West Country

Highlights

• Cruise up the Avon Gorge under Clifton Suspension Bridge to lock into Bristol’s Harbourside
• Visit the pretty port of Watchet, inspiration for Coleridge’s ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’
• Watch seabirds diving off the coast of Lundy
• Visit the Tate St. Ives or Barbara Hepworth’s studios in St Ives
• Sail around Land’s End and the Lizard, the south west extremes of England

Itinerary

Day 1: Board from 16:00 to 18:00 at Mount Stewart Dock, Cardiff. Group introductions and safety briefing, followed by evening meal on board.

Day 2: Cast off early with breakfast as we lock out of Cardiff Bay. Sail up the Bristol Channel towards Avonmouth and then into the River Avon. Motor up through the winding Avon Gorge, below Brunel’s Clifton Suspension Bridge to Cumberland Basin and Bristol’s Harbourside.

Day 3: Spend the morning discovering Bristol’s redeveloped historic docks, or visit Brunel’s ship, SS Great Britain. Lock out of the harbour early afternoon and cruise back down the gorge to Portishead Marina for the night.

Day 4: Depart Portishead at dawn to run down the Somerset coast to the harbour at Watchet in time for lunch. Spend the afternoon exploring this historic town with its connections to Coleridge’s ‘The Ancient Mariner’ and sea shanties.

Day 5: Another dawn start to make sure we can make the most of the fair tide and hopefully get to the island of Lundy for an afternoon ashore. If the wind and swell don’t allow, we will divert to the River Taw overnight.

Day 6: Depart Lundy for Padstow Harbour arriving mid afternoon in time to get ready for a run ashore to one of the many high-quality fish restaurants in town - but don’t overindulge.

Day 7: We have an early start to cross the bar at high tide and sail down to the arty seaside town of St. Ives, arriving in time for lunch and a trip ashore for some culture at the Tate St. Ives or Barbara Hepworth’s house, now a museum and sculpture garden. Dinner on board and a night on the sandy harbour.

Day 8: Land’s End is a rite of passage for sailors, like a mini equator or date line. It can be flukey with winds and tides meeting from different seas, but it’s always dramatic. We sail from St. Ives around the tip of Britain and on to moor in Newlyn Harbour, or anchor at Saint Michael’s Mount if the conditions allow.

Day 9: Finally, the tides are in our favour, and we have the luxury of leaving Newlyn mid-morning to sail around the Lizard peninsula and up the Falmouth for our last night away.

Day 10: The last day of our epic circumnavigation takes us from Falmouth, past the Eddystone Lighthouse, back to our familiar berth in Plymouth Yacht Haven, where we started our voyage three months ago.

Last Day: Breakfast on board, followed by goodbyes and disembarkation at 10:00 from Plymouth Yacht Haven.

A typical day’s activities might include:

• An early breakfast on board.
• Cast off and sail to our next stopover with lunch and refreshments along the way.
• Learn the ropes and help sail the boat as we go.
• Relax on board, keeping an eye out for wildlife and coastal landmarks, or chill on deck, reading a book, sketching or photographing the coast as we sail by.
• Moor up or anchor in the afternoon with cultural visits where available.
• Dinner on deck or row ashore to a secluded beach for a sea swim or coastal walk and barbecue, or evening out to a harbour inn or restaurant (onshore meals not included in price).

Note: The above itinerary is provisional. It may be subject to change depending on weather and other factors. Some ports will not be available in certain wind conditions. We might get to others too late or skip a stopover for a longer day’s sail if we’re running behind.