor yacht as the police are waiting for me outside.

My initial concern turns to confusion when a young officer asks me if I’m missing anything, which initially I deny. “No camera either?” he asks. The scales fall from my eyes. During an earlier stroll through the harbour, I recall putting my camera on a bollard to help an approaching boat with their lines and apparently forgot to pick it up again.

A boy found the camera, told his mother, who notified the police and handed over the camera. The policeman looked at the photos, saw our ship and tracked us down in the restaurant by word of mouth. Unbelievable – but true!

The Kittels luck out with the only remaining berth on the pier in Ermioni’s charming harbour

The following morning we set off for the island of Spetses, a good hour southwest of Hydra. Smaller and flatter than Hydra, Spetses initially appears unspectacular. The old port is also small and rather ramshackle.

Only a handful of larger yachts can moor alongside the short pier so most end up anchoring in front of the harbour with stern lines to the shore. We decide to drop anchor in the nearby bay of Porto Cheli and visit Spetses by tender.

The town is extremely pretty with numerous beautifully maintained buildings dripping with flowers. At its heart is the splendid church of St. Nikolas, shining like a beacon with freshly whitewashed walls.

Porto Cheli and Navplion

After a refreshing home made lemonade at Thea’s café we clamber into the tender for the return journey. Since the wind has shifted, we are now having to push against it so our previous half- hour trip takes more than an hour. It’s worth it for the wonderful views and near 360° protection afforded by anchoring in the bay of Porto Cheli.

We cannot, however, recommend the modern marina there for visiting craft. Twice we call in there, first with our yacht and in the evening with our dinghy, and both times we are turned away. When we do find a spot to leave our dinghy, the village, which had looked quite promising from a distance, fails to impress on closer inspection.

So the next day we weigh anchor and carry on to Navplion at the northern end of the Argolic Gulf. Our port guide still praises Navplion as a kind of secret hideaway but the number of visiting boats, tourists and restaurants soon prove that word has spread quickly.

To be fair, Navplion is extremely attractive and is best known for its three historic fortresses: Akronafplia on a hill directly above the old town; Palamidi built by the Venetians in 1711 to the east of town; and Bourtzi on a small island in front of the port entrance.

From 1829 to 1834, Navplion was also the capital of Greece before Athens took on the role in 1834. In Navplion, we hire a car and visit the historical site of Mycenae, whose origins date back to 1,500 BC. The midday heat is stultifying but the ruins and museum are well worth the effort.

Then we pay another visit to the Corinth Canal, which we passed through a few weeks earlier, so we can admire the perspective from above. From here we can really appreciate what an achievement it must have been to hew a channel, some of which is more than 80m deep, through solid rock.

On the way back we visit the remains of the amphitheatre at Argos, which once held 20,000 spectators. After so much history, we allow ourselves a breather and head for the small seaside resort of Paralio Astros.

Since the harbour is completely full, we anchor directly in front of it and take the dinghy to town, where Jutta and I spend another magical evening by the water under the open sky. Next, our course takes us further south towards Kyparissi.

Despite a tricky entry, Gerakas proved a perfect port of call

However, once there, a persistent swell from the north-east puts us off staying so we cruise a little further on and call at the small port of Gerakas. This involves entering a short bay surrounded by steep cliffs from the north before executing a 90° turn to starboard into the small port.

Even here the rock walls reflect the incoming swell, causing a persistent roll. Despite this, the harbour is exactly to our liking: nicely situated, safe and with a selection of tavernas on our doorstep.

Only a handful of visiting boats find their way here but the shelter it offers and its proximity to Monemvasia (25km by taxi) make it an attractive option for us.

Red-tiled roofs at Monemvasia contrast sharply with the inky waters of the Med

Astounding Castro

Monemvasia is a huge, craggy outcrop, a bit like Ayers Rock, but surrounded by sea. On the south-eastern side of the rock lies the historic town of Castro, further reinforced by high stone walls with battlements, making it almost impregnable from attack.

The place is stunning and a major tourist attraction. It feels like we are walking through a living museum with tastefully restored houses, alleys, stairs and countless photo opportunities.

As we set sail from Gerakas, heading back north again, the wind freshens up. Although we are cruising relatively slowly at 7-8 knots, the wind throws salty spray over the entire boat, leaving a sticky residue on everything it touches.

Mooring in front of the harbour at Spetses

The expected leeward shelter from the islands of Spetses and Hydra only kicks in very late as we approach the anchorage at Porto Cheli once more. The next morning the wind is still blowing and we stomp across the waves to the island of Aigina, which is only partly under the protection of the mountains.

The small harbour is already rammed with boats packed in cheek by jowl so we anchor in front of the pier and lower our dinghy. We not only go to Aigina but explore the whole bay and its islands, taking in Skala, Angistri, Metopi and the pretty little port of Perdika.

Then it’s time to say goodbye to the Saronic Gulf, which has proved a fitting chapter to our Greek odyssey, not only for the good protection it offered against the Meltemi but also for the many beautiful towns, harbours, bays and islands that make this area such an attractive cruising proposition.

Just when we need it, a weather window opens up, offering us respite from the Meltemi and allowing us to head back out into the open sea. And so, before the end of this year’s trip to Greece, we head towards the Northern Sporades where Azura will explore another beautiful set of islands with a completely unique character.

First published in the November 2023 issue of MBY – download the full PDF here (1MB).

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