Visiting Torquay marina

[ashtead]

Our first visit to Torquay commercial marina and what a sad place /town. I won’t mention the price of a berth but it’s the first marina where I have spotted drug dealers in the marina toilets. The town itself is very sad and having Rockfished out few eateries although Otto did some reasonable pizza overlooking inner harbour. Surprised at number of large mobo but not many owners seemed about midweek though. Generally we have decided we prefer Brixham anD the staff there are really helpful compared to Torquay. A special thanks though to the harbour office contractors who offered a berth at town harbour berths after the marina initially also mucked up berthing number. Not certain Torquay offers much but maybe we missed hidden gems .

 

[john_morris_uk]

Our first visit to Torquay commercial marina and what a sad place /town. I won’t mention the price of a berth but it’s the first marina where I have spotted drug dealers in the marina toilets. The town itself is very sad and having Rockfished out few eateries although Otto did some reasonable pizza overlooking inner harbour. Surprised at number of large mobo but not many owners seemed about midweek though. Generally we have decided we prefer Brixham anD the staff there are really helpful compared to Torquay. A special thanks though to the harbour office contractors who offered a berth at town harbour berths after the marina initially also mucked up berthing number. Not certain Torquay offers much but maybe we missed hidden gems .

I don’t think you missed much.

Years ago when our children were in their very low teens we arrived in Torquay at about 2100. After we’d eaten we decided to stretch our legs for. Quick walk before bed. We’d joked over the reputation of the place so decided we would score our walk on a number of factors. Eg Spotting:

Person drunk
Person vomiting
Person being arrested
Hen party
Stag party
White stiletto’s
Girl flashing
A street fight
Drug dealing
Person being evicted from a bar
Etc etc

We’d spotted everything on our list in the first ten or fifteen minutes.

 

[38mess]

I had my honeymoon in babbacombe just up the road in 82, Torquay was the pits even then.

 

[johnalison]

I spent one night at the Imperial hotel with my father in the early ‘60s, which was nice but not the extravagant luxury one would expect today. Apart from that, we spent one pleasant night at the marina over 20 yrs ago. All I remember of the place is that our neighbour was a dentist who had just bought a new Malo 38 for his first boat and was teaching himself to sail for the first time. It is sad that many gloriously-situated places are often the most run-down and attract the worst visitors.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Basil Fawlty rules, apparently!

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I thought Torquay was Gods waiting room for the elderly middle classes.

 

[Fimacca]

Brixham and Torquay share the same HBM and some staff. I prefer Brixy though and will opt for the Brixy sailing club pontoons rather than the town quay with its live aboards and wee motor boats . Just pay at the friendly bar there. I do find Brixy HBM are lax with shedding non payers and a random free boat floating past you with a washing line broken on the bow was a regular sight when I moored there annually. Free entertainment unless it hits you.

 

[Adios]

Am I missing all the bits of England that are significantly better than Torquay? I think its a bizarre expectation that you think you can turn up in an English town in 2023 and find it prosperous and thriving and perfectly civilised. Where there are no drug problems, drunks, homeless, white stilettoes. Please let me in on the secret if there are places really like that still. England has all gone to the dogs and Torquay is relatively OK still IMO. I've been living here for the last 18 months and think its a great place to live. Loads of free outdoor things to do, free parking near the beaches which is a miracle for these days, generally things are cheaper than other places i've lived, masses of great countryside nearby, hardly any serious anti-social behaviour, low crime, kid friendly beach (torre abbey) more picturesque beach (oddicombe) neither too packed even in summer weekends. Great sea water clarity and cleanliness (all blue flag). People are friendly, in shops and any I meet which I put down to them being generally happier because their life is ok because its a nice place to live. I just can't understand what you were expecting. Did you watch this and miss the date?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Last time we were there, there were 2 young couples on a Contessa 26 next door, who spent the evening loudly contesting which girl was a moaner, and which a screamer. Then a lady appeared from a nearby catamaran, and basically tore them a new one, icily politely. She had a boat full of youth sailors on board, and wished their ears to be unsullied by such talk. It didn’t do at least one of them any harm, he has a charming family and an Americas Cup campaign to run these days.

 

[laika]

Whenever Torquay comes up there are always the same comments. I’ve only been there once but liked the place. “Jungle journey” was a worthy crazy golf course and we had one of the best seafood dinners I’ve had in a British restaurant. Only bad thing I noted about the marina was the price compared to the town quay (which was full). I wouldn’t be averse to visiting again.

