Public Slipways near Bovisand, Plymouth

NSS · 04 August 2010, 18:19

Hi all, I'm renting a cottage at Bovisand overlooking Plymouth Sound for a week later this month and have been looking to see where the nearest public slipway is located. Boatlaunch.co.uk lists one at Fort Bovisand Diving Centre but suggests it has been closed since 2003. Anyone know if this is the case, or of any other slips I can launch my RiB from in that area, please?

jonmitch · 04 August 2010, 20:40

Hi

Fort bovisand slip has been closed for a while.

Your nearest (and free) slip is at Mountbatten about a 4 mile drive from where you are staying. Its an excellent wideslip with easy access.

Hope this helps.

Jon

NSS · 04 August 2010, 20:44

Thanks Jon. Just looked it up and sounds ideal. Much appreciated, cheers! Just need decent weather to return for that week.

jonmitch · 04 August 2010, 20:50

Excellent weather forecast predicted. Plymouth Sound and the surrounds is absolutely fantastic RIB fodder. So Much to do see. Make sure you go up the Yealm on a rising tide and moor at the Ship Inn at Noss Mayo. Also pop across to Kingsand if you can. Lastly, pootle up the Tamar to see the ships and up the Lynher for lovely scenery. Watch out for the tidal run in the Hamoaze.

Enjoy!

Jon

CJL · 04 August 2010, 21:18

It is worth the money to launch at Queen Anne's Battery.

A small minority of the locals seem to think it is great fun to nick your trailers from the public car park at Mt Batten. Also the limited parking there is very frustrating.

And don't ever think about tying your boat up to the Mt Batten Centre pontoon.....the owners will be on you in seconds demanding money!

Chris

CJL · 04 August 2010, 21:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by NSS

Hi all, I'm renting a cottage at Bovisand overlooking Plymouth Sound for a week later this month and have been looking to see where the nearest public slipway is located. Boatlaunch.co.uk lists one at Fort Bovisand Diving Centre but suggests it has been closed since 2003. Anyone know if this is the case, or of any other slips I can launch my RiB from in that area, please?

Oh make sure you check out the River Yealm and the little village of Newton Ferrers. Very picturesque and the Ship Inn on the southern side of the valley is well worth checking out. (http://www.nossmayo.com/)

JakeT · 04 August 2010, 22:21

The dive club I am a member of used the Fort Bovi slip very recently (around April) and am pretty sure it is still open. Speak to these guys to get mor info. They run the dive shop just by the slip. http://www.discoverydivers.org/index...tpage&Itemid=1

NSS · 05 August 2010, 16:26

Thanks all. First visit to Plymouth with the RiB so good to have your thoughts on best places to see. The Ship Inn looks like a very attractive option :-)

Cheers!

Simon B · 05 August 2010, 16:47

Talk to the dive centre at Bovi, if it isnt to busy they may let you tie up over night there. We have but we've also been diving out of there so bought air and all the other asociated rubbish that goes with diving...

Kernow Buoy · 05 August 2010, 18:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by NSS

Thanks all. First visit to Plymouth with the RiB so good to have your thoughts on best places to see. The Ship Inn looks like a very attractive option :-)

Cheers!

Add 'The Spaniards' at Cargreen to that list, carry on up the Tamar to calstock too,

Oh, there's a no speed restriction area above the Tamar bridge, great for watersports.

Mollers · 05 August 2010, 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kernow

Add 'The Spaniards' at Cargreen to that list, carry on up the Tamar to calstock too,

Oh, there's a no speed restriction area above the Tamar bridge, great for watersports.

And superb camping very near by at Carlyon Bay.

jonmitch · 08 August 2010, 23:17

The Spaniards Inn closed as a pub ages ago and is now a swanky wedding venue...so dont bother. Its also quite a long way from St Austell.

Launched many times from Mountbatten and have never had any problems with the "locals".

QAB is expensive and, given that the roads into Plymouth centre are currently being dug up, is a major pain in the arse to get to. Avoid at all costs at least until October.

Make sure you get your boat in the water to watch the national fireworks championships!!

Kernow Buoy · 09 August 2010, 08:18

Spaniards closed?

That place was a magnet for every 17yr old for 20 miles around in the 70's, many an evening spent there (mainly trying to start my CB250

) sipping away at Tuborg gold. Last went there about 3 years ago by boat, was open then and served cracking food. Just seen the website, shame.

Brian · 09 August 2010, 14:14

Mountbatten Marina?
Mayflower Marina?
Both have slips. The one at Mayflower is a bit tight but I launched from there years and years ago.......and its free!! And theres free carparking with trailer!!

Er, there WAS free launch/car/trailer parking. Dont know if its still free.

NSS · 09 August 2010, 18:26

Thanks for all the tips folks. Am heading west on Wednesday so will hopefully catch the second night of the fireworks.

As a side note, I normally launch less than 3 miles from home but thought I'd get Indespension to give it the trailer the once over before departing for what is a 150+ mile tow down to Plymouth. Very glad I did as one of the wheel bearings had pretty much disintegrated. No sign on 3 mile tow, but suspect I'd have been stuck at a roadside sometime Wednesday if I'd not had them service it today!

TUFTY · 09 August 2010, 20:07

There is a handy slip in Oreston (on the way to mountbatten) No charge and free parking either in spaces along waterside or surrounding roads.

If your really lucky the freshwater tap will be working so you
can rinse and engine flush if it's not too busy.

Look on google maps, its up the river from mountbatten.

Used to live 100 yds from it in the good old days, well handy.

Have a good trip

Paul

NSS · 19 August 2010, 09:50

Hi all

Just returned home after spending a great week exploring the waters in and around Plymouth Sound and wanted to say thanks again for your tips.

We used Mount Batten slip throughout the week, and whilst there's no 'public' pontoon from which to load/unload passengers, the 'private' Mount Batten Watersports Centre pontoon is conveniently only 50 yards away. There was some confusion among staff as to what the rate should be for using the pontoon so, as I was literally letting people on or off the RiB, they let me do so free of charge.

Made it round to Noss Mayo, though was unable to moor at the Ship Inn due to the state of the tide. We were lucky with the weather as, for most of the week, the wind was a light North-Westerly making sea conditions in and around the Sound near perfect.

Will definitely return to the area again in the future (if only to have a pint or two at the Ship!).

Cheers again for your advice.

PS. Fort Bovisand is currently still used for dive training but slipway not open to the public. And the word is that Greg Dyke and some other guy have bought the fort and submitted plans to turn it into luxury flats!

Simon B · 19 August 2010, 11:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by NSS

PS. Fort Bovisand is currently still used for dive training but slipway not open to the public. And the word is that Greg Dyke and some other guy have bought the fort and submitted plans to turn it into luxury flats!

Oh dear, doesnt sound good, luxury marina coming on methinks, no one is going to buy a luxury flat and look over a car park full of beer beelied divers - and that's just the girls!

I need to think more positively, maybe he's a diver and is well aware of it's value as a location.