Katie

Why do we love sailing from Plymouth? Plymouth is a wonderful base location for our sailing experience business, and it is rapidly being picked up on the radar by journalists as being a cool little city by the sea. Did you read Holly Bruce’s review in GQ magazine last month? It was an inspiring read – but we think we can add to it (from a sailing perspective and with our guests in mind, of course!)

When planning a bareboat charter or sailing experience, Plymouth is often overlooked as a possible sailing starting point because it is viewed as being too far away. However, it is more accessible than you think. Firstly, Plymouth has a mainline train station, making it just over 3 hours from London, 2 hours from Bristol and 3-and-a-half hours from Birmingham. Our yachts are based at the King Point and Mayflower Marinas – just a 5-minute (or a 6-minute at the very most) taxi ride from the station. In my opinion, you can’t get much more accessible than that!

For the same reason, bareboat charterers often request yachts on the River Dart thinking that Dartmouth is closer to their home than Plymouth. Mileage-wise, it probably is. However, have you tried driving through those narrow lanes…behind a tractor…then tried to find a parking space close enough to unload your provisions? (Forget it during regatta week!) It certainly adds to your journey time. Travelling to Plymouth is so straight forward: the M5 turns into A38, so at least 2 lanes most of the way giving you the opportunity to overtake all the way down! With a car park at the marina and the yachts being moored on pontoons (as opposed to trot moorings), everything is so much easier. (Incidentally, Dartmouth is easily accessible within a days sail, and in my opinion, it is so much more fun accessing it by water rather than road.)

As a starting location, sailing from Plymouth is ideal because it gives you so many destination choices regardless of the wind direction. Leave King Point Marina and head west for Fowey, Falmouth and the Isles of Scilly, or head east for Salcombe, Dartmouth, Brixham and Torquay. It is an ideal solution for those looking to bareboat charter or take part in one of our weekend sailing experiences package.

Plymouth itself has so much to offer our guests. Looking for restaurants within easy reach of the marina? The Dock is based at King Point Marina and offers a wonderful range of food in a lovely environment. A 15 minute walk in one direction will take you to the historic Royal William Yard which houses a number of restaurants, whereas 15 minutes in the opposite direction will take you to the buzzing Barbican area of the city, where you will find yourself walking past (or perhaps into) the famous Plymouth Gin distillery and a further selection of places to eat.

Plymouth is a vibrant waterfront city packed full of attractions, activities, shopping, entertainment and sightseeing. And as far as we are concerned, it is an ideal base location for the start of your sailing adventure.

We were delighted to be asked to donate a raffle prize for the Great Gatsby Ball held earlier this month raise money for the Children’s Hospice South West Daisy Chain fund.

Held at Boringdon Park Golf Club, the evening began with a reception drink on arrival, a delicious 3 course meal, coffee and mints, entertainment, DJ and disco and the chance to enter a draw and win some amazing prizes.

This fabulous event was organized by a wonderful group of energetic people who are raising money in memory of a beautiful baby girl who sadly passed away aged just 16 weeks old. Their target is to raise £50,000 by July 2019 – and they are close to reaching it. Around £2,500 was raised by their raffle alone!

Donations received from the ball and prize draw are going to Little Bridge House, who cared for the whole family during the little girl’s short life, and a new hospice, Little Harbour in St Austell.

We were pleased to be able to offer a voucher for a day sail for them to put forward as a prize in their draw, and we look forward to meeting the lucky winner next season.

Looking for that unusual Christmas gift? Got a friend or partner who is impossible to buy for? Our sailing experience gift vouchers make perfect presents.

According to a report in Forbes magazine, the secret to happiness is spending your money on experiences rather than on material things. So, we are taking that to mean that to get into your loved-ones good books at Christmas, buying them an ‘experience’ is the way to go.

An experience out on the water! What could be better?

A day sail would make a perfect Christmas gift for someone who hasn’t sailed before. For £99 per person, your loved one gets a full day sailing on our Jeanneau 409, Bewitched. They will be encouraged to take part in as much (or as little) helming and yacht handling as they choose. A light lunch, to be enjoyed in a sheltered bay, is included.

