APPLEDORE & BIDEFORD
The Taw and Torridge Estuary is a fascinating stretch of water still largely in its natural state. While this might make cruising here sometimes tricky, these rivers are a sanctuary for birdlife, just one of the many delights of sailing here.
These are rewarding waters, too, where skippers can get back to the basics of cruising, playing the winds and tides to their advantage.
The first test is crossing the Bideford Bar, which spans the mouth of the estuary. These sands and channels are constantly moving and face due west, wide open to the Atlantic. With the strong tides, the entrance can be challenging and potentially hazardous unless the conditions are right. It is best to enter on the last two hours of the flood tide and of course, as near to high water as possible so the flow is slack and the water over the bar is at its maximum depth. Once you are inside it is a question of following the buoyed channels where you will find first Appledore on your starboard side, where the rivers divide, with the Taw heading up to Barnstable and the Torridge leading the way to Bideford.
The test of seamanship is well worth it though once you catch sight
