Cruising South Devon in a Folkboat

Judders

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A friend of mine is distraught. Her father has sold the racey Dehler 39 in favour of a Folkboat. She has never been a girl for the romance of small boats but I see this as a wonderful opportunity to talk her 'round and get myself a cruise in a new and beautiful cruising ground.

The new boat is based on the Dart and I figure that a long weekend there, Salcombe and into Brixham ought to be a great introduction to the pleasures of a smaller, slower boat, cozy anchorages and waterside pubs.

Sadly, from a sailing point of view, I know very little about the area. I've been into Brixham once, and Torquay for a week.

Where to go?
 

doug748

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Don't do it.
She would rapidly become and ex friend.
If you have eyes on a deeper relationship a Folkboat is not the place to comsummate it.
I regret that the Dehler may have spoiled her forever. Take a mate on the Devon trip and give the girl a weekend in a good hotel.
I am an old man. Trust me I know about these things.
 

chart5011

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Salcombe is a nice sail from Dartmouth, get the tides around Start Point right and it also a quick sail.
Visitors tend to pick up buoys off the town (can get lumpy and uncomfortable especially if rafted), quieter moorings and pontoon further up in the Bag. Pontoon not connected to shore but HM runs a launch service.
Brixham has a marina for a bit more comfort. Might suit your friend more.
 

Judders

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[ QUOTE ]

If you have eyes on a deeper relationship a Folkboat is not the place to comsummate it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that sort of friend Doug!
 

Fascadale

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A Folkboat and a girlfriend

The success or failure of this venture depends on age, agility and expectations regarding standards of living.

Don't know much about sailing in the southwest but have excellent memories of folkboats and girlfriends..........a very long time ago.

I don't think Mrs OcklePoint could be tempted to do an overnight in an FB now.

Good Luck
 

snowleopard

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Fairly limited cruising grounds. There is the River Dart itself which is worth a few days. Beyond that Salcombe then nothing before the Yealm westbound (the Avon is out if you can't take the ground). Going East there is Brixham and Torquay for marina lovers and the Exe for ditch-crawlers.
 

amadeus

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Less of the ditch crawlers please! If your pilotage is reasonable going up the Exe on the Flood is a wonderful trip. If you reach Topsham around high water there are lots of good restaurants and pubs and our friendly sailing club, and Trouts and Retreat boatyard but unless is it very neapy you will need to retreat to Turf Hotel which has deep water moorings before 2 hours after HW. The pub there does wonderful food and there are showers etc for the canal basin folk. Lower down there are Lympstone and Starcross but you would need a dinghy to get ashore, and Exmouth where there is a very terrifying visitors pontoon which sits in the stream in about eight knots of tide. Luckily the reputation of the Exe keeps it quiet and it is never crowded so the birdlife and seals are wonderful.
 

snowleopard

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I used the term ditch crawler as an alternative to the marina-to-marina lifestyle, i.e. anchoring or mooring and going ashore in the dinghy when the tide serves (and/or getting very muddy).

The type of cruiser who keeps the dinghy in a locker all season wouldn't enjoy the Exe!
 

Seven Spades

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If yo look at the timings of RTIR you will see that the speed of Folk boats is better than you would imagine given their size.
 

Admiral Fitzroy

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I love the way you all assume this girl can't cope with anything but marina showers, pontoons and fair-weather cruising.

Perhaps it's just that she enjoys racing rather than cruising? In which case Judders, you might not win this one... <span style="color:purple"> </span>
 

snowleopard

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Some sailors prefer to spend their nights in marinas with showers, walk to a restaurant etc. Others prefer a quiet mooring or anchorage. It's pointless assuming everyone shares one's own preferences so both options have been discussed here. Nothing to do with sex differences.
 

Judders

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Well well well, three years and a little bit later, I find that SWMBO, as the girl in question is now known (despite my earlier protestations) has this htread saved to the favourites on her laptop.

Who knew?

Well it turns out, the Dehler, which was the Van de Stadt version 36, had spoilt her for life. We never did get to cruise in the Folkboat, we won a hatful of trophies at Dartmouth Week the following summer but the boat was sold in favour of first a Squib and now a Centurion 32, which I think she prefers even to a Dehler 36. We're now preparing to explore Devon and Cornwall in the comparative luxuary of the Centurion this summer.

I can't beleive she kept the thread. Just wait until she gets home this evening!
 

Ex-SolentBoy

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Well well well, three years and a little bit later, I find that SWMBO, as the girl in question is now known (despite my earlier protestations) has this htread saved to the favourites on her laptop........

I can't beleive she kept the thread. Just wait until she gets home this evening!

I can't wait to see what she does when she finds out you have been searching her laptop while she is out. &#55357;&#56872;&#55357;&#56872;&#55357;&#56872;

⛵ SolentBoy.
 

Judders

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I can't wait to see what she does when she finds out you have been searching her laptop while she is out. &#55357;&#56872;&#55357;&#56872;&#55357;&#56872;

⛵ SolentBoy.

Only because it's now very old and I'm working out which favourites we'll want to transfer to the new one!
 
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