Dartmouth area advice please

bestman · 03 June 2022, 16:05

Hello all,

I will be taking the 7m Coastline down to Noss on Dart for the first week of August.

I'd be very grateful for any suggestions on rib accessible destinations. Eating and drinking for adults and beaches for kids and dogs.

Quite happy to go about 20nm in any direction - more if it's a special venue.

Thanks in advance.

lakelandterrier · 04 June 2022, 21:22

That's my neck of the woods. Drop me a pm and I can give you lots of good suggestions.
LT

bestman · 05 June 2022, 21:11

Thanks PM sent

Nasher · 06 June 2022, 15:00

The Cricket Inn at Beesands in Start Bay would always get my vote, but I have many, many, happy memories of the place before it went all up market and 'Gastro' on us.

Nasher.

lakelandterrier · 06 June 2022, 16:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nasher

The Cricket Inn at Beesands in Start Bay would always get my vote, but I have many, many, happy memories of the place before it went all up market and 'Gastro' on us.

Nasher.

Yup, I had a very sharp intake of breath when I last took the family there fro lunch, that was some time ago. I hate to think what they are now:- In fact just looked at their website.....no prices against any of the meals- that tell me me they've gone very expensive!

bestman · 06 June 2022, 17:03

Thanks gents

Adam and Hayley · 07 June 2022, 12:34

If you want something calm and the tides are in your favour then see the link below.

We went from Lyme Regis to Dartmouth (that bit won't interest you particularly) and stayed and ate at Bayard's Cove Inn. and then in land up the river dart and Bow creek to stay the night and eat at "The Maltsters Arms" that used to be owned a long time ago now) by Keith Floyd.

Good food and arriving by boat beats trying to drive there... assuming you do get the tides right!

https://the-maltsters.co.uk/arriving-by-boat/

https://www.rib.net/forum/f8/big-sum...uth-77825.html

bestman · 07 June 2022, 13:22

Thanks Guys, much appreciated.

I reckon we'll give it a go.

lakelandterrier · 07 June 2022, 16:42

Defo want to watch the tide if venturing up Bow Creek to the Maltsters in a 7m boat!

The water drops very quickly and the channel is very narrow. Be embarrassing and boring to misjudge it

jjnuttall84 · 03 July 2022, 14:55

The Cary Arms at babbacombe would be a good place to visit for an afternoon lunch and a blast for a few miles. They usually put a pontoon out in the summer months for walking ashore.

On a high tide the Masters Arms at Tuckenhay is worth a visit too. Used to be owned by Keith Floyd and is a very pleasant place to visit. I would say no more than 2 hours either side of high tide would be advisable. Again, there is a pontoon to enable walking ashore.

Salcombe is worth a visit if the family wanted to do some shopping as well as having the time to have some food. You would likely need to moor on a bouy and use the taxi to take you ashore.

As far as beaches are concerned, Elender Cove in anything other than a south westerly is overly and closer to Dartmouth Redlap Cove. If you wanted to venture further then in bigbury cove you have Burgh Island which is quite a special place with the pub on the edge of the island called the Pilchard. It is the smallest pub I have been in a may be the smallest in the country (?). I would suggest visiting here on anything other than high tide to make use of the beaches that are uncovered with the lowering tide. No pontoon here but worth the visit in my opinion.

Lastly, you have Brixham and Torquay. As a day trip I wouldn’t bother with Torquay personally however Brixham has a rustic charm. A meal at the yacht club in Brixham is very special with the best view over the whole of Torbay. There are 2 pontoons to land on as a visitor, one run by the council and the other by MDL.

Teignmouth would be difficult because of no walk ashore but there is the potential to put the nose of the boat on a rising tide on beach next to the ship inn where you will witness the sunset right down the estuary. One of my favourite places in a summer evening.

Hope you have fun!

bestman · 03 July 2022, 20:49

Thanks very much for all the info - exactly the sort of thing I'm after.

I've already booked us in to the Masters Arms and will look into the other suggestions.

Thanks very much.

bestman · 07 August 2022, 18:32

Thanks all for your brilliant advice.

Maceley Cove & Elender Cove great sandy beaches to visit by rib.

Cary Arms Babbacombe - Have mooring buoys for hire but don't pick you up. We tied up to the pier for free which was fine. Stunning setting, good food, poor service.

Malsters Tuckenhay - Great cruise up river on high tide. Has seen better days but good food, good service.

Cricket Inn Beesands - Steep beach so needed packraft to get ashore after dropping family off. Setting ok, food amazing - best of the trip.

Dartmouth Arms and Bayards Cove - good Dartmouth eateries.

Salcombe - extremely busy, nice beaches on the way in, didn't stay for long. Would have liked to explore Kingsbridge but ran out of time.

Passage from Universal Hamble to Noss on Dart - 99nm and 99 litres burnt each way, but fuel was 1.82 at Hamble and 2.50 at Dartmouth! (Noss didn't have any fuel.)

5hrs there, 6 hrs back, nasty chop in Lyme Bay slowed me down horribly both ways, but did travel briefly with some dolphins which was fun. Portland Bill Inside passage non event at Portland HW +4.

Family had a great time, will definitely be back.

Thanks again for advice.

gpsguru · 07 August 2022, 20:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by bestman

5hrs there, 6 hrs back, nasty chop in Lyme Bay slowed me down horribly both ways,

.

Oh yeah, the chop we get in Lyme bay makes the solent chop look like a pond ripple 😉,

jjnuttall84 · 07 August 2022, 23:36

Glad you had a good time. There is a lot to explore round these parts!

bestman · 18 June 2024, 15:26

Hello All,

Having had such an amazing time in 2022 we are returning for another week this "summer".

We will be visiting some favourites from the last time, but wondered if anyone had any additional intel, or suggestions?

Happy with anywhere up to an hour's fast cruise from Dartmouth.

Interests are eating, drinking and things that will keep teenagers out of our hair.

Thanks in advance

Nick

treerat · 18 June 2024, 16:05

Salcombe and Kingsbridge should eb on your list as they weren't so well explored - it's one of our favourite jump to spots.

If you fancy the longer run, hop over to Plymouth. Lots top se and do there, and it is in the day trip range at about 30nm one way.

Eddystone Lighthouse is worth a trek as is Fowey - adding a few miles at 50nm one way - but a great trip if conditions allow.

Cary arms, we had a great meal there not too long ago, great service now too

Lets not forget the Barge in the Ex estuary - 20 nm or so, a great location, they have the ability to just attend and moor on the poonton and use the take away window, as I doubt they'll be a booking slot - https://www.riverexecafe.com/

bestman · 18 June 2024, 16:08

Thanks Treerat - much appreciated

smallribber · 18 June 2024, 16:43

Brixham

lakelandterrier · 18 June 2024, 18:07

Agree with most of Treerat's suggestions - I'd beware Kingsbridge except on a rising tide it gets really shallow quickly!

I'd want to going into Exe in rising tide too - approach channel is now very hallow, and is the fairway up the Exe - defo keep to the buoyed channel> Suggest you book well ahead for the River Exe Cafe

Worth a run to Lyme Regis / West Bay - the coast all the way along is fantastic, you can always cut across Lyme Bay on the way back to save some time.

Good swimming & snorkelling at Anstey's Cove in Torquay. Scabbacombe between Dartmouth & Brixham is a favourite of mine for a beach picnic & swim.

Places to eat / drink in the area - Steam Packet Kingswear do great pizza, Dartmouth Arms good, nice pint in Ship in Dock by Coronation Park....

lakelandterrier · 18 June 2024, 18:08

When are you going down? I'll be there c. 16-21 July.