sliways around newquay

[jwatson]

hi guys. off to newquay (pentire) for two weeks in august & looking for somewhere to launch my rib. I am only aware of the harbour which has very awkward access and is always always packed in the summer.

[Adamn]

Hi
There are not that many places on the North Coast and the ones that do have a slip tend to run down on to Beaches. The obvious ones are Padstow to your north and Hayle to your south.
Hayle has a new slip into the estuary but you can only launch/recover from mid tide onwards.

If you choose Hayle stay in the channel and be careful of any ground swell that can break either side of the channel. The good news there is that St Ives is a nice sheltered short run away.

You could always explore the south coast as well. Do you intend to launch your RIB and keep it in the water or recover each day?

[Transporterman99]

Hi, I'm fairly new to boats but I live in Pentire. If you are stuck for a route out to sea it is possible to launch from the public slipway on the River Gannel in Pentire. You can only do this around high tide and spring tides are best. In August you will probably find a few others launching there also. But unless you are planning a very quick trip you will have to recover elsewhere. Most times I have returned via the harbour. I don't think I have used the harbour in August though..

[jwatson]

Hey, thanks for that. I am lucky enough to be staying at a property that backs right down to the gannel and have heard of a slip on the river but not seen it myself. There is a possibility I could leave the boat moored / beached where I am staying if it appears suitable.
What sort of window do you think this slipway allows? An hour either side or more? Thanks.

[Harrys Game]

I went to Wadebridge a month ago and drove down to Padstow to see about launching, the Harbour Master was helpful but its quite a narrow time scale on neaps.
After chatting to a few locals I was directed to Rock which is directly opposite Padstow. You need to aim for the Rock Sailing Club but just as you enter there is a small hut with Beach Master written on it , slip to the beach by the side of it. Leave your trailer on the beach ( can get covered on springs and off you go £6. You cannot park on the beach but a ten minute walk (max) will see you parked up free of charge. The Beach Master must be the nicest bloke in Cornwall he is really friendly towards ribbers and will offer advice about the Doombar etc without hesitation.
It was my first visit to Cornwall and I must say its lovely. Regards Jim

[Transporterman99]

I'd say that's about right on a big tide. Bear in mind I'm a novice sib'er and your boat is bigger than mine!

It's a great place to walk at low tide (sand not mud) to see where the deeper water runs. As you walk towards the sea you will spot a couple of potential hazards. The first is the low tide bridge which is well covered on a decent tide but needs watching at other times. We were out at around high tide the other day but it wasn't a very big tide and I had to flip the engine up to get across!



The second is another small pedestrian bridge by the boathouse of the Fern Pit café. They remove a section of it when the water comes in to allow passage of boats but you need to navigate the supports.



There are occasional swimmers/SUP'ers etc in the river so it needs a nice gentle trickle out to sea. The mouth of the river is generally clearer because the lifeguards herd the swimmers away from the strong current there. It's a little-known but beautiful spot. Enjoy your holiday! I might even spot you out of my window.

[jwatson]

Yep I know that place well. The house is 2 minutes up river from the pedestrian bridge on the same side as the caf.
Padstow & rock are probably my favourite places around there so will definately be having a trip out to there!!!

[Adamn]

I have to say that on a big spring tide the Gannel turns into a lovely blue lagoon. The upper bridge is marked by a post which you can see in the first photo.
I have surfed Crantock Beach many times and you have to be careful of breaking waves in the channel if the swell is up.
The big spring tides run from Sat 09th August - Fri 15th August. The highest is on the Tu/We at 7.7m and close to the datum at low tide.