As you may have seen from the post in "For sale" we are going to be relocating, and possibly a lot sooner than I thought, having sorted some details yesterday that I thought were going to be a problem.
Lynne (other half) has taken a job in Bristol, but has the option to try several locations over the next year or two.....not sure yet where these options will be though. So basically we are looking at Bristol (in easy commute for Cribbs Causway) or possibly a more central location to enable weekly commuting easily to all points of the compass....Stoke for example (Lynne's home town, and cheap housing), although I take the point that Bristol is not a bad central point with M4/M5. The 3rd option is to stay put for a short time (up to 18 months) while she commutes once a week, but be ready to move quickly when a good opportunity arises......all very vague at present, but we need to be ready. (hence selling the fleet)
I toured through the Cotswold water park on 4th March, on my way to stay over in Bristol, but left it too late in the day to see much.....found Whitefriars, and Cotswold S.C. before I ran out of light, and then timed/mileaged trip to Bristol, and it was "do-able" for regular sailing (thinking of petrol prices)......even better if we settled in Yate/Chipping Sodbury. I know there are other options inland as well, but not done the research yet.
Then yesterday, having read another post on here, I was alerted to Shirewater S.C. on the southern side of the city.........tidal, and a little scary with that current(?) was my initial impression!
That got me thinking.......what do I really want, especially as I get older? I sail alone, as Lynne is Hydrophobic, and, although I intend to have one last hurrah this season, I think more genteel sailing is likely in future, as I have one or two irritating health problems.
I'm used to the beauty and easy access of Chichester harbour.........been messing about in boats around the harbour literally since I could walk, know it like the back of my hand, and although I have sailed elsewhere (Poole in particular) the thought of being somewhere unfamiliar, with nowhere "to go" is a little daunting. But then I thought of all the advantages of launching 24/7 on a lake, weather permitting, and possibly lighter winds generally.........I like a brisk sail as it usually is here, but not all the time!
I think the one thing that puts me off inland sailing is the fact that it is usually club access, ......I have always been a loner on the water........for me it's all about escaping. In Chichester it is so easy to just launch quietly, and potter off to East Head or a quiet spot and feel you've "been somewhere" at the end of the day. Having said that, I like to know there are other folk around though, so it's a bit of a dilemma.
Some views on this would be most welcome.......and any info/suggestions for inland venues in central locations too.
And one last thing... David......I can trace one side of my family back to the 1500s in the southern tip of Cornwall until a hundred years ago, (which is probably why I feel comfortable surrounded by wrecks
) so "Brizzle" seems quite Easterly really, 
)
