Discussion
We are off to salcombe this Saturday for a week and will be taking our 4.7m RIB. I’ve booked a deep water trot mooring to keep the boat in the water all week to avoid launching/recovering daily.
This will be our first time to the area and our first holiday with the boat (new to boating this year). Any recommendations on particular beaches / coves / activities that we should do whilst there?
Also, if anybody has any tips for a rib on a fore aft mooring (apparently its likely we’ll be rafted with another boat) I would be very grateful (they didn’t cover this in the PB2!)
This will be our first time to the area and our first holiday with the boat (new to boating this year). Any recommendations on particular beaches / coves / activities that we should do whilst there?
Also, if anybody has any tips for a rib on a fore aft mooring (apparently its likely we’ll be rafted with another boat) I would be very grateful (they didn’t cover this in the PB2!)
Mrs Z-T and myself visited south Devon for the New Year last year and spent a day in Salcombe. Absolute gem of a place to explore. Very easy to get about on foot but the tricky bit is finding somewhere to park the car first. Lots of posh shops for the missus to look at and lots of boat workshops, chandelers /nautical ironmongers for me to have a mooch through. There's a nice little bay at the south end of town on the other side of the castle ruins. The beach cafe is called The Winking Prawn and it was packed when we went - couldn't find anywhere to sit down so bought a couple of ice creams and strolled on the sand instead.
I can also recommend a visit to Slapton Sands There's a Sherman tank on a plinth at the end of the car park behind the village, which was recovered from the sea sometime in the 1980s I think. It serves as a memorial to all the lives lost in the rehearsals for the D-Day landings in Exercise Tiger.
I can also recommend a visit to Slapton Sands There's a Sherman tank on a plinth at the end of the car park behind the village, which was recovered from the sea sometime in the 1980s I think. It serves as a memorial to all the lives lost in the rehearsals for the D-Day landings in Exercise Tiger.
Edited by ZymoTech on Wednesday 1st August 13:23
Edited by ZymoTech on Wednesday 1st August 13:32
Stopping off there myself on Saturday evening en route to the Scillies.
Slapton definitely worth a visit as is the lost village of Hallsands. You can walk out to the lighthouse on Start Point which is also pretty spectacular.
Dartmouth is another nice town to visit around 18M to the east - you can get a long way up the river on a rib and it is very scenic.
Heading west there are nice bays like Hope Cove and the Burgh Island hotel (think Agatha Christie)
Slapton definitely worth a visit as is the lost village of Hallsands. You can walk out to the lighthouse on Start Point which is also pretty spectacular.
Dartmouth is another nice town to visit around 18M to the east - you can get a long way up the river on a rib and it is very scenic.
Heading west there are nice bays like Hope Cove and the Burgh Island hotel (think Agatha Christie)
fore and aft mooring you want two good long ropes about 9 mtr each, fenders will also be liked but because you are a rib you might get away without.
Does your RIB have a head rope fairlead or just loose rope?
Standard alongside mooring really apart form be careful where you attach on the other boat, think of it the same as yours, try to find strong points and attach there, please never put your ropes through hold ropes on the side of a RIB or normal stanchions on a yacht, cleats or the base of shrouds.
Does your RIB have a head rope fairlead or just loose rope?
Standard alongside mooring really apart form be careful where you attach on the other boat, think of it the same as yours, try to find strong points and attach there, please never put your ropes through hold ropes on the side of a RIB or normal stanchions on a yacht, cleats or the base of shrouds.
NickCQ said:
Stopping off there myself on Saturday evening en route to the Scillies.
Slapton definitely worth a visit as is the lost village of Hallsands. You can walk out to the lighthouse on Start Point which is also pretty spectacular.
Dartmouth is another nice town to visit around 18M to the east - you can get a long way up the river on a rib and it is very scenic.
Heading west there are nice bays like Hope Cove and the Burgh Island hotel (think Agatha Christie)
Bear in mind that the road along Slapton Sands washed away during "the Beast from the East" storms earlier this year, so whilst you can get to it from the Salcombe end, you're still miles away. Though if you are on a boat, this won't be a problem!Slapton definitely worth a visit as is the lost village of Hallsands. You can walk out to the lighthouse on Start Point which is also pretty spectacular.
Dartmouth is another nice town to visit around 18M to the east - you can get a long way up the river on a rib and it is very scenic.
