Summer is well and truly upon us, with BBC reporting that temperatures in the UK exceeded Barbados and Hawaii recently! And with thousands and thousands of miles of sailing routes surrounding us, you’re spoilt for choice on possible sunny sea excursions. We’ve compiled a list of all the best options, probably with some you didn’t know about! First off is…
Kent
Down in southeast England you can find Kent, The Medway Estuary, and over 50km of coastline to explore. It’s quite easy to get a quality yacht or boat charter, and you’ll be sure to find the old sea forts of Maunsell, Whitstable Harbour, and many other historical points of interest including the remainders of England’s oldest pier, and even Kentish Flats offshore wind farm.
St Kilda
If you’d like to observe thousands of gannets and boobies in their natural habitat, among the highest cliffs in the UK, then isolated archipelago St Kilda off the coast of Scotland is a great spot to go sailing. 1000ft cliffs and hundreds of thousands of sea birds make it quite an experience, as well as the considerable architectural history observable there.
Pembrokeshire
Bordering Carmarthenshire in south west Wales, is the county of Pembrokeshire, and there you can find charters and mini cruises until the beginning of November. You’ll be taken out across the Irish Sea, from St David’s to puffin stronghold Grassholm Island, and are likely to see basking sharks, pilot whales, porpoises, sun fish, orcas, and of course dolphins!
Norfolk
Over in the East, on the edge of the North Sea, is the county of Norfolk. If you’d love to see common or grey seals raising their pups in the wild, sailing round to Blakeney Point between June and August (or between November and January) will be an unforgettable experience for you. Sail out from Blakeney harbour or Morston quay and it won’t take you more than a couple hours. There’re also enough delights in that area for avid bird watchers!
Farne Islands
As the tide rises and falls, 15 islands become 20, the inner group of which have been historically home to many monks and hermits over the years. The islands are typically associated with heroine Grace Darling, and the story of paddlesteamer Forfarshire. Sail out to Longstone Island, where you’ll find the very lighthouse she and her father lived in, and dozens of other historic points of interest.
These are but 5 of many interesting spots closer to home than you ever imagined. You’d need weeks and weeks to visit what must be over a hundred historically and culturally important destinations scattered about the entire perimeter of the Isle. A yacht charter every couple of months for the rest of your life would doubtlessly leave you still short of having visited everything worth seeing. Forget wanderlusts for the other corners of the planet, the UK has more landscapes and experiences to offer than you’ll ever have time to fully appreciate.
