Big summer plans-lyme Regis, Tuckenhay and Weymouth

[Adam and Hayley]

Soooo,

Previously we've left the boat either on the Menai Strait or on the Solent. This year the plan is Lyme Regis giving us access over to Weymouth and beyond to the east and Dartmouth and the creeks to Tuckenhay to the west.

Any help you can give us re: launching from Lyme (I know the harbour dries but I can't find how soon after low tide is possible.

Anyone gone up to Tuckenhay?

Anyone got any other good ideas of good stop-offs? or handy berths or good hotels to stay over at in either direction?


WHATEVER golden nuggets of information you've got they'll be greatly received!

[The Black Pig]

Originally Posted by Adam and Hayley

Soooo,

Previously we've left the boat either on the Menai Strait or on the Solent. This year the plan is Lyme Regis giving us access over to Weymouth and beyond to the east and Dartmouth and the creeks to Tuckenhay to the west.

Any help you can give us re: launching from Lyme (I know the harbour dries but I can't find how soon after low tide is possible.

Anyone gone up to Tuckenhay?

Anyone got any other good ideas of good stop-offs? or handy berths or good hotels to stay over at in either direction?


WHATEVER golden nuggets of information you've got they'll be greatly received!

Tuckenhay ( bow creek ) dries to a stream and the maltsters arms do rooms and can provide a berth to sit on the mud

Dittisham is a good stop with a pub on the dart further up

[JamesF]

I would guess LW±2h is just about possible if you want to stay on the concrete slipway. Below that is quite flat, sticky mud. There's no sill, and it dries almost completely, leaving just a small area that's deep enough for a RIB in the entrance (between the end of the North Wall and the Cobb). You sometimes see the harbour virtually dry, and a trawler moored to the Cobb just barely outside the entrance.

It is possible to recover RIBs there around about low water springs, But it takes a lot of people (say, a dozen) in wet kit, or the harbourmaster's telehandler (and a long rope, because they won't take it in the water). If you have to wait, they have pontoons outside the main harbour which don't dry (although the inner ones can get very shallow).

Lyme is exposed in a strong South-Easterly, and if one is forecast they'll take the pontoons in. It's well protected otherwise.

The nearest diversions would be West Bay (to the East), about which I know almost nothing, and Axe (which has a sand bar across the entrance at low tide). After that, it's Exmouth and Weymouth. Everything in between is either beach or cliffs. Not that they aren't worth stopping at or anchoring off, just that going ashore looks like
← this.

The River Exe Cafe might make an interesting lunch stop. It's moored somewhere upriver of Exmouth harbour.

[Adam and Hayley]

The Maltsters used to be Keith Floyd's place and that's our aim....


But I guess if we get the tides wrong we'll just sit in the mud

[Adam and Hayley]

JamesF: Thanks. Thats exactly what I needed to know

[lakelandterrier]

Tuckennhay is a good hour up the Dart from the entrance - 6kts from Castle Ledge buoy.

I wouldn't want to be in Bow Creek outside of HT +/-2 - the channel is narrow and twisty - but well marked with red / green poles. A long wait if you get it wrong!

As the Black Pig has said, Ferryboat at Dittisham is good, and there are a number of good places in Dartmouth and Kingswear.

Dartmouth will be a good 2 1/4 hours each way from Lyme - ran up inthe Summer from Brixham in a bit over 1hr 45min n each way

River Exe Cafe is good lunch stop - you will need to book.

One thing to note: there's little safe haven in the stretch from Exmouth to Lyme if the weather turns- it's fairly bare.

Haven't exlored further East, from Lyme yet so can't advise that way.

Good luck, may see you on Devon waters in the summer

[Budgie1]

Personally if its an option I would advise using West Bay for launch/recovery rather than Lyme, easier to get to and park, pontoons available not tidal, taps for washing down etc.

If heading East treat Portland Bill with upmost respect gets very nasty around there if you get the tidal streams wrong!!

[Adam and Hayley]

Hmm. Not considered west bay.

Normally I leave the boat in a secure location and tow it the last couple of miles.

I liked the look of Lyme Regis as having spoken To the harbour master he’d recommended his back yard!

Any good parking near west bay or secure mooring?

[Pikey Dave]

West Bay is a much better launch than Lyme. All states concrete slip & pontoons. If it's blowing westerly, tow round to Portland & launch either at Ferrybridge or Osprey but be prepared to stick your hand in your pocket. The eastern side of Portland is sheltered in a westerly blow. The oyster bar at ferrybridge is worth a lunch stop (or it was 5 years ago[emoji6]). You can pass around Portland head tight inshore & avoid the race if you're brace.
Beautiful part of the country, enjoy.

