First time up the coast - single-handed, in a 20' boat (Norfolk Gypsy).

[@lukedogwalker]

Good man for having a printed chart and not relying solely on the device. "Always look for the wooden masts." Yup, this is they way 😉👍

[@john3Lee]

If I lived in this part of the uk, I think this is just the sort of sailingI would enjoy.... Those breaking waves to your stern was probable caused by wind against tide, causing an increased steepness in the waves, allowing the waves to break.... Anyhow - this is great content, thanks for posting.... and thumbs up from me !!

[@jimevans9550]

Thanks Toby. The immensity of the sea indeed. You’ve got the life jacket: it doesn’t take much to hook on with a safety line, and you’ll wish you had when you fall overboard and watch the boat sail away without you. I’ve singlehanded across the Atlantic in a 24- foot boat and I never unhooked: even to sleep. You’ll feel a lot more confident if you do.

[@markthomasson5077]

True, but you also need some way that disengages the autopilot and sheets, otherwise you might not be able get back onboard

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Jim. If I was going across the Atlantic, I'd certainly wear a safety line. Also if I was in windy conditions with large waves & thought there was a good chance of falling out. And if I had to go up to the foredeck. And perhaps if I was using auto-steering. None of those were the case here. But I take your point. Single-handed sailing has its own particular risks.

[@billywhizz6483]

A great passage and beautiful conditions, thanks for taking us along.

[@johnbiddal5951]

Congratulations Toby, a nice competent voyage, well planned and safely completed, and such voyages will lead to what I suspect your aims really are, longer offshore passages.

[@baloocanoe5762]

Thanks for sharing, really enjoyed going on that trip with you.

[@markwatson5329]

Great work, capturing the joy of East Coast ditch crawling, and the simple pleasures of a small boat and the bleak Essex marshes.

[@sailingaphrodite4189]

That first time solo is always daunting. Well done!

[@oscardakota2876]

Congratulations, that was wonderful to watch and a wonderful accomplishment for you. 🇨🇦

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks v much.

[@dhouse-d5l]

What a lovely jaunt in a delightful little boat. We sail the Solent in a small Crabber but the East Coast is beguiling in its raw wildness.

[@spidermoose]

Very nice. Thank you for sharing with us 👍

[@squallyheiferadventures]

That was a great trip. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[@napoleonnz]

A lovely little yacht, helmed by an intrepid solo sailor. I was a self-taught sailor when I was in my thirties with similar small vessels, starting with a 16ft trailer sailer and gradually moving up in length. My sailing days ended 50 or so years later with a 34ft cruising catamaran. Looking back, the boats I liked the best were my 24ft bilge keelers which I now feel are the optimum size for single handed coastal and estuary cruising in settled weather. Now at age 80 your adventures are helping me, and I'm sure others, re-live those peaceful and enjoyable days on the sea.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks. Glad to help bring back good memories!

[@ianrees7451]

Keep going enjoy adventures i am looking forward to coming up there next year

[@steveh3483]

Your videos and content are quite cptivating. Your attention to detail is very commendable and interesting. The most incredible thing about the sea is the different perceived conditions that someone would normally have from the shore. Finding yourself in 0.8 M of water so far from shore is I am sure quite unbelievable to most people ordinarily. I have visited St Davids for many years and after being in the water in many different craft, there must be the utmost respect for the water and tides. Having just got a Wayfarer I am quite a way from your rig, but interesting just the same. And a realisation that I guess you need planning.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Steve, most kind. Yes, before I got my boat I remember looking out to sea from the shore & imagining deep, deep waters. Only when I started sailing & looking at charts did I realise that some of the mud & sand flats go out for miles.

[@N-M362]

Well done, Toby! When you get your autotiller installed, it will change your life!

[@andygraham8986]

Hi Toby, well done, it's good to push ourselves now and again, nice video thanks

[@DaveandGinny972]

Nicely planned and executed. I keep my boat on that pontoon at Titchmarsh. Nothing I like better than heading out to catch sunrise as I clear Stone Point.

