Camp cruising up Southpool Creek
A number of people has asked me for basic details about
sailing in the Kingsbridge estuary
e.g. what are the anchoring/mooring rules? Which beaches
can you legally land on?
So, below I have tried to give some basic details, starting with Southpool Creek. As I sail up other creeks, I will add further details.
I do not guarantee that these are all correct either, so for detailed information straight from the horse’s mouth so to speak – contact the Salcombe Harbourmaster’s office or their website, details of which are at the bottom of this blog article.
I do not guarantee that these are all correct either, so for detailed information straight from the horse’s mouth so to speak – contact the Salcombe Harbourmaster’s office or their website, details of which are at the bottom of this blog article.
On the visitors pontoon inside the bag area
Basics about the Salcombe harbour area:
·
Speed limit is 8 knots from just south of the
bar.
· Sand bar has a least depth of 0.5 metres LAT and
should not be negotiated on an ebb tide with strong onshore winds or swell.
·
The whole estuary is a marine site of special
scientific interest and a local nature reserve with a 5m tidal range. High
Water 05 hours 23 minutes before Dover. Maximum range 5.7 metres. Mean range
(Springs) 4.7 metres. Mean range (Neaps) 2.2 meters
·
In the creeks, watch your wake speed, be aware
of mudflats on falling tides and anchor with extreme care in the eel grass
areas that line both sides of the shore between north sands beach and Batson
Creek entrance. Within this area stop engines and paddle to shorelines.
·
Beaches along the East Portlemouth eastern
shoreline are privately owned and each has rules about BBQ’s and lighting
fires. On all beaches be aware of swimmers in the water. There is no mooring on
the foreshore along the East Portlemouth beaches.
·
Swell and breaking waves affect the Wolf Stone
rock area just north of the bar and the sunny cove anchorage on the eastern
shore opposite Wolf Rock.
·
During dinghy races, there is a small powerboats
fairway established on the western shoreline between North Sands beach and the
town landing stages. Speed is dead slow in Batson Creek area.
·
Harbour master can be contacted on VHF ch 14 or
01548 843791
·
Water taxi is VHF 12 or 07807643879
·
Batson Boat park 01548 844010 - Car/Boat Park spaces can be booked in advance
on a weekly basis, sat-sat, or arranged on a daily basis with the attendant
upon arrival - email: b.oatpark@southhams.gov.uk Launching at almost all states of the tide for
trailable small craft. The trailer park is locked overnight to prevent
unregulated access.
The pontoon at Batson Creek launch ramp - waiting time 10 minutes
Mooring:
Further details available from download harbour guide or
harbour office, but here are the basics that might interest dinghy cruisers:
·
Visitors from sea - swinging moorings are
available off the town between Mill Bay and the Fuel Barge. Visitors’ buoys are
marked with a “V” and state maximum length, up to 9m on orange buoys.
·
Anchorages adjacent to town include off
Town/Fishermans Beach and Smalls Cove (avoiding the Yacht Club racing start
line when appropriate). An anchorage further from town is available north of
“The Bag” where the residents moorings finish, in the vicinity of the
Saltstone. Anchoring is prohibited in the middle of fairways and near to ferry
or cable crossings. Anchoring or drying out is allowed up the creeks, although
one or two beaches along Southpool Creek are private.
·
Short stays alongside Normandy pontoon (eastern
side) in the entrance to Batson Creek are available for water and provisions
but are restricted to half an hour at busy times.
·
There is no anchoring in the fairway or in the
bag area
Looking across the lower bag area
Visiting Kingsbridge by boat - should you wish to go up river
· Only for boats with draft less than 2 metres, LOA
less than 11 metres and prepared to take the ground,
·
It’s a 3.5 mile trip from Salcombe to
Kingsbridge. Kingsbridge creek is navigable 2½ hours either side of high water
as the basin dries out. The main estuary up to Kingsbridge is wide and shallow
at high tide. At low tide the channel runs through mudflats.
·
Visiting vessels can use the middle section of
the main pontoon on the western side of the basin. However, small dinghies could
also dry out on the mud flats to the west of the slipway although getting to
shore many be an issue!
·
Kingsbridge has a launching slipway at the end
of the large car park. Vessels up to 1 metre draught can be slipped dependent
on the tide.
