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Cruising Areas
The South West Coast
With over 350km of coastline dotted with historic fishing villages and industrial heritage sites and over 400 beautiful beaches, one of the best ways to explore Devon and Cornwall surely has to be by cruising the coast. Unspoilt, uncrowded and wild in places, both Devon and Cornwall are full of beauty. Their drowned river valleys, or Rias, form wonderful harbours and cruising grounds.
Dartmouth is one of the South West's yachting gems. The historic Dartmouth and Kingswear Castles stands proud and protective as you enter the River Dart and it is definitely worth the walk to see some of Britain's heritage. Fortified by King Henry VIII to protect the great harbour of Dartmouth, you can almost still hear the canons fire through the castle walls! The Royal Dartmouth Regatta is the UK's second largest yacht regatta and is held towards the end of August and provides some spectacular yacht racing and even more spectacular air displays. It is quite amazing how this little town can engineer such an outstanding event with seeming ease providing non stop entertainment ashore, afloat and in the air.
Another little paradise definitely worth adding to the itinerary is Salcombe. It is another of the west country's unspoilt beauties with a magnificent coastline. The town boasts a large number of shops and galleries. It offers something for everyone with walks, shopping or perhaps an adventurous sail up the large sheltered estuary in Halcyon's original clinker dinghy.
Offering a slightly different appeal is historic Plymouth. As the regional capital of Devon & Cornwall, Plymouth provides a combination of a vibrant modern city and a historic seaport. You may wish to visit heritage sites such as Plymouth Hoe where Sir Francis Drake famously finished his game of bowls and the Mayflower Steps where the Pilgrim Fathers embarked for their great adventure, or visit the Barbican where you can enjoy centuries of maritime tradition.
Still within the designated area of outstanding natural beauty, Fowey is not only a historic town but also a commercial seaport exporting China Clay around the world. Over the centuries Fowey has grown and now stretches about a mile along the west bank of the River Fowey to the mouth of the river. It too has something for everyone and being another natural harbour is a haven for yachtsman. If you fancy a walk before or after dinner, there is the perfect Esplanade for a stroll on a warm summer evening. The town also boasts an excellent selection of quality shops, galleries and a wonderful fresh fish shop so fresh fish can quite easily be on Halcyon's menu! Fowey is a very special place and has been home to many famous people over the years. If you are a keen watersports enthusiast then there is a wonderful spot called Lantic Bay just a few miles from Fowey which provides a perfect anchorage for Halcyon and sheltered water for some serious wakeboarding or waterskiing or whatever takes your fancy. You could even swim ashore and walk along the golden sandy beach. Fowey too holds a regatta in August, this time a Royal Regatta and Carnival Week. It is one of Britain's premier sailing events and features another terrific air display from the Red Arrows.
Venturing furthering west could take you to Falmouth, one of the biggest natural harbours in the world, departure point for many global yacht racing events and where you can even spot the odd dolphin playing in the calm water. From Falmouth it's a short hop over to St Mawes – a tranquil Cornish town which naturally boasts the perfect traditional Cornish pub.
Devon and Cornwall offer many hidden treasures and we should be able to include many of them for you in a special coastal cruise.
