# Can I just buy a boat and sail it around the uk?



## Gary new to sailing (Jun 2, 2021)

Hello all, as the name suggests I am pretty new to all this. I have some sailing experience, basic skills and theory up to day skipper level. Also will be getting vhf license in the near future. I was wanting to buy a boat and do some short well planned out journeys, hopefully from where ever I buy it from in the UK around to the east coast (near me) to gain some experience before doing the own boat tuition at day skipper level. I am coming across a few problems, mainly insurance. Nobody is willing to insure me without at least 1 seasons experience. Am I right in thinking that I wouldn't be able to use mariners and harbors also mooring bouys without having at least 3rd party liability insurance.
Also would I be able to sail the boat without any insurance, maybe a trailer sailor and launch the boat from slips along the beach, not using ang harbors or mariners and just using anchorages. 
Or does anyone know of an insurance company that maybe would provide third party liability for someone such as me.


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

You could anchor.

It may limit a few harbours but I'm sure you could plan around them.

There will be some resources on the net to show the anchorages.
Remember, à lot won't be advertised because money-grubbing marinas want you to part with your cash.

Also you could call/email the local Coast Guard of an area that doesn't appear to have an anchorage. They are duty bound to tell you.
Finally, the UK has been a shipping nation for ever, back into antiquity... Where there's a port there _must_ be an anchorage! ?

Mark


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

Gary new to sailing said:


> maybe a trailer sailor and launch the boat from slips along the beach, not using ang harbors or mariners and just using anchorages.


Trailer sailing is very popular in the UK.

I don't know all the ins and outs of insurance, but people certainly do launch boats off beaches and slipways there.

Right now I am reading a great book "Fools and Whitehorses" about a couple of dudes who just recently completed the first ever circumnavigation of the UK in an open sailing canoe, they used beaches almost entirely.

For hand launching on beaches the smaller and lighter the better. 12-16 ft is not uncommon. There is an organisation that does organized cruises in small beach launch able boat, they have a good web site, not sure if it touches on insurance or not.









Dinghy Cruising Association


The Dinghy Cruising Association is the friendly club with a sense of adventure For sailors and families who use boats for more than just racing.



www.dinghycruising.org.uk





If you like Youtube there is a good series by a guy who is trailer sailing his way around the UK very slowly, he's been add it for years. He mostly uses small boats 25 ft or less.





__





Keep Turning Left






www.keepturningleft.co.uk


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## Triumphant (Aug 13, 2014)

You may want to post on The East Coast Forum of YBW as well for detailed local advice to get you started


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## Gary new to sailing (Jun 2, 2021)

MarkofSeaLife said:


> You could anchor.
> 
> It may limit a few harbours but I'm sure you could plan around them.
> 
> ...





MarkofSeaLife said:


> You could anchor.
> 
> It may limit a few harbours but I'm sure you could plan around them.
> 
> ...


Hi Mark, thankyou for the excellent info I was beginning to think it was going to cost me a fortune just to get on the water. Spirits lifted back to planning, thanks again I'll keep you posted😁


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## Gary new to sailing (Jun 2, 2021)

Arcb said:


> Trailer sailing is very popular in the UK.
> 
> I don't know all the ins and outs of insurance, but people certainly do launch boats off beaches and slipways there.
> 
> ...


Hi, yes definitely an option, would be looking at something around the 25ft range if I was getting a trailer sailer and it sounds like there are no restrictions on just getting out there. Plenty to think about now and I'll give that youtube vid a watch. Thanks for the excellent info?


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## Gary new to sailing (Jun 2, 2021)

Triumphant said:


> You may want to post on The East Coast Forum of YBW as well for detailed local advice to get you started


I'll check that out, thanks. I didn't realise that there were so many helpful people out there... Amazing, thankyou all 😁😁😁


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