Sailing & Exploring the Hebrides and Ireland

YOUR SAILING AREA

The Hebrides to Ireland

From Oban, we will sail south across the ‘Corryvreckan’, famous for strong currents and eddies (the writer George Orwell wrote 1984 here), but fortunately also with beautiful scenery and many islets.

We will probably spend the night in Crinan, provided we can get through the sea lock, and otherwise we will anchor there. At Crinan’s quiet little port, we can take a lovely walk along the canal and back through the forest.

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Depending on the wind, we will also anchor off the island of Jura and the little port of Port Ellen on the island of Islay. We will then cross the ‘North Channel’ between Scotland and Northern Ireland (Ulster). The exact harbour depends on the wind and tide, but we will probably sail to the atmospheric little port of Portrush with nice pubs and, of course, Irish ‘live music’.

We sail on along the beautiful Northern Irish coast ( a backdrop in the series “Game of Thrones” for good reason) to the small Rhatlin island, where we can also enjoy a nice walk to the lighthouse. The Scottish king Robert the Bruce was hiding on Rhatlin island in 1307 when he had to flee Scotland from the English King Edward I “Longshanks”.

Glenarm with a nice forest walk along a stream and Carrickfergus are also on the programme. Carrickfergus has a scenic castle, where Dutch stadholder William III (known in Northern Ireland as king Billy) landed in 1690 to successfully overthrow the English Catholic king by the Glorious Revolution.

The last stretch to Belfast port is short, we dock near the city centre, which is where Titanic was built. We are therefore berthed next to the Titanic museum, nice for the fans. In the afternoon we can then take a ‘black cab’ tour along the many ‘Murals’ (political wall paintings) about the still dormant ‘Troubles’ between the Catholics and Protestant unionists, a very impressive tour to get to know the city. Afterwards we go out for dinner at one of the tastiest pizzerias in the world and then, of course, we walk into Belfast’s vibrant nightlife, where there are always cosy pubs with live music.

All voyages for Cherokee

Cherokee

Guest berths: 8 Rig: Cutter

In 2008, Jouke Lemmer purchased Cherokee after spending years sailing with his father’s ship amongst others. Cherokee was built in 2000 by award-winning boat builders J & J Design and a year after buying her, Jouke refitted Cherokee radically, transforming her into a truly comfortable charter vessel, giving her a cutter rig and space for a generator so as to offer his passengers power and hot showers!

She is a fast, 16m vessel with a stunning teak deck and spacious cockpit, and she operates with two crew members (her skipper and the bosun/chef). Cherokee is exceptionally good at what she was built to do – pure sailing. Read more about what to expect with life onboard here.

Jouke sails his ship all over the northern hemisphere, leaving Cherokee’s home port of Rotterdam in May and sailing anywhere from the Hebrides and the Channel Islands, the Faroe Islands and Ireland or even down to the North coast of Spain before making the journey back to Holland in October. Join him and his wonderful ship for the adventure of a lifetime – think exhilarating sailing, bucket list destinations and top-notch hospitality.

Deck plan

LIFE ON BOARD

Perfect for the adventure traveller, Cherokee is a custom-fit charter vessel, designed to ensure her guests enjoy comfortable but exhilarating sailing.

Getting involved

Sailing with Cherokee certainly ticks the adventure travel boxes with a continuous A to B sailing schedule throughout the season. Skipper Jouke believes this is the best way to experience as many destinations off the beaten track as possible and loves to share his sense of adventure with guests.

Guests are actively encouraged to get involved with all aspects of sailing under the relaxed guidance of Jouke. Take the helm, help with the winching of the sails, anchoring and basic chart navigation. Skipper Jouke was born at sea, the son of a Baltic Sea Captain and a naval architect when he’s back on land – you could not be in safer hands!

Sleeping & relaxation

With four private guest cabins, comfortable bunks and two bathrooms at either end of the boat, Cherokee can easily cater for solo travellers, adventurous couples or groups of friends or family. A hot water boiler runs off the cooling water of the generator, so there is plenty of hot water for washing and showering!

Below decks, she offers a comfy and spacious saloon perfect for eating, playing cards or simply reading a book. You’ll find beautiful panelled mahogany interiors, giving the ship that classic feel. A well-equipped galley opposite the saloon provides a perfect social space, ready to bring you delicious food after an exhilarating day of sailing. Eat under the stars if the weather allows in the spacious cockpit, offering comfortable couches and a good-sized table.

