Wanting info on good launch/camping locations

[ChrisB123]

Hi Ribbers,

I'm looking to travel to some good cruising locations. Especially those that have or are part of a good camp site. Any suggestions?

Chris B

[bedajim]

Hi

try

www.boatlaunch.co.uk for slips etc

Would be a great idea to get a thread up with a list to include the following from people who actually use the slips regularly, or has it been done?

camping
slips
boat storage
car/trailer parking
availability of fuel/price
state of tide for launching


James

[Alan]

Originally Posted by ChrisB123

Hi Ribbers,

I'm looking to travel to some good cruising locations. Especially those that have or are part of a good camp site. Any suggestions?

Chris B

I think you need to narrow things down a bit. How far are you willing to travel?

'Fr example....

Devon - Dartmouth/Salcombe/Plymouth area all good.
Cornwall - Falmouth Harbour area great. Lots of sheltered water & longer day trip opportunities (e.g. Scillies if you are adventurous) plus camping to be had in many places.
Suffolk - Orwell / Walton Backwaters
Essex - Blackwater / Colne
West Coast Scotland - Largs, Oban etc etc.

With a RIB and a trailer together with a spirit of adventure the world is your oyster!

[ChrisB123]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

I am looking to travel anywhere, especially if its good and meets all the necessaries.

Ideally i'm looking for locations that i can camp and launch from, one that does not need 4x4 or if it does there is help available (locals or other ribbers).

There will be four of us (two adults + 2 kids) so launching from the site were your staying would be a benefit, especially if one or two want to stay behind.

Chris

[Bern Hanreck]

Chris , by so tightly defining your pre-requisites , you might be limiting the opportunities . eg What about using a Marina for a week and save the aggro of launch & recovery every day . You just need a friendly local with a 4X4 to start and end the week . Let me suggest Dunstaffinage Marina ( Oban ) with restaurant & hotel for some wonderful West Coast of Scotand Cruising . Also Neyland Marina in Pembrokeshire ( W.Wales ) for Welsh Coast , Skomer , Stokholm , Ramsey etc . Look at the Camping & Caravanning and the Caravan Club ( yes , some sites do take tents ) websites for starters . Then try the local tourist websites . Get some specific ideas then ask again on here for further details .

Both lovely locations , fuelling is possible ( not necessarily easy ) . Both need decent weather windows and appropriate care with passage planning . Good Luck . Bern

[Rich L]

Since Alan mentions it, you can certainly camp at St Lawrence, near Bradwell (River Blackwater, Essex) in a 'family' style camp/caravan site with pool, bar, shop, 'entertainment'. They even advertise a slipway (not useable most of the day) but you're very close to excellent launching anyway. Leave your boat on a tempory mooring and it's not much more (may even be less) than launching. Quite good - but full of 'stereotypical' Essex people...! (apologies to those from Essex...)

Personally, IMHO Essex has a LONG way to go to match south/west coasts.

Edit: Oh sorry Bern, forgot that you're an Essex local!

[Sav]

I'm with Chris on this one. Not the best replies so far, unless one wants to go to Essex I am surprised there is so little info / intererest in Camping /boating combo. I also am 2 Adult / 2 Kids family who fancies the boating / camping holiday and have been seaching boatlaunch with limited success.

More detailed helpful replies appeciated from those in the know (if anyone is in the know).

i.e looking for Good cruising area with decent campsite with Marina / Slipway.

Specific areas please, NOT "yeah, in the South coast me old governor"

DO THEY EXIST????????????????

Sav

p.s. I've been on the pop a bit today

p.p.s it's my birthday

p.p.p.p.s it really it is my Birthday, but I still agree with old Chris dude and the Camp / boating thinghy.

p.p.pp.p.p.pp.ps I haven't actually bought my RIB yet (windsurfer till now), but off to boat show to buy one, getting ready for fun time.

p.p.p.p.p.p.p.p.p.p.p.p.s Anyone know a good name for a RIB, still haven't thought of one yet.

p. (infinity) s. Nothing against Essex dudes

[Rich L]

IMHO one of the best, and the area I go to frequently, is the Lleyn peninsula in N Wales, particularly around Abersoch / Pwllheli. There are loads of capsites with excellent facilities. This place should be top of your list.

