1 Round the Island 20% OFF

We start our season at our home port of Dartmouth, boarding will take place from 17:00 on the Town Jetty in the middle of town. There is long term parking available at the park and ride for those who want to drive to Dartmouth and return by public transport.  Perhaps the most exciting way to arrive are by train changing from the main line to the steam railway at Paignton to Kingswear and then over on the ferry to the Town Jetty. Following your safety briefing we will be serving dinner on board and there is time to get to know your fellow guests.

The first day’s sailing is a long one across Lyme Bay, around the infamous Portland Bill and into Portland harbour to anchor for the night.  We will depart Dartmouth around 09:30 after breakfast and depending on the weather sail or motor across the bay, keeping an eye open for the many dolphins that live in these waters. We must arrive at Portland Bill at the correct time, around 18:30, to avoid the dangerous turbulent waters of the Race and make it to the anchorage with time for a well-earned dinner.

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Portland to Poole is a shorter distance and is best done with the tide.  This starts in our favour at around 14:30 so we plan to set off after lunch.  This gives time for a run ashore in the tender, ‘Boo’, for a walk on Chesil beach or even a sea swim for the braver ones. The passage takes us very close in around St Albans Head to avoid the overfalls on St Albans Ledge and then past Swanage and round Peveril Point and the Old Harry chalk stacks into Studland Bay.  We may anchor in the bay for an evening on the beach or motor into Poole harbour, dodging the chain ferry, to moor up on the Town Quay if there is space. Very convenient for an after dinner sojourn to the quayside pubs!

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The tides again determine the time of departure from Poole.  The east going tide starts at Hurst Castle, the entrance to the Solent at 14:30 so to make the most of it we will leave at around 12:00 aiming to sail across Christchurch Bay and down the Solent to berth in the Cowes heart of sailing in plenty of ime for dinner on board and a stroll ashore.

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The next day we only have a short passage to make down the Solent to anchor off Bembridge so we have plenty of time to sail Snark around the racing buoys of the Solent!

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The daytime tides are in our favour for the next leg, we will depart around 11:00 to round the east end and south side of the Isle of Wight, back to the Needles chalk stacks and across Christchurch Bay to Studland Bay in time for dinner on board and maybe a run ashore in Boo for a pint at the Banks Arms in Studland.

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Again we have favourable tides for the sail west to Weymouth.  We should be raising anchor at around 10:30 to arrive in the pretty seaside town of Weymouth at 14:30.  This is a great place for a walks ashore, a swim on the beach or just enjoying the day on board.

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We will set off for the last days sail at 09:30 rounding Portland Bill close inshore at 11:00 followed by the long passage across Lyme Bay back to Dartmouth.  This is where we most often see dolphins either fishing or if we are lucky riding our bow wave for a while. We should be in Dartmouth by 18:00 to berth in the centre of town.

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Disembarkation is by 10:00 the following morning.  There should be a ferry to Totnes from the same pontoon dropping you at Steamer Quay and a 20 minute walk from the mainline station or a regular historic steam train reached by passenger ferry across the harbour that takes you to the mainline station in Paignton.