River Tamar - guidance?

rbcoomer

rbcoomer

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Hi,

I'm planning to do some exploration of the River Tamar during the latter part of September and wonder if any locals care to offer any tips/advice please?

I've looked around the web but not had much success so far except to find the RYA guide and determine that QHM Plymouth is the 'governing body'. I was hoping to find a river guide with speed limits, and habour dues etc if applicable? We'll be using a small Fletcher (14') and will probably look to launch at Saltash - unless anyone can recommend somewhere Plymouth side of bridge to launch with parking for the day? We'll most likely look to head up river on a flood tide as far as is sensibly navigable (about 0.6M draught). We have a depth gauge and I'll study & print charts before we go.

Finally, any recommendations up-river for a lunch-stop welcomed... :)

Thanks in advance,

Robin
 
rbcoomer said:
Hi,

I'm planning to do some exploration of the River Tamar during the latter part of September and wonder if any locals care to offer any tips/advice please?

I've looked around the web but not had much success so far except to find the RYA guide and determine that QHM Plymouth is the 'governing body'. I was hoping to find a river guide with speed limits, and habour dues etc if applicable? We'll be using a small Fletcher (14') and will probably look to launch at Saltash - unless anyone can recommend somewhere Plymouth side of bridge to launch with parking for the day? We'll most likely look to head up river on a flood tide as far as is sensibly navigable (about 0.6M draught). We have a depth gauge and I'll study & print charts before we go.

Finally, any recommendations up-river for a lunch-stop welcomed... :)

Thanks in advance,

Robin
Click to expand...

We've been just past Calstock on a rising tide in a 20ft Ryds, many moons ago.
An interesting trip.
Above Weir Quay the river becomes rather narrow so stick to outside of bends for deeper water. Spring Ebbs run pretty strongly.
I don't remember anywhere to stop for refreshments, especially in the narrow part. You can possibly stop temporarily at Calstock boatyard or else on a pontoon just upstream of the viaduct but you have to make sure no trip boats are expected.
Have fun.
 
Thanks all....

Impressed with Henry's work at the helm towards the end of the video :D And either the video is speeded up or there's no 6 knot limit like the Dart/Teign? (Or perhaps with Henry helming you can simply claim he can't read... :rolleyes:)

Will check out QAB for launch - sounds ideal - thanks. I'll see how far we can get, but will aim for Calstock for lunch (or take a picnic) in case we don't get much further up river.

Picking up a bigger boat soon as a winter project for next season and I'm not sure we'll be able to keep Charlie indefinitely (space and 2 x maintenance :(). Thus hoping to do a few local rivers this autumn and get some first hand knowledge whilst we still have her. I think we're less likely to run out of river with Charlie as she is great for this, but unfortunately at 14' very limiting as far as suitable days for coastal exploration. (Not that she won't cope, more that with son on board we choose not to.)

I'll make sure I get lots of pictures on Tamar :)
 
hlb said:
Calstock is probably the best place to eat. A few parking places along the quay, else anchor. You can go higher, we never did..Great place but need the tide.
Click to expand...
I hope Haydn is right about the 'parking places'. We too our Nimbus up the Tamer about three years ago, and had hoped to land at Calstock to find a pub for lunch, but could not find any places where we could moor up and land, so had to turn back down river again.

I remember thinking how silly it was not to put out a length of pontoon to cater for visitors by boat. Fowey for example must gain massively by so doing.
 
There is/was a quay, just as you get to Calstock, we moored there a few time. You used to be able to moor to the pubs pontoon, dont think you can now.

But for little boats, I think there are loads of places, even if it means beaching it.

You could also use the ferry pier if the ferry is not running.

There is also a boat museum place worth a visit, Just before Calstock. It's in my film.

Think there could be some sort of cafe there, cant remember. You can park on the wal
 
Cotehele does excellent cream teas/cakes and icecreams as well as pasties in the summer. You can tie up to the wall as there is over 2 m at high tide so plenty of time.

Morwellam has food or used to, I've stopped going since the new owners took over a year or so ago. You could also turn right and head up to Bere ferrers (river Tavy), great pub there "the Plough" and enough water (with a deep cut channel) next to the wall to stop for food/beer. I think they still have stick markers in the mud further out.
 
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