Quick Navigation
- Which Kind of Trip Suits You
- The six kinds of trip, at a glance
- Harbour Cruises and RIB Rides
- Salcombe Cruises
- Kingsbridge Salcombe Ferry
- Sea-N-Shore
- Salcombe Powerboat Charter
- Fishing Trips
- Salcombe Fishing Adventures
- Self-Drive Boat Hire
- Whitestrand Boat Hire
- Salcombe Launch Co.
- Salcombe RIB Club
- Sailing in Salcombe
- Salcombe Dinghy Sailing
- Salcombe Sailing Adventures
- Sailfunk
- Paddleboarding, Kayaking and Canoeing
- Salcombe Watersports
- North Sands Water Sports
- Adventure South
- Further up the estuary and along the coast
- Waterborn
- Singing Paddles
- Hope Cove Watersports
- Where each trip leaves from
- Choosing, in one picture
- Ferries, Water Taxis and the Sailing Clubs
- Common Questions
- Can you hire a boat in Salcombe without a licence?
- Will I see dolphins or seals on a boat trip from Salcombe?
- Can you get a boat from Salcombe to Kingsbridge?
- Can I take my dog on a boat trip in Salcombe?
- Where do boat trips leave from in Salcombe?
- Where to Stay for a Week on the Water
- Two within a walk of the pontoons
Salcombe makes most sense from the water. The town sits on a harbour that, in the Harbour Authority's own words, "reaches from the sea all the way up to Kingsbridge". The beaches on the far shore, the quiet creeks and the remains of Fort Charles all look their best from a boat. So the real question is which boat. Most trips start from the middle of town, which is why it pays to have a place to stay in Salcombe within a walk of the pontoons.
Which Kind of Trip Suits You
This is an independent, hand-checked list. Every business below was checked against its own website in September 2026, and we took nothing from any of them to be included. We have left out prices on purpose, because they change every season: each card links to the business itself, which is where the current prices and sailing times live.
The quickest way to choose is by how much you want to do yourself.
- Sit back and be shown the estuary — a harbour cruise or the passenger ferry up to Kingsbridge.
- Go fast, out to sea — a skippered RIB ride or a private RIB charter.
- Catch something — a sea fishing trip from the town pontoon.
- Be your own skipper — self-drive boat hire, some of it needing no qualification at all.
- Learn, or sail properly — dinghy lessons, or a day aboard a skippered yacht.
- Paddle — paddleboard, kayak or canoe, hired or guided.
Jump straight to a section: cruises and RIB rides, fishing, self-drive hire, sailing or paddling.
The six kinds of trip, at a glance
| Trip | What you do | Experience needed |
|---|---|---|
| Harbour cruise or ferry | Sit aboard while a skipper does the driving and the talking | None |
| RIB ride or charter | Head out of the harbour at speed, with a skipper | None |
| Fishing trip | Fish from a licensed boat, with someone to show you how | None |
| Self-drive boat | Take a small motor boat around the estuary yourself | A handover; larger RIBs need RYA qualifications |
| Sailing | Lessons in a dinghy, or a skippered day on a yacht | None to start |
| Paddling | Paddleboard, kayak or canoe, alone or with a guide | None for lessons and guided tours |
Pick a kind of trip to narrow the list below.
Harbour Cruises and RIB Rides
A cruise is the gentlest way onto the water, and shows you the estuary at its own pace. A RIB takes you out to the coast beyond it, a good deal faster.
Salcombe Cruises
Guided cruisesWhitestrand pontoon, Salcombe
A family business running guided estuary cruises on what it calls "an old Salcombe-built launch". The one-hour Harbour Cruise heads up the estuary, turns at Salt Stone Rock and runs down as far as South Sands; the Harbour & Creek Cruise carries on into the creeks of Frogmore and South Pool, and runs at high tide only. Dogs are welcome, and the boat can be hired privately.
Good for: a first look at the estuary, with commentary, and families bringing the dog.