Heading west there are nice bays like Hope Cove and the Burgh Island hotel (think Agatha Christie)
I am duty-bound to recommend that you visit the Salcombe Dairy Ice Cream factory on Island Street - either just for an ice cream, or for a chocolate making workshop (£6 - no need to book).
Slapton Sands is a great shout. I hadn’t realised it’s so close...
Our RiB does indeed have a bow fair lead. I’ll need to buy some ropes as we don’t have 9M lengths at the moment. Any other bits I should pickup whilst at the Chandlers? (I always seem to leave that shop with more than I strictly need!).
The children will love the ice cream factory. Added to our list!
My 15yr old is desperate to spot dolphins. From what I’ve read you need to head out past Bolt Head and hope for the best?
Our RiB does indeed have a bow fair lead. I’ll need to buy some ropes as we don’t have 9M lengths at the moment. Any other bits I should pickup whilst at the Chandlers? (I always seem to leave that shop with more than I strictly need!).
The children will love the ice cream factory. Added to our list!
My 15yr old is desperate to spot dolphins. From what I’ve read you need to head out past Bolt Head and hope for the best?
I think about 7 to 9 might be the right length, long enough so it's not a pain, also, my gripe, coil them as soon as you've slipped, this is a lot of rope that if left loose will snag.
Normal stuff, kill cord and life jackets. You might be lucky with dolphin, the bait fish are in and we have had them in Cornwall.
One last thing I forgot, if rafted on a swing mooring, the vessel you are going along side, will move, don't chase it, be gentle and relax, force it and you normally end up chasing it, for a long time..
Normal stuff, kill cord and life jackets. You might be lucky with dolphin, the bait fish are in and we have had them in Cornwall.
One last thing I forgot, if rafted on a swing mooring, the vessel you are going along side, will move, don't chase it, be gentle and relax, force it and you normally end up chasing it, for a long time..
Obviously less of a concern with a shallow draft RIB, but do have a look at the chart, and understand where some of the nasties like the bar and some isolated rocks are, and the transits for getting in and out, as well as some of the local laws on the fairway and also speed limits.
It's a lovely place...enjoy.
It's a lovely place...enjoy.
My family have been going to Salcombe for about 50 years, its a lovely place.
Recently its become a bit fashionable and a lot of the town is now turned over to over priced clothes shops but the core concept is still there, excellent sailing, good weather, nice beaches, etc.
All the good beaches are on the East Portlemouth side, hence the passenger ferry which shuttles from 'the ferry steps' over the narrow bit, the largest of which is 'Mill Bay' which is a lovey beach. Privately owned but open to the public, typically easy to land on, and you can leave sailing dingys with prior permission from the cafe at the top of the ferry ramp. At low tide you can walk from the ferry via the sand, mid-high tide via the road, but with a boat you can go direct and dodge the ferry fees. Just sometimes you can get some hellish breakers rolling in, but this is rare. Gara Rock hotel is a good walking destination if you want to do a coastal walk from Mill Bay, back via the fields.
The whole harbour has a 4-6 knot speed limit, however its a lovely place to explore and doesnt take long to get out of. Starehole bay is good for sheltered doughnuting/sking. At high tide you can go up Southpool to the Millbrook Inn, as well as up to Kingsbridge, once you get beyond the moored boats in 'The Bag' you can put you foot down a little to close the distance to Kingsbridge. You can then as said also do some coastal hopping round to the coves going west.
If the tide/wind is right you get some good rolling breakers over 'The Bar' on the way in, great for kids with bodyboards but less desirable when coming in, follow the markers! Southsand has a ferry too but is fairly average for sand, better to walk to it have an Icecream and walk back. Northsands can be ok for surfing.
On the topic of Icecream, the best in the town is from the smaller place between the Fish & Chips (literally just an over-wide doorway) and the Cafe on the corner, owned by the same people. My uncle (now in his 50's) has been on first name terms with Ken and his wife since he was pre-school age. Cranches Sweetshop (worth a visit at any age, fresh fudge counter, huge pick and mix, all all you could ever want between) and the Butchers on the corner are also all original Salcombe family owned businesses.
Fuel is from the fuel barge, handy but arrive with a full tank, couple of petrol stations on the way in including the one at Marlborough just at the top of the hill. If you need any maintenance the guy who runs the perversely named 'Sailing' on Island Street knows his stuff.
