Dittisham ('Ditsum'), up the River Dart

[BlueSkyNick]

Planning to visit Dartmouth for a few days later this month including a night or two up the river.

Where's the best place to aim for? Anchor or pick up a mooring?

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Anchor downstream of the Anchorstone, or pick up a mooring upstream. The latter is slightly easier for getting to the pub but costs a little more.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

I see the moorings you mean. Presumably there is enough swinging room for a 40footer.

 

[Rigger Mortice]

I see the moorings you mean. Presumably there is enough swinging room for a 40footer.

Yes....the moorings are marked for boat size IIRC. The bigger moorings are to port just beyond the Anchorstone. Smaller boats go a little further on.

The Harbour staff on the Dart are excellent and will bend over backwards to give you assistance. Ask one of them for their harbour guide which is very well done.

They also usually have an excellent print out of weather forecasts which are also available from the Harbour Masters office in Dartmouth.

Dartmouth is one of our favourite destinations.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Thanks - all my previous visits have been on passage to or fro somewhere else so this time SWMBO and I just want to chill out for a few days and enjoy it.

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Thanks - all my previous visits have been on passage to or fro somewhere else so this time SWMBO and I just want to chill out for a few days and enjoy it.

You'll love it.

For a treat take SWMBO for breakfast at The Castle Hotel in Dartmouth.
Just a good old fashioned breakfast in an olde worlde setting with proper linen tableclothes. You'll get some brownie points.

 

[BlueChip]

Planning to visit Dartmouth for a few days later this month including a night or two up the river.

Where's the best place to aim for? Anchor or pick up a mooring?

+1 for anchoring below the Anchor Stone, it's our favourite spot and it's not a huge amount further in the dinghy and a world apart from being rafted up on a mooring, you will have peace and quiet with only the birds and ripples in the water for company. If you are lucky you will see a seal or two.
Choose your spot to anchor carefully because there is a sudden drop off into much deeper water, so allow for that when calculating how much chain to use.

 

[LadyInBed]

+1 for anchoring below the Anchor Stone

Same here

Choose your spot to anchor carefully because there is a sudden drop off into much deeper water

Yes, well worth pointing out.
And if you want to pop into town, you can tie up on the wall (50 21N 03 34.6W) (South of the pontoons) for a couple of hours free of charge.

 

[temptress]

I see the moorings you mean. Presumably there is enough swinging room for a 40footer.

We are regulars up there at 47ft. Prefer to Anchor. Although often can't find the room to Anchor usually able to fins a morning. You can also anchor down in Dartmouth between the Marina and the moorings - keep away from the ferry though.

 

[Blueboatman]

On big tides a lot of fauna debris seems to drift up and down, the currents are a bit wobbly at the Dshsm bouys and it can be a tad challenging rafting up onto one at such times, also the tripper boats are your neighbours
For these reasons I prefer to anchor in mud to the s and w of the stone. And sail the dinghy around the upper river. The RedLion at the top of the village has provisions and a wee post office, excellent food beer and community activit:spirit. And no bloody streetlights at night!
Recommend the local plums, v gd.

 

[Fergus]

It's lovely and Hm will help - we paid nothing for a mooring with this view

 

[longjohnsilver]

Choose your spot to anchor carefully because there is a sudden drop off into much deeper water, so allow for that when calculating how much chain to use.

Yes that drop off can be a problem, I was looking for someones anchor there just last week, one moment I was standing and then very quickly disappearing into over 15m of water. I'd estimate the angle of the slope as being close to 70 degrees or more. The bottom varies between soft mud in the shallows and harder clay type mud as it gets deeper.

I haven't anchored there as I'd be a little worried about swinging into the shallows.

It's a lovely spot to stop for a few days. Do try the Anchorstone cafe, we've always had a good meal there with efficient friendly service, unlike the Ferryboat Inn!

 

[LadyInBed]

This was my spot

 

[BlueSkyNick]

All very useful information, thanks chaps.

 

[sailorgirl]

We are regulars up there at 47ft. Prefer to Anchor. Although often can't find the room to Anchor usually able to fins a morning. You can also anchor down in Dartmouth between the Marina and the moorings - keep away from the ferry though.

What the skipper failed to mention is on a quiet misty morning close by the Anchorstone you may be woken by a tapping on the hull... otters trying to open shellfish!

And it was Sir Walter Raleigh's favourite place to smoke his pipe.