[@ianrees3231]

watching again very enjoyable

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks v much, nice of you to say so.

[@ghqservicesmiddlegeorgiadr9986]

Very nice video, thank you.

[@HP-qj4gz]

Delightful video, I really enjoyed it. Excellent demonstration of passage planning. Keep the videos coming!

[@tobygoessailing]

Most kind, thanks.

[@jon6940]

Holland on Sea, my families town..🥰 I'm currently living in Sweden, I have bought a P28, she is everything to me! In less than a month now I will leave for Portugal, passing, with a Salute to my family. Viking and Saxon brotherhood...

[@carldenny8131]

I'm so glad I come across your channel. I'm currently deciding whether to go from lake to sea and watching this channel has given me the confidence to go and do it. Fair winds my friend and maybe meet up for a long haul at some point.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks very much Carl, that's good to hear. Good luck! And yes, see you on the high seas one day.

[@Godwin2170]

Thanks for that Toby. Just what I needed having spent the day looking at the view from my office in Falmouth across Carrick Roads. My boat is going in the waster at the weekend and so excited. No doubt I will be responsible for the weather turning foul.

[@lmelkert]

Hello Toby, beautiful boat you have and your movies are also great! IT’s especially nice that you not scared to bring your insecurities up, very refreshing. One tip from my perspective, i always host the jib first and then the main sail. The ship will be more stable then and also less risk of a unintentional gybe especially when you’re sailing solo. Greetings from Holland

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Laurens, glad you like the videos. Interesting point about the jib, though not sure I understand. If I'm pointing into the wind, ready to hoist sails, then putting the jib up makes it more likely that the bow will swing away from the wind, surely? And that would make it harder to hoist the mainsail, not easier.

[@bobevans4120]

Excellent Toby. It’s a great achievement first time out on your own. A sail to Queenborough could be another interesting trip overnight. You could moor on the pontoon and go ashore or take a buoy and radio the trot boat. Alternatively, anchor in Stangate creek a short distance upriver on the Medway where birdwatching at sundown is great too. I notice you have a VHF attached to your life jacket. I also use a PLB attached which is a good safety addition for the single handed sailor. Good video too, look forward to more ⛵️⛵️

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Bob. Yup, Queenborough's a good idea, and thanks for the suggestions. I'll probably do the Crouch & Roach first, to get a bit more experience - and then venture across the Thames estuary. I have some friends in Broadstairs, so I'm also aiming to get down to Ramsgate at some point. Good point about a PLB. I did get one a few weeks ago, and it's also attached to my lifejacket, but tucked away in the outside pocket of my coat/fleece pocket so it's not in the way.

[@ianrees3231]

i like these videos ,plus your honest remarks

[@chriscummins261]

Thanks for the video Toby, I am about to venture out first time single handing in my Cornish Crabber. Based on the Swale in Kent Titchmarsh is on my list for this year.

[@tobygoessailing]

Good luck! Titchmarsh is a lovely spot.

[@pebe3463]

Well done Toby! A really well planned trip, and one that I hope to do this year in my First 260 Spirit berthed in Bradwell. Your video is super-helpful in this regard.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks. Glad it helped. I'll keep an eye out for you!

[@wellsgb1957]

Nice little video, thanks for sharing!👍🏻

[@timj_uk1460]

Great vid, thanks for posting. Based at Titchmarsh in my first season so great to see what's round the corner! Look forward to the next installment.

[@sailinginlandseas4026]

What an inspiring sail. Thank you!

[@rsb62rsb]

Excellent video of an excellent sail! Thank you. 👍🏾😀

[@Sp3ktral22]

Well done on the sail and the filming. Bravo!

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks!

[@twister2869]

Lovely yacht and perfect for your sailing grounds! It gets less nerve wracking each time you sail. Before you know it you will be off across Biscay like me! :-)

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks! Yup, each new step makes the scary things a bit less intimidating,..