·
Before proceeding to Kingsbridge check berthing
availability with the Harbour Office and note that visitor mooring fees and
harbour dues are payable, if you want to go alongside pontoon or harbour wall
for evening
Kingsbridge marina basin
Visiting Southpool Creeks
·
·
Southpool Creek can be accessed 2.5 hrs either
side of high tide - a tree lined creek
which is wide and quiet when the tide is in, especially once past the small
craft moorings.
·
Both have small visitors’ pontoons towards the
head of each creek – neither have any water supply
·
There are extensive areas of flat mud that you
can dry out on along both creeks.
See previous posts about sailing this creek and a video on my Youtube channel - www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy
See previous posts about sailing this creek and a video on my Youtube channel - www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy
The visitors pontoon at the head of Southpool Creek
Harbour facilities back at Salcombe
·
Fresh water is available at Normandy Pontoon and
Batson Quay. During June, July and August fresh water is available on the
Visitors’ Pontoon in the Bag between 1000 & 1100 daily.
·
There are two Harbour Authority showers at
Whitestrand, pin code printed on your harbour dues receipt. Alternatively,
Salcombe Yacht Club is happy for visiting yachtsmen to use their showers at the
Yacht Club situated at Cliff House – I’m not sure whether that would extend to
dinghy cruisers – but I cant see why not 😊
Looking towards the entrance to Batson Creek and the main pontoons at the town centre
Visitor charges
·
Harbour dues are £1.00 per metre length.
Insurance
·
All craft using the Estuary must be covered by
insurance for third party liabilities. The current level of third party
insurance required is £3,000,000
Local beaches
·
The Beaches of East Portlemouth are privately
owned and use of the beaches is at the discretion of the owners. No mooring of
any boats on the foreshore. No camping and no BBQ’s or camp fires.
Local pubs up Southpool Creek
·
Thoughts about currents and winds within the lower estuary and Southpool Creek
Regular readers of this blog will already know I am no
expert sailor – dodgy sailor yes! So, here are some thoughts and observations
which are personal, or have been related to me by locals, or that I have read somewhere but can't remember where (an age thing becoming sadly increasingly more frequent). Anyway, everything below comes with a healthy warning!
·
The current within the estuary seems to me to be
based on a normal 6 hr cycle and the main current shifts between flood and ebb. It seems to me that the main current during the flood flows
up the channel on the western side, the strongest bit in the middle of the
channel but that could be just co-incidental, happening on the occasions when I was there. In the bag area I think Snapes, Scoble and Tosnos
Points have strong deflectory influences on the flood current. Currents seem very strong close to Scoble Point and also on the easterly side up to Ox Point area.
Tosnos Point deflects the current across to Halwell Point near Frogmore Creek
entrance.
Looking north up the bag area towards Halwell point and the entrance to Frogmore Creek
·
On the ebb, from Kingsbridge, the flow into the
bag area is equally between Tosnos and Halwell points. However, many local
dinghy sailors tell me it then runs strongly down the eastern side of the
channel before being deflected at Ox Point across to Snapes Point. From here it
runs south to the fuel barge, being deflected off Ditch End beach. From the
little ferry crossing area, the current then ebbs straight down the middle of
the channel. remember, I don't guarantee that any of this is correct - I'm a very amateur sailor.
With regard to winds, my impression is that they tend to funnel up or down the main fairway
channel so it is either a beat or a run.
·
A valley near Mill Bay beach on the eastern
shoreline funnels winds especially during easterly winds. Similarly, westerly winds are funnelled down
the valleys of North and South Sands which can cause problems if the winds are
northerlies and you are heading in across the bar area. Short tacking will be
required. In fact, the bar area in south westerlies can be rather ‘interesting’
given the effect of the steep, tall Bolt head area cliffs. Be prepared for some
nasty unexpected gusts!
·
Northerlies and easterlies will also be
funnelled along Frogmore and Southpool Creeks.
·
I have always found winds in the bag area to be
difficult to read and very fluky shifts. There are lots of wind shadow areas in
this part of the estuary and it is here that I am always caught out and my lack of sailing seamanship shows through.
In a choice of wind or current, local sailors tell me to
think and use ‘current’.
Useful publications and
websites:
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Thanks for taking a look at my blog. All comments and advice are welcome - drop me a few lines. You can always find videos about Arwen at www.youtube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy. Look forward to hearing from you.
Steve