Irene’s Trading Route
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| Starting Port | Finishing Port | Number of Nights | Starting Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | Newlyn | 5 | Fully Booked |
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Between 1907 and 1960, the sail from Bristol to Newlyn was a regular run for the West Country Trading Ketches. In this voyage, we follow the path well trodden by Irene as we make our way down the Bristol Channel and round Lands End. We’ll pass Bridgwater where she was built and where her first owners were based and visit some of the old ports where Irene would regularly drop off, or collect cargo. A real trip down memory lane!
Irene's Trading Route
| Starting Port | Starting Time | Finishing Port | Finishing Time | Number of Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | 17:00 | Newlyn | 10:00 | 5 |
Voyage Summary
Between 1907 and 1960, the sail from Bristol to Newlyn was a regular run for the West Country Trading Ketches. In this voyage, we follow the path well trodden by Irene as we make our way down the Bristol Channel and round Lands End. We’ll pass Bridgwater where she was built and where her first owners were based and visit some of the old ports where Irene would regularly drop off, or collect cargo. A real trip down memory lane!
Sailing Highlights
This voyage is a full-on thrash down the Bristol channel. We’ll cover around 200 miles in five days, taking advantage of the ferocious Bristol Channel tides to speed us on our way.
The voyage starts with a fascinating trip down the Avon Gorge from Bristol to the Bristol Channel at Avonmouth. This is a narrow passage that requires some careful helming but the scenery is fantastic and has some real highlights such as the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Once in the Bristol Channel, we’ll need to be careful on the course. Sandbanks have caught Irene out before and resulted in an impromptu game of cricket for the crew, as we waited for the water to return! We’ll pass the little islands of Flatholm and Steepholm before we start to see a little more depth and a freer course.
Our first stop will probably be somewhere around the Clovelly area, south of Lundy before resuming our course west again. If time and tide allow, we may squeeze into Padstow for a quick fish supper. Rick Stein seems to own most of the restaurants here but the food is excellent and the harbour very quaint, if a little on the small side!
All too soon, we’ll be underway again for the run around Lands End. This part of the coastline is littered with shipwrecks and one look at the coast will tell you why. Tides run hard, the seabed is strewn with hidden rocks and there are very few places of shelter. All in a day’s work for the Irene team, though! Once round the Longships, it’s a course change to port as we line up Gwennap Head and then round to start the run into Newlyn.
This will be a fascinating trip with plenty of contrasts. Narrow gorges, the tides of the muddy Severn and the stark coastline of North Cornwall. What a great experience!
About our Cabin Choices
We have two different types of cabin on board Irene. These are the Standard Cabins and the State Room.
Standard Cabins
Standard cabins have three berths in each. One double berth and one single. The single is situated above the double. Despite the three berths, we only ever sell two places in each. This allows us to host a couple sharing the double berth or two single guests in the double and single respectively.
Please be aware that solo guests may be asked to share the cabin with another solo guest. We never mix sexes for solo travellers sharing a cabin unless we have cleared it with both parties first.
When you choose your cabin on the booking form, occasionally you might see options for ‘Standard Cabin – Female Occupant’ or Standard Cabin – Male Occupant’. This is due to us having berths booked in every cabin. The option for ‘Standard Cabin – Female Occupant’ would indicate that we have a single berth in a cabin which is sharing with another solo female guest. Hence we can only take another solo female guest.
State Room
Our state room spans the entire width of the ship at the aft end. It is an impressive cabin with substantially more space, it’s own dining table and separate heads and shower room. This cabin only has a double berth and hence is not suitable for two solo guests. We always book this cabin for two people. There is no need to specify a quantity of two on the booking form (indeed the form will not allow this!). We assume that a single booking for the State Room will be for two people and price it accordingly.
