Visiting Torquay marina

[oz-1]

Hello every one. I've had a mooring in the inner harbour, Torquay for 30 years now. We used to have fore and aft chain moorings and the inner harbour used to dry out. Now we have the luxury of pontoon berths and with the cill, the boats are afloat at all states of the tide. I cannot comment on the mdl marina as i've never used their facilities. As for the council run town dock and inner harbour dock, i think they are fantastic. The pontoons are great, the harbour staff are very pleasant and always helpful and the berths are safe. There are loads of places to eat and drink, places to sit all around the harbour, and the public buses are near bye. There are lots of places to visit all within walking distance. I think most towns and cities have, unfortunately, problems, but over all Torbay is a good place to visit. Best regards, Oz.

 

[Habebty]

Can't be that bad, it was full and I was turned away last summer, but just got in at Brixham.

 

[Adios]

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

Most people buy all their expensive items online and then hope there is a chandler waiting next to their boat in case they need a pair of rigging screws, size 1⅜, galvanised. On top of that it looks like most in the MDL side rarely use their boats for more than a holiday home, the locals barely seem to go out either come to think of it. And there is no hard to work on your boat there.

 

[nicho]

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

Funny how certain events stick in your mind. As a very young teenager, I lost my virginity in Babbacombe sited caravan to an older, and well experienced nurse holidaying in the next caravan. Sadly she was returning to London the next day or I could have learned a lot more

 

[Seastoke]

Funny how certain events stick in your mind. As a very young teenager, I lost my virginity in Babbacombe sited caravan to an older, and well experienced nurse holidaying in the next caravan. Sadly she was returning to London the next day or I could have learned a lot more

My mums parents had a caravan in Baby come , do you have Ginger hair. And a small boat hook.

 

[Adios]

As the Torquay thread surfaced again I might as well mention I've just returned from a visit to Looe in Cornwall but it could have been any of the few crevices that lead down to the sea in Cornwall. Absolutely jammed with visitors. Bad enough to visit I can only imagine living there. Its not even the summer holidays yet. £2.20 a hour to park. I visited Sidmouth in Devon on a sunny winter midweek day and it was also rammed. Somehow Torquay never feels oppressively flooded with visitors, sneer you might that thats because it lacks the charm of other places but thats fine by me! What charm it does have isn't ruined.

But in fact I think its actually more a fluke of geography. All the places on the south coast east of Exmouth get everyone north of there (somerset etc) flocking to their closest bit of coast. Exeter crowds go to Exmouth or Dawlish as its closer. Not many live inland of Torquay and for the ones that do there is all of the south hams beaches to choose from, so its pretty much only the staying visitors that are here. And when the hotels are full thats it, it stays fairly constant year round. Very few day trippers even in summer.

Cornwall is a high lump of granite with only a few places to get down to the sea which are all bottlenecks. Once nice fishing villages. Its like visiting the national gallery and having to look at the paintings over the shoulders of 20 people.

 

[Seastoke]

I Moved to Torquay ,for the pis ups fights and flashing women , bu no it’s like the Vatican , compared to the welch med.

 

[nicho]

My mums parents had a caravan in Baby come , do you have Ginger hair. And a small boat hook.

No hair these days, but never ginger. Depends if the boat hook is extended or closed I suppose.

 

[Seastoke]

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 .

So would you say , Southampton is better than Torquay , I beg to Differ.

 

[PhillM]

So would you say , Southampton is better than Torquay , I beg to Differ.

As always depends where. Up the top of the rivers is industrial. Ocean village is all about the night life. Hamble, the clubs and so on.

 

[Seven Spades]

When I was a kid Torquay was the posh end of Torbay and you can see that in the housing if you look. Today I would much rather be in Brixham but the town center's pedestrianisation is awful and need re-doing. paington was in the middle with a Theatre call the Molem I think and you coudl see things like the Cill Black show or the Black and White minstrels etc etc.

If you are wondering wether to go to Brixham Marina or Torquay then don't! Go to Teignmouth instead, just go in on a rising tide if it is your first time.

 

[Adios]

When I was a kid Torquay was the posh end of Torbay and you can see that in the housing if you look. Today I would much rather be in Brixham but the town center's pedestrianisation is awful and need re-doing. paington was in the middle with a Theatre call the Molem I think and you coudl see things like the Cill Black show or the Black and White minstrels etc etc.

If you are wondering wether to go to Brixham Marina or Torquay then don't! Go to Teignmouth instead, just go in on a rising tide if it is your first time.

Or go to all three as they are each quite different from the other.

I'm puzzled by the seeming crazy high expectation people have for Torquay. Were they expecting Monaco? The "English Riviera" is just a marketing ploy which maybe has been too effective and raised expectations too high. My advice for visitors is don't get off your boat and only walk up the main shopping street which like every other English town is half empty now. If you want a flat walk turn left and follow the coast, quite a few places to eat that way. If you don't mind a climb turn right, follow the SW coast path and enjoy the views past Thatcher Rock and on to Babbacombe. Go as far as you can and phone for a taxi back to the marina. What more do you get in other places? Are there jugglers and clowns following you to provide live entertainment?

 

[Seastoke]

When I was a kid Torquay was the posh end of Torbay and you can see that in the housing if you look. Today I would much rather be in Brixham but the town center's pedestrianisation is awful and need re-doing. paington was in the middle with a Theatre call the Molem I think and you coudl see things like the Cill Black show or the Black and White minstrels etc etc.

If you are wondering wether to go to Brixham Marina or Torquay then don't! Go to Teignmouth instead, just go in on a rising tide if it is your first time.

We’re would you stay inTimuff