Advice for 1st time Falmouth visit

ScottyDog · 05 August 2007, 10:16

Hi

Anyone have any suggestions about the best places to launch/store a 6m RIB as I am visiting Falmouth for the first time and my friends are not boaters so have limited insight. I will be there Wed-Sun 15th to 20th August. I know there is the Falmouth Festival that week too but I hope it shouldn't make too much difference to the boating crowd.

Any help would be appreciated and if anyone's around during this time please let me know if you want to meet up on the water.

Cheers.

Mollers · 05 August 2007, 10:33

Yeah, I'm local, but only when I'm at home.

Pm me with your requirements and I'll point you in the right direction.

Markyboyo · 05 August 2007, 10:34

Pretty sure the best launch point it the slip at the watersports centre next to Trago Mills, Very wide, well maintained and a good gradient. There is also a pontoon running down its edge so the boat is safe whilst you sort your trailer etc!
I'm not too sure about costs/storage short term but a season ticket to launch/recover is £150. Falmouth will be pretty busy with loads of visiting boats for Falmouth Week regattas.

Mollers · 05 August 2007, 10:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markyboyo

Pretty sure the best launch point it the slip at the watersports centre next to Trago Mills, Very wide, well maintained and a good gradient. There is also a pontoon running down its edge so the boat is safe whilst you sort your trailer etc!
I'm not too sure about costs/storage short term but a season ticket to launch/recover is £150. Falmouth will be pretty busy with loads of visiting boats for Falmouth Week regattas.

The 'Dinghy park' is council run and bloody expensive now. £10 per launch plus you have to pay to park in the public carpark and pay to leave the trailer.
Depending on where the guy is staying, it might be easier and cheaper to use Mylor. Friends of our's usually have a deal with Mylor to leave it in the marina for the week when visiting.

Markyboyo · 05 August 2007, 10:45

why do things always have to change for the worse?! Whats the consensus on the best place to launch/park these days? My boat used to be moored on loe beach but I used to launch it at the watersports centre occaisionally in the evening once everyone had gone home!!
Currently boatless but should be the owner of a new rib next season!

Mollers · 05 August 2007, 10:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markyboyo

why do things always have to change for the worse?! Whats the consensus on the best place to launch/park these days? My boat used to be moored on loe beach but I used to launch it at the watersports centre occaisionally in the evening once everyone had gone home!!
Currently boatless but should be the owner of a new rib next season!

I know, I keep mine in Port Pendennis marina (when the weather is good enough to bother

) I launch at Mylor and drive it around rather than cough up all those charges. You're right, it's a cracking slip and only unuseable at the bottom of a spring low tide.

alexm · 05 August 2007, 10:51

We'll most likely be there that week too. The festival is also a full-on regatta for the entire week so yes, I'm afraid there will definitely be a higher demand on boating facilities.

I agree with the posts above, best place to launch is Mylor, which is free to use. It's a fairly shallow slip, good surface, pontoon alongside and probably usable at least 2-3 hrs either side of high tide?... They charge for trailer parking however. Not sure what the cost is as we keep the trailer back at our place.

If you want to keep the boat in the water there's an excellent marina at Mylor too, although I don't know what availability will be like that week. You've also got Falmouth Marina, Falmouth Yacht Haven and Port Pendennis at Falmouth Docks.

Whereabouts are you staying?

ScottyDog · 05 August 2007, 11:07

I will be staying the weekend in Penryn but want to meet up with a friend that works at the Maritime museum and they are off on Friday so perhaps get a few days exploring by boat then have the weekend afloat too. I have not booked anywhere else to stay for the Wed & Thursday night, any suggestions ? I was hoping to launch at Mylor, the fees seem to be £3 for trailer and £4 for car so is very affordable. The visitors mooring is £2.20 per metre per day but can't be booked so will try on spec.

Mollers · 05 August 2007, 11:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexm

We'll most likely be there that week too. The festival is also a full-on regatta for the entire week so yes, I'm afraid there will definitely be a higher demand on boating facilities.

I agree with the posts above, best place to launch is Mylor, which is free to use. It's a fairly shallow slip, good surface, pontoon alongside and probably usable at least 2-3 hrs either side of high tide?... They charge for trailer parking however. Not sure what the cost is as we keep the trailer back at our place.

If you want to keep the boat in the water there's an excellent marina at Mylor too, although I don't know what availability will be like that week. You've also got Falmouth Marina, Falmouth Yacht Haven and Port Pendennis at Falmouth Docks.

