Scillies for Lunch This Christmas

[roycruse]

I have plans to travel to the Isles of Scilly just for the day from Penzance during the week after Christmas - I will leave deciding on the exact day down to the weather and indeed it may not happen at all if it doesn't smile on us.

Due to daylight hours this time of year (8:00 - 16:00) this trip will involve an early start to ensure we can get there and back in daylight.

I will be contacting the Harbour master at Penzance to find out about launching and car parking arrangements for the slip there.

I will be contacting Hugh Town harbour master in the week to see what options there are for short term berthing so we can go and get lunch and a pint. A swinging mooring is no good as I'm sure none of us will have tenders. (If anyone who's been to Hugh town would like to contribute info it would be appreciated)

I will also be phoning a few Pubs in Hugh Town to make sure we will actually be able to get some hot food and a pint.

So far I have myself and a couple of "adventurous" mates coming on my boat - and it looks like mollers and shaggy may be up for it in mollers' vipermax.

Any other South West Ribsters (or from anywhere else) up for some mid winter ice cold off shore cruising - just for the hell of it.

[Mollers]

I'm cool to stay the night Roy. I think to tow to PZ, launch, there and back, bit of lunch etc. We'll be pushed to do all that within the hours of daylight considering how short the days are at this time of year. A bit of sea would knock our boat speed back. It'll be rough shacked up in Hugh Town for an eve , but us SWR guys are tough.

The Scillonian allows 2hrs40mins each way. If we say 3hrs for us, that's 6hrs at sea. That doesn't leave a lot of time for much else.

[roycruse]

Staying overnight adds complications for me with baby sitters - I'm pretty sure I can leave the kids with family for one day but over night and a second day reduces availability - I personally wouldn't mind staying over but finding accommodation at such short notice may also complicate things (I'm sure loads of people have all their accommodation booked with family and friends)

I was trying to keep it simple - and minimise on things that will cause the trip not to happen.

Yes it probably does mean getting up at 6am to get the boat down to penzance and launch so we are ready to go between 8 - 9. I cant see the trip taking longer than 3 hours (10 knots) so that would have up in the pub for lunch and pint by 12 depending on our assessment of conditions we would need to be leaving somewhere between 1 - 3 depending on if we thought we could maintain 10 or 30 knots on the way back.

I think probably look to staying over if we can but fall back to a long and busy single day if we have too.

Ill make some more enquiries as to accommodation availability at short notice and over night berths.

[Mollers]

I agree, staying over does add hassle, but I think that having time and options is sensible at that time of year. I'd rather kip in the boat than head out to sea knowing that it's gonna kick up rough and/or get dark.

[roycruse]

Yes - not comming back as an emergency option due to worsening conditions or delays and running out of time - will always be available.

Lets see what i can do with short notice b&b.

It would be much easier to set a date and stick to it - but this time of year i think thats unlikely to pay off.

[roycruse]

OK the "Bishop and Wolf" which is 400 yards from Hugh Town harbour is serving lunch from 12 till 2 all that week so I reckon stick to the plan of getting there for Midday having lunch then heading straight back.

If you have the boat fuelled and prepared ready then I think I could get up at 7 be in Penzance on the slip for 8 be launched and ready to go by 9 and be in the Pub on by st marys easy by 12. In reality we are likely to be there early and may have an hour to blast round the islands.

All we have to do then is have a quick lunch and pint then back in the boats for one of two things straight back home if the sea is being unkind to us so we can be back by dark - or if we think we have time a quick blast round the islands for an hour then home.

I rang around a few b&bs and most of them don't take guests in the winter. - I didn't actually get through to any that were listed as all year - but I'm going off the idea of trying to get accommodation for 5+ single blokes in hugh town at the drop of a hat seeing as im unlikely to choose the day till christmas weekend.

The day trip whilst will be non stop action - that's pretty much the point of going - I'm happy to sacrifice the lunch and pint if necessary if it was really bad getting over there.

Mollers whats your range in your boat as far as fuel goes - I can carry enough to do it three times over - I was just wondering if that was another complication we needed to allow for.

[Shaggy]

Hi
I can arrange for the boats to be stored over night in a secure lockup car park with secuity in Hayle on Friday night if that helps?

Penzance launching is free, just need to get a car park ticket for the Car and another for the trailer, it will be quite down there this time of year.

The Mermaid on the Quay is great and does a nice pint of Doom Bar.

Personally I think we are trying to fit too much in and should plan on staying the night, but Im easy.

If we do decide to stay the night then here are sme options:

Complete list here: http://cache.tiscover.com/project/is..._areaid=170847

http://www.garrisonholidays.com/index.htm
We could ask the camp site if we can rent a cottage for the night or even camp the night

http://www.selfcateringislesofscilly.co.uk/
"Our WINTER 2005/06 tariff starts from £40 per flat per night."

http://www.scillyonline.co.uk/accomm...c/atl_tar.html

http://www.scillyonline.co.uk/accomm/turks.php
Great Pub on St.Agnes

http://www.annet-cottage.co.uk/

http://www.tiscover.co.uk/carnithen

http://cache.tiscover.com/project/is...reaid=&_back=1

http://cache.tiscover.com/project/is...reaid=&_back=1

http://cache.tiscover.com/project/is...reaid=&_back=1

http://cache.tiscover.com/project/is...reaid=&_back=1


Shaggy

[roycruse]

Blimey - one of the advantages of one boat cruises I suppose - just get on with it make you own choices

I am extremely sceptical about managing to get all these things to occur at the same time in that one week window :-

1) a weather window (which will now have to be 2 days long which is twice as unlikely)

2) baby sitters that can have the kids for 2 days including a night stop over.

3) accommodation for all for one single night but we cant tell them what night it is going to be until a couple of days before we come.

4) My other 2 crew being available.



It'll end up me not going on my own cruise because of baby sitters or my mates not being available.

I just been to Fowey and back this Saturday - which is only about 5 miles less in distance but we hugged the coast and stopped at various places so probably total miles was the same as we did not go in a straight line. We didn't even leave Mylor till 11:00am had a very leisurely lunch and were back on the slip at 3:30pm. If the sea is so rough we cant even maintain 15 knots im not going anyway.

I'm all for having a stopover as an emergency backup but I reckon if we plan for 2 days it wont end up happening.

KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

[Mollers]

Do we think that Mrs Roy is giving those thumb screws a tweek Shaggy? . Range is no prob, she's 40 gals. I'm easy either way. Shaggy and I are just not rushin' kinda guys.

[roycruse]

Shes not even been consulted - until I know what her shift patterns are for that week I am assuming she will be at work for the entire week - I will be relying on one of our parents to want to have them for the day - but I know my dad is away for the first half of the week - so if the good weather window is early in the week and Debbie is working I will definitely only be able to manage a single day - if its later in the week I have more chance of doing a stop over as my dad is back at home and more likely to have the kids for 2 days.

Its alright for you layabout commercial landlords who sit around trying to think of things to do with their days - but I only have 3 days holiday left to take this Christmas and the wife has none - so she is hoping for a kind shift pattern to land on her lap.