Corf Scout Camp

Overnight Cruises – Background

Corf camp Site is popular at Seafarers SC as a destination for overnight cruises. This is not a cruise where you sail overnight; it is one where you stay away overnight.

The first recorded Seafarers’ overnight cruise was to Bembridge in 1977. Overnight cruises first appeared in the Club annual programme in 1999. On Saturday 17th July that year, 4 Wayfarers sailed to Bembridge. The 14 crew had a barbecue dinner followed by drinks at Bembridge Sailing Club before sleeping in their tents erected, with some difficulty, on the sand spit. On their way home on Sunday, the overnighters stopped at Woodside where they rendezvoused with 6 other dinghies and a RIB from the Club.

Exactly one year later, 4 Wayfarers and a Wanderer sailed to Newtown Creek and pulled up on the edge of Shalfleet Lake. The 13 crew put up their tents at Corf (Scout) campsite. The 6 cadets found lots of mud to amuse themselves. The adults enjoyed a walk to the New Inn and all enjoyed the glow worm display on the way back. The return journey on Sunday began with no wind and looked like a scene from “African Queen”; 5 dinghies being “walked” along the beach toward Gurnard. Eventually the wind appeared and the overnighters reached Hill Head at about 4pm.

There were trips to Newtown in 2001, Bembridge in 2002 and Newtown in 2003. In 2004 weather reduced the planned visit to Bembridge to a day trip. This ended with 3 Wayfarers paddling across the Solent from Woodside. An ad hoc overnight cruise to Newtown was fitted in a month later. Since 2005 many of those taking part have elected to go for two nights. There were two overnight cruises in 2006, both windy!

Since 1999 there have been a total 19 overnight cruises, 14 to Corf campsite, 2 to Bembridge, 1 to Island Harbour Marina in the Medina River (2011) and 2 to Lymington (2014 and 2015).

For 2016 the then new Cruise Secretary, Chad Kelly, planned a cruise to Corf campsite with the main party setting out on Friday 26th August and returning on Sunday 28th August. Chad organised a similar cruise in 2017 from 25th to 27th August.

In the 2018 Programme, the overnight cruise was scheduled for Friday 17th to Sunday 19th August 2018. Unfortunately this had to be cancelled because of strong winds. Despite this, Phill Borham (Cruise Secretary) and his father, Andy, went to camp site by car/ferry. Tim Wadham then arranged an extra-to-programme (Ad Hoc) cruise to Corf Scout Camp which took place on the weekend Friday 31st August to Sunday 2nd September.

In 2019, the overnight cruises was scheduled for Corf Scout camp from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th August 2019. Unfortunately this was cancelled because of strong winds.

Location of Corf Scout Camp

Corf Scout Camp is marked; it is midway between Cowes and Yarmouth. For general location , find ‘C‘ on Cruise Destination Map.

Lat/Long: 50°42′ 33.35″N, 1° 24′ 37.98″W (50.7093, -1.4106)

Google Maps: click here.

Reports of Cruises to Corf Scout Camp

You will find reports of cruises to Corf Camp/Newtown Creek within the Cruise Reports as follows:

2001 Overnight Cruise
2003 Overnight Cruise
2004 Overnight Cruise
2005 Overnight Cruise
2006 Overnight Cruise 1 and Overnight Cruise 2
2007 Overnight Cruise
2016 Overnight Cruise
2017 Overnight Cruise
2018 (Ad Hoc) Overnight Cruise
2021 Overnight Cruise
2022 Overnight Cruise
2023 Overnight Cruise
2024 Overnight Cruise
2025 Overnight Cruise
2026 Overnight Cruise

Photographs of Cruises to Corf Scout Camp

You will find albums of photographs of cruises to Corf Scout Camp within the Gallery Archive for 14 August 2004, 19 August 2005, 12 August 2006, 26 August 2006, 10 August 2007, 7 August 2010, 3 August 2012, 26 August 2016, 25 August 2017, 31 August 2018, 20 August 2021, 12 August 2022, 18 August 2023, 16 August 2024, 8 August 2025, and 14 August 2026.

Useful Links

Corf Scout Campsite

The New Inn at Shalfleet

Navigation Notes (from Archive – to be updated)

Distance – 10 nm “as the crow flies”.

Corf Scout Camp is situated at the top of the very popular Newtown Creek. The entrance to the creek is narrow and shallow. The passage will take you across the deep water channels and then past Cowes towards the Needles. Watch for ships in all the channels including the Needles channel which is used by smaller ships.

There is a cardinal buoy just to the east of the entrance. It is very shallow along the shore here so do not get too close in. Leave the cardinal buoy marking the entrance channel to port. There are two leading marks which you can line up to put you on the correct course through the deeper water. The forward Mark consists of a post with a red V top Mark, and the rear post which is higher and mounted on dry land has a white circle. Keep these two roughly in line and approach. Bear in mind that the forward post with the V is not in deep water and does dry on some tides. The leading marks will steer you to the start of the marked channel. Some marks are buoys but most are piles.

The creek has several arms and the first one, which goes off to port is just inside the entrance. Keep to the starboard channel past this and the next channel off to port. You should see Shalfleet Quay ahead and the channel to the camp site is to the left/port of the quay.

The cruise master will have briefed you about where to land.

.. Beached beneath the oak on Shalfleet Lake.