River Yealm/Salcombe - Local Info?

[KevO]

I know we have some fine folks who are based in the South Devon area... Anyone able to provide some useful local info about the River Yealm and / or Salcombe, Brixham area?

Am planning a potential jaunt up that way from Falmouth with my brother, maybe with another raggie in company, just for a bit o' fun and to stretch our legs a little further up towards Englandshire

Although I have read the Visit my Harbour stuff, and have the Reeds Channel Pilot, I have often found that local info is sometimes more current and useful.

Visitors moorings or pontoons for a 30'? Likely to be stupidly packed this month? Local contacts? Anything you think would be useful or interesting to know please?

Thanks in advance...

 

[BlueChip]

You'll get a mooring either on a buoy or on a pontoon as long as you arrive at a reasonable time. HM usually out and about in a dory will meet and direct you.
Salcombe is expensive and you'll usually be rafted up, we usually anchor at much lower cost above all the moorings in the bag. Either dinghy to the town or take the water taxi.

 

[Ripster]

I'll leave the Yealm details to others as I have only visited once. Just make sure you learn the pilotage as depending on what you draw can be quite strict. There are non-drying pontoons and bouys for visitors and water and showers ashore. Very quiet relaxing place with just a couple of pubs.

Salcombe is nice IMO. It can get a little roly off the town mooring bouy areas, but not too bad. Nice and calm though round in the "Bag" lots of water there and plenty of bouys. Call the HM as go in and they'll give you a bouy number or put you on the Vis pontoon. Mind/avoid the bar at LW. It can get interesting getting in and out in swell - depends if like waves! Water Taxi's run through the season. Fuel Barge

Dartmouth should go on your list. Plenty of visitors bouys and Moorings. A couple of Yacht club pontoons just short of the town. Lovely place to stay, plenty of places to eat. Three Marinas, Dart Marina on Dartmouth town side who require (or did do) advance booking and Darthaven on the Kingswear side - both have all the facilities. Noss Marina is bit further up on KW side, but recently went into administration, so not sure whats going there. Dartmouth Town quay useable on the outside bewteen 1700 and about 0800 if you want power and water. Other ponts do ot have any power or water (afaik). There are plenty of ferries across the river and Water taxi's are available. Fuel Barge. A short trip up river (plenty of water) to Ditisham (Dit'sum) provides a bank of visitors bouys across from Greenway - very nice house and grounds. Couple of pubs and the day time cross river ferry that can be persuaded to drop to boats for a consideration.

Brixham has an MDL marina all walkashore with great facilities inc Diesel. Can be a bit bumpy in an Easterly/SEly and the Swell can build up and throw you about in the Marina. Very nice town and Harbour with plenty of places to eat. If its flat and you have your Dinghy, then there are visitors bouys in the outer Harbour. You can also use the Yacht club Pontoon.

I am sure the forumites who reside in these places can give a lot more detail, but Yealm, Salcombe, Dart and Torbay are all worth visiting IMO.

 

[john_morris_uk]

My top tip for Newton Ferrers and the Yealm is that you can anchor in Cellar Bay for free! It's a short dinghy ride up the river to the pub. Otherwise the HM will find you a mooring or a space on one of the visitors pontoons.

 

[KevO]

Thanks guys...

I'm not really interested in marinas :nonchalance:

But visitors moorings, pontoons and anchoring where practicable is a goody. I'd rather not have to drag our dinghy all the way, it's a hard floor Proshore 2.9 and doesn't exactly fit anywhere aboard even if deflated a little (babystay in the way).

 

[Debenair]

I relocated from the East Coast a few months ago and n
Managed to find a mooring in the outer harbour at Brixham. That's a lovely spot, a real harbour with the advantage of deep,water immediately outside and loafs of little bays to anchor in either in Torbay itself, or on the way down to,the Dart.
The Dart is beautiful and Dittisham very special.
Start Bay in fine settled weather is very interesting, with lots of good beaches and the modern history of Operation Tiger and the South Hams evacuation to Enable the US forces to practice war games in countryside equivalent to the Normandy bocage.
We are living on our boat in Salcombe at present in the interregnum between our furnished flat and completing the purchase of our house in Kingsbridge. It does get very busy but the Harbour Authority staff are consummate professionals and very helpful indeed. If I were visiting for the night and content to stay on board I would anchor off a East Portlemouth or at the Saltstone above the Bag. Any where it is beautiful.

 

[KAL]

Yealm is wonderful - HM is still Robin Page I believe - he will always do his best to find you a slot. Facilities are great - found beside the HM office, but showers use tokens. Pubs are helpful, but worth eating at the yacht club - one of the friendliest I've found and v good value food. Table tennis table also available and plenty of takers for games. Brilliant atmosphere. Shop available after 10 min walk along the hill path from dinghy pontoon.

I avoid Salcombe like the plague during Aug. Too many spoiled brat 12-14 year olds tearing around in RIBs without supervision. Also the 8kn limit makes for a very bumpy night if you take a mooring buoy. Pricy too. AFAIR, anchoring costs the same as mooring. Town is delightful and it is nevertheless a very beautiful place, spoiled by its own success.

