launching small boat

[charles cank]

Hi. Can anyone recommend any sites that have their own slipway,or are very near to the beach? We intend to take a small inflatable dinghy on our main holiday this year.We've not made our mind up yet where that will be, so any info about any sites in the south or southwest of England or Wales would be appreciated. Cheers! Babs & Chas.

[setters]

Pentewan Sands on the south coast of Cornwall. A large commercial site with its own private beach.

[Jim_UK]

Hate to put a damper on things but small inflatable dinghy's are not really suitable for anywhere were there could be strong tides or where rough seas can come from nowhere. I say this as a past owner of an inshore fishing boat that had a very good motor to get us out of trouble.
Go for somewhere that has a bay and could be sheltered under certain wind conditions. The problem is that onshore winds which you think safest tend to give rougher seas and offshore winds whilst flatter seas are bad when a motor fails.

Trearddur Bay on Anglesey offers fairly safe sailing conditions and there are some sites close by. In fact Anglesey has quite a lot of small bays and unless winds are strong you could find safe sailing by taking note of wind direction and then driving to the best location. Anglesey is very small.

Jim

[charles cank]

Thanks for that Setters, will add to possibles.

[charles cank]

Hi JIM UK. Thanks for your reply. Your advice is well received. I live on Anglesey, and every year the lifeboat is called out on many occasions,sometimes tragically because someone has not heeded such advice. I intend of course, only to use the boat if conditions are favourable, and I think I am a fairly good judge when that is, having almost 50 years experience of boating and sea angling. You are also correct about Anglesey having some fabulous beaches and bays. I've tried most of them Cheers. Chas.

[gardengirl02]

Come and try the West Sussex Coast - CHichester Harbour has a few sites with nearby slips and lots and lots of boats!

[charles cank]

Thanks gardengirl02. Will get out my Big Sites book and check out the area.

[ggmad]

We stay in Falmouth every year, there are lots of places to launch a small dinghy around there, we stay at Pennance Mill and have launched from all 3 local beaches there, even sailing into 'town' on one occasion.

[charles cank]

Thanks for that ggmad.Do you trail your boat?and are there any sites with slipways, or are very close to the beach? The reason I ask is that obviously while trailing a caravan I can't trail my boat.I intend if possible to inflate the dinghy at the beginning of the hols, and launch it using launching wheels attached to the transom,hence the need to be close to the water.

[ggmad]

Hi, at Maenporth you can park on the beach and wheel the boat down to the waters edge, the same at most of the beaches around Falmouth. Have a look at the area on Google earth or Flashearth.

I have the small wheels attached to the Sniper, but had friends lift it on top of the car for me. That's how it travelled down to Cornwall. A lot of people with inflatables also take them on their roof racks down to the water.