Torquay or Brixham....

aquaholic

aquaholic

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Thinking of moving the boat next year for the summer to one of the MDL Marinas at Torquay or Brixham and wondered which one would be best, local surroundings are important for those days we cant get out.....so somewhere that looks nice would be best. is there much between the 2 marinas or are they level pegged?
 
In the name of all that's holy, go for Brixham !

I've spent many happy days there, OK it's a bit trippery but the atmosphere is pretty good and there's usually something boaty going on; handy tactical point to reach places like the Dart, Salcombe and Yealm etc too.

The marina is about as good as it gets.

I'v been to Torquay twice, over a decade apart, and both times I felt underdressed without a bazooka; weekend evenings are frightening and I've seen comments from other people saying they felt trapped on their boats.

Even without the drunken yobs the architecture has little going for it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mawObchMnCE
 
Had many happy years in Brixham. Good walks out to Berry Head on dodgy sailing days. Good coffee at the Brixham Deli. They'd have to pay me to moor in Torquay.
 
Another vote for brixham... We were there for a few years about a decade ago... And felt the marina was excellent.

However... I would look at how Torquay has developed and compare the facilities carefully... There have been a lot of changes in harbour of late... And in 2000 brixham was sorely lacking for anyplace decent to eat ashore...

If you are coming off the m5 then torquay is also probably 20 minutes closer... The traffic around the area can be bad....

If we were looking in that area again i would go to Darthaven... Which takes vitually the same amount of time to get to as brixham... And is in a vastly superior location.
 
If the Brixham Marina crew are the same as worked there a few years ago, I'd say without hesitation, go there. I ran in there in a rising gale in the early hours of the morning with a split diesel tank and 75 litres + sloshing about in the bilge. They were absolutely brilliant and couldn't have been more helpful..
 
Brixham.

Torquay is fine if you want to spend your time polishing the topsides but I don't think the Birmingham navy ever leaves the marina.

I'ld also echo Seajets comments. If you dare leave the marina to visit the town the weekend drunks are something to behold......and that's just the women.

Stick to Brixham. The local club is also very welcoming, does a good meal and has wonderful views of the bay.
 
Never been to Torquay by boat.
Agree Brixham is nice, don't know what parking is like?
The yacht club is quite good, bit of a way from the Marina though?

The Dart would be my choice though.
 
Brixham for me every time - though the last 10 miles from the Torquay turn can be a drag in the summer. But then the road from Newton Abbot is all like that.

You can eat at the Prince William close by, Berry Head Hotel, the Yacht Club, and the chippy is wthin a brisk walk. Parking is a 100 yards up the road but you can unload at the marina. Facilities are good and the staff are excellent. We were there for 5 years and loved it but eventually the 4 hour drive got too much.
 
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We overnighted in Tourquay a couple of weeks ago, just to see what it was like. The marina facilities were fine.

Not too far to walk to Tescos. Looking for somewhere to eat, there are dozens of fast food dumps. However, there is a big Wetherspoons just 5 minutes from the marina which is not really our scene but two good meals and a bottle of wine all for 22 quid was the bargain of our whole cruise!

I wouldnt go back for a night stopover, so definitely not the place for long term mooring, IMHO.
 
I don't know how the prices compare, but Dartmouth does have the advantage one can go either left or right for weekend sails, from Brixham it's pretty much always going to be to the West, but it does mean heading into the prevailing SW on the outward leg which of course is a good thing.

I've been to the YC, found it friendly and not that far, also a pleasant walk, at least in good weather.

Dartmouth is of course a fair bit classier and has nicer pubs, but the question was Brixham or Torquay, and as Old Varnish put it, they'd have to pay me too - rather a lot ! - to berth in Torquay, even if they did supply a courtesy bazooka / Kalashnikov.
 
We used to be berthed in MDL Torquay but as others have said the town leaves a lot to be desired.
I got fed up lying in bed listening to sirens sounding all night from the police and ambulances attending to the various disturbances in the town.

Saturday night was definatley for the young and Sunday morning for the oldsters.

Nowhere really nice to eat or even stroll to.

The car park also has the narrowest spaces imaginable with tight turns eveywhere and it gets full at weekends.

Don't do it.
 
aquaholic said:
Thinking of moving the boat next year for the summer to one of the MDL Marinas at Torquay or Brixham and wondered which one would be best, local surroundings are important for those days we cant get out.....so somewhere that looks nice would be best. is there much between the 2 marinas or are they level pegged?
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Having visited both (Torquay only once) I prefer Brixham. A check on the car parking though would be a good idea if you drive there.
 
The parking for brixham marina is excellent... Multi-storey in the quarry next door.... But offloading and loading from the boat can be a arse and is very public, with zero security.
 
BRIXHAM ! !

aquaholic said:
Thinking of moving the boat next year for the summer to one of the MDL Marinas at Torquay or Brixham and wondered which one would be best, local surroundings are important for those days we cant get out.....so somewhere that looks nice would be best. is there much between the 2 marinas or are they level pegged?
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TOTAL NO BRAINER...... Brixham every time , Torquay should be leveled !

Torquay Town is disgusting, shops are pants , cinema is a TOTAL disgrace

Brixham is complete contrast, people care about it ! the harbour side is NICE, the town is bordering on quaint, volunteers plant and tend small plots of waste ground around the harbour, the walks in both directions out of town are beautiful...... etc etc

If you really want to get to Torquay, (say for hookers or drugs) you can use the ferry its £2 per return trip or the bus is under a fiver (it should be free !)

I have no connection with either place other than having visited both of them recently !
 
either place we mostly stopped on the HM's pontoon, much better in Brixam than Torquay. There is or was a nice pub come restraunt at the end of the pontoon, close to the marina. Plenty of pubs and chip shops close by.

AS said, the main atraction of Torquay are the skantily dressed girls on a Friday night. Although there are a couple of nice pubs up a back street. One is called THe Hole In The Wall, The other is better and cheaper.
 
hlb said:
either place we mostly stopped on the HM's pontoon, much better in Brixam than Torquay. There is or was a nice pub come restraunt at the end of the pontoon, close to the marina. Plenty of pubs and chip shops close by.

AS said, the main atraction of Torquay are the skantily dressed girls on a Friday night. Although there are a couple of nice pubs up a back street. One is called THe Hole In The Wall, The other is better and cheaper.
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Like wise I always stay on HM pontoons if possible and did just that in both Brixham and Torquay, in Torquay during a big south westerly the HM pontoon is heavily exposed and the boats roll or pitch like a bitch

Its the only harbour pontoon Ive ever been where I have blown out four big fenders and watched my daughter munching stugeron as she was feeling ill (she was born on the boat - almost)

I sustained damage to the rubbing strake and paint work and the boat was trussed up with 24mm warps fore and aft plus springs and additional lines were added during the night to help me sleep better, not that sleep came easy listening to 25 tons of pride and joy being eaten by the pontoon (which is a wave screen for the inner harbour i later found out)

The only plus side was the HM staff were friendly and helpful and all respect to them for their efforts.

Its a shame Brixham HM showers are the other side of the moon, but its still the better than Torquay by miles . IMHO
 
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