Affordable membership sailing with SailTime Cardiff
Affordable Sailing with SailTime Cardiff
Enjoy a well specified, fully maintained yacht without any of the hassle of ownership or charter - at a fraction of the cost and at a fixed monthly price.
If you are a novice, we can help you achieve the required competence and qualifications to skipper with family and friends.
How It Works
As a SailTime Member, you are guaranteed a minimum of 6 weeks sailing each year on ‘Merlin Falcon’, a 32 foot Beneteau Oceanis.
You make your reservations on-line then turn up and sail. You can book up to 12 months in advance, re-arrange your bookings with no penalties and have unlimited free bookings within 24 hours.
Each yacht is shared by a maximum of eight members, who are all guaranteed exclusive use during their reservation.
Where We’re Based
SailTime Cardiff is based at Penarth Quays Marinawithin the sheltered waters of Cardiff Bay. Browse the Places to Go tab above for an idea of what the Bristol Channel has to offer.
What It Costs
Monthly membership on ‘Merlin Falcon’ is £499 and is inclusive of all costs such as marina fees, insurance, maintenance, and even the fuel you will use.
Contact us to discuss membership or to arrange a meeting aboard Merlin Falcon.
Base Info & Events
Upcoming Public Events
Weekend Open Days – Saturday 28th / Sunday 29th November
Join us on our next Open Day. Explore Merlin Falcon and discover what Cardiff Bay and the Bristol Channel has to offer on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th November. Please email us or phone with your estimated time of arrival to make an appointment.
Building Skills & Experience
If you become a member at SailTime Cardiff, you can enjoy own boat training, skipper your own yacht, and build your experience for a lot less than you might imagine.
Required Experience
To become a Sailtime member we require you to have reached the RYA Day Skipper Tidal qualification, or can demonstrate a competence at or above this level. We strongly believe that this standard is the minimum that will enable you to feel confident in handling your yacht and to enjoy your sailing with family and friends.
Initial Membership Induction
All new members, of whatever standard, also benefit from a two-day induction programme to ensure that they are familiar with their boat and the local waters before heading off on their own.
Novices Welcome
If you are a complete novice, or if you do not already have the Day Skipper qualification or equivalent experience, we can help you achieve Day Skipper on your SailTime boat.
We arrange for RYA approved instructors to provide individual sail training aboard your yacht to suit your schedule, allowing you rapidly to gain confidence and experience. We can also train your family and friends to Day Skipper or Competent Crew at the same time, all at no extra cost.
Continuing Skills Development
SailTime Cardiff members benefit from a schedule of events designed to extend their sailing experiences. These range from regular master classes, extended passage making and cruising with other members to compare notes and develop best practices. Browse the Events tab above to learn more.
Places to Go, Things to See
Penarth and Cardiff Bay
Situated on the South Wales coast in the beautiful Vale of Glamorgan, Penarth has been a magnet for holiday makers and day visitors for more than a century.
Its Victorian and Edwardian founders created a resort of great elegance and beauty and their legacy is an attractive bustling town of charm and character. With its superb parks, beautiful seafront gardens and graceful esplanade, Penarth is justifiably known as the garden by the sea.
The town centre retains an air of Victorian style with elegant buildings bordered by tree-lined roads. Some of the finest examples of Victorian Architecture can be seen in Penarth's churches, public and commercial buildings and in the ornate houses, once the home of the ship-owners, coal magnates and master mariners.
The sweeping esplanade is the perfect place for a gentle stroll or to sit and breathe the fresh, salty air. The many vantage points provide panoramic views across the Bristol Channel to the island of Flat Holm and Steep Holm. Penarth's famous 658 foot pier has been restored and is a regular port of call during summer months for the cruise ships Balmoral and the Waverley - the last seagoing paddle steamer in the world.
From the esplanade, an attractive coastal park leads out to Lavernock Point, an important site in the history of communication. It was from here in 1897 that Marconi sent the first Radio transmission over the water to the island of Flat Holm.
On Penarth's doorstep is Cardiff Bay, Europe's most exciting waterfront regeneration scheme. The Cardiff Bay Barrage, which has cost in excess of £220 million has created an inland lake as the focal point of for waterside development. It also provides a pedestrian link and cycle link from Penarth to Cardiff with more than a million visitors a year expected to make the crossing.
Day Sails
Portishead Quays - 18 miles. Providing an excellent tidal link between the inland waterways and Penarth, Portishead has opened opportunities for easier cruising in the area. With the town centre a short 10 minute walk from the Marina, shops, pubs and restaurants are not far away. Access through the lock is available on average HW+-4 hours. And the friendly Marina staff will welcome you in the lock and direct you to your berth. Portishead Quays Marina and the Parish Wharf Leisure Centre have teamed up to provide free Leisure club facilities to all visitors on the Marina. Check the Portishead Quays handbook for details.
Bristol - 25 miles. Bristol’s Historic Harbour is situated 7 miles upstream of the mouth of the river Avon. It is a locked Harbour in the heart of the City which gives easy access to a wide selection of shops, bars and restaurants. Visitor’s berths are available in various parts of the harbour and it is essential to contact the harbour office to arrange a berth. Vessels are able to lock in to the city docks from 2.5 hours before HW to 15 mins before HW. Bristol is 25 nautical miles from Penarth and makes an interesting weekend destination. It has become extremely popular with Penarth yachtsmen especially during the weekend of the Bristol Harbour Summer Regatta.
Watchet - 17 miles. Watchet Harbour Marina provides 100 Marina berths behind a newly constructed breakwater accessed via a tidal flap gate. All the usual facilities are in place and the marina is a popular destination with yachts from Penarth. The Marina can be accessed 2.5 hours either side of high water and being only 17 miles from Penarth its popularity as a weekend destination looks set to rise.
Longer Passages
Ilfracombe - 40 miles. Huddled behind Compass and Lantern Hills Ilfracombe’s attractive harbour probably offers the best shelter on the Southern side of the Bristol Channel. The Inner harbour can be accessed for 2-3 hours either side of HW but the outer harbour is normally accessible except at LW Springs. At LW the Harbour dries and is therefore suitable for bilge keelers and other vessels able to take the ground. Fin keelers may be able to lye against the Harbour wall or anchor outside the Harbour in the area known as the ‘Range’. Ilfracombe has a good selection of shops and is busy during the holiday season. Facilities in the town include a chandlers, marine engineers and a bar and showers are available at the yacht club.
Swansea - 46 miles. Wales’s second City provides the location for another major boating venue. Swansea has its own Marina which provides all the usual facilities. The city centre with its shops, restaurants and nightlife is just a short walk away. Swansea also provides the gateway to the beautiful Gower coast which boasts some magnificent scenery and sandy beaches. Access to Swansea is via the Tawe Barrage which operates from 0700 hours each morning.
Lundy Island - 60 miles. Located off the North Devon Coast, Lundy is the largest island in the Bristol Channel and is a must for anyone cruising in the Channel. The main anchorage is located in the bay at the South East of the Island and provides good shelter in winds from the West and South West. Lundy itself is a fascinating place and well worth a trip ashore and the climb up the hill to explore the island and sample the delights of the Marisco Tavern.
Passages From Other Ports
SailTime Plus gives you the ability to reserve boats at any of SailTime's bases worldwide as long as there is a spare membership available on that boat for a small charge.
