English Channel

Highlights

• Celebrate the start of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend watching beacon lighting in Dartmouth
• Tuck into oysters, fish and prawns at Poole Seafood Festival
• Enjoy spectacular coastal scenery, including Start Point, Jurassic Coast, Seven Sisters and Beachy Head
• Keep an eye out for dolphins in Lyme Bay

Itinerary

Day 1: Board Snark from 16:00–18:00 at Plymouth Yacht Haven. Group introductions and safety briefing, followed by evening meal on board.

Day 2: Start early from Plymouth to catch the tide across Bigbury Bay and around Start Point with its lighthouse, the most southerly tip of Devon. Moor in the centre of historic Dartmouth. Take time to explore the picturesque town before watching the fireworks and beacon lighting at the start of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend Celebrations.

Day 3: Cast off early to head across Lyme Bay, keeping a lookout for local pods of dolphins. Sail close inshore around Portland Bill, the southernmost point of Dorset, to anchor in Portland Harbour for a late lunch on board. Row ashore for a gentle walk on Chesil beach or a more challenging climb up to see stone sculptures at the Tout Quarry sculpture park on the top of the Bill.

Day 4: Sail from Portland along the Purbeck coast to anchor in the beautiful Studland Bay near Poole, home of Britain’s most expensive coastal homes at Sandbanks. Row ashore to the sandy beach in the afternoon for a relaxing sea swim and beach barbecue or join the festivities at Poole Seafood Festival.

Day 5: Weigh anchor after breakfast and sail across Christchurch Bay and up the Needles Channel into the Solent. Moor in the heart of Cowes on the Isle of Wight to sample the delights of its yachty clubs and pubs.

Day 6: Carry the tide for a full day's sail up the English Channel to moor in the chic Brighton Marina for the night. Dine on deck as the sun sets over the South Downs.

Day 7: Cast off from Brighton after a leisurely breakfast on deck. Set sail along the coast around the chalk sea cliffs of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head to lock into the marina in Eastbourne in the early afternoon. Time for a last walk along the pebbly beach at Pevensey Bay, and maybe up to the medieval Pevensey Castle and the 16th-century Smugglers Inn.

Last day: Breakfast on board, followed by goodbyes and disembarkation at 10:00 from Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne.

A typical day’s activities might include:

• An early breakfast on board.
• Cast off and sail to our next stopover with lunch and refreshments along the way.
• Learn the ropes and help sail the boat as we go.
• Relax on board, keeping an eye out for wildlife and coastal landmarks, or chill on deck, reading a book, sketching or photographing the coast as we sail by.
• Moor up or anchor in the afternoon with cultural visits where available.
• Dinner on deck or row ashore to a secluded beach for a sea swim or coastal walk and barbecue, or evening out to a harbour inn or restaurant (onshore meals not included in price).

Note: The above itinerary is provisional. It may be subject to change depending on weather and other factors. Some ports will not be available in certain wind conditions. We might get to others too late or skip a stopover for a longer day’s sail if we’re running behind.