Two rescued in Salcombe accident

Zest-Salcombe

New member
Joined
4 Jul 2021
Messages
4
Visit site
I found the number of shouts around Salcombe yesterday a bit odd. My youngest son is sailing with friends down there so we've been watching the forecasts with interest; they were in Salcombe when that happened and my wife and I agreed that we would have been happy going out given the forecast, which was F7 SW IIRC with a bit of chop. Nothing too bad. I think there were were 3 or 4 RNLI interventions and we can't really work out why. Is there something about that bit of coast that means it's worse than it looks on paper, or are there lots of inexperienced skippers and crew sailing there? The Fastnet mob didn't seem to having major problems. Genuinely interested rather than criticising anything.
These are my local waters - they can be very treacherous even when conditions look 'moderate'. You only have to look at a historical shipwreck chart to see just how easy it is to end up on the rocks - even today. So 'nothing too bad' means very little particularly if you don't know the area. It's easy to be dismissive of people getting into trouble but it could happen to any of us at any time. This is also an area with many pots, so if as the RNLI reported at least one of the boats in trouble had a fouled prop, that's not at all surprising. Many of the pots have old and dirty floats and can be very difficult to see particularly light is poor and the sea a bit whipped up.
 

ryanroberts

Well-known member
Joined
25 Jul 2019
Messages
894
Visit site
Feeling slightly less bad about chickening out on the weekend and staying holed up in Salcombe. The last month has been truly terrible for weekending up to Cornwall / Scilly and I think I am going to start heading back to the Solent again this weekend. It was pretty bouncy beating in the previous weekend. I have sailed in that sort of stuff but I am still a noob, that's out of my comfort zone and can think of better things to do on my own on a Sat.
 
Last edited:

Yealm

Well-known member
Joined
13 Apr 2017
Messages
5,337
Visit site
Feeling slightly less bad about chickening out on the weekend and staying holed up in Salcombe. The last month has been truly terrible for weekending up to Cornwall / Scilly and I think I am going to start heading back to the Solent again this weekend. It was pretty bouncy beating in the previous weekend. I have sailed in that sort of stuff but I am still a noob, that's out of my comfort zone and can think of better things to do on my own on a Sat.
I was going to sail to Salcombe that weekend to meet friends - chickened out and drove :) Stayed in cosy comfort at the Salcombe Harbour overlooking the water - very few yachts about - lots of free moorings - saw one boat heading out - it was pretty squally and nasty.

Instead I sailed there this week; leaving, the chop at the entrance was pretty impressive with a southerly F4 against Spring ebb !
 

ryanroberts

Well-known member
Joined
25 Jul 2019
Messages
894
Visit site
The anchoring above the saltstone is great, spent two weeks there without budging an inch (with 40 meters out and the panic anchor on the front deck but). Beautiful too, between the raining, nearly enough to get over the horror of paying 15 quid for hole in the wall fish and chips in Chelsea-on-sea. Harbourmaster staff all have tourism training and are useful and nice rather than officious, will return.
 

oldbloke

Active member
Joined
24 Jun 2018
Messages
275
Visit site
The anchoring above the saltstone is great, spent two weeks there without budging an inch (with 40 meters out and the panic anchor on the front deck but). Beautiful too, between the raining, nearly enough to get over the horror of paying 15 quid for hole in the wall fish and chips in Chelsea-on-sea. Harbourmaster staff all have tourism training and are useful and nice rather than officious, will return.
From Saltstone it's as quick to go inland to Kingsbridge, excellent fish and chips from The Codfather, at normal prices.
The Salcombe effect doesn't spread very far inland
 
Top