In the summer you can moor your boat and use the yacht club launch service or launch at Pwllheli where there is an excellent slip (or in fact on the beach in Abersoch where it is invariably calm). There is an overnight park & slip access you can use in Pwllheli Marina £5/night last time I enquired. Excellent.

The scenary is stunning, there's lots to see and Abersoch in particular is a very trendy spot (but not at all commercialised) where Kids love the sandy beach, teenagers and Mums the shops.

Ask me if you want more details of campsites / overnight boat storage.

Phil Davies will tell you that Abersoch is far toooo busy, and that Anglesey offers the same advantages - without the crowds. But then he was a Hermit in a former life.

[Phil Davies]

Originally Posted by Rich L

Phil Davies will tell you that Abersoch is far toooo busy, and that Anglesey offers the same advantages - without the crowds. But then he was a Hermit in a former life.

Phil Davies will also tell you that Abersoch, nay the entire Lleyn Peninsular, is inhabited by stereotypical nouveau riche northerners, although interestingly RichL is a poor southerner And don't forget that Rich lives in London so anywhere slightly less crowded than a Muslim pilgrimage in Mecca appears sparsely populated Anyway, he's right, you'd hate Anglesey, best stay away.

[Milan]

Originally Posted by ChrisB123

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

I am looking to travel anywhere, especially if its good and meets all the necessaries.

Ideally i'm looking for locations that i can camp and launch from, one that does not need 4x4 or if it does there is help available (locals or other ribbers).

There will be four of us (two adults + 2 kids) so launching from the site were your staying would be a benefit, especially if one or two want to stay behind.

Chris

Hi Chris I know its a bit far to travel but if you make the effort to go to Oban on Scotland’s West coast you will not be disappointed there is a camp site about one mile from Puffin Divers were you can launch your boat and they over an assisted launch very very helpful people you can also get fuel from there and a great bacon sandwich but the pest thing about Oban is there is always somewhere to go crusing no matter what the winds doing because of the geography of the islands you can always find a sheltered run and the sheer beauty of the landscape is stunning not to mention Oban town lots of restaurants, shops, bars, and a distillery I never get tired of going there and it takes me about seven or eight hours towing well worth it

PS. ther are lots of other campsites there apart from the one thats close to Puffin.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Milan

Hi Chris I know its a bit far to travel but if you make the effort to go to Oban on Scotland’s West coast you will not be disappointed there is a camp site about one mile from Puffin Divers were you can launch your boat and they over an assisted launch very very helpful people you can also get fuel from there and a great bacon sandwich but the pest thing about Oban is there is always somewhere to go crusing no matter what the winds doing because of the geography of the islands you can always find a sheltered run and the sheer beauty of the landscape is stunning not to mention Oban town lots of restaurants, shops, bars, and a distillery I never get tired of going there and it takes me about seven or eight hours towing well worth it

PS. ther are lots of other campsites there apart from the one thats close to Puffin.

I agree with most of what you say there - but "Oban town" does not feature on my list of places I enjoy visiting. Geographically a good place, but the town itself is IMHO aesthetically unnapealing. For somewhere with so much natural potential (in every direction) it just depresses me. Its bad enough on a nice day but when it is raining or blowing a gale (most of the time!) you might as well be in Wolverhampton!

If you are going to go to that part of the world then you could do worse than visit Tayvallich - 30 miles south. its beautiful, has the most sheltered natural harbour you are every likely to find and a very good slipway and pontoon (sadly no visitor moorings) and just 1 mile away there is another slipway which launches into the more exposed sound of Jura. There are campsites on both sides of the peninsula - not tried them but they seem quiet enough for me.

Alternatively, a little (but not a lot) closer to you there is Loch Lomond (its not everyones taste) but it does offer potential for a weekend camping trip (most of the campsites have their own slipways) or launch for free at the public slip and camp on the islands.

Both tayvallich and loch lomond have enough to keep parents/youngsters amused if they decide not to go boating.

[Stormchild]

Have a look at my photos and comments on this link - go right to the end of the threads for the photo's of the site and area........