Dartmouth is also lovely. Noss Marina is still in operation, but plenty of space on visitors' pontoons and they've installed water on the rubbish pontoon. Just avoid it during a fast ebb or you might get pinned to the pontoon. You can moor at Ditsum or go further upriver (with a rising tide if in doubt) and anchor in the bend below Blackness Point, where it will be blissfully peaceful, normally. Best supplies at Co-op in Dartmouth or the very useful store above Darthaven Marina in Kingswear. Also library, cinema, chippies in D'Mouth and amazing walks both sides. There's usually an open-air theatre production on at the Castle - always worth a punt.

Have a great time.

 

[SimbaDog]

Sent you a PM

 

[Ru88ell]

I'd rather not have to drag our dinghy all the way, ....

It might not be that bad if you remember to lift the wheels up. :encouragement:

 

[KevO]

It might not be that bad if you remember to lift the wheels up. :encouragement:

True dat... But at least my bog works :encouragement:

 

[jamesjermain]

A couple of thoughts to add to the assembled wisdon:

1) You won't be able to contact the harbour master in the Yealm by VHF - there's no reception inside the estuary. Call him by mobile and leave a message if necessary. I've found him very good at getting back and arranging a vacant buoy. The pontoons can get a bit manic at weekends at this time of year. Cellar Bay is a great anchorage in most conditions but a swell can get in after prolonged westerly winds, particularly at the top of springs. It is very crowded during the day but empties in the early evening leaving peace, quiet and owls.

2) Don't dismiss Salcombe; it has quite a bad reputation but is usually better than painted. If you want peace and quiet I would recommend going up past the town, through The Bag and turn right into Frogmore Creek. You will find plenty of depth and shelter just inside the entrance in good holding, but passing traffic can make it rolly. With courage and draught of not much more than a meter you can go further in (400m or so) to a pool in the mouth of a tributory. This is our favourite spot. Holding is good and it is really, really quiet. With the tide you can dinghy up to Frogmore itself. I haven't done this but I believe there is a pub there (The Globe). Looking at the chart I don't think you would want to linger 'cos the water runs away quite quickly. It's a long dinghy ride down to Salcombe and the water taxi doesn't run this far up.

 

[Vitesse]

There's a visitor's pontoon in Frogmore from which the pub is a short walk. 2 hours either side of a neap tide, 2.5 - 3 on a spring. That's in my boat.

All of the harbours mentioned above are worth a visit.

 

[xeitosaphil]

Lots of good advise re anchorages on the way up to our area. If you do Venture into Torbay there are loads of anchorages, Fishcombe , Elberry Cove Goodrington, Off livermead, Torquay Roads just off Princess pier .. Around the headland Hopes Nose, there is Ansteys Cove and Babbacombe.

You can anchor in most conditions according to wind direction in relation to location, but no safe haven in Easterlies, except Torquay or Brixham Harbours.

Most if not all ground - Sand, with good holding.

We might pass on the way as I'm hoping to get down to the Helford in the next two weeks?

Philip

 

[KevO]

Thanks everyone,

Very useful stuff, exactly what I needed. I'll do some planning. Phillip, maybe we'll meet up for a pint at the Helford

 

[xeitosaphil]

Thanks everyone,

Very useful stuff, exactly what I needed. I'll do some planning. Phillip, maybe we'll meet up for a pint at the Helford

Sounds good to me Kevo, unfortunately your Mobile number which I did have, now resides under my Berth along with my old Phone!!

Will PM you my Mob Tel No just in case we can meet up.:encouragement:

 

[KevO]

Snap... I PM'd you mine too :encouragement:

 

[robertj]

Salcombe I have found better than when I visited 8years ago.
Fees inline with the other south coast cartel funny enough.
Anchoring at the mouth of frogmore creek I found interesting, you don't have to use an angel as the weed build up was something I've never experienced before a 2m ball which took me about 30 minutes to gradually cut adrift lol.

Don't go past Plymouth there are loads of nice spots there too, kingsand cawsand, barn pool ,with walks around Mt Edgecombe. Saltash, the Lyner, dandys hole, all good in strong winds and a bus ride into Plymouth. The tamar is very nice also.
I've spent more time there in the last two years then anywhere else.

 

[jakeroyd]

Did not much care for Salcombe this year.
Too full of Tristrams and Arabellas and you are OK if you want to buy a Fat Face sweat shirt in the high st but stuffed for anything else.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Did not much care for Salcombe this year.
Too full of Tristrams and Arabellas and you are OK if you want to buy a Fat Face sweat shirt in the high st but stuffed for anything else.

it's definitely Chelsea on sea, but you can't dispute the beauty of the place, the beaches are second to none and the water is almost always clear. And the harbour staff are now very good, very welcoming and extremely helpful. The moorings in the Bag are idyllic.

 

[Bobc]

Yealm - anchor is cellar bay for free.

Salcombe - Anchor up by the saltstone (not free but cheaper and quieter that being rafted onto a mooring bouy).

PS. My avatar is me ejoying a pint of Tribute at the Swan in Newton Ferrers!