Whereabouts are you staying?

Mylor is cheap, £3 to store trailer and a bit more to park the car. As for the pontoon, A dick known as 'Pontoon Pete' runs a boat hire business off of half of it, if you should happen to use any part of it that he deems his, he'll blow his stack! He is unfortunately a poor ambassador for Cornish tourism. If this should happen feel free to insult him and his ancestory.

Markyboyo · 05 August 2007, 11:07

Think I will go 4x4 when I get the new boat so I can launch at Loe Beach and leave the car/trailer at my folks place up the road!
The best one I have found is the beach at Helford passage, there is no real slip, trailers cannot be left in the carpark and the access is totally crap,
£15 to launch and.....£15 to recover! Its obviously a case that they do not want regular launching but my friend lives less than 5 minutes from there and it annoys him no end!!

Markyboyo · 05 August 2007, 11:14

Was hassled there summer before last, was going back to the boat after a beer in Castaways and he really lost it!!! Prob the same guy, laugh at him and he gets even more angry, I get great joy from provoking people like that!

Mollers · 05 August 2007, 11:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markyboyo

Think I will go 4x4 when I get the new boat so I can launch at Loe Beach and leave the car/trailer at my folks place up the road!
The best one I have found is the beach at Helford passage, there is no real slip, trailers cannot be left in the carpark and the access is totally crap,
£15 to launch and.....£15 to recover! Its obviously a case that they do not want regular launching but my friend lives less than 5 minutes from there and it annoys him no end!!

I live on the road to Mawnan in the North Helford area

. Helford (back) Passage is another example of crazy charging.

Mollers · 05 August 2007, 11:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markyboyo

Think I will go 4x4 when I get the new boat so I can launch at Loe Beach and leave the car/trailer at my folks place up the road!
The best one I have found is the beach at Helford passage, there is no real slip, trailers cannot be left in the carpark and the access is totally crap,
£15 to launch and.....£15 to recover! Its obviously a case that they do not want regular launching but my friend lives less than 5 minutes from there and it annoys him no end!!

A grey bearded grizzly looking little twonk?

ScottyDog · 05 August 2007, 11:20

I shall endeavour to find 'Pontoon Pete' and see how well he has earned this reputation. Look out for some YouTube footage if I can film the encounter. Sounds like a total loon.

Thanks for your advice. A quick response.

Please let me know if anyone wants to join up. i will check this post and any PMs nearer the time.

alexm · 05 August 2007, 11:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

Mylor is cheap, £3 to store trailer and a bit more to park the car. As for the pontoon, A dick known as 'Pontoon Pete' runs a boat hire business off of half of it, if you should happen to use any part of it that he deems his, he'll blow his stack! He is unfortunately a poor ambassador for Cornish tourism. If this should happen feel free to insult him and his ancestory.

I can't believe I've not run into him before! Probably because we tend to put one person in the boat and they drive it straight off the trailer and away so we don't use the pontoon.... I'll make a point of it now though cos I feel like I've missed out!

Markyboyo · 05 August 2007, 11:30

Mollers, do you keep your boat afloat in PP or on the trailer, what sort of cost are you looking at there? Planning on having a look at the flats there in the near future, would be rather convienient to keep a boat there too.

Markyboyo · 05 August 2007, 11:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

A grey bearded grizzly looking little twonk?

That would be the one!! Aren't they all?!

ScottyDog · 05 August 2007, 16:10

My mate (who lives in Penryn) could not believe this character had such a reputation. He has gone beserk loads of times when any of my mate's fellow gig rowers have so much as touched the boundary between the pontoon and his patch. A real legend. I can't wait.

Biggles · 05 August 2007, 16:50

Have you got some one really big and menacing looking you can take with you. Have him hidden somewhere, wind the guy up then bring out the big bloke. Should be good for a laugh.

Mollers · 05 August 2007, 17:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottyDog

My mate (who lives in Penryn) could not believe this character had such a reputation. He has gone beserk loads of times when any of my mate's fellow gig rowers have so much as touched the boundary between the pontoon and his patch. A real legend. I can't wait.

That's the guy.He's an utter tit. The prob is that there isn't actually any pontoon for the slip users. The 'public' portion is full of punts that the fishermen use to get out to their moored boats and the rest is taken up by 'Pontoon'. There's also sailing school operating out of that spot aswell. Incidentally, that's the slip where the wreck of a speedboat on a trailer 'let go' of the car it was attached to and ran down the slip and killed the 6yo kid.