OUR BOATS
Beneteau Antares onwer Rick Channon shares his favourite Fal anchorages
Ikeep my boat Greyfin at Mylor on the Fal Estuary in Cornwall. The Fal is the most westerly boating playground on the south coast of mainland UK. It has a little bit of everything to offer the boater, from a large international port at Falmouth to quiet muddy creeks up towards Truro. There are sandy beaches, quaint pubs, picturesque villages and oaklined rivers to explore, all supported by extensive boating facilities.
Over 4,500 boats are based in the area but fortunately the Fal is extensive with seven rivers feeding it, the longest of which is the Truro River extending some seven miles inland, so it is always possible to find a quiet corner even during the busiest of weekends.
I have selected four picturesque anchorages which between them would give a reassuring night’s shelter from winds blowing from all four points of the compass. Each has a different character but are all in stunning locations with two being near the mouth of the estuary and two further upstream.
Navigating the Fal is straightforward as it has a well buoyed channel at least 10m deep running 5nm up to Ruan Pontoon where the Fal and Truro rivers meet. The only real bit of navigation needed is at Turnaware point where the channel is narrow, the current strong and where there is a shallow bar covered by a thin glaze of water at low tide. This is the point at which the mile-wide estuary becomes a 50m wide river, and the busy Carrick Roads is left behind for a much gentler feel. Anchoring is permitted on the Fal but avoid the channel as surprisingly large vessels navigate all the way up to Truro. There is a
£6 per day charge (harbour dues) for visiting vessels and this is collected by the harbour master’s launch. There are numerous places to anchor all along the side of the Fal and holding is generally good in mud or shale.
I use a 15kg Danforth/fortress type anchor and 30m of 8mm chain with 25m of wharp which is more than adequate for a 3.5-tonne vessel. At night, when sounds seem to get amplified and the mind exaggerates, I will rig up a chain hook attached to a cleated nylon wharp to take the load off the anchor chain and to eliminate those unwanted noises travelling up the chain and through the bow roller.
Winds tend to abate at night, unless there is a significant weather pattern passing through, as on the whole the wind is in fact a local sea breeze. The prevailing wind is westerly but nowhere near as predominant as you might think. Nevertheless whatever the wind direction at least one of the following anchorages should give you the best chance of a peaceful night on a lee shore.
WESTERLIES CHANNALS CREEK. 50°12.54N 005°03.02W
This anchorage is just beyond Turnaware Point and is in a truly stunning location, looking south over the Carrick Roads with the wonderful backdrop of the National Trust’s Trelissick House behind. Tuck yourself in off the channel and away from the current but not too far in as the majority of the inlet is only half a metre deep at LWS. Holding is good on soft mud but still use plenty of chain as there is also a lot of slippery weed and the tide could rise 5m on springs which alone accounts for 15m of chain!
Once anchored it is well worth a trip ashore even if this does mean inflating the dinghy, as Trelissick House and Gardens are open to the public and a cream tea in the tea room is worth the walk up. There are also lovely walks through woods and parkland on well marked footpaths which can take you as far as Cowlands should you wish to do a 2-3 hour circular walk. Whichever walk you choose be sure to finish by descending the fields in front of the house as they afford a spectacular view over the estuary with your boat hopefully still anchored below! This anchorage will get busy at weekends and in high season with swinging room becoming limited as more boats arrive to share the same spot. If things do get uncomfortably tight there is a visitors’ pontoon just upstream.
By the same token, if the wind shifts, nip over to the other side of the river to the upper shoulder of Turnaware Point, where the current slackens and holding is good on shale.
NORTHERLIES RUAN CREEK. 50°13.67N 005°00.73W
This anchorage is as quiet as it gets on the Fal. Situated on the drying limit of the River Fal where it separates from its sister the Truro River. Parkland and ancient woodlands surround you here at the foot of the historic Tregothnan Estate. The location is unspoilt and peaceful with no passing river traffic — in fact no traffic noise at all, making this the perfect spot to while away the day in total solitude.
To avoid drying out stay within 50m of the entrance to the creek where you will have around 1.5m at LWS. Further upstream the shifting tongues of sand and silt give a confusing picture of the depth, but on neaps I nudge some 400m further up where you
It’s the perfect spot to while away the day in total solitude
really are isolated, but it will take a reliable sounder and some confidence to find the deeper pools that retain sufficient depth at low water. Holding is good, but use plenty of chain as the current runs at about 1 knot and clumps of drifting weed can wrap themselves around your chain, increasing the drag considerably.
Unfortunately there are no walks here as the land around is private, but dig out the tender and explore up river when, at high tide, you can reach the pub at Ruan Lanihorne.
If the anchorage doesn’t work out for you, again there is another visitor’s pontoon just upstream on the Truro River with Harbour Dues of £15/night payable to the launch, which visits every few hours.
SOUTHERLIES CELLARS BEACH. 50°09.20N 005°00.32W
This anchorage is up one of the Fal’s tributaries – the Percuil River, and is a bit more cosmopolitan than the others as it lies opposite the pretty town of St Mawes. It is a very picturesque anchorage with the backdrop of Place House and undulating fields and woods surrounding you.
This anchorage is slightly more tricky as there is not much room to play with between the moorings and Cellars Beach, which is a private foreshore (overnight anchoring is not permitted above LWS). The other complication is the St Mawes to Place ferry that runs pretty well right through where you want to be. So on springs if there are already three or four boats anchored there for the night, I’m afraid you are out of luck, but this is rare.
Holding is good on mud or shale but a strong northerly or westerly can funnel around Amsterdam Point, making it a little uncomfortable but more often than not this wind will drop to nothing overnight.
Going ashore is well worthwhile as there are two wonderful five-mile walks either around St Anthony Head or up the Percuil River to
Porth Farm. Don’t be tempted to leave your dinghy at the ferry pontoon – it will be moved, use the slipway around the corner but do not to obstruct the slipway. Both walks start from this point.
There is the back up of visitors’ moorings just around Amsterdam Point but these are exposed in anything from a Southerly to a NNW.
EASTERLIES ST ANTHONY HEAD. 50°08.85N 005°01.08W
Anchoring off the headland between St Anthony Head and Carricknath Point is a rare delight and is only possible in easterlies and preferably on a calm summer’s day as this is an exposed bit of coast prone to swell. Nevertheless, given the right conditions, it is a wonderful location and popular too as locals are drawn to the sandy beaches that grow bigger by the minute as the tide ebbs.
You can anchor close to the tongues of rock extending from the low cliff as they are clearly visible against the otherwise bright sand. Most boats tend to anchor in a clump in the middle of this bay – perhaps it is safety in numbers – but it is safe to anchor all along this stretch with good holding in a long strip of sand and gravel that lies near the shore.
This is a popular spot for families as there are beaches and rock pools for the kids to play in. There is also a spectacular circular walk around the headland, down to Place and back around the gentle fields that overlook St Mawes. On a hot day this area has a Mediterranean feel to it.
If the weather turns while you are here there is little alternative but to weigh anchor and head up river to a more sheltered spot such as St Just, 2nm away.
It’s a wonderful location with sandy beaches growing bigger by the minute as the tide ebbs