Broke my 20 year tradition by missing out last year, but if you see a Mirror dingy painted with bricks (off the wall) or Stripes (spot) then our family are on holiday! We use the boats as shuttle taxis from Whitestand hard.
Daniel
Recently its become a bit fashionable and a lot of the town is now turned over to over priced clothes shops but the core concept is still there, excellent sailing, good weather, nice beaches, etc.
All the good beaches are on the East Portlemouth side, hence the passenger ferry which shuttles from 'the ferry steps' over the narrow bit, the largest of which is 'Mill Bay' which is a lovey beach. Privately owned but open to the public, typically easy to land on, and you can leave sailing dingys with prior permission from the cafe at the top of the ferry ramp. At low tide you can walk from the ferry via the sand, mid-high tide via the road, but with a boat you can go direct and dodge the ferry fees. Just sometimes you can get some hellish breakers rolling in, but this is rare. Gara Rock hotel is a good walking destination if you want to do a coastal walk from Mill Bay, back via the fields.
The whole harbour has a 4-6 knot speed limit, however its a lovely place to explore and doesnt take long to get out of. Starehole bay is good for sheltered doughnuting/sking. At high tide you can go up Southpool to the Millbrook Inn, as well as up to Kingsbridge, once you get beyond the moored boats in 'The Bag' you can put you foot down a little to close the distance to Kingsbridge. You can then as said also do some coastal hopping round to the coves going west.
If the tide/wind is right you get some good rolling breakers over 'The Bar' on the way in, great for kids with bodyboards but less desirable when coming in, follow the markers! Southsand has a ferry too but is fairly average for sand, better to walk to it have an Icecream and walk back. Northsands can be ok for surfing.
On the topic of Icecream, the best in the town is from the smaller place between the Fish & Chips (literally just an over-wide doorway) and the Cafe on the corner, owned by the same people. My uncle (now in his 50's) has been on first name terms with Ken and his wife since he was pre-school age. Cranches Sweetshop (worth a visit at any age, fresh fudge counter, huge pick and mix, all all you could ever want between) and the Butchers on the corner are also all original Salcombe family owned businesses.
Fuel is from the fuel barge, handy but arrive with a full tank, couple of petrol stations on the way in including the one at Marlborough just at the top of the hill. If you need any maintenance the guy who runs the perversely named 'Sailing' on Island Street knows his stuff.
Broke my 20 year tradition by missing out last year, but if you see a Mirror dingy painted with bricks (off the wall) or Stripes (spot) then our family are on holiday! We use the boats as shuttle taxis from Whitestand hard.
Daniel
Another long term convert...
You might just catch some of the annual town regatta activities...
http://www.salcombeinformation.co.uk/event/salcomb...
(Not sure why this link says 2017, the page is for this year...)
There is a very distinct channel at low tide right in front of the town, there is a mud bank that dries up totally and has caught many people out trying to cross this just before low tide, once your stuck, your there for hours...
I have just edited my previous email (recommending starehole bay for waterskiing and the Millbrook pub in south pool for drinks at high tide) as to be honest, if I was in your position with a new boat and new to boating, I would treat my first trip to Salcombe as a bit of a Recee...
Have you done a rya powerboat course? You could get a days course for you and your lad which will get you some time on the water with somebody who knows the estuary, might be a good idea even if you have done one previously.
Salcombe is a picture perfect harbour, but over the years I have seen everything from the actual lifeboat running aground in the harbour to boats attempting a beach landing at sunny cove when there is a swell and capsizing. IMO It is a tricky harbour to get right and this time of year it will be busy. I don’t want to put a dampener on things but just have your wits about you and a little instruction could be a great benefit. Bare minimum have a word with somebody in the harbour office, get an estuary map and tide table and note location of wolf rock and ‘the bar’ when exiting and entry to the harbour. And try to use the harbour at low tide as you can see a lot of the potential hazards before they are semi- submerged.
Also, enjoy a pint of palmers sitting on the wall of the ferry inn watching the world go by..
You might just catch some of the annual town regatta activities...
http://www.salcombeinformation.co.uk/event/salcomb...
(Not sure why this link says 2017, the page is for this year...)
There is a very distinct channel at low tide right in front of the town, there is a mud bank that dries up totally and has caught many people out trying to cross this just before low tide, once your stuck, your there for hours...
