Slipway charlestown St Austell

[fastasfox]

Has anyone used the slipway in the outer harbour at Charlestown? It looks a little steep!

I have used the slipway at Gorran Haven but it entails going accros the beach....not such a problem until you recover and unless you have a bit of a run up you can get stuck (often tourists hang about on the slip so you have to stop)

Charlestown would be perfect access to the roseland but that slipway looks very steep and very slippy...don't want to give the locals another opportunity to slag off another bmw driver in the water....I must invest in a Landrover Discovery at some point.

I could drop down to Mylor but it a fair lick back up to Mevagissey etc ....
So looking at everywhere else and ruling some out for lack of parking,it just leaves me with Charlestown...do I rule that out too?

[GEllis]

Charlestown is popular with tourists, busy / parking not great - Harbour is private. Never launched there myself. The slip is steep. Would advise against TBH.

I use Mylor all the time - very hassle free, use the first slip as you come in then park in the boat yard. Plenty of room for the trailer. Visitor pontoon available if you are down for a few days. Appreciate its a trip out round to Meva, for me though it is so hassle free I'd do that + Carrick Roads has a lot to offer. Hope that helps.

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by GEllis

Charlestown is popular with tourists, busy / parking not great - Harbour is private. Never launched there myself. The slip is steep. Would advise against TBH.

I use Mylor all the time - very hassle free, use the first slip as you come in then park in the boat yard. Plenty of room for the trailer. Visitor pontoon available if you are down for a few days. Appreciate its a trip out round to Meva, for me though it is so hassle free I'd do that + Carrick Roads has a lot to offer. Hope that helps.

We Are down for two weeks and I will launch at Mylor (weather permitting) at some point.

There is a great little slipway at portmellon but zero parking.
Cheers.

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by fastasfox

Has anyone used the slipway in the outer harbour at Charlestown? It looks a little steep!



I have used the slipway at Gorran Haven but it entails going accros the beach....not such a problem until you recover and unless you have a bit of a run up you can get stuck (often tourists hang about on the slip so you have to stop)



Charlestown would be perfect access to the roseland but that slipway looks very steep and very slippy...don't want to give the locals another opportunity to slag off another bmw driver in the water....I must invest in a Landrover Discovery at some point.



I could drop down to Mylor but it a fair lick back up to Mevagissey etc ....

So looking at everywhere else and ruling some out for lack of parking,it just leaves me with Charlestown...do I rule that out too?

Charlestown dries out so far you can't get into the piers at times so you'd need to plan your tides to use the slip.
Don't they do day launches at Pentewan sands now? They used to offer assisted day launching when we used to go but its been a few years since, maybe worth asking

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by beamishken

Charlestown dries out so far you can't get into the piers at times so you'd need to plan your tides to use the slip.
Don't they do day launches at Pentewan sands now? They used to offer assisted day launching when we used to go but its been a few years since, maybe worth asking

Pentewan sands only launch residents craft...I called them last year.
I'm going to give Charlestown a miss I think.

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by fastasfox

Pentewan sands only launch residents craft...I called them last year.

I'm going to give Charlestown a miss I think.

I guess they decided to keep it private & doubt they need the revenue, I guess they see it as a selling point for folk to stay there instead of elsewhere. Its a shame your struggling to find a good launch when there's so many nice places to visit in the area once your on the water. Cornwall is unfortunately a victim of its own popularity, when we used to go weekends or damp or windy days the whole place was almost gridlocked with folk changing over or looking for something to do instead of playing on the beaches.

[treerat]

Porthkerris launch boats for you - would be worth checking on their availability.

https://porthkerris.com/contact/

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by treerat

Porthkerris launch boats for you - would be worth checking on their availability.

https://porthkerris.com/contact/

Too far from the Roseland but looks interesting in its own right and close to the river Helford too.

I looked on Google earth but there was no street view, is it a shallow beach? do the breakers cause much of a bother down there?
Cheers.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by fastasfox

Too far from the Roseland but looks interesting in its own right and close to the river Helford too.

I looked on Google earth but there was no street view, is it a shallow beach? do the breakers cause much of a bother down there?
Cheers.

We launched the SIB at Percuil boatyard on the Roseland. Donation for RNLI for the use of the slip & £2 all day parking in the car park 100m up the road. You can drive down the slip onto hard sand at LW.

[treerat]

Originally Posted by fastasfox

Too far from the Roseland but looks interesting in its own right and close to the river Helford too.

I looked on Google earth but there was no street view, is it a shallow beach? do the breakers cause much of a bother down there?
Cheers.

