Cool anchorages in west devon/south cornwall

[TheBishop]

I am moving my boat ( Trader 50 )down to Plymouth and am looking for suitable anchorages for two small boys who like beaches and generally messing about. We are fully rigged up ( genset etc ) to not have to worry too much about marinas so are on the lookout for cool anchorages for the kids during the day that we can stay in overnight.

Any thoughts on a part of the world I am not too familiar with?

The Bishop

 

[longjohnsilver]

I am moving my boat ( Trader 50 )down to Plymouth and am looking for suitable anchorages for two small boys who like beaches and generally messing about. We are fully rigged up ( genset etc ) to not have to worry too much about marinas so are on the lookout for cool anchorages for the kids during the day that we can stay in overnight.

Any thoughts on a part of the world I am not too familiar with?

The Bishop

In offshore winds there's Burgh Island, the kids will love it there, great beaches, a sand causeway which covers at high water and a tall tractor which goes between the island and the mainland. And just a few miles towards Salcombe there's Hope Cove, again good beaches. And there's Salcombe itself, anchor or pick up a buoy. Some of the clearest water anywhere in the SW and beaches to die for.

No doubt others will chip in with other spots but it can be a bit tricky as most places rely on offshore winds. But you'll love it. Fabulous coastline.

 

[hlb]

Same as LJS says. But Salcolme will be OK in any weather if you go up the Bag. Theres Cawsands in the Sound, which is good in anything except East. Loads of places up the Tamar OK in any weather.

Other than in bad weather, there must be hundreds of superb anchorages within twenty miles of Plymouth. I like Looe.

 

[Nick_H]

I am moving my boat ( Trader 50 )down to Plymouth and am looking for suitable anchorages for two small boys who like beaches and generally messing about. We are fully rigged up ( genset etc ) to not have to worry too much about marinas so are on the lookout for cool anchorages for the kids during the day that we can stay in overnight.

Any thoughts on a part of the world I am not too familiar with?

The Bishop

The closest beach is Cawsand I think, pleasant little village and a nice beach, and in the right weather you can anchor overnight. I think there's a small beach at Bovisand, and maybe one at Wembury, then you get to the Yealm, which is a fabulous harbour and village, and has a small but very nice beach just past the sand bar. It's a long walk to this beach by land, so it's seldom crowded. Further round you have Stoke Point Caravan Park, which isn't nearly as tacky as it sounds, with several small pebble beaches and one larger sandy-ish one, then Mothecombe which is a fine sandy beach, but very shallow. In between is a place called Pinksands which is, or at least was, a nudist beach. You then get to Bigbury as mentioned above.

West of Plymouth, in settled weather you have a long sandy beach in Whitsand Bay, but it's very exposed so I wouldn't stay there overnight, a small beach at Porthallow, then lots from St Austell Bay Westwards.

 

[gjgm]

Beaches and coves are great when its warm and sunny...dont forget activity in itself is also fun as a kid; even jumping in a tender and heading for coke and crisps at a pub is an adventure! I'd def take a night up the Yealm along those lines. If its not high season, and so not busy, Salcombe has some love gentle sandy waters on the way up to the town- great if the kids are quite young.Up the Dart too.
I'd take salcombe, just as the water banks eastwards away from the town. get the tender out...perfect !

 

[adrianb]

Yachting Monthly publish a book - " Channel Havens" - a good read...............even for us without rag and stick.

 

[adey]

Westcountry Cruising Companion is worth buying. I've always found Cawsand to be a lumpy anchorage but there are lots of nice places up the Tamar and the coast has plenty of beaches if we get a summer this year. I particularly like Whitsand because it's difficult to get to by car so there's always a decent amount of space on the beach. Also, anchoring off Mothecombe and dinghying up the Erme is a nice day out.

 

[photodog]

Here is a little guide to anchorages that we put together last summer... some great suggestions.... feel free to contribute if you have any suggestions..

West Country Anchoring Campaign

 

[Neil_Y]

Polperro is nice, not an anchorage but between two bouys outside the drying harbour.

 

[hlb]

Polperro is nice, not an anchorage but between two bouys outside the drying harbour.

Yer not supposed to have two buoys, it's one each. Tuther option is the end of that pier.

Heres another good place to stop, but again not an anchorage, though you can out side.

Charlestown.

Bit of a look at Salcolme here


http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i81/haydn_2006/?action=view&current=TheNudeOnTheBeach.flv


Or the Tamar is here. http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i81/haydn_2006/?action=view&current=MuckyGoesDitchCrawlng_0001.flv

 

[Neil_Y]

You might upset the fisherman in the large cat leaving the harbour if you don't tie between two bouys as in the photo. There isn't room to swing and leave a good channel open so everyone ties between between two of the six bouys. You might get away with it but seeing as all the fishing boats do the same you'll swing until you meet their boat or lines. There is plenty of room to raft up between the bouys (as we did in the picture) so you can easily get eight boats on six bouys.