Living aboard in Cornwall

D

deourino

New Member
Joined
30 Jan 2011
Messages
12
Location
East Sussex
Visit site
Hi there,

We've been living aboard in East Sussex for a couple of years now but want to move to Cornwall, preferably well out in the sticks! Does anyone have experience of living aboard anywhere like that? Our boat can be a little surprising the first time you see it - it's a lovely old harbour launch with an unfortunate bodged conversion (hopefully shortly to be removed - but need to find the time, shelter and good weather to do it in.) We'd definitely want to motor there under our own power but don't want to get there and immediately be kicked out as there seem to be few places to moor a boat of our length! (52 foot). We're looking at pretty much anywhere at the moment, houseboat moorings, on the mud, off the mud, marinas with a don't ask don't tell policy, anywhere like that.

Any experiences you have would be really useful!
Thanks!

Deourino
 
You could try contacting Truro HM. I've seen lot of odd looking boats on the pontoon up the Fal & Truro river.
 
Hi Deourino

You could try Penryn or Gweek.

The advantage of either is that you're near yards, skills, materials and chandleries. And Gweek is very much out in the sticks!
 
I've lived aboard on a number of occasions in the West country, between foreign voyages. There are pontoon moorings administered by Truro Harbour Office on the River Fal above Turnaware Point. Unfortunately you're a bit late in the year because about this time (April) the berthing rate on those pontoons changes to summer visitor rates which will (may) make life expensive for you. On both occasions when I lived on the Fal obtaining a berth up at Truro was a non starter.
I've also wintered on the River Tamar at Weir Quay on a swinging mooring. At both those locations you'll need a decent dinghy to get ashore. As mentioned Penryn is a possibility, worth checking to see if a berth is available.
Down at Saltash on the Tamar there was normally swinging moorings available summer and winter.
After a few winters in the West Country living aboard, my best advice is... take an umberella, a bloody big one..;) ;)
 
Another vote for Gweek. Absolutely lovely there. But Penryn on Church/muddy beach, or sailors creek could be worth a try, I used to be opposite on the pontoons at Challenger Marine (now Freemans Wharf Boatyard) but it's pricey.
 
I stayed in Penzance inner harbour for a few months on 42footer with no problems and a few larger boats there, short walk to shops, toilets and showers available within harbour, working on boats ok and good engineers with chandlery right next to harbour. Found it very friendly and have always liked Penzance and Newlyn - real ports
 
ripvan1 said:
I stayed in Penzance inner harbour for a few months on 42footer with no problems and a few larger boats there, short walk to shops, toilets and showers available within harbour, working on boats ok and good engineers with chandlery right next to harbour. Found it very friendly and have always liked Penzance and Newlyn - real ports
Click to expand...

Last time I was in Penzance the loos and showers in the harbour were a no go area; evidence of drug use scattered about everywhere, not nice. Maybe its improved now.
 
simon barefoot said:
Another vote for Gweek. Absolutely lovely there. But Penryn on Church/muddy beach, or sailors creek could be worth a try, I used to be opposite on the pontoons at Challenger Marine (now Freemans Wharf Boatyard) but it's pricey.
Click to expand...

another vote for Gweek or Penryn. we spent a winter in Falmouth Yacht Brokers 'next to Challenger, that too was very pricey with 'at the time' No facilities
 
Robih said:
Last time I was in Penzance the loos and showers in the harbour were a no go area; evidence of drug use scattered about everywhere, not nice. Maybe its improved now.
Click to expand...
Last year when we were in Newlyn(which we loved ), however the facilities there were similarly attired.The back of the toilet doors even had letterboxes for needles and drug paraphernalia . We also had a unnerving walk between Penzance and Newlyn at 10 pm when were were accosted for money for petrol, we did not give , but were then followed by 3 dubious characters. We stepped lively but slowly caught up with a further 2 characters on edge of Newlyn but were unnerved futher when we realized that the three behind were on the phone to the two infront. Fortunately a pub hove into and we had a drink and got a taxi from there back to the boat ,£4 well spent.
 
Robih said:
Last time I was in Penzance the loos and showers in the harbour were a no go area; evidence of drug use scattered about everywhere, not nice. Maybe its improved now.
Click to expand...

Robih are you talking about facilities under the HM's office , if so I'm surprised as they're locked and only available to boaters I thought. If this is the case however then that's a damn shame.
 
ripvan1 said:
Robih are you talking about facilities under the HM's office , if so I'm surprised as they're locked and only available to boaters I thought. If this is the case however then that's a damn shame.
Click to expand...

Ah, well you might be right, the ones I'm talking about I'm pretty sure were not locked and were on the southern side of the basin and single storey. We were only there for one day so didn't talk with HM.
 
These are the public toilets by the road, NOT the facilities provided by the harbour (locked) for yachties. However, even the ones for yachties are pretty yuk. Similarly, the ones in Newlyn (used by the fishermen)
Penzance is pretty rough at night. I always feel safe in Newlyn however. It's not a tourist place as such but the local community are great (I am a local).
Gweek/Helford however is a different matter. Very quiet, quite genteel yet 'alternative' at the same time. Lots of colorful characters living on boats!
 
cds8 said:
Hi Deourino

You could try Penryn or Gweek.

The advantage of either is that you're near yards, skills, materials and chandleries. And Gweek is very much out in the sticks!
Click to expand...

There is also possibles at Pen Pol boatyard Devoran way, also try Percuil boat yard up river from St Mawes, Penryn is Ponsharden boatyard, lots of liveaboards, but size may be a problem.

Brian
 
Hmm Penryn/Gweek sound good! Luckily we've got a decent amount of time left to look and the boat takes the ground so hopefully somewhere will have us - just desperate to get away from all the concrete! Thanks for all the tips guys :)
 
Hi there,

Sorry to butt in on this discussion but I'm new to the website and was hoping that someone could help me with a similar topic. I'm looking into buying a narrowboat / houseboat and mooring it in Cornwall (Falmouth area) and living on it. I'm coming at this completely blindly and if someone could point me in a general direction I would really appreciate it as although I'm Cornish born and bred and I have a lifelong love of gig rowing I have very little experience of houseboats. Questions I have are;

Can you put a narrowboat on an estuary mooring?
What kind of mooring / maintenance costs are associated with living on a 35-45ft houseboat in the Falmouth area?

I'd love to hear any experiences you've had and appreciate you taking the time to read my post.

Thanks very much!
Cornish Girl.
 
deourino said:
Hi there,

We've been living aboard in East Sussex for a couple of years now but want to move to Cornwall, preferably well out in the sticks! Does anyone have experience of living aboard anywhere like that? Our boat can be a little surprising the first time you see it - it's a lovely old harbour launch with an unfortunate bodged conversion (hopefully shortly to be removed - but need to find the time, shelter and good weather to do it in.) We'd definitely want to motor there under our own power but don't want to get there and immediately be kicked out as there seem to be few places to moor a boat of our length! (52 foot). We're looking at pretty much anywhere at the moment, houseboat moorings, on the mud, off the mud, marinas with a don't ask don't tell policy, anywhere like that.

Any experiences you have would be really useful!
Thanks!

Deourino
Click to expand...

There seems to be an assumption that you're looking for somewhere very cheap but I thought I'd query that. Southdown Marina on the West bank of the Tamar has berths suitable for a boat that size. Under the previous owners there were liveaboards there but I don't know if Huggins, the new owners, allow it. Try the website:

http://www.southdownmarina.com/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top