A bit further Norff than Oban, but I think you'll appreciate the effort. its isolated...

http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14775

Steve

[vince]

Originally Posted by ChrisB123

Hi Ribbers,

I'm looking to travel to some good cruising locations. Especially those that have or are part of a good camp site. Any suggestions?

Chris B

We did Northumbria on the n east coast. Seahouses is the village, very good launching slip with any vehicle, harbour master very freindly, costs only 10 quid per trailer launch, so if you spend a week there, and keep it in the sheltered harbour on a night, its still only a tenner! If you need to refuel he`ll let you trailer it back out and go to the garage just down the road, and he dosnt charge you for another launch.
But the best thing is the sealife. Fabulous! If you have kids, there are seals, (one of the biggest colonies in british isles) puffins and all other birds, and all on the Farne Islands, wich is about 1.5 m off the coast. Holy Island is part of this group which can also be accessed by road at low tide.
For campsites, about 2mins out of Seahouses , there are 3 all with good facilities. We camped here, and kept our rib in the harbour on a night, its got good security too. Its a great place to go, and the kids love it. Hope this helps.

[Mark]

I visited Fowey down in Cornwall earlier this year which has excellent cruising possibilities. I was based across the river in Mixtow and before I went I searched the Ribnet forums for crusing advice in this area.

I'm sure that one of the articles mentioned a campsite with a slipway or was very close to one.
Try searching and see what you can find.

Mark

[spence]

I was thinking similar boating/camping venues myself and found Redcliffe Farm, Wareham, West end of Poole Harbour on boat launch. Not been but may be a possibility.

Hayling Island has camping and launch facilities.

Having spent most of my summer weekends in Pwhelli/Abersoch for about 17 years I can endorse the earlier positive comments about boating. Just be careful to lock all your 'moveable' items securely when leaving the boat!

[Neal]

Chris,
In South Devon we tend to camp around the Kingsbridge area as good for Salcombe & Dartmouth. Used friends RIB down there last week. They stayed just outside Kingsbridge and booked the RIB into the boat park at Salcombe and used the slip there all week worked very well. I think we will try to do the same next year. PM if you want more details

[MikeCC]

Originally Posted by spence

I was thinking similar boating/camping venues myself and found Redcliffe Farm, Wareham, West end of Poole Harbour on boat launch. Not been but may be a possibility.

It's a nice trundle down the river to the harbour from there (freshwater flush on the way back!)

Haven't stayed at Redcliffe but when we did try the booking was chaotic and we couldn't get any confirmation.

The slipway is very accessible with a big car park.Charging is a bit erratic - couldn't find anynone to pay, despite trying to do the decent thing.

Birchwood in Wareham Forest is nice with spaced out pitches. But plenty of other sites round there as wel, some with restrictions on groups (inc families).

[matt h]

what about Fowey, in Cornwall,??? awesome, camping with in yards, take your boat to the pub in eve, moor up anywhere, pretty much, kids will love it, all states of the tide to launch, good security and of course Lantic bay 5 mins away !!! we had a amazing week there, no fuel tho, trip to garage for that,

[ribpix]

Try Loch Lomond - we (children aged 8 to 52) had a fantastic 3 days (25deg) mid August - great slip and very helpful rangers - can camp for free on the islands or camp site at Millarochy - bigger ribs best to slip at Balloch where rangers are very helpful. Go there regularly for the day as well - lots of restaurants accessed from the water - can water ski kyak fish or just chill. Only about 40 mins from Central Glasgow. Great if you have kids but not for doing "stunt" ribbing. Despite the notorious Scottish weather we have been going for two years and it has only rained twice and only for a few minutes (hope I am not tempting fate).

Largs is great to sail from too - no campsite nearby but there is really good selfcatering on the island of Cumbrae at Millport (Barbara McLuckie). The slip at Largs yacht haven is accessible at nearly all states of tide - if you are going to berth there though you would be best to book in advance as it is a very busy and popular marina especially if you are coming a long way.

[matt h]

avoid redcliffe farm in wareham,, bloody expensive, very unhelpful,no hosepipe,no mooring, and have to take it out before the river runs dry, hardly any security, 40 slog to get to any decent water, gets VERY shallow, Try Rocley Park, worlds apart, very nice, lots too do for kids etc