UK Sailing Holiday

Whitby to Ipswich

As Trinovante sails past the cliffs south from Whitby this voyage traces the old routes of the Collier Brigs. The collier brigs loaded coal in the North East for the voyage down to London and the South East. You will of course be enjoying your UK sailing holiday whilst onboard so we promise not to load any coal enroute. Otherwise you will be taking part in all the usual activities involved in being one of the crew on a sailing ship.

This is a passage making voyage with over night sailing. You will be part of the watch system on board. If you have never stood a night watch try reading Standing The Night Watch – an account written by a Trinovante crewmember.

Offshore Sailing

Just a quick thank you for a most enjoyable trip, good company, good food and you even laid on good weather. What more could one ask for? Except perhaps another week of the same.

Dave

The Port Of Whitby

A picture postcard, bustling, seaside town nestled in a hollow in the surrounding moors landscape, Whitby is now known for the many festivals that run year round, coastal walks, fossils, jet jewellery,  the 199 very steep steps leading to a ruined abbey that overlooks all the activity below and most importantly for the seafarer the massive stone breakwaters that protect the entrance to the harbour.

Originally a coal and whaling port, for the sailor this harbour is notable as the place where Captain Cooks Endevour  was originally built as the ship rigged collier Earl of Pembroke.  There is a now replica Endevour in the port.

Trinovante always gets lots of attention in Whitby.

Sailing South

The moment Trinovante passes out between the Whitby breakwaters we are immediately in open water sailing south with cliffs on our staboard side.

If the wind is fair the crew may go straight into a watch system and Trinovante may head for Great Yarmouth or Lowestoft.

Other options would be to anchor off of the North Norfolk coast to await for a fair tide or maybe on day one we’ll just make a short hop to Scarborough.

If all goes well we hope to have time to explore some of the Thames Estuary rivers.

The Collier Trade

By 1844 three quarters of the British sailing coasting fleet, employing 10,000 seamen, was moving coal from the North to the London and the Southeast.   8000 colliers arrived annually in the London River alone. In 1702 there were 98 colliers owned in Whitby.

The trade went from being a summer only trade to being all year round hard graft. They were sturdy burdensome ships and the grimy collier would have been a common sight in the Ipswich river.

On the journey south the colliers would have anchored in places such as Yarmouth and Cromer Roads.
Old Photos show big sailing fleets anchored in the ‘roads’ waiting for the wind and tide.

Trinovante may well anchor in one of these anchorages or ‘roads’ on the route south.

The coal trade under sail carried on until the late 1800’s when the railways and steamers took over.

ABOUT THE THAMES ESTUARY

The Thames Estuary is Trinovante’s ‘home’ territory, where she was built, and we think a great place to sail.

Steeped in sailing history and tradition it’s one of the last places in the UK where you will see traditionally rigged boats as a matter of course. Fishing smacks and Thames barges sail and race here throughout the season. The photo here is of Thames Barges at an early morning start for the Colne Race.

In the quiet river anchorages you will hear the distinctive call of oyster catchers and other wading birds feeding on the mud flats as the tide ebbs and flows.

Su and John are excellent teachers and hosts. After a week the rudiments of working the rig and sails is easily grasped unlike a larger vessel with more “knitting and string to pull” 

Sat in a snug cabin with a beer in hand after a days relaxed sailing around the beautiful East coast – what could be better than that?

Adam

All voyage notes refer only to possible itineraries – where we sail, the type of sailing and passage lengths and the places we call into will be entirely dependent on the wind and weather at the time.