Perhaps you would like to spend some time away with your friend or loved one. If so, a voucher for a weekend sail could be the unusual Christmas gift you are looking for. With 2 nights accommodation on-board our 41’ yacht, £299 per person would buy you a wonderful sailing experience. With amazing locations on our doorstep, a sail to Salcombe or Fowey offers a great weekend away.

With both of these options, the recipient of your Christmas gift voucher can choose a date to take their experience at their convenience. Scheduled sails are listed on our website, and if they cant see a suitable date, they can just request one. We will always do our best to accommodate your requirements.

Further information about our Christmas gift vouchers can be found here.

Whether you are looking for unusual Christmas gift inspiration ‘for him’, ‘for her’, or ‘for them’, a Devon Sailing Experience gift voucher comes highly recommended. You can purchase yours here.

Welcome to our final newsletter of 2016.

New for 2017

During 2016, we had lots of potential customers contacting us requesting to join 5 or 7 day skippered charters with the idea of booking a cabin for themselves and sailing with a group. However, this was often difficult to arrange in a cost-effective way at the convenience of all our guests. Therefore, we have been working hard to find a way of making this type of sailing experience work for 2017.

We would like to create a database of individuals who would be interested in booking a cabin onboard our 40’ yacht, Bewitched, with the aim of meeting like-minded people and just setting sail with a skipper. We will use your contact details to email you to let you know when potential dates for such experiences are available, giving you the opportunity to make up a group and just go!

Whether you are an experienced sailor looking to build some miles or just looking to have a fun week on the water – this group skippered-charter is an ideal opportunity. If you would like your details added to our database (no obligation to book), just let us know by emailing katie@devonsailingexperiences.co.uk. Your personal information will not be passed on to anyone else.

Sailing Gift Vouchers

Looking for a Christmas present with a difference? A Devon Sailing Experiences gift voucher could be the answer. We can provide vouchers for day or weekend sails for you to present to family members or friends. Valid for 1 year, the recipient can choose a convenient date to take their sail (subject to availability).

Top Experiences for 2016

We had an extremely busy second season where we were able to rely on our fantastic team to work long hours at short notice. Our sincere thanks go out to Gail, Neil and Tim who all helped make things happen. Here are the top packages we were able to offer (in order of popularity during 2016).

#1 – Day Sails (Bewitched)

Day sails continue to be our most popular sailing experience. We believe that this is due to its affordability and the fact that it is suitable for everyone. Whether you have sailed before or are brand new to sailing, this experience makes a great day out. We also saw an increase of the numbers of people buying vouchers as gifts for their friends and family – they can make ideal presents for the person who is so difficult to buy for. With Christmas around the corner, it might be worth remembering that we can send gift vouchers to be used any time (subject to availability) during the next sailing season. Suitable for all sailing abilities (including those with no previous experience).

#2 – Bareboat charters (Spellbound, Bewitched, Barbarossa and Troppo Bella)

For those with qualifications and experience of sailing in tidal waters, we now have 4 yachts available for bareboat charter. Devon and Cornwall are both accessible from our base location and boast vast sailing ground with beautiful destinations. We have received great feedback about our yachts and available destinations from our charterers this year, and hope to see some familiar faces return next season.

#3 – Weekend Skippered Charters (Bewitched)

With amazing locations such as Salcombe and Fowey within easy sailing distance for a weekend, this continues to be a popular experience. With no more than 4 guests per trip, there is space to enjoy the whole experience. Suitable for all sailing abilities (including those with no previous experience).

#4 – Exclusive Skippered Charters (Bewitched and Spellbound)

From a single sailing day to a 7-day family holiday, this method of chartering a yacht has seen a steady increase in bookings. It makes financial sense for a family holiday, where you visit such beautiful locations and your accommodation is included. Suitable for all sailing abilities (including those with no previous experience).

Payments

We can take payments for charters and sailing experiences by bank transfer, PayPal or card.

If you are bareboat chartering, we are now able to take pre-authorised card payments for security deposits. If you wish to pay your security deposit this way, please telephone the office ahead of your charter. We will need to take an administration charge of £10 if you choose to pay your security deposit payment this way. There will be no charge for direct bank account transfers.

