Dartmouth to salcombe route

[Dougy]

Sailing from Dartmouth to Salcombe and hopefully on a slack with little wind to hug the coast but have seen several routes mentioned, we are in a small 22 foot sail boat. Anybody sailed this close in or have a route to suggest?

 

[Slowboat35]

I'd leave Dartmouth and keep turning right, avoiding the rocks.

I take it you have one of those strange 'sail boats' (sic) with a 100Hp auxilliary 'sail' if you're going to achieve that on the slack...
What else do you need to know?

 

[adwuk]

I'd leave Dartmouth and keep turning right, avoiding the rocks.

I'd also plan to avoid the bar at the entrance to Salcombe, which will involve a small turn to the left near the end of the trip.

 

[johnalison]

It should be fine so long as you don't hit anything. I think, without my charts to hand, that there are shallows east of Start Point but I haven't found them troublesome, though they may be in rough conditions at LW. There are very often some shearwaters swooping around, from their nests at Berry Head, so worth looking out for.

 

[James_Calvert]

It should be fine so long as you don't hit anything. I think, without my charts to hand, that there are shallows east of Start Point but I haven't found them troublesome, though they may be in rough conditions at LW. There are very often some shearwaters swooping around, from their nests at Berry Head, so worth looking out for.

Berry Head is in the opposite direction.

 

[KompetentKrew]

I did this singlehanded the first year I had my boat, which was my second year of sailing.

I can't remember if there are any gotyas regarding proximity to Start Point, but if so they'll be in the book. Someone else has mentioned Salcome bar, which is also in the book. I trust you have the appropriate chart(s) too.

This is absolutely nothing to worry about and you'll be fine. It's an easy afternoon's sail (I should know - I rarely arise before lunchtime) and I'd have gone further had I not been nursing a broken tillerpilot at the time. Naturally one is entitled to worry if you have a new boat or are in unfamiliar waters, but later you'll laugh at yourself for fretting.

 

[oldharry]

Done it in both a 20 and a 22 footer No probs in settled weather. Hugging the coast is intrinsically dangerous though. Firstly you may get caught by offlying rocks particularly rounding the Start. Secondly it leaves you no space if anything goes wrong. Thirdly although it feels safer, it's not, There's no way you will get ashore safely below the cliffs. The RNLI won't get to you before you are on the rocks, and it's far more difficult and dangerous for them to rescue you there. It's bad seamanship not to give yourself searoom when you can. Keep clear of the shore. It's far more dangerous close in!

 

[steveeasy]

Ive had fun at start point. Ive never hugged the coast line. The safest place is out at sea. in this case 2 miles off. gives you time to sort things out . sailing out of Dartmouth and in to Salcombe will put a smile on anyone's face for sure. Have Fun.
Steveeasy

 

[Wansworth]

Years ago in a fifteen footer Ileft Dartmouth and sailed to Salcome spent all day having hit the east going tide off Start Point but I managed to read a goodly part of War andPeace……..closeinshore route if that is one

 

[zoidberg]

Berry Head is in the opposite direction.

I imagine the shearwaters know that.

 

[James_Calvert]

Take good note of the tides.

Bear in mind the local high and low waters are about 3 hours out of phase with the offshore tidal streams.

Assuming you get those right... you should be able to take the latter bit of the ebb out of Dartmouth, pick up the Channel flow running towards Start and Prawle and then pick up the local flood tide across the bar into Salcombe.

If you steer in the general direction of Start Point you'll find the tide will set you south eastwards, avoiding the shallower bits of the Skerries bank, and taking you clear of Start.

The inshore currents change direction an hour or more earlier than the offshore ones. The info can be seen on large scale chart insets, and a locally published booklet, but it's not shown on echarting like Navionics.

Unlikely in the conditions you'd be out in but think about whether the race off Start Point is likely to be a bother, and be prepared to keep offshore of it.

The tide can run strongly between Start Point and Prawle Point, best to time it at slack water or in your favour.

After rounding Prawle, head inshore of Bolt Head, and aim to join the leading line across the bar a little north of Starehole Bay, but south of Bar Lodge, the conspicuous house by the bar itself. There are two yellow harbour limits buoys in the vicinity, a third is in line to the NE by the shallower end of the bar.

Watch out for pots along all the route.

 

[wiggy]

Have done this route a few times, always in calm conditions, I go close in around start point and to the left hand side faily close in over the bar at Salcombe, I draw 1.8 and it is deeper close in.

 

[zoidberg]

Should you arrive off Salcombe with the ebb more than halfway gone, be aware there are shoals of fish which feed - more often than not - just to seaward of the bar, probably on the 'foodstuff' that comes down on the tide.

Also be aware of a local school of dolphin that use 'air bubble-ring herding' to concentrate the small shoals so their members can feed more efficiently. You may care to keep out of the way, well over to the left in the deeper water....

 

[[70521]]

Follow the long line of boats doing the same trip and avoid the ones coming the opposite way.

A lovely few hours on a pleasant sunny day. You may even spot some puffins off Start Point as we did a few years ago.

 

[longjohnsilver]

It’s worth looking at a local tidal atlas, the currents in Start Bay aren’t uniform, there are some back eddies which can have an effect. And beware of wind over tide at Start Point, it can create some impressive overfalls, and again at Prawl and beyond.