Lundy Island

[Jonathan Jenkins]

Just wondering if anyone could offer any advice on cruising to Lundy? Any particular starting point – Ilfracombe, Bideford? – to recommend? I would imagine that it should be perfectly do-able given a suitable weather window. Any thoughts?

Jonathan
W8866
Dumdum

[Anonymous]

Hi Jonathon,

Just to let you know, i am watching this wih interest.

Lundy sounds a lovely place to sail to.

How far away from the mainland is it?

I sail mostly at Poole Harbour and the Solent, but hope to find some new and interesting places to sail next year

Regards

[Jonathan Jenkins]

It’s around 12 miles from Hartland Pt but about double that from Ilfracombe or Bideford. It really is a fab place – I’ve actually been there three times a very long while ago, twice by ferry and once by yacht so I kind of think I should add wayfarer to that list!

In terms of other places to sail and not too far away from the Solent I can highly recommend the South Devon coastline as discussed in separate topic in this section, but I am definitely biased having grown up there!

Jonathan
W8866
Dumdum

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the information, I shall watch this with interest.

Good luck mate

Regards

[howard]

We went to Lundy as part of the Lydney Yacht Club summer cruise this year, walked the island, ate in pub after the day visitors had left, then slept in a (UKWA loan) boat tent ready for an early tide. We had very light wind out, but a good run back through the dawn.

I can recommend it as a worthwhile destination.

We sailed from Watermouth, which is around 2 miles E of Ilfracombe; relatively few facilities but well worth a visit if you are self-sufficient. Watermouth is in the Blue Book Cruising Guide to the Bristol Channel.

Regards
Howard
W9165

[Anonymous]

Howard,

As an ex resident of Gloucester (well Quedgely actually), I am curious about your club.

Having visited lydney a number of times in the 70’s, I wondered how you manage with the strong tides there in the Severn?

Do you find Elvers in your boat when you capsize…ha ha…only joking mate!

I am in Abingdon now and have thought of joining your cruise one of these times.

Is the old Sawmill still there? I used to visit them many years ago.

Regards

[Jonathan Jenkins]

Howard

Do I understand you right that you cruised from Lydney? That looks a pretty decent distance just looking at the road atlas. If so I would be interested to know what other places you stopped at along N.Devon/Somerset coast.

Thanks for your suggesting Watermouth – my parents are in South Devon so at some point I shall probably get them to go and check out the various possible launch points.

Cheers

Jonathan
W8866
Dumdum

[howard]

I should say that I’m a new member to Lydney, and others have much more experience and knowledge of the Bristol Channel – I’ve simply joined in.

The route was: Lydney – St Pierre (between the Severn bridges) – Western-Super-Mare (River Axe) – Porlock – Watermouth – Lundy – Porlock – Barry – Newport – Lydney. However, there were quite a few variations on this.

Regarding the club at Lydney. The harbour there is part of an ongoing restoration project – it closed, I believe, at the same time as the old marine-ply sawmill, but the locks have now been restored and are in use again. The yacht club does mixture of sailing around tide times and longer cruises both up and down the river, one of these is usually in the UKWA cruising diary (advert); however, the club programme is available on the web, so get in touch if you’d like to join in anything else.

Elvers? I’d rather Salmon, but have not been lucky with either. Perhaps I should capsize more.

[AUTHOR]

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