Keep in Touch

Thank you to all the people who have got in touch with photos of their charters. We love seeing them, so if you’ve got some to share and you don’t mind us using them on our blog posts (including Facebook and Twitter) do keep sending them. We won’t mention names or dates in our posts, but they are great for us to use alongside our narrative.

Twitter and Facebook Accounts

Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/devonsailingexperiences/) or Twitter (@devonsailingexp) to keep up to date with events and availability for bareboat or skippered charters.

Sailing Schedule

We have started adding dates for day and weekend sails to our 2017 sailing schedule. During the sailing season (April – October 2017) it will be constantly updated with new available dates. Details can be found here: http://www.devonsailingexperiences.co.uk/devon-sailing-schedule/

If you can’t see a date that is suitable, do get in touch and we will do our best to accommodate your requirements.

Returning Customer Discount Scheme

Don’t forget  – we offer a 5% discount to customers who re-book charters with us.

Looking forward to seeing you out on the water with us in 2017.

Nick and Katie Rich

Our Fleet

Our fleet continues to expand! Our newest addition is a Bavaria 38, Barbarossa. This spacious yacht offers 3 double cabins, TV, DVD player, teak cockpit and side decks, 4 winches and Raymarine electronics. She is available for bareboat charter from Mayflower Marina, Plymouth.

Our Dehler 34 (Troppo Bella) is newly coded. She is our only yacht on the River Dart and is now available for bareboat charter – an ideal location for guests who wish to attend Dartmouth Regatta. We recommend accessing her from Kingswear Marina, where good value parking and a water taxi service is available.

In addition to Barbarossa and Troppo Bella, we continue to operate the following yachts: Jeanneau 409 (Bewitched), Jeanneau 36i (Spellbound), and Stefini rpd66 (Disco Volante – skippered charters only). All of these yachts can be chartered from King Point Marina, Plymouth. Details about each of them can be found on our website www.devonsailingexperineces.co.uk

Local regattas and events

8th July to 21st August – Nao Victoria

An exact replica of the first ship to ever sail around the world is making its first ever visit to the UK this summer and will be at Sutton Harbour. The Nao Victoria is an exact replica of the 16th century original at 27 metres long with three masts, four decks and 290 square metres of sail. Visitors will be able to board the Nao Victoria from 10am until 7pm every day with tickets.

7th to 12th August – Salcombe Regaatta

For up-to-date information and a build-up to the regatta (including photos of the amazing fireworks in previous years), check out Salcombe Town Regatta’s Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/SalcombeTownRegatta/?fref=nf

20th to 23rd August – Torbay Royal Regatta

A spectacular event with races, displays, funfairs and fireworks. Timings and details can be found here: http://www.torbayroyalregatta.co.uk/

25th to 27th August – Dartmouth Royal Regatta

Another not-to-be-missed event! Music, food, exhibitions, shopping, fireworks and air displays. Further information can be found here: http://www.dartmouthregatta.co.uk/

Payments

We are now able to take pre-authorised card payments for security deposits. If you wish to pay your security deposit this way, please telephone the office ahead of your charter. We will need to take an administration charge of £10 if you choose to pay this way. There will be no charge for direct bank account transfers.

Twitter and Facebook Accounts

Got some great photos or video footage from your charter? We would love to see some so please keep in touch and send us anything you would be happy for us to share via our blog posts. Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/devonsailingexperiences/) or Twitter (@devonsailingexp) to keep up to date with events and availability for bareboat or skippered charters.

Sailing Schedule

We are constantly updating our sailing schedule by adding day sails and weekend sailing experiences. Details can be found here: http://www.devonsailingexperiences.co.uk/devon-sailing-schedule/ If you can’t see a date that is suitable, do get in touch and we will do our best to accommodate your requirements.

Returning Customer Discount Scheme

Don’t forget  – we offer a 5% discount to customers who re-book charters with us.

Enjoy the rest of the sailing season. We hope to hear from you soon.

