A charter in British waters
I watched the forecast obsessively as the week in June approached, crystallising to promise plenty of wind, but with a Bavaria 36 booked from Liberty Yachts in Plymouth, it was too late to bail out now. We packed everything from buckets and spades to thermals and woolly hats, and as many colouring books and toys […]
I watched the forecast obsessively as the week in June approached, crystallising to promise plenty of wind, but with a Bavaria 36 booked from Liberty Yachts in Plymouth, it was too late to bail out now. We packed everything from buckets and spades to thermals and woolly hats, and as many colouring books and toys as we could cram in. Now, how to wear the children out enough to keep them happy on passage? I had a plan…
All of a sudden I heard wailing. In a mix of ecstatic joy and horror after actually catching a fish, Reuben had been so excited and terrified that he had nearly jumped out of the boat and Theo’s shout to sit down set Lily off. They came back in a mix of tears and laughter, retelling the story of catching the fish.
YM is packed with information to help you get the most from your time on the water.
Still, we were keen to prove to ourselves that we could cruise as a family in the UK, though not without trepidation at the thought of trying to contain our four-year-old son, Reuben, and two-year-old daughter, Lily on board while I was six months pregnant.
Theo and I have always been a team on board, loving the thrill of wind, waves and open horizons, but sailing has changed dramatically for me since having children. I’ve become more cautious, fretting over the angle of heel and imagining the many ways our precious cargo could go overboard.
Georgie gets to relax in the sun on the run back from Fowey. Photo: Georgie Stocker
When researching ports and anchorages to include in our pilot books, Rod and I tend to spend a lot of…
Theo bundled the beans and the fishing kit into the dinghy and off they all went. I could hear excited laughing and an occasional ‘Mummy, watch!’ drifting across the water as I enjoyed the quiet and a book all to myself for more than five minutes. Total bliss.
A charter in British waters: A cunning plan
I watched intently as successive gusts got stronger and stronger, nudging Force 6, and we cautiously tucked in more reefs while debating the right balance of getting into harbour for an overdue kid’s tea and keeping things safe and comfortable on board. As Fowey entrance finally opened up, my false smile and ‘Isn’t this fun!’ sing-song voice gradually became more genuine.
The first evening on board our charter in British waters was just like coming home, it felt like we had never been away from life on board and was so wonderfully familiar. Sipping hot drinks in the cockpit under a blanket after an evening swim in glassy water, with the children asleep down below, was just perfect.
Checking the forecast, it became apparent that the morning represented a brief lull before the wind built again through the day. If we wanted to get out of harbour, it was now or never.
It’s hard to pack light for a family with small children for a week afloat. Photo: Georgie Stocker
Theo and I were certainly worn out, and hoped the kids were too. With the wind building, it was time to head for Fowey. A breezy fetch lay ahead across flat water, and it felt like old times to be the two of us on deck again, grinning happily, while the children napped below, safely tucked into leeward bunks. Maybe, just maybe, this charter might work.
Would a charter in British waters be a happy experiment for Georgie Stocker and her family? Future cruising plans hung in the balance…
The next morning the scene had changed to dark clouds and white horses foaming out in the Sound beyond our snug little anchorage. 24 hours of 40-knot winds didn’t appeal, however, and we decided to weather the storm back in harbour within reach of our car.
We found a corner of Cawsand Bay sheltered enough for another night at anchor; we were really starting to settle into family life on the boat. The forecast of gales and solid rain felt impossible as cotton wool clouds drifted on a gentle breeze over calm waters.
Discretion not courage
We looked at each other, slightly frazzled after a day of packing, driving, shopping and coaxing two little ones into lifejackets with all the inevitable meltdowns. Only time would tell whether a week’s charter in the UK would be the end of our future family sailing plans, or the start.
Georgie celebrates making it safely alongside in Newton Ferrers. Photo: Georgie Stocker
I resorted to bribes of chocolate, while Theo took the easier option of mooring bows downwind. Alongside, we felt the relief that only comes from escaping a storm in a safe harbour.
By the time we were past the breakwater it was blowing a solid Force 7, making getting into our marina berth with the stern downwind a real challenge. At which point, the children stopped playing happily down below. Lily clambered up into the cockpit with Roo close behind, both without lifejackets and mid-meltdown.
Article continues below…
Lily feels she’s missing out on life if her day starts after 0600, leaving plenty of morning to explore Cawsand, though Reuben’s sealegs led to a bang on the head and a bag of ice from the pub. There was still time for a swim for Lily and hunting for sea glass on the beach for Reuben.
You know the weather is bad when you Google ‘fun things to do in Plymouth with kids’ and chasing a kamikaze two-year-old around a soft-play warehouse looks appealing. My parents’ house was only half an hour away too, and so we even took the easy option of a night ashore while the storm blew through.
There was still time, however, to make the most of Fowey including an early trip to the bakery, before Reuben proudly helmed us out and we anchored in the shelter of Polridmouth Cove under the shadow of the Gribbin Head daymark.
Deyenu, a Bavaria 36, was provided by Liberty Yachts for the charter. Photo: Georgie Stocker
The sky was pink and seagulls bobbed nearby. Our first passage may have been a mere three miles from Plymouth to Cawsand, but being back afloat was every bit as magical as I remembered.
