Show me Devon
Home to Plymouth, self-styled “Ocean City” and the ideal starting point for exploring the West Country, South Devon is a cruising sailor’s paradise. It’s surely no coincidence the county was the birthplace of two of England’s most notorious seafarers: Drake and Raleigh. The young privateers would have had plenty of opportunity to learn their trade along the estuaries dotting this scenic stretch of coast.
The South Hams are beloved of sailors for good reason. Yet aside from the better-known haunts of Dartmouth and the Salcombe estuary, there are several other treasures worth exploring just a short sail away. You can find relative solitude and untamed beauty away from the more popular spots. Between Plymouth to the West and Salcombe to the East – and easily reached from both – are three such waterways that all eventually rise in Dartmoor: the Yealm, the Erme and the Avon.
Surrounded by private estates and National Trust managed land, these estuaries are particularly unspoilt and generally less developed than some other cruising locations on the south coast. However, a visit still comes with its challenges,