Nick and Katie Rich

Web: www.devonsailingexperiences.co.uk
Tel: 01752 424514
Twitter: @devonsailingexp

Fancy a Sailing Experience along the beautiful south-west coast? One of our fully-qualified and highly experienced skippers, Gail Wright, will be running a 5-day cruise from 19th – 23rd September.

This sailing experience would suit people of all levels, and the aim is to meet like-minded people and just sail! Whether you are an experienced sailor looking to build some miles or just looking to have a fun week on the water – this is an ideal opportunity.

Our 2015 Jeanneau 409, Bewitched, has 3 double cabins, 2 heads and all the latest electronic equipment. She is based in King Point Marina, Plymouth.

Gail comments, “She is a lovely yacht to sail and to stay on.” And she should know – she has stayed on-board many times! “The trip is for 6 people plus myself as Skipper. I am keen to get people sailing and am happy to teach or pass on some tips for those wanting to learn more. The general idea is to meet on the boat on Sunday evening, go out to dinner and discuss possible destinations that we would like visit during the week and what we would like to do. We will leave the marina on Monday morning following a safety briefing and general introduction to the Yacht.”

There is paid parking available at King Point Marina. Alternatively, you may wish to take the train to Plymouth and get a taxi from the station – it is less than 5 minutes in a taxi to the marina.

Gail is a highly experienced sailor with a commercially endorsed Yachtmaster Offshore certificate. She has sailed in the Solent, West Country, Mediterranean and further afield for many years.

The cost is £420 per person which includes fuel, food on the boat, 2 evening meals on-board, soft drinks and marina fees. Contact info@devonsailingexperiences.co.uk for further information.

Famous for its annual Royal Regatta and the Britannia Royal Naval College, a yacht charter from Plymouth wouldn’t be complete without a visit to historical Dartmouth.

Local area and Approaches – DSE recommends…

The approach and entrance to Dartmouth is straight forward as everything is clearly buoyed and the water is deep. Your main concerns are the traffic, in particular, the ferries (lower and higher). They, of course, have priority due to their restricted ability to maneuver. The lower ferries operate just after the first right hand bend: you’ll see the small trots that belong to the yacht club. Be aware that 2 ferries operate here and the one which maybe loading on the Kingswear side is difficult to spot.

There is a single higher ferry which is a chain ferry. It is easy to spot and should be given a wide clearance – always go behind of course.

Of course, as always, we recommend you check the Almanac for details.

Moorings – DSE recommends…

Town moorings are on the left side of the river as you approach – they are short and usually crowded. We would advise using the deep water moorings further up the river on the right and use the excellent water taxi services.

Eating and Drinking – DSE recommends…

The Floating Bridge is a 5 minute walk from the town centre positioned near the higher ferry. It is a traditional pub with a roof terrace overlooking the River Dart. A lovely spot to enjoy a pint and watch the world go by. I fully recommend the beer-battered fish and chips!

Travel further up the river to the Ferry Boat Inn, Dittisham. A great location any time of year but obviously gets busy during the summer months. It is so refreshing to sit outside along the jetty with a pint. I love the way this pub attracts a mixture of locals and holiday-makers.

Directly opposite is The Anchorstone Café with its delicious, locally sourced food which can be enjoyed on it riverside terrace overlooking the Dart. It closes for the season from November, so don’t get caught out (like we did!) if you are sailing during the off-peak season. Another fabulous location.

Things to do – DSE recommends…

Book a tour of the Britannia Royal Naval College. The iconic building standing above the River Dart is a sight to admire and steeped in history. We have only visited on open days, but I am told that the private and public tours are well worth booking up.

Amble around the patchwork of narrow lanes and admire the Medieval and Elizabethan historic, listed buildings. Dartmouth Castle is a short, scenic stroll from the town centre.

Take a ride on the Dartmouth Steam Railway from Kingsbridge to Paignton. I love sitting on the yacht moored on the River Dart watching the steam train travelling alongside the river. The route it takes has got to be the most beautiful one I know of.

Dartmouth Royal Regatta is an annual event held at the end of August. With live music, an air display by the Red Arrows and spectacular fireworks, it is definitely worth a visit. However, the river is hectic at this particular time of year, making it potentially dangerous for inexperienced sailors. If we sail here during the regatta, we just moor up in Dartmouth and stay put for a few days! Sometimes, there is no choice when you are rafted 5 to a can! There is a fabulous atmosphere, so we just stay and enjoy it.