We’ve just touched down at Dalaman airport, Southern Turkey and it’s June 2024. It’s our first time bareboat chartering as…
An hour later and naptime was over, but the children seemed to have stomachs of steel as they played Lego and coloured in the saloon. We were impressed with their resilience, and the creations produced at a 25-degree angle.
Now or never
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Despite white horses in the Sound it looked more doable than we had feared, though waves rolling over the breakwater suggested that things were rather livelier out at sea. Still, Newton Ferrers offered a new harbour to explore and a short enough hop to keep the smalls safe and entertained, as long as the narrow entrance to the Yealm was manageable.
The River Yealm is an idyllic small harbour with plenty to explore. Photo: Georgie Stocker
The children were soon whooping with joy in daddy’s arms as the boat plunged up and down the incoming swell and Reuben chatted happily about how he would tell his nursery friends about the waves.
Safely around Great Mewstone and running in under genoa, the children were oblivious to how tightly I was gripping the wheel and fell fast asleep on deck; attempting the entrance in strong southwesterlys and rough water is not advised.
Amazingly, Yealm Head seemed to provide more shelter than expected and there was no white water over the bar so we went for it. The water seething over the rocks a boat-length or two from the channel felt uncomfortably close but proved benign.
We came alongside the visitor pontoon, bows to the wind and once again breathed a sigh of relief. All four and a half crew were happy and healthy. It felt like a big milestone to have handled rougher seas than we were used to with the smalls, even just briefly.
Harbour days
The next days were an idyllic mix of beachcombing, pub meals, walks, swims and general pottering. On board, the kids were becoming experts at getting in and out of the dinghy, and playing in the cockpit, as well as hunting for treasures ashore.
Walking round the headland, we watched the waves breaking up and over the Little Mewstone, feeling smug to be snugged up in the River Yealm.
In a blink it was handover day. By late morning the wind had eased and we needed to head back in, no matter the seastate. Happily, though still wavy, it was not as rough as Friday.
The kids were playing down below at first, but the play became less enthusiastic and faces started to turn green. We cajoled them on deck and a few minutes of stories and songs had them back to their normal selves, enjoying a spot-the-lighthouse competition. It was a perfect length little hop to make a big adventure for the small ones.
Theo Stocker at the helm. Photo: Georgie Stocker
What a week it had been for them, and for us. As the mammoth pack-up began, we reflected happily that you don’t have to stop having adventures with children, they just change scale and motivation.
We felt satisfied with a grand total of 56 miles sailed with our two newest crew members. They were happy to have caught fish, spotted dolphins, ridden huge waves, played pirates and found treasure, and were sad to be leaving the boat. It looks like it was the beginning of many more sailing adventures to come.
With thanks to Liberty Yachts who provided the yacht for this charter.
Chartering in the UK
Sailing holidays overseas in sunny climates with guaranteed sunshine remain popular, and operators often have vast fleets. Chartering in the UK is often much more affordable and doesn’t require air travel. We loved the fact that a three-hour drive was all the travelling we needed to do.
The UK charter industry has, however, been through a challenging time, largely tied up in expensive red tape and some of the toughest operating standards in the world, making running a charter business no mean feat these days.
Outside of the Solent, where there are some larger charter fleets, British charter operators are largely small-scale companies with a handful of yachts that often double up as sailing school boats available for hire when courses aren’t being run.
The charter was a resounding success for the Stocker family. Photo: Georgie Stocker
Still, if you do some looking, there are boats available in most of the main cruising areas around the coast, including the West Country, Wales, Northern Ireland, the west coast of Scotland and the English east coast and in some smaller places too.
Alternatively, there are plenty of private boats available for charter either through a charter company, or via online sharing platforms. There are also a number of inshore and inland options such as the Fal Estuary, the Norfolk Broads and the Lake District.
Liberty Yachts
We chartered a 2003 Bavaria 36 with up to eight berths from family-run Liberty Yachts in Plymouth’s Queen Anne Battery marina. The fleet of four boats includes a Hanse 385 and a Delphia 40. A week’s charter in early or late summer costs £1,783. The company also offers day sails, yacht management and brokerage. www.libertyyachts.co.uk.
Enjoyed reading this?
A subscription to Yachting Monthly magazine costs around 40% less than the cover price, so you can save money compared to buying single issues.
Print and digital editions are available through Magazines Direct – where you can also find the latest deals.
The passage back to Cawsand, with following wind and warm sunshine, actually began to feel like summer, topped off by spotting dolphins under the boat. Roo couldn’t believe his luck: ‘Guys, did you know, I have never seen dolphins in dolphin before!’ (Well, you see people in person, don’t you?)
-
-
- Take your seamanship to the next level with tips, advice and skills from our experts
- Impartial in-depth reviews of the latest yachts and equipment
- Cruising guides to help you reach those dream destinations
From Fowey, Falmouth beckoned, but an ominous-looking low was building that could force us into a long, rough passage home at the end of the charter. Heading back to Plymouth Sound and a week of small adventures seemed a better option.