Ps the cream teas at Down House farm on Golden Cap are excellent [emoji106]

[Maximus]

Launching at Westbay is a good option as said...half decent food too.
It also enables you to use the summer pontoons at Lyme for free,and you can leave Her in overnight if have a word with the Harbour master especially good if you wish to explore the area over a few days...Good interesting run to Weymouth and Lulworth Bay..via the"Bill" (beware of Pots under the surface on Springs!)...the other way past Lyme Chartion Bay is a fantastic picnic/barbi spot in the Summer on calm days

Tiegnmouth is another option not mentioned...although the Tidal stream rips a bit on Springs.
Axemouth is best avoided ,messy, shallow,fast flowing,very limited facilities and has limited window for recovery.
Have a good one!

[Budgie1]

Originally Posted by Adam and Hayley

Hmm. Not considered west bay.

Any good parking near west bay or secure mooring?

No secure moorings at West Bay if you need that nearest will be Portland or Torquay, there must be secure boat/trailer storage locally but not something I've ever needed so no info

[lakelandterrier]

Teignmouth - don't forget Shaldon! are good - but not in an easterly
and there's no pontoon / walk ashore option - unless things have changed.

Either need a tender to row to / from a mooring or wade / swim in. Tide is v. fast in the river.

[The Black Pig]

Originally Posted by Adam and Hayley

The Maltsters used to be Keith Floyd's place and that's our aim....


But I guess if we get the tides wrong we'll just sit in the mud

We have been going there for years
The pub/restaurant has changed hands many times a chap called Quentin had It for years and did a good bbq on overflow, one landlord sold up and literally sailed off to France into the proverbial sunset

[Adam and Hayley]

We've stayed at the Maltsters a few times and the foods always been great (and the beer). The thought of being able to moor up outside puts a smile on my face just thinking about it (especially in the summer when it's a car parking nightmare).

Looks like we're going to go with West Bay as we can launch on any tide. We've found good place to leave the boat. We've bought the chart- Imray C5 and it seems to open up options to both the east and west. Plenty of depth with very few obstructions or nasty rocks just under the surface- Menai Strait was great but it did raise our pulses through the Swellies and again at the south end with ever moving sand bars.

All we need now is a good summer!

[Adam and Hayley]

completed this part today. We've done Teignmouth last month- VVV interesting tides going in and out.

Not at Bayards Cove Inn. Refueling tomorrow before going up to Dittisham and Totnes then back down to Tuckenhay

[Adam and Hayley]

not = now

[lakelandterrier]

Glad you've had a good run - I did Westbay & back from Torbay earlier in the year.

Enjoy the Dartmouth Arms - good food too Bayards Cove is one of the nicest places to have a beer anywhere.

would have been nice to meet up, but I've had to come back today from Dartmouth for an op on my arm - no ribbing this week, or for the next 3 months. Shame, looked perfect fro a run across Lyme Bay.

LT

[Adam and Hayley]

That would have been good Lakeland terrier. Theres loads more to add to the trip. Im breaking it down into sections so I can add loads of pics and also if anyone else is looking up details it may be easier topic up...


ANYWAY.

I reckon form Westbay to Dartmouth is 35 miles. We took a direct route (bearing 232 degrees there and 52 degrees back

The sea state was calm
It took 35 litres of fuel at 20 a constant knots out of a 150hp Honda (2004) on a humber Ocean Pro 6.3m

Both on the way there and on the way back we came across a pod of dolphins within 1/4 of a mile of each direction. I reckon that was about 15 miles outside dartmouth... It seemed odd to come across them in such close proximity. No pics I'm afraid

[Adam and Hayley]

Coming in to Dartmouth you go past the 2 sets of battlements guarding the entrance and when we got down to the Kingswear Ferries (the first ferries you come across) we called DartNav on Channel 11. We knew we were staying at Byards Cove Inn so had worked out the closest pontoon was the "Yacht Club Pontoon" and quite literally JUST past the landing slip for the ferry on the Dartmouth side.We just called in and asked to use that pontoon, they asked our size and Bob was out uncle! You can then either wait for them to come over to pay your mooring fees or go to the harbour masters office or call them up again on CH11 and they send a very nice chap along. It cost £14.70 over-night and we felt the boat was safe.

[Adam and Hayley]

What we had not allowed for was the fact that this week was the Dartmouth Regatta so the place was heaving with other boats including a dirty great Cruise liner: the Saga Pearl 2 which was there in the morning.