Brixham or Torquay?

LadyInBed said:
Bet you weren't using the inner passage ;)
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Actually I was...

I won't bore you with the whole story, but self and non-sailor girlfriend set off from Dartmouth heading East on a perfect forecast.

I committed us north in Lyme Bay so the tide wouldn't sweep us into the Race - I'd had a sample of that on a previous trip, our first season with a cruiser.

Then it blew up to a serious SW F6+; I thought about punching back for Lyme Regis but reckoned fatigue would be too much - one of the few things I think I got right that day.

As we approached the Bill there was a line of big white water on the horizon, the most frightening few hours I have ever experienced; I had already quietly pocketed a miniflare pack, and wasn't particularly cheered up when I saw some Coastguard bods watching onshore.

We burst through the big overfalls, slalom style - the Anderson's tremendous rudder authority even in surf saved us.

After a few hectic minutes we were through.

Huge mistake on my part to aim for the inshore passage from the west, it's too far and if conditions change one is too committed.
 
Agree with others, for visiting, Dartmouth is prob the nicest and only another 8 miles on if coming from the East. Plenty of visitors buoys and Pontoons on the Dart and if you want walk ashore, there is the town pontoon overnight (commercial only in the day) or Darthaven at Kingswear opposite. Dart Marina on the Dartmouth side do take visitors but its pricey and very tight. Brixham is nice (MDL of course) but can get lumpy in an easterly. Torquay is OK. Plenty to do, bit lively at night, but not a mob ruled ghetto as some would have you believe. The town dock pontoons are the cheapest and some do have shore power on the Marina side. Better facilities on the MDL side (where we are). Diesel at Dartmouth and Brixham. Petrol at Torquay.
 
It's always seemed a lot further than 8 miles in reality between Brixham and Dartmouth when I've tried it, and as Lyme Bay is theoretically the same as a Channel crossing ( must say it never seems as long ) I've decided to keep it as short as possible, jumping off from Brixham; however I do usually go outside the Race now so slant off to Studland or Poole, this seems a lot better than hooking around the Race and into Weymouth / Portland.

Re Torquay nightlife, I've visited by sea and by road, once ending up sleeping in a Spitfire Mk III ( car ) - as long as you watch Mad Max 1 & 2 as tourist information videos you should be fine...:)
 
Seajet said:
It's always seemed a lot further than 8 miles in reality between Brixham and Dartmouth when I've tried it, and as Lyme Bay is theoretically the same as a Channel crossing ( must say it never seems as long ) I've decided to keep it as short as possible, jumping off from Brixham; however I do usually go outside the Race now so slant off to Studland or Poole, this seems a lot better than hooking around the Race and into Weymouth / Portland.

Re Torquay nightlife, I've visited by sea and by road, once ending up sleeping in a Spitfire Mk III ( car ) - as long as you watch Mad Max 1 & 2 as tourist information videos you should be fine...:)
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The difference in distance from Portland Bill is minimal, much less than the distance from Brixham or Berry Head to Dartmouth inshore would suggest. The tide is a big factor coming from across the bay too because if you make your landfall off Berry Head rather than Dartmouth entrance proper you will most likely be flogging into a stronger foul tide as you approach. We always did Poole to Dartmouth (or the reverse) as a direct trip passing outside the Race, usually 4mls off in good weather and much more in bad. Diverting into Weymouth is time consuming unless you really want to go there which we preferred to do as a separate jolly another time and usually anchoring in Portland off Castle Cove when we did. I once had to drop the spinnaker in the white water off the Bill and lost a lot of nookie points in so doing.... ( the autopilot was objecting to the rough stuff and SWMBO had to hand steer whilst I went up front to do the drop) My first trip round the Bill was in a bilge keeled Trident 24 at night going west into a west wind blowing around F5 but with 4 or5 kts of tide pushing us too, making it very lumpy and pushing the apparent wind well into F6. THe hoisted radar reflector crashed to the deck after one wave AIRC, lost forever. That was my first and slowest trip ever across the Bay and my friend, who had volunteered to crew for night sailing experience never did so again.
 
In our case we were so badly shaken around in the overfalls that the kicking strap became dislodged, my then fiancee was no sailor but she could see the boom skying and without a word from me - I would never have asked her - she was on deck and sorted it.

She and I have long since split, but we have met a few times since and " Do you remember Portland Bill ?! " is always the first thing one of us mentions !
 
Ripster said:
Agree with others, for visiting, Dartmouth is prob the nicest and only another 8 miles on if coming from the East. Plenty of visitors buoys and Pontoons on the Dart and if you want walk ashore, there is the town pontoon overnight (commercial only in the day) or Darthaven at Kingswear opposite. Dart Marina on the Dartmouth side do take visitors but its pricey and very tight. Brixham is nice (MDL of course) but can get lumpy in an easterly. Torquay is OK. Plenty to do, bit lively at night, but not a mob ruled ghetto as some would have you believe. The town dock pontoons are the cheapest and some do have shore power on the Marina side. Better facilities on the MDL side (where we are). Diesel at Dartmouth and Brixham. Petrol at Torquay.
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Town pontoon on the inside is 24 hour leisure use, and much better now the piles have been encapsulated. Outside can also be used between 17-00 and 08-45.
 
I spent a while in both Brixham and Torquay last summer. Have to say I marginally prefer Torquay to Brixham, but the facilities at both marinas are OK. Didn't get attacked in either town, despite being out late at night!
 
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