Sharing their onboard experiences and top tips
We've partnered up with experienced mariner Steve and new-to-sailing Inga who are exploring the coast on their Dolphin 31, Jasper. While travelling, Inga and Steve are sharing their experiences and providing top tips for fellow boaters.
Their fourth blog is all about life onboard and the tips for finding the travel/work balance.
The Goals
The main aim of our extended sailing adventure is to gain sailing experience, get a decent amount of miles under our belts, and spend as much time as possible outdoors exploring new places and cultures. With this in mind we also had to consider the balance between sailing adventure and remote work we both have to do.
Travel work balance
In order to fit work in the boat life, we created a lifestyle strategy that gave us an opportunity to maintain work-travel balance, which worked incredibly well throughout our cruising adventure in the UK.
We felt lucky that British summer does have a tendency to switch from lovely sunny weather, to a horrendous pouring rain within a day. Steve and I used changeable weather conditions to our advantage, and while it was very windy and raining we used to spend days at Lymington Yacht Haven, and the sunny days visiting beautiful ports, anchorages and harbours in the Solent.
"I love that they all remember customer names, just makes you feel special and appreciated."
Is there Wi-Fi?
For us, online geeks who work in digital marketing and content creation, a fast internet was the priority whenever we stayed at the marinas in order to be effective at our jobs.
Lymington Yacht Haven offers incredibly fast fibre internet for free to their customers and visitors. The broadband speed was suitable for writing blogs online, updating Jasper Sailing Adventure website and keeping up with social media content while outside was raining or too windy to have a pleasurable sailing experience. We have spent so much time at Lymington Yacht Haven marina as our work base, that we called it “Jasper Office Haven”.
Facilities and boat jobs
Also sometimes poor weather provides a good opportunity to get into a marina and do some of those chores that we have been putting off because they require lots of water and power. It was very useful to have Nick Cox Yacht Chandlery next door in case we needed Gas or any parts for the boat, as well as help from the marina staff.
Of course we have to mention the Haven Bar & Restaurant, just make sure you book this very popular eatery. Great for having a break between boat jobs and treating ourselves with a high quality dinner and service.
They say it's a 5 star marina, and they are right!
Lymington Yacht Haven marina and it’s facilities are rated 5 star on TripAdvisor and no doubt they have earned them by offering luxury showers and toilet facilities, laundry rooms but also professional and marina staff customer service. I love that they all remember customer names, just makes you feel special and appreciated.
Marina staff were very flexible and friendly in booking our stay sometimes only a day in advance, and they would always find us a space for our 31ft Jasper. As we carried on using this marina as our base throughout the summer, I think that Haven team knew about our arrival a day before the storm and rain, they also knew that we are about to leave just before another heatwave.
Discovering Lymington town
Lymington has a wide range of exciting things to see and do. The town is vibrant, has many cozy cafes and fancy restaurants, boutique and charity shops that are always buzzing with happy sailors and tourists. I loved the Saturday market that offered fresh and local produce, hence we used to spend most of the weekends in Lymington.
We also enjoyed Goodalls Farm where we used to go and pick our own fresh strawberries and share them with fellow sailors while having Mermaid G&T in the evenings.
Thanks for reading!
If you would like to hear more about our sailing adventures, follow Jasper Sailing Adventures and give us a like. Find us on Facebook and Instagram, or check out our little website jaspersailingadventures.com.
Alternatively, keep an eye on the Yacht Havens news page for our next instalment!
- Steve & Inga, Jasper Sailing Adventures