[@paulh4691]

Well done mate, very peaceful, a nice video 👍

[@tobygoessailing]

Cheers Paul

[@essexrowleys]

Brilliant Toby. I now have a 1974 Drascombe Longboat Cruiser which will be berthed at Tollesbury Marina. I shall be embarking on a journey very similar to yours, i.e. getting to know the Blackwater then venturing further afield as my skills and confidence grow so please keep the videos coming!

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Steven. Sounds great, good luck. I've loved every minute. Well, most minutes. Some were a bit scary, but that's all part of the fun.

[@chrisstockman904]

Great story Toby, enjoyed it.

[@PaulAnthonyDuttonUk]

That was nice. Enjoyed that!

[@Ramenscooter]

Nice little gaff rigger. 20ft with what sounds like a diesel? So nice!

[@tobygoessailing]

Yes, it's a Yanmar 10HP diesel engine. Thanks!

[@grainstorageprojects-africa]

Thank you for sharing! It is an inspiration...

[@thameswanderer]

Good effort, especially without your tiller pilot. My first long distance single handed trip was from the Blackwater marina to the Medway in a Jaguar 25 also without tiller pilot. It was a good sail, wind westerly on the starboard tack all the way. I remember sailing through the middle of the Burnham racing fleet as I crossed the Whitaker channel. The worst issue I had was severe neck ache by constantly looking over my right shoulder. I tried bungee elastic etc. on the tiller but couldn't get the boat to stay on coarse for more than a couple of minutes! I bought a tiller pilot immediately after that trip, and consider it essential kit for single handed sailing. I'm looking forward to your next adventure. BTW I've swallowed the anchor now. 😢

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks. I do now have a tiller pilot, so longer journeys should be a bit easier. Just had to look up ‘swallow the anchor’ as I’d never heard that expression. My commiserations.

[@raytheron]

What a delightful adventure! Pity you didn't have time to explore Secret Water (from Ransome's story) more.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Ray. Yes, will have to come back another time & stay for longer.

[@ascot1049]

Brilliant.

[@sumobear2031]

Can't fault you on your sailing BUT The colour of your tea left something to be desired, lol

[@tobygoessailing]

I’m afraid to say other people have made the same judgement. I will henceforth be banning people who criticise my tea. 😎

[@sumobear2031]

That hot milk could not be classed as tea, so i guess i'll be ok@@tobygoessailing

[@tetleyk]

One of the advantages of a shallow draft boat is that you don't need to go further offshore. With a wind like you had during the outward part of your trip you benefited from being close in as there was little fetch in the sea whereas farther out there would have been more seas and that would have slowed you down a lot more. The seas that you did experience were probably from wind over tide. Don't discount the effects of shoals and deeper water showing on the surface even at 16m depth. I've experienced surface effects from 100m down. MInd you, that was the edge of an abyssal deep of 3000m coming up to 100m in the Straits of Messina. Strange place. You had a great outward trip, the motoring home was not so good 😀 Personally I would have rigged sheet-to-tiller steering for a journey of that length. Without an engine I probably wouldn't have risked going down to the marina and would have headed for the end of Hamford Water but then I'm not a fan of marinas either. You were probably fine cutting the corner especially when under engine. Just pull up the plate if you touch and if you did go aground you were on a rising tide with little or no sea to worry about. What was low water for the day? Anything over half a metre and you would clear the shallows easily. More advantages of a shallow draft. All in all I'd say that was a pretty excellent first trip up the coast. This is what I'm working towards: svnaiad.uk/voyages/voyages-2023/?post_id=588&title=20230128---forward-planning-for-2025

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks. LW was 0.64m. I'm sure you're right, it would have been OK. Just that I didn't want to delay my return by getting stuck for a while, and below 0.8m my depth sounder stops working (it keeps showing 0.8 until I touch the bottom) - so I was erring on the side of caution. Sounds like a cool trip you've got planned. Good luck with the preparation. I sailed up towards Snape from Slaughden SC in a Wayfarer three years ago - almost up to Iken Church. That is a tiny channel!

