13 Apr 2024 New log entry: Shakedown sail 2024 ↙ Report?
- Boat Exeat
- By Anna Pocock
- Route Cowes Yacht Haven ··· Newtown Creek
- Underway 01:27
It’s become something of a tradition for us to bookend the sailing season at Newtown Creek, being just a short sail from our winter berth in Cowes. There’s the reassurance of knowing that if anything goes wrong on Exeat’s shakedown sail, we can easily limp home; plus it’s always a joy to overnight in this lovely anchorage, with basking seals as our neighbours, and the soothing soundtrack of birds nesting in the nearby nature reserve. If you venture ashore to stretch your legs (or your canine companion’s), there are delightful walks to enjoy along the shingle beach and through the woods – we have even spotted a rare Golden Pheasant here before now, and foraged wild sloes from the shoreside hedgerows.
The last time we stayed here, in October ‘23, we had the embarrassing experience of waking up at an unintentionally jaunty angle, after drifting overnight on our anchor and going aground at low tide. This time, we kept a very close eye on our depth gauge and anchored well away from the extensive shallows. But some poor soul spent an uncomfortable evening teetering at a vertiginous 45 degrees until the tide rose again. We felt for them, but there was little we could do except sympathise.
As well as watching out for depth, another point to mention about staying here is that even if you anchor (there are visitor buoys if you prefer), you will almost certainly get a visit from National Trust rangers asking for a donation towards their management of the area. It’s certainly hard to refuse them when you can so readily see all the sterling work they do in protecting the breeding bird colonies here, coppicing the ancient woodland and managing the grazing land.
Dues paid, anchor secure, supper bubbling in the galley oven, we cracked open a bottle of warming red wine and and toasted Exeat’s first outing as the sun set radiantly across the creek.
11 Apr 2024 New log entry: croata split 1 june 24 ↙ Report?
- By Kevin Day
10 Apr 2024 Crew available for Cruising, Training, Mile building
- Who Ben Wolf
- What Cruising, Training, Mile building
- When Weekday, Weekend, Evening, Holidays (short-term), Long-term
Id like to crew boats that are island hopping.
3 Apr 2024 Crew wanted for Cruising
- Boat Snowbird of Norway
- What Cruising
- When Long-term
- Dates 22 April - 1 June
I plan to start sailing from Spain to Crete around April 24th. A distance of about 1500nm. There will be two overnight crossings and a longer 3-4 day 450nm sail form Malta to Crete and the plan is to be there in beginning of June. This will be a good opportunity for someone who want some mile building.