Chandlers in Cornwall

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fireball

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We're soon to be heading to Cornwall (by road), staying near Bodmin and whilst down that way I'd like to source some running rigging and replacement fittings for my Mirror dinghy and possibly find a suitable anchor & chain ...

Any reasonable local chandleries I could visit?
 
I would drive into Plymouth on the way and follow directions to Queen Anne's Battery Marina. You get a couple of hours free parking and there are some places to eat, a marine bookstore, good views of the Sound and Barbican, and a Force 4 outlet.
It is a short walk to marine bazaar who have a big selection of new and used stuff:
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/MARINE-BAZAAR-PLYMOUTH-SUPERSTORE
All your choices in Cornwall are going to be a bit more limited.
 
Thanks all :)

It's not imperitive that I get the stuff whilst in Cornwall ... just that I'll have a bit of time .. :)
 
doug748 said:
I would drive into Plymouth on the way and follow directions to Queen Anne's Battery Marina. You get a couple of hours free parking and there are some places to eat, a marine bookstore, good views of the Sound and Barbican, and a Force 4 outlet.
It is a short walk to marine bazaar who have a big selection of new and used stuff:
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/MARINE-BAZAAR-PLYMOUTH-SUPERSTORE
All your choices in Cornwall are going to be a bit more limited.
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+1
 
I take it the old style chandlers ( specialised in charts as I recall ) in Falmouth on a side lane leading to the water has gone then ?

Years since I've been lucky enough to visit there, I suppose it's either a millionaire's pad or a Starbucks now...
 
Seajet said:
I take it the old style chandlers ( specialised in charts as I recall ) in Falmouth on a side lane leading to the water has gone then ?

Years since I've been lucky enough to visit there, I suppose it's either a millionaire's pad or a Starbucks now...
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The bosuns locker has moved to the high street. Macsalvors in Penryn has a wider selection of goods though as its about three times the size.
 
Woodlouse said:
The bosuns locker has moved to the high street. Macsalvors in Penryn has a wider selection of goods though as its about three times the size.
Click to expand...

Macsalvors in Poole is bigger, and nearer to Bodmin.
They also have used MOD stuff which is often high quality. They started out when they came here to salvage the Warspite, but have drifted away from their traditional home in ex-MOD.

http://www.macsalvors.com/history_macsalvors.asp
 
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Woodlouse said:
The bosuns locker has moved to the high street. Macsalvors in Penryn has a wider selection of goods though as its about three times the size.
Click to expand...

Sad to hear she's left the waterside!
Many happy hours spent browsing there.
IMG_9413_zpsxecnksdl.jpg
 
fisherman said:
Macsalvors in Poole is bigger, and nearer to Bodmin.
They also have used MOD stuff which is often high quality. They started out when they came here to salvage the Warspite, but have drifted away from their traditional home in ex-MOD.

http://www.macsalvors.com/history_macsalvors.asp
Click to expand...

I can see a sort of merging here, which I'd never have dreamed of when starting sailing - on early trips we goofed around the ex-MOD stuff place in Weymouth - kit which might well be worth a great deal more now - and old style chandlers were like visiting the oracle in a deep dark cave, quite possibly something to do with wartime shelters.

Having the salvors and places like ' The Chandlery barge ' at Burseldon is I suppose a progression to be welcomed.

That place is based at Bursledon near Southampton so one might think serves Solent yotties, but is a boon for far & wide; like Seedhouses on the East Coast though, one really has to visit to find the bit you're after - so this should be combined into a day trip inc pub lunch etc by road - can't speak for Seedhouses but if I were visiting The Chandlery barge I'd think of dropping in at Wickham, an interesting one street village with pubs and places to eat.
 
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There is scrapyard in St Day which gets a lot of ex MOD stuff. I've seen crates of unused propellers, S/S shafts, and in the dim distant used to buy bronze fittings for scrap prices.
 
fisherman said:
Macsalvors in Poole is bigger, and nearer to Bodmin.
They also have used MOD stuff which is often high quality. They started out when they came here to salvage the Warspite, but have drifted away from their traditional home in ex-MOD.

http://www.macsalvors.com/history_macsalvors.asp
Click to expand...

As a regular Bodmin visitor this confused me. Pool Redruth not Poole nr Bournemouth. :)
 
Woodlouse said:
The bosuns locker has moved to the high street. .
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and sadly, IMHO, is much the worse for it. They now have the 'passing trade' of the general public and thus the majority of the shop i filled with clothing and knick-knacks that appeal to non-sailors more than sailors. The range and ease of access to the real meat and bones is much reduced. And you can't row to it any more, either!

PS Owner told me its only slightly bigger than old shop, but the landlord wouldn't renew the lease on that.
 
skyflyer said:
and sadly, IMHO, is much the worse for it.

PS Owner told me its only slightly bigger than old shop, but the landlord wouldn't renew the lease on that.
Click to expand...

Reluctantly agreed. It is now like every other chandlery aka clothes and tat shop. Owner also mentioned to me that the old place was so damp he couldn't keep any of his stock dry.
 
Robih said:
Reluctantly agreed. It is now like every other chandlery aka clothes and tat shop. Owner also mentioned to me that the old place was so damp he couldn't keep any of his stock dry.
Click to expand...

I usually visit Cornwall once a year or so, just to top up my ethnicity, and was gutted on my visit to the Bosun's Locker. On a previous visit they had 2 pairs of galvanised captive rowlocks on the shelf, but I doubt whether they were anywhere to be seen in the new shop
 
Certainly the first 50% of the Bosuns Locker facing the street is full of tourist tat, clothes and shiny things to get tourists through the door. The back half is more useful though and they have bailed me out several times with things that other chandleries just don't have. Their book section is probably one of the best locally.

For the OP, I second the idea of stopping at QAB in Plymouth on your way past. I have to go up there every time I need a big shop for the boat. Several decent chandleries, riggers etc. Also Hemisphere Rigging are really good and quoted me significantly less for a fairly large job than the local guys - Almost 20% less!
 
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