anchorages south devon , and cornwall

Birdseye

Birdseye

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my usual haunts are from the bristol channel down the north devon and cornwall coasts round the end and on to falmouth. Its usually been a one stop trip but I am wondering about single handing and stopping en route. So I thought it would be useful to see if we could compile a list of passage anchorages along these coasts with some detail of protected wind directions.

anyone with local knowledge?
 
In Ireland we have a wonderful site called "Inmyfootdteps" it covers every harbour, bay, inlet and hidie hole around the coast. Giving up to date wind direction, depths, distance to pub and other important info.
Is there nothing like that for UK?
Capt. RoN.
 
now you mention it I think there was an English site with similar coverage but I cannot remember its name.

remembered it now - it was "visitmyharbour.com" but it covers harbours not anchorages
 
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If you want to anchor anywhere between Falmouth and the Lizard I know a dozen. But if the filter is that it has to be a useful stop while on single-handed passage you need:

- to be able to enter on a single bearing, preferably going due N/S or more likely due E/W
- to be able to enter at night or poor vis, and anchor with safety using only the sounder (This rules out places where there are patches of uber-dense crab pots)
- in a place not too far off the direct passage
- easy to clear out from.

So for us going round the land in either direction we find Mousehole, Mullion, Church Cove and Porthallow to be the best of them. Radar helps but is by no means vital: my favourite blind method is radar + echo-sounder, not chart plotter.

Cadgwith is poor holding and rotten with crab pots so is really only for daylight and Coverack has too many temporary moorings (for the wind-surfing school I surmise, but a nuisance anyway) to be good after dark if under engine, and the ones inside the Manacles are too hard to clear out of in the middle of the night.

The best publication I know is Ken Endean's 'Channel Havens' which lists quite a few but really all that's needed is a chart, echo sounder and clear water and you can nose them out. Two I particularly like which he doesn't mention are: just S of Chynhall's Point, and the other is inside the Manacles near the old CG look-out. I never did find a good anchorage near Runnel Stone because of all the submarine cables, although it would be useful in a Northerly to wait the the tide. Hopefully someone will tell us of one!
 
There are oodles of places to anchor in south Devon, a chart and Channel Pilot book by the white haired chappy, forget his name, should be all you need.
 
birdseye said:
my usual haunts are from the bristol channel down the north devon and cornwall coasts round the end and on to falmouth. Its usually been a one stop trip but I am wondering about single handing and stopping en route. So I thought it would be useful to see if we could compile a list of passage anchorages along these coasts with some detail of protected wind directions.

anyone with local knowledge?
Click to expand...

cawsand bay then it's a long hop to the yealm. nothing at all in between.:)
 
There's a smashing anchorage at Padstow with Lovelly sandy bottom. Did it in a 2.3m keel at low water happily and Padstow has incredibly well marked pots with little day glow flags. As a Cornishman I consider everything from there to the end as surfing territory but I'm sure there are other anchorages.
 
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