Decent slipway facilities in the South West

Gazza · 25 August 2004, 23:01

I am continually fustrated by both the lack of decent slipways and the facilities offered in this area....

In my experience to date there is not a decent slipway with decent facilities between Lyme Regis and Plymouth.....

Sidmouth Nothing
Budleigh Salterton Nothing
Exmouth No Parking
Starcross Tidal and limited by height and parking
Dawlish Nothing
Teignmouth Always busy and parking can be a problem
Torquay Main slipway closed because it is unsafe
Paignton Access and parking a problem
Brixham Traffic always a problem in the summer
Dartmouth Access and parking in the summer

And so on and so.......

Wouldn't it be nice to have a proper slipway with a proper car and trailer park with a shower and a toilet facility....

It this asking to much ???????

or is there such a place.

Any suggestions

Gazza

Richard B · 25 August 2004, 23:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gazza

Wouldn't it be nice to have a proper slipway with a proper car and trailer park with a shower and a toilet facility....

And a pontoon...

Tim M · 25 August 2004, 23:07

I know the feeling; here in Norfolk there are three slipways on the coast that are actually usable. One is made of mud so the car always gets stuck, one is covered with sea weed so you have to lower the trailer down on a rope to avoid reversing the car into the sea, and the other charges £15 a go!

I was very impressed with the facilities in the IOW; all the slips I visited were proper concrete ones, had pontoons to moor your boat up on, carparks near by, good facilities etc. And they were all free!

jools · 25 August 2004, 23:13

I find Brixham fairly good

Steep, wide slipway - all states of tide
parking for your trailer at the top of the slip
parking for the car in the Multi Story MDL marina car park, just accross the road (walkway through to the marina) - Always planty of space and cheaper than the council one. You can pay in the marina office for multiple days

To the right of the slip (as you look at it) is the harbour wall with steps down which makes a perfect "pontoon" access

Ok - traffic can be a bit bad getting there in the middle of the summer, but last time I launched there for the weekend and went round to Dartmouth and I didn't have to pay for the trailer or the launch/recover

Harbour Master must have had the weekend off!

Cheers
Jools

TQBoater · 25 August 2004, 23:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gazza

Paignton Access and parking a problem
Gazza

I don't find Paignton to bad it's always busy on a nice day as the tide hits the slip but given a half hour it's pretty clear. You should try it on a weekday evening when the rowers are out!!
Don't find parking a problem but I stopped using the trailer park ages ago when my last trailer got bent, now just drive up the back roads with the trailer still attached and get a space on the roadside.

My biggest bind with it is it's tidal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gazza

Torquay Main slipway closed because it is unsafe
Gazza

Well Torquay is a joke, there is a plan I believe to build a new slip on the outside of the Livingcoasts building but if or when is a big IF and WHEN.
Access and parking will then be the problem, if there was one thing Torquay didn't need it was another pub and it's always been short on parking.

Yet to try any others myself in the area as I find it quicker to get anywhere by boat !!

Gazza · 26 August 2004, 00:15

Yeah

understand what you say with regard to both Paignton and Brixham but I live in Exeter and it take ten mins to Newton Abbot and then an hour on the Torbay Ring Road to get there.......

I parked up a Teignmouth last week... launched the boat and left the Discovery and trailer parked neatly on the beach...

On my return some one had lifted and pushed my trailer to one side... So much so that I could not drive it out.

I had to try and lift and pull it back inline in order to move it.....

On my own.........

A friend of mine has just returned from Brittany and he is raving about how good the slipway facilities are over there.....

So why is it so poor here...

Gazza

Keith Hart · 26 August 2004, 07:25

Slipways...get you own.

Here is the one at the bottom of my garden - great for my SIB.

There is another public slipway just the other side of the grass (15 meters away) but the bottom part was damaged by storms and the council are going to repair it.

Of course you could get a sib and then you wouldn't even need a slipway

Keith Hart

Nick Hearne · 26 August 2004, 08:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Hart

Slipways...get you own.

Here is the one at the bottom of my garden - great for my SIB.

There is another public slipway just the other side of the grass (15 meters away) but the bottom part was damaged by storms and the council are going to repair it.

Of course you could get a sib and then you wouldn't even need a slipway

Keith Hart

Keith did not relies the see came in that close to Birmingham!

If we want better slips then we have to pay for them, & I think most councils will tell you they do not have the budget to fund them!
Nick

Gazza · 26 August 2004, 09:16

Nick

Valid point reference paying for better slipways only problem is that by the time I've paid 40% income Tax, Company Car and Mobile Phone tax, and the 17.5 % vat on everything I buy, and then my Council Tax I am unsure if I can afford it this week........

If its a matter of funding, how come the French do it so much better.....

Are we not all European..........

Gazza

Gazza · 26 August 2004, 09:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Hart

Slipways...get you own.

Here is the one at the bottom of my garden - great for my SIB.

There is another public slipway just the other side of the grass (15 meters away) but the bottom part was damaged by storms and the council are going to repair it.

Of course you could get a sib and then you wouldn't even need a slipway

Keith Hart

Keith

Can I borrow your slipway then ???????????????????

Gazza

codprawn · 26 August 2004, 11:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gazza

Nick

Are we not all European..........

Gazza

NO!!!!!

Please we have spent the last few hundred years fighteing most of them! They all hate us and i suspect most of us feel the same!

Nick Hearne · 26 August 2004, 12:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gazza

Nick

Valid point reference paying for better slipways only problem is that by the time I've paid 40% income Tax, Company Car and Mobile Phone tax, and the 17.5 % vat on everything I buy, and then my Council Tax I am unsure if I can afford it this week........

If its a matter of funding, how come the French do it so much better.....

Are we not all European..........

Gazza

Because they pay even more tax!
Nick

jwrhold · 26 August 2004, 15:04

Salcombe has an excellent slipway, wide, concrete, free of seaweed, and parking facilities on had in immediate vicinity.......give it a try....

Johnny

Brian · 26 August 2004, 18:22

And to look on the positive side..........the above limitations means that the coastline is REALLY worth seeing because:
a) the geography makes lots of wide slipways and carparks a no-no (and the coastal scenery georgeous)
b)the absence of plentiful launching facilities reduces the number of casual boaters
c) and a) and b) combined hopefully makes you want to try just that little bit harder, because ribbing is really, really worth it once you get here.