[@tetleyk]

@@tobygoessailing Naiad's sister ship, Shoal Waters, used to go up there regularly and Tony Smith still does as far as I'm aware. The DCA also go up to the Snape at least once a year, or so they tell me. They've another trip that on 8/9 July. MInd you they start from Aldeburgh. I'd need to add two extra days for that outing, one to get there and one to get back. The wind & tides would need to be just right. I use an 8ft sounding cane in lieu of having an echo sounder and I know you've used one. I really don't like having holes in the hull.

[@keithclark5852]

A really well planned and executed trip. Enjoyable and satisfying, what more could you need. Well stronger tea or coffee by the looks of your cuppa.😎

[@tobygoessailing]

@@keithclark5852 Outrageous comment about my tea. Thanks!

[@mikeshipperlee8126]

Hi Toby, nice video. Im just a bit behind you with a Leisure 20 moored on the Orwell and looking to do your trip in reverse, this summer. Intended to try my first trip to Walton Backwaters the other day but postponed it due to confitions. Was your video filmed this year ? These persistent and strong easterlys have been a real pain in the neck for novice sailors on the East Coast (like me)!

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Mike. Yup, it was last week, Tues & Wed 16th & 17th May. Good luck & fair winds!

[@bluebear6483]

great video , i have just got a westerly 22 ft sailing boat, can i ask what do they charge at that marina for the night as would like to go there myself

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks. It was £20 for the night, plus £1 for electricity.

[@essexrowleys]

BTW, how do you do the chart animations? Your videos are becoming increasingly slick!

[@tobygoessailing]

Flattery will get you everywhere. The magic of KZbin is how I learned it - from this video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/poqZfoOsi76psMk&lc=UgzCEJeSS9NKuu1EBqh4AaABAg NB. This is using Keynote (the Apple equivalent of Powerpoint) on a MacBook. I presume you should be able to do something similar with Powerpoint, if you're using a PC/laptop.

[@essexrowleys]

@@tobygoessailing Great, thank you!

[@tetleyk]

@@essexrowleys I find the video editing and animations to be the easy bit, it's the voice overs that get me. I've two videos in the works for recent trips and just can't get the voice acting right. Oh well, parcticse, practise, practise!

[@gatecrasher1970]

very good camera quality what did you use? also that boat to your right probably knew the wind strongest further out to sea , nice boat of yours did you buy it in that good condition?

[@tobygoessailing]

It’s a GoPro HERO8. And yes, the boat was in very good condition when I bought her 2 years ago, even though she’s now 28 years old. (Built 1995).

[@gatecrasher1970]

@@tobygoessailing am trying to get a hunter 701 from somerset and it got a 4hp outboard motor will that be fine to get it down the coast to Portsmouth?

[@tobygoessailing]

@@gatecrasher1970 Sorry, you need to ask someone more experienced than me about that. Though the engine in my Norfolk Gypsy (which is slightly lighter than a Hunter 701) is 10HP and can get it up to just over 5 knots. So 4HP for a slightly heavier boat doesn't sound like much.

[@gatecrasher1970]

@@tobygoessailing doyou know where i could get a cheap 10hp outboard motor from ?

[@tobygoessailing]

@@gatecrasher1970 Nope, sorry.

[@rsb62rsb]

Can I ask what navigation app you use on your iPad?…. Just spotted it on the credits! (Imray)

[@tobygoessailing]

Yup, it’s the Imray app. I like the detail & the fact that it replicates the look of a paper chart. The drawback is that it doesn’t enlarge/minimise as smoothly as a dedicated digital chart. I also have the Navionics app, but almost never use it.

[@jeremycohen4104]

You are much better heading out to port, the other side is complex.

[@tobygoessailing]

Gone both ways!