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The South West of England offers some of the best cruising in the world in our opinion. Build miles, practice what you already know, improve your navigation, increase your experience, or just kick back and watch the world go by as we explore some lovely Devonshire and Cornish villages. We have several 5 and 7-day voyages available and on a variety of boats.

Sail into places like Dartmouth, the entrance to which is guarded by a castle and the pretty town is overlooked by the Britannia Royal Naval College. After a night in Dartmouth and a good look around you might head off for Salcombe which is a short sail across Start Bay. Salcombe is another delightful seaside town with lots of character and surrounded by rolling hills and fields, a character of the West Country.

West of Salcombe is the bustling naval port of Plymouth. You may pull into Plymouth before heading on to Fowey. Set in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty this vibrant town is stepped in maritime history. There are mediaeval buildings standing next to Georgian buildings.

Beyond Fowey is Falmouth. As you enter the Fal Estuary there is a castle to the left on Pendennis Point and a castle to the right in St Mawes. There are creeks and villages dotted here and there, lots of other sailing boats, galleries, and the National Maritime Museum.

A little further west of Falmouth is the sleepy Helford River. The setting for Daphne du Maurier's famous novel 'Frenchman's Creek', the Helford River is surrounded by ancient oak forests and hidden creeks.It is beautiful and unspoilt.

A great thing about sailing in the West Country is that places to visit are conveniently spaced out and within a day or half a day’s sail of the next port.

SAIL A WONDERFUL PIECE OF HISTORY

Golden Vanity is a traditional wooden gaff cutter and Mumble Bee class Brixham Sailing Trawler. She is a 'fishing smack' - although she was built, in 1908, as a yacht for the renown marine artist Arthur Briscoe, who regularly sailed on board with his close friends and spy novelist Erskine Childers, who wrote Riddle of the Sands. She is very strong and seaworthy with a deep displacement keel.

This kind of boat was built to be a stable working platform from which to trawl a net along the sea bed and then return to port with their catch as quickly as possible and in all kinds of weather. Consequently Golden Vanity makes for a solid, seaworthy and spacious boat to sail on.

On deck Golden Vanity looks as she did over a century ago, while below deck she has been fitted with all the necessary comforts you would expect.

She has wide decks and sturdy high bulwarks (sides). She has a cavernous interior and makes for a fantastic cruising boat for family and friends who are keen to get involved in sailing her. There are 10 berths in total. Golden Vanity is well suited to cruising with family and friends (plus skipper and maybe a mate/cook) in cruising grounds such as the West Country where 20/30 mile day sails can be had combined with stopovers in delightful Devon and Cornish anchorages and harbours.

Your help will be needed to sail the boat. There are no winches – apart from the original 1908 capstan (that can be used to raise the anchor if really necessary) so teamwork is required to raise and lower the sails. That said there will be plenty of time to watch the world go by. She has 5 sails to play with at any one time. The main and topsail plus 3 headsails – staysail, working jib and if conditions allow the flying jib.