Cawsands or the Yealm Friday night?

[FairweatherDave]

Leaving Plymouth (Cargreen) tomorrow but not very far, either the Yealm or Cawsands. Saturday has a forecast F4-5 SW so leaving to go east around 11am on the Saturday morning. Yealm I really fancy but would Cawsands be less rolly with this forecast? Feasibly might stay put on the Saturday in the Yealm with the forecast. Appreciate the Yealm approach needs care and is quite a narrow place.

 

[Moonbeam]

Cawsands is almost always rolly... great place for lunch, but not so good for overnight in my opinion... lots of fast and/or large traffic leaving and entering the sound kick up a wake and swell seems to curl round Penlee Point, no matter the forecast..

When you say Yealm I assume you mean tucked up the river and not anchored in Cellar Bay? If so, the Yealm will be more tranquil, but might be tasty around the bar/Wembury bay on departure for Saturday given the forecast. Those that berth in Yealm will have better advice on this as we only go there in settled or offshore weather when we anchor in Cellar Bay... but mobile reception there is poor to non existent and might stop you getting an up to date forecast.

If it were me, I'd anchor close in behind Drakes Island for Friday night (a bit less rolly than Cawsands), see what Saturday brings and then you can always retreat to the safe havens of the Lynher or Tamar, or even a marina, if forecast looks unpleasant.

 

[FOP]

my recent experience in a 40 knot southerly was that it wasn’t at all rolly on either of the Yealm pontoons . However yachts moored nearer the entrance were veering around a bit .
As for Cawsand bay in wind from the SW ….if you sound into the SW corner of the bay as far as is prudent ( keeping clear of the fisherman’s keep boxes which are obvious and buoyed) . It’s neaps this w/e so there won’t be much current so you are more likely to ride head to wind.

 

[[2574]]

Cawsand, without a doubt. Good anchorage and well sheltered in SW breeze. Wembury Bay is always horrid in SW, avoid.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Thanks for the replies. My preference was for the Yealm until I saw the SW forecast, particularly for the Saturday morning departure. Really appreciate the local knowledge. We might just go to Dandy hole. Absolutely beautiful yesterday.

 

[B27]

If tomorrow's forecast South Westerly is anything like today's forecast South Westerly, it could have quite a bit of East in it!.

We have had a lot of forecasts 90 degrees wrong this month and last.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Hmm. I’ve anchored in Cawsand many times and never found it particularly rolly. Tuck yourself well in as described above.

Up inside the Yealm will be very sheltered but you’ll have to take a buoy or lie on the visitors. pontoon. I can’t recall anywhere that anchoring is permitted once you’ve passed misery point. Cellar Bay is fine in most conditions but a strong S’Westerly would see me looking elsewhere as it would be too exposed.

You don’t need to go as far as Dandy Hole to find shelter as you go up the Tamar. Barn Pool is reasonably sheltered and overnight the wash from passing traffic eases considerably. I’ve anchored overnight off West Mud before now.

 

[serendipity66]

Once spent 2 nights anchored in Cawsand Bay. 2nd night was blowing hard and bouncing around, no fun.
In those conditions I would opt for the Yealm, either on a mooring or visitor's Pontoon.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

We bounced and rolled off cawsands the other day, no direct wind but the seas surged in. We had sent previous night on yealm pontoon, but did not think cellar bay would be good if things shifted

Wembury bay rolls but its soon passed and quiet the moment we came past the bar

 

[Moonbeam]

Hmm. I’ve anchored in Cawsand many times and never found it particularly rolly

John, you are a proper rufty tuffty blue water ocean sailor, and as such, probably have a far greater tolerance for a rolly night at anchor. Unless I don't have a choice, I'm definitely the fair-weather variety, and guessing the OP is too given his name?

Cawsands is great for a stop off on passage, shelter etc and a good starting point to leave Plymouth early as well. But it's not to my liking for a good nights sleep before a passage, so we usually anchored in the Lynher and accepted the extra time it took to trundle down to the sea if making a passage.

Did the OP go to Dandy Hole today? Given the forecast for tomorrow does not look inviting, it would be a good place to be. Dandy will be totally serene and a good nights kip is almost guaranteed.

 

[john_morris_uk]

John, you are a proper rufty tuffty blue water ocean sailor, and as such, probably have a far greater tolerance for a rolly night at anchor. Unless I don't have a choice, I'm definitely the fair-weather variety, and guessing the OP is too given his name?

Cawsands is great for a stop off on passage, shelter etc and a good starting point to leave Plymouth early as well. But it's not to my liking for a good nights sleep before a passage, so we usually anchored in the Lynher and accepted the extra time it took to trundle down to the sea if making a passage.

Did the OP go to Dandy Hole today? Given the forecast for tomorrow does not look inviting, it would be a good place to be. Dandy will be totally serene and a good nights kip is almost guaranteed.

I’m much more fair weather than you might imagine - at least in my perception of sailing. In fact I’m all in favour of completely flat anchorages. When I say we’ve anchored in Cawsand and never found it very rolly I meant it. Perhaps we’ve been lucky.

 

[Moonbeam]

Perhaps we’ve been lucky.

And indeed, we have perhaps been unlucky. Never been unhappy with Cawsand for a lunchstop.

We will have to give it another go overnight next time we need to catch the early morning tide... but first, we need to find our next boat, the lack of which is driving us nuts! Meanwhile, I'm relegated to armchair sailor!

 

[[2574]]

I’m much more fair weather than you might imagine - at least in my perception of sailing. In fact I’m all in favour of completely flat anchorages. When I say we’ve anchored in Cawsand and never found it very rolly I meant it. Perhaps we’ve been lucky.

We’ve been lucky too then! We’ve on numerous occasions come around Penlee Point with 25kts of SWly up the chuff having just “enjoyed” rough water off Rame Head, to find Cawsand flat calm and serene with folk enjoying a sunny summer afternoon and looking surprisingly at us in full wet weather gear and appearing somewhat relieved to have arrived at Cawsand! I’ve always found Cawsand a fine anchorage in SWly weather. I remember particularly we spent New Year’s Eve there on our own, it was fabulous.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Currently swinging around our anchor just a few metres south of the Anchor stone on the Dart. Hope we stay put . Breezy wet Sunday night. We opted for the Yealm for Friday night on a bouy and then liked the place so much stayed another, avoiding some stimulating sailing in favour of a beautiful headland walk. Had a great sail to the Dart but looks like we're staying put at least for the morning. Thanks for all the local input, it was really helpful. Wish we had more time to visit all these places.