I have just edited my previous email (recommending starehole bay for waterskiing and the Millbrook pub in south pool for drinks at high tide) as to be honest, if I was in your position with a new boat and new to boating, I would treat my first trip to Salcombe as a bit of a Recee...
Have you done a rya powerboat course? You could get a days course for you and your lad which will get you some time on the water with somebody who knows the estuary, might be a good idea even if you have done one previously.
Salcombe is a picture perfect harbour, but over the years I have seen everything from the actual lifeboat running aground in the harbour to boats attempting a beach landing at sunny cove when there is a swell and capsizing. IMO It is a tricky harbour to get right and this time of year it will be busy. I don’t want to put a dampener on things but just have your wits about you and a little instruction could be a great benefit. Bare minimum have a word with somebody in the harbour office, get an estuary map and tide table and note location of wolf rock and ‘the bar’ when exiting and entry to the harbour. And try to use the harbour at low tide as you can see a lot of the potential hazards before they are semi- submerged.
Also, enjoy a pint of palmers sitting on the wall of the ferry inn watching the world go by..
Edited by Itsallicanafford on Friday 3rd August 05:26
Edited by Itsallicanafford on Friday 3rd August 05:42
a few for the rib, go up river from Salcombe to The Ferry Inn
Go out to Coverack ignore this ... been away a long time, wrong but of teh coast ....
Get yourself the tide tables for Salcombe and the area, there is quite a tidal range and you don't want to pop in somewhere for a spot of lunch and find teh RIB high and Dry (alternatively, if its a nice boozer, you may actually want to engineer this, either way - tide tables are essential)
Obvious but aside from standard safety gear do you have VHF and a GPS for your rib? Just in case anything happens you can shout for help and give your exact location. Also assume you have an anchor and a good length of line onboard 15 meters or so) so that you can anchor off any nice beaches.
Get yourself the tide tables for Salcombe and the area, there is quite a tidal range and you don't want to pop in somewhere for a spot of lunch and find teh RIB high and Dry (alternatively, if its a nice boozer, you may actually want to engineer this, either way - tide tables are essential)
Obvious but aside from standard safety gear do you have VHF and a GPS for your rib? Just in case anything happens you can shout for help and give your exact location. Also assume you have an anchor and a good length of line onboard 15 meters or so) so that you can anchor off any nice beaches.
Edited by XJSJohn on Friday 3rd August 05:43
Thanks for the words of caution, we are definitely going to be careful given it’s our first time to Salcombe and still in our first year with the boat. I would like to try some skiing in starehole bay if we feel confident enough with the area.
In terms of equipment on the boat; We have a fixed VHF and GPS/Chart Plotter (plus a backup portable radio and Navonics app on my phone). we have an anchor (and backup) with 30m of rope, fire extinguisher, flares, first aid, spare kill cord, sailing knife, oars, pump, throw lines and emergency fuel. Trying to be as prepared as poss! Also have a tide times table so hopefully we won’t get ourselves into a position where we need help.
Me and the crew (wife and 3 daughters) have all done the RYA PB2 course and subsequently spent the summer to date improving our handling skills with the RIB on the south east coast. Still very much beginners though...
Thanks for the suggestions on restaurants up the estuary, my wife is trying to book those today.
In terms of equipment on the boat; We have a fixed VHF and GPS/Chart Plotter (plus a backup portable radio and Navonics app on my phone). we have an anchor (and backup) with 30m of rope, fire extinguisher, flares, first aid, spare kill cord, sailing knife, oars, pump, throw lines and emergency fuel. Trying to be as prepared as poss! Also have a tide times table so hopefully we won’t get ourselves into a position where we need help.
Me and the crew (wife and 3 daughters) have all done the RYA PB2 course and subsequently spent the summer to date improving our handling skills with the RIB on the south east coast. Still very much beginners though...
Thanks for the suggestions on restaurants up the estuary, my wife is trying to book those today.
chappj said:
In terms of equipment on the boat; We have a fixed VHF and GPS/Chart Plotter (plus a backup portable radio and Navonics app on my phone). we have an anchor (and backup) with 30m of rope, fire extinguisher, flares, first aid, spare kill cord, sailing knife, oars, pump, throw lines and emergency fuel. Trying to be as prepared as poss! Also have a tide times table so hopefully we won’t get ourselves into a position where we need help.
i don't see the most important survival gear there ...... where's your Beer Eski 
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