Salcombe

[Chris_Robb]

Anchored this week end in Salcombe for the night. Harbour Master came over - Harbour dues please - £8.50 - they don't charge for anchoring! well - what facilities do they have - soweres - no - loos - to dirty to use.. Apparently they pay a fortune every year to the Duchy of Corwall - according to the Harbour Master - and only break even. - does the Duchy cover Devon as well! ???? we paid - but I don't like being ripped off!

In the morning - we were approached by the sailing club launch - when the tide turned we found we had swung onto their starting line. - You are on our starting line - you will have to move - no please or anything.

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[tony_brighton]

"you will have to move" without a please wouldn't make me rush to the bow to start heaving on the anchor.

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[Chris_Robb]

It didn't - when asked when the start was - he said he was not sure!!!!!



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[Cornishman]

The Duchy of Cornwall is a company owned by HRH The Duke of Cornwall and owns properties right across England as well as in Cornwall. It rents much of its land, including fundus, to a wide variety of users from small farmers to Goverment departments.

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[longjohnsilver]

Chris, had the same thing happen to me last year, only I wasn't on the boat at the time, just my son and a friend, and the boat was moved by the HM. Think I only paid about a fiver for anchoring, still a bit rich for nothing in return, but I suppose there are the dinghy pontoons.

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[JerryHawkins]

To which I would have replied - OK, when you know, I'll need 1 hour's notice and you'll have to tow me to a new location as I currently "have engine problems" !!

Cheers, Jerry
PS We were in Salcombe the other week and only paid £10.50 for a buoy for the night (25' boat).

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[Brian_B]

And another thing about Salcombe, the atrocious service from the Water Taxi.
I'll never quite understand why they are unable to cope with the demand from 22.00 till the pubs close.
Having to wait an hour and more is not unusual!

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[Chris_Robb]

Seen people unmoor their yachts to go and pick up their crew at closing time.



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[hlb]

Strange. I always find them very pleasant at Salcolmbe. Except the HM seems to get in a bit of a tizzy if two or more boats turn up at once. But I find the facilities excelent. Dont know about the bogs and showers though. I take my own. Anyway they give you pontoons, buoys and a taxi. I've never had any bother with the taxi. What more do you want??

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[Chris_Robb]

So have I - thats why I was surprised at the rather blunt request from the sailing club to move! As for mooring bouys - pontoons etc - I don't need them - I just want to anchor in peace - with a beach to walk the dog on (I do move the Merde) -

If I need them - I'll pay for them.

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[summerwind]

Nah, not quite. The Duchy of Cornwall is the sole property of Prince Charles. He got it on the first day of his life as a prize for turning up.

He "Owns" many of the river beds in the West Country, the harbour authorities of which have to send along the demanded amount of money each year. He does bugger all for any of the rivers he takes money from.

I think the only reason he is given money is because he bonks Camilla - saves some proper man having to suffer the ugly sod!

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[jimi]

Its time all that serf stuff disappeared. Time the royal estates were given back to the people and that lot of toffee nosed snobs earned a living.

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[Twister_Ken]

Camilla

For £7 m a year, they'd be a queue prepared to do occasional Sunday morning duty.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[milltech]

I think I'll disagree about that

<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[whisper]

Sorry to hear of your bad experience. I've always found the staff & organisation fine. Toilets aren't normally dirty either. If you want a shower then you can take your dinghy to the ICC on "Egremont" or else catch their taxi. I've never been, so don't know what they are like. You can also get a drink and snacks there.
I think you will find that Dartmouth is also expensive due to the Duchy but the facilities are better, as the place is much bigger than Salcombe. There was an attempt recently to improve the toilet block and add showers but the plans met with a lot of resistance during the planning process.
Better luck next time.

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[Chris_Robb]

Owning the river beds - where the duchy isn't, the Crown Estates are. None of them bring anything to the party - and that was the main source of my winge about Salcombe - paying harbour dues for anchoring. Apparently they screw us why the Dutchy screws them, (and Camilla), so they have to charge to cover their costs.


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[Peppermint]

Re: Salcombe growing like topsy

I've kept a boat in Salcombe since the Silver Jubilee and provided you give August a miss and don't mind putting your hand in your pocket it's a top place.

During this time I've seen various Harbour Masters empire build it into the edifice you see today. The local South Hams Council who administer the place can't loose. Put the prices up. Still full. Put parking up 30% and more, restrict on road parking, and still get a steady stream of willing victims.

As to the HM collector being flustered by 2 yachts arriving, he must have been new. It is one of the best organized pocket picking excercises I've ever seen.

This year the dinghy park charges have finally made peoples pips squeek and I don't think the Duchy get a share of that.

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[Cornishman]

Pleasae don't visit Cornwall until you have changed your attitude

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[Birdseye]

fine - if I thought that they might go back to the people, not the government.

in this glorious country of ours, public property is effectively nothing to do with the public. so i'd rather old jug ears had it.

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[jimi]

Says something about our constutionally elected executive when you say that you'd rather give an accident at birth the dosh! But seriously why does the Crown get all this money plus the civil list? It really is a historical anachronism that ought to be sorted out. Its not the first incident I've heard of the Duchy of Cornwall fleecing people. In any other walk of life it would be referred to the Office of Fair Trading under monopolies legislation never mind the ethical and political rights and wrongs of ownership.

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