Welcome

 How would you like to sail around Britain?  Welcome aboard the VW.   VW! you say, what's VW? 

Virtual Watanga is a Gemini 105Mc catamaran.  She's 10.5metres long 4.25 metres in the beam and has a draft of 0.5 /1.5 metres. Unlike the real one, she has an infinite number of berths, and can carry as many crew and passengers as you can imagine.  

On board ship there is only one Skipper and that will be me. 

The real Watanga has sailed over 12000 miles now, she generally makes about 6/7 knots average on a passage but has been sailed as fast as 12 knots. With retractable centreboards she will perform reasonably to windward.  Like all cats she doesn't run well, dead downwind.   She can motor in as little as 0.7 metres of water which makes exploring rivers a possibility.

Here's how this works

We will cast off on a preset date from Swanage and travel virtually around Britain taking in the sights along the way. Each day I will prepare a passage plan using the real time weather and real time tidal. I will be using an app called SavvyNavvy. This is a brilliant piece of software and plans routes, (tacking and all) taking into account real time tides and wind information for that day, and if there a real gale blowing we will accept that and find  things to do where we are.  We can take virtual trips to sightsee at the various places we stop, we can find the local eateries. See the local festivities, buy the local produce and eat on the boat. even talk to the locals?

For example: I have never been to Edinburgh even by car no matter by yacht.

There is, as far as I can see, only one Marina there, a little way from the town centre.  Have you been there? Are there more places to stop on a yacht? Can you recommend a place to visit?, a place to eat? Are the natives friendly? Whats the history of the place. Or should I give it a miss and passage from Eyemouth to Anstruther.

The virtual world is our oyster.  we've got google maps, trip advisor, Navionics charts, real charts, maps,  You can join in with comments