Navigating Down The Dart from Totnes

CaptainBob

CaptainBob

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With 1m draft, what's the best tidal conditions for navigating down the river Dart from Totnes?

Looking at my GPS charts it looks like the shallowest is 0.2m at datum, so I'm figuring if I head down on a falling neap tide ranging from about 3.5m to 2.0m I should be OK... right? And the flow from the falling tide will assist a little right?

The springs will offer more assistance to speed, but will potentially leave me dry if I screw it up.

Cheers!
 
Bob - with only 1 mtr you will have plenty of time - leave ideally at top of the tide, springs or neaps.

I did it with 1.5 mtr last year. No problems - keep well to the outsides of the bends - imagine how the main current would flow and you cannot go much wrong and the channel markings are quite clear. We used the chart supplied on the Dartmouth hand out brochure with the moorings - quite adequate.
 
Have done it several times with 1.8m draught. Leave at the top of the tide and with 1m just enjoy the ride. So long as you watch the marks and stick to the outside of the bends - no problem.

If you want further reassurance pick up a copy of the West Coast Pilot. Used that the first time we did it and no problems.
 
Bob the best resource for Dart info is here:

http://www.dartharbour.org/harbour-river-guide/sailing-directions/

The link is to the sailing directions from the mouth of the Dart upto Totnes so all the info required for the reciprical journey is there.

Their Website has always been well maintained & kept uptodate.

I noticed a recent change to the guide so this maybe worth a read for all old hands as well.
 
Agree, found you could even leave a little before full height. The other joy is that you can make it part way - there are some deep holes by the vinyard and then further down north of the Bow Creek entrance on the Stoke Gabriel side - look for a line of moorings.. Then follow the moorings after Bow Creek down towards Blackness rock, take a left and swing round Dittisham point, leaving it wide, keep to the East of the moorings in the middle of the flow as there's a shingle bank on the Dittisham side that I found, just after the obvious mud markers. Keep close in to the Greenaway side to go round the Anchorstone rock and then right down the middle to Dartmouth.

It's my favorite part of the country, enjoy the view.
 
I'm going to suggest you treat this as similar to coming IN to a shoaling river mouth - i.e. on a rising tide - 'cos the shallowest parts are ahead of you.

If the winter rains have brought down more silting, as they do, and if some of the shallow patches are a wee bit bigger and shallower than your charts suggest - for charts are ALWAYS a bit out of date in silting areas - then you'll be glad of that little bit of Rise still to come.

I'd recommend leaving at Half-Tide Rise, then just ambling gently down the stream, with bags of time in hand and with more Tide Rise to come. And I strongly suspect most YM Examiners on 'ere will agree.....

Do let us know how you get on.

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