Salcombe is the ‘must-sail-to’ destination when you yacht charter in Devon, and just a 4 to 5 hour sail from our base location at King Point Marina, Plymouth. We want to ensure our guests have a great experience of sailing in the west-country, so we’ve put together some personal recommendations about places to moor, places to visit, and places to eat and drink. What else do you need from a yacht charter holiday?

Local area and Approaches – DSE recommends…

Salcombe, in our experience, has helpful and welcoming harbour staff. It pays to call on the radio before you reach the first set of swing moorings to ask for directions.

With regards to approaching from the west, there isn’t much to concern you. There can be a significant swell just off Bolt Head particularly in a south westerly, but it can be avoided if you stay 2nm off shore. Most people just plough on through – but if you do, expect a bumpy ride.

From the East, the main issue is the Start Point race. If you’re staying in close, depending on wind strength, you’ll nearly always want to go with the strong tide or at slack. If you have a strong westerly then you may want to go at slack or a little tide against otherwise it will be a rough to very rough. Staying a few miles offshore makes life a lot easier… if adding an hour to your journey.

Much has been made of the Salcombe bar – in truth it’s fairly benign. Staying close to the western side clears the bar even at low spring tide. The bar becomes dangerous when you have a strong southerly wind and an ebbing tide. If you’re there in that situation you’ll see breaking lines of waves all through out the entrance.

As always, the best place to check the up to date detail is the Reeds Almanac.

Moorings – DSE recommends…

Depends on the time of year and how much peace and tranquility you want! The main swing moorings are all located off the town, which is a busy in the summer and is an interesting place to be. High season, you’ll raft 3 or so per can, you’ll also have plenty of wash from the various boats and water taxis until late.

The Bag is a quarter of a mile or so away from the town and is generally quieter with floating pontoons. You can’t walk ashore from these pontoons, but there is an efficient water taxi service.

Eating and Drinking – DSE recommends…

The Victoria is a fantastic, traditional pub on the main high street (and a personal favourite!) It offers spaces to sit and enjoy a pint and a packet of crisps as well as cosy areas to enjoy a wonderful meal and superb wines. With its large, sunny beer garden, it’s an ideal place to visit as an adult only group or with families. We have always enjoyed great service from the staff.

The Winking Prawn is a well-established restaurant that overlooks North Sands. With a relaxed atmosphere and casual service, you can enjoy a buffet breakfast or scrumptious baguettes for lunch. The seafood platter is one of our favourites. We would also recommend heading down in the evening on a tender for the barbecue feast with lots of fish, meat and veggie delights.

Dick and Wills offers refined food in its bistro overlooking Salcombe Estuary. With its upmarket feel, this is the one that we save for special occasions. Because we love eating alfresco when we can, it is an ideal place to go to as it still offers the option to dine inside if the weather isn’t as anticipated. We love the locally caught seafood, although there are plenty of meat and vegetarian options, too. Great service.

The Ferry Inn boasts great views from the edge of the estuary, making it an ideal spot for you to admire your yacht (which is likely to be moored close by) with a pint in your hand. We often pop in here for lunchtime cider in the sun – it can get busy on sunny days (peak and off-peak sailing season) because everyone else has seems to have the same idea.

The Forticue is a friendly ‘locals’ pub near the water. It’s the place to go for live music and sports TV. We have always found the food to be good value and plentiful.

Things to do – DSE recommends…

I love to amble along the Fore Street when I am child-free and visit the wide range of independent shops that are scattered amongst some of the more high profile stores. Because of the old, narrow streets, pedestrians have priority, enhancing the shopping experience.

Visit one of the many unspoilt beaches Salcombe has to offer. North Sands and South Sands are easily walkable from the town centre. Alternatively, we like to jump in the tender and cross the estuary to East Portlemouth.

Our friends at the spectacular Salcombe Harbour Hotel can offer you a spa treatment after a challenging day on the water. Booking is essential, so it is worth checking out what they can offer before you arrive in Salcombe.