I'll know in 3 weeks when we take the rib there. From memory it can be a bit lumpy, but only with an on shore wind.

[Bucksribster]

Why not launch at Fowey? Charlestown is only just round the corner.

[Fenlander]

When we had a couple of weeks sibbing at Fowey (yep excellent for trailer or hand launch/retrieve) we drove round to Charlestown for a look. The slipway looked more like an old days chute you'd use to dispose of anything you didn't want rather than a boat launch location.

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

We launched the SIB at Percuil boatyard on the Roseland. Donation for RNLI for the use of the slip & £2 all day parking in the car park 100m up the road. You can drive down the slip onto hard sand at LW.

Can't argue at that....in these times where everyone with a hand wants to stick it in your pocket. Cheers Dave.

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by Bucksribster

Why not launch at Fowey? Charlestown is only just round the corner.

That is a great call....is there a public slip or is it a yacht club?
Cheers.

[Fenlander]

It is a public slip called Caffa Mill.

Have a look at my pics on post 25 of this thread. Couple of random ones of the car park and two of the slipway. In the pic with two slipways adj the one in the foreground is for the constantly running (during daylight hours) ferry across the river which must never be used. The slip facing you in the distance on that pic is the old ferry slip which is steep with dreadful vehicle access and now only used by canoes and dinghies.

https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/sibbin...wey-78786.html

The public main one however is broad, a decent slope and usable at every tide state we saw over two weeks. Car parking adj is very difficult in the core daytime period but there is secondary parking (just a couple of minutes walk back to the slip) at The Old Station Yard in Passage Lane.

Fowey is an excellent launch spot as you have a good few minutes passage time to the open sea for tidying kit and making sure all is running well... and the chance if you want to stop off at one of the town pontoons for a pastie or crab sandwich on the way out.

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

It is a public slip called Caffa Mill.

Have a look at my pics on post 25 of this thread. Couple of random ones of the car park and two of the slipway. In the pic with two slipways adj the one in the foreground is for the constantly running (during daylight hours) ferry across the river which must never be used. The slip facing you in the distance on that pic is the old ferry slip which is steep with dreadful vehicle access and now only used by canoes and dinghies.

https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/sibbin...wey-78786.html

The public main one however is broad, a decent slope and usable at every tide state we saw over two weeks. Car parking adj is very difficult in the core daytime period but there is secondary parking (just a couple of minutes walk back to the slip) at The Old Station Yard in Passage Lane.

Fowey is an excellent launch spot as you have a good few minutes passage time to the open sea for tidying kit and making sure all is running well... and the chance if you want to stop off at one of the town pontoons for a pastie or crab sandwich on the way out.

I went down to Fowey yesterday to check it out and I loved the place. Fowey has a real nice atmosphere about it. I spoke to a couple of people using the slipway and they said that the local council are in charge of the slipway and parking etc but don't tend to tend to it much, so people just rock up launch, park the trailer and pay to park the car...simple enough.
I'm just waiting for a weather window as it's been a bit blowey.
Ps nobody thought to mention that opposite the car park is probably the best ice cream parlour in the world....called " The Game of Cones"
I will post pictures.
Cheers for the info.

[Fenlander]

>>> loved the place. Fowey has a real nice atmosphere about it.... probably the best ice cream parlour in the world....called " The Game of Cones".

Agree Fowey is one of the best places we've stayed with a boat in the south west. In truth though if I were a non-boater the streets packed with folks all the while would make me seek a quieter location.

We had a somewhat uncertain relationship with Game of Cones. Staying a one minute walk away for two weeks with a family of four soon became an expensive business.

[oracle]

Many a good weekend's Ribbing from Fowey albeit quite some time ago

[fastasfox]

Launched from Fowey yesterday...love Fowey but my car didn't like the tow up the slip,luckily some big Cornish rowers were just recovering so pushed me....bless um.
Back to the drawing board....next stop Mylor.

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by GEllis

Charlestown is popular with tourists, busy / parking not great - Harbour is private. Never launched there myself. The slip is steep. Would advise against TBH.

I use Mylor all the time - very hassle free, use the first slip as you come in then park in the boat yard. Plenty of room for the trailer. Visitor pontoon available if you are down for a few days. Appreciate its a trip out round to Meva, for me though it is so hassle free I'd do that + Carrick Roads has a lot to offer. Hope that helps.

Mr Ellis, would you be kind enough to elaborate on directions to said slipway as I'm planning on launching tomorrow (weather permitting) cheers.