Authentic Offshore sailing

The boat is owned and sailed by experienced skipper Jouke and there is a ‘bosun’ who also does the cooking. The bosun will be preparing dinner as you arrive and after breakfast on your first morning aboard Cherokee, you can be guaranteed a relaxed start to your sailing holiday.

Jouke and his crew try to use the engine as little as possible, sailing into port as much as they can. Cherokee only clocks up about 180 motoring hours every year, which is pretty impressive. Due to this, as with most of our vessels, the days of your holiday are subject to the weather, using the tide as your clock. Guests aren’t presented with a tight schedule or itinerary for this reason, and it makes the trip much more adventurous and flexible.

What’s included

• All inclusive (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Soft/hot drinks)
• Marina and fuel fees
• All tender trips to and fro the boat
• Lifejacket
• All bedding (pillow, sheets & duvet) and wash towel
• Full crew plus tuition

What’s not included

• Alcohol
• Offshore sailing suits are available for hire (please let us know if you need more information when booking)
• Any flights
• Transit hotels
• Travel to and from the boat on the day of joining/leaving
• Travel insurance
• Sailing Insurance (Please read our Sailing Insurance page for more information)
• Crew tips
• Personal expenses

Travel insurance notes

As this is an active adventure holiday, we advise that everyone has the appropriate personal accident travel insurance whilst onboard in addition to standard travel insurance which would cover you in the time between making your booking and departing for your adventure. These policies can sometimes be combined so please check with your travel insurance provider.

Please read more information on our Insurance guidelines page.

This voyage will be more than 12miles offshore.

FAQ

• Are all meals included?

  Yes, all meals on board are included in the price. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and soft/hot drinks) Alcohol is not included.

• Can you cater for dietary needs?

  Yes, please let us know when making your booking.

• Do I need to tip the crew?

  Tips are not mandatory but are welcomed by the crew!

• What language is spoken on board?

  Dutch and English.

• What are the sleeping arrangements?

  Cherokee has two twin berth cabins and two double berth cabins for guests.

• How many toilet/showers does she have?

  Cherokee has two toilet/shower rooms.

• Are bedding & towels provided?

  Yes

• Is there an age limit?

  No!

• Do I need sailing experience?

  Not at all.

• Is there WIFI?

  No, but you should easily be able to reach 3G/4G from the shore.

• Can I charge my phone/Camera?

  Yes charging facilities are available when the generator is running.

• Are there life jackets provided?

  Yes

• Are Waterproofs provided?

  You can hire Sailing suits for £35 for the week.

• Will I be sea sick?

  Everyone reacts differently but we recommend if you are at all worried to take some medication 24 hours before departure.

Travel Planning

From: Oban, Hebrides

To: Belfast, Ireland

To see where the ports are, along with your likely sailing area, please view the sail area & highlights.

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Oban

BY RAIL:

You can travel by rail to/from Glasgow Central or Glasgow Queen Street, depending on where you’re coming from in the country. You can also travel overnight on the Caledonian Sleeper from London Euston to Glasgow.
Then from Glasgow Queen Street Station trains run 6 times a day to Oban. Oban Station is just a 5-10 minute walk to North Pier.

BY COACH:

You can travel by coach to Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station from the rest of the UK with National Express and megabus.

BY AIR:

Glasgow and Edinburgh Airport both require taking a train from Oban which takes approximately 2-3hours.

Direct flights go to Glasgow Airport (GLA) from London Heathrow with British Airways.

Belfast

BY AIR:

Flights go direct to London Heathrow (LHR), London Luton (LTN), London Stansted (STN), London Gatwick (LGW), Birmingham (BHX), Edinburgh (EDI), Glasgow (GLA), Manchester (MAN), Liverpool (LPL), Aberdeen (ABZ), Bristol (BRS), Cardiff (CWL), Castletown (IOM), Inverness (INV), Leeds (LBA), Newcastle (NCL), Newquay (NQY), Nottingham (EMA), Southampton (SOU) with Eastern Airways, Aer Lingus, British Airways, Ryanair, easyJet or Loganair from Belfast Airport (BFS).

Belfast Airport (BFS) is about a 1 hour 30 minute bus ride from Belfast Harbour, on a combination of the G2 and 300 bus route which each run every 30 minutes and are operated by Translink UK. Alternatively a taxi is only about 30 minutes.