 

[Sandy]

Our first visit to Torquay commercial marina and what a sad place /town. I won’t mention the price of a berth but it’s the first marina where I have spotted drug dealers in the marina toilets. The town itself is very sad and having Rockfished out few eateries although Otto did some reasonable pizza overlooking inner harbour. Surprised at number of large mobo but not many owners seemed about midweek though. Generally we have decided we prefer Brixham anD the staff there are really helpful compared to Torquay. A special thanks though to the harbour office contractors who offered a berth at town harbour berths after the marina initially also mucked up berthing number. Not certain Torquay offers much but maybe we missed hidden gems .

Torquay has little to offer, thankfully there are some lovely places that you can escape to.

 

[Sandy]

I thought Torquay was Gods waiting room for the elderly middle classes.

A few miles east at Budleigh Salterton is the waiting room to visit the old boy with the white beard on the sky.

 

[PhillM]

I’ve been to Torquay a couple of times. Stayed on the HM pontoon. Facilities basic but clean and serviceable. Like anywhere there are good and bad bits but tbh I’ve always enjoyed my stay there. Not been troubled by any of the issues noted above. I’ve encountered decent people being friendly and welcoming.

As for drugs, sex and rock-n-roll the worst I’ve seen is Cowes. But it doesn’t stop me going there, I’m just cognisant that some people may not be acting under the full control of all of their faculties. Of note is that those who are acting the most badly have often arrived by yacht and on ones much more expensive than I could ever afford.

 

[trialframe]

We've visited twice in the last few years for a week at a time. HM pontoon. Enjoyed both visits and did quite a bit of walking. Yes we saw a few 'sights' but nothing too gut wrenching. Will return for another week in a year or two if they can accommodate us.

 

[penfold]

Visited the marina once with engine trouble; were treated like we were something unpleasant the staff had trod in so we left and limped round to Darthaven, where they were rather more friendly(although no less sticker shock for this scotsman).

 

[ashtead]

We found the lady at Darthaven very helpful this week . The is also a well stocked chandlery there with friendly staff something which is also missing from Torquay along with lack of eateries of any quality and plethora of boarded up shops and public buildings which seemed neglected on front. The only downside of Dartmouth seems to the somewhat arsy fuel barge operative who defo needs some customer centricity training but maybe that’s why he on a fuel barge even if he has plenty of time to chatter away on his mobile we noticed .

 

[Sandy]

We found the lady at Darthaven very helpful this week . The is also a well stocked chandlery there with friendly staff something which is also missing from Torquay along with lack of eateries of any quality and plethora of boarded up shops and public buildings which seemed neglected on front. The only downside of Dartmouth seems to the somewhat arsy fuel barge operative who defo needs some customer centricity training but maybe that’s why he on a fuel barge even if he has plenty of time to chatter away on his mobile we noticed .

It might be worth a call to the Harbourmaster about the 'arsy fuel barge operative'. I've always found the HM team really help full in Dartmouth.

 

[trevbouy]

Torquay has a massive drug problem. It also has 'homeless' people sleeping/begging in the shop doorways on the front. They are actually transients who want a nice place for summer where there's more people to beg from, they're off soon as weather starts to change. I've seen them in local cafe totting up their 'earnings' and then off to buy alcohol and fags.
The town is declining fast with shops closing weekly in the town centre.
The marina is run with an air of 'we don't care as there's always someone who will pay'. The pandemic gave them the perfect excuse to do nothing for your money.
It's all very sad as in it's heyday it was a thriving bustling place.
If you have teens warn them there is a big problem with drink spiking. I have personal experience of this but won't go into the distressing details.
You've probably guessed I'm at Torquay. Brixham is much better as the problem there is drinking more than drugs. Same as anywhere really.

 

[Jacana139]

Our home berth is Torquay Inner Harbour. It is a good sheltered year round mooring at a reasonable price.
The question is would I visit if I were on a West Country cruise. I think if we were faced with a day or two of rainy conditions it does provide some indoor type entertainment such as leisure centres, a cinema, theatre, a few good pubs, nightclubs. There are also every eating opportunity from Wetherspoons to Michelin starred restaurants. Undoubtedly it is a very broad church but I think every large UK town (population of Torbay is over 100k) has its deprived areas and areas of relative affluence.

 

[Jacana139]

I would add that I am surprised that with 1000 moorings in Torquay harbour that there isn’t a well stocked chandlery.