Kingsbridge Salcombe Ferry
Scenic ferryFerry Inn steps, Salcombe · Kingsbridge
The Lady Mary is a 50-seat passenger ferry certified by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, running the length of the estuary between Salcombe and Kingsbridge in about 35 minutes each way. Because it works around the tides, it also runs harbour cruises and longer creek cruises when the water allows. It is also a way of arriving in Salcombe without looking for a parking space.
Good for: a day in Kingsbridge, at the head of the same estuary, with the boat as the way there.
Sea-N-Shore
RIB ridesWhitestrand pontoon, Salcombe
RIB rides that meet on Whitestrand pontoon, in front of the harbour office. It offers three RIB rides: one is half slow, half fast, and another is "a 75 minute, 007 style high speed rib ride around the coast from Salcombe to Start Point Lighthouse and return". Sea-N-Shore also runs skippered and bareboat RIB charters, coasteering and RYA powerboat courses.
Good for: teenagers, and anyone who wants the coast outside the harbour at speed.
Salcombe Powerboat Charter
Private RIB charterSalcombe
Private, skippered RIB charters for up to nine guests, built around a plan you make with the skipper: anchoring in a sheltered cove for a picnic and a swim, or arriving somewhere along the coast by boat for lunch. It was founded in 2025 by two local skippers, Ollie and Freddy, who also teach RYA powerboat courses.
Good for: a group or a family who want the boat to themselves for the day.
Fishing Trips
One business on the list does fishing and nothing else, from the same pontoon as the cruises.
Salcombe Fishing Adventures
Sea fishingWhitestrand pontoon, Salcombe
Mackerel and bass fishing trips aboard its boat Woodpecker, which it says is "licensed to take 10 passengers (this includes children)". Beginners are welcome, and the boat can be chartered privately, including for a sightseeing trip with no fishing at all. Two things to know: bookings are made online only, and a trip only goes ahead with enough passengers and settled weather, so check your messages before you set off for the pontoon.
Good for: children catching their first fish, and anyone who would like to bring supper home.
Self-Drive Boat Hire
This is the one people remember. You get a boat, a briefing and the run of the estuary, and you decide which beach to land on and which waterside pub to visit — we listed the pubs you can reach by water in our guide to eating in Salcombe.
Whitestrand Boat Hire
Self-drive hireStrand Court, Whitestrand Quay, Salcombe
A family-run hire business on the quay in the middle of town, with a small fleet of self-drive boats: the CAP 400, which it calls its most popular, the CAP 4700, the Whaly 435 XL and a Fishercraft. Each boat page gives how many it is licensed to carry, six or eight depending on the boat. It is seasonal, and it recommends booking ahead.
Good for: an afternoon of beaches and a waterside pub, with the boat collected in the middle of town.
Salcombe Launch Co.
Self-drive hireSalcombe town
Traditional-style 16ft motor launches for self-drive hire, promoted as "discreet, unbranded hire boats". The difference is the mooring: each hire comes with a private mooring near town for as long as you have the boat, so on a multi-day hire you come and go without a daily handover. Newcomers get a one-to-one handover with an on-the-water demonstration, plus video guides for each boat.
Good for: having a boat for several days of a holiday rather than for an afternoon.
Salcombe RIB Club
Self-drive RIBNormandy Pontoon, next to Whitestrand
Bareboat charter of Highfield RIBs, which its own FAQ says are "inspected, registered and licensed by the Marine and Coastguard Agency". This is a club you charter from, not a trip you turn up for.
You must be 25 or over. The larger RIBs need both RYA Powerboat Level 2 and an RYA VHF (SRC) licence. A smaller 3.8m RIB needs no qualification at all, but stays inside the harbour and the Kingsbridge Estuary, no further out than Blackstone Rocks opposite South Sands.
Good for: qualified boaters who want to explore the coastline, and anyone happy to potter round the harbour in the small RIB.
The Harbour Authority's own rules of the water. "The Harbour can be extremely busy, particularly in the high season, so please navigate with care and consideration, adhere to the speed limits (6 or 8 knots), minimise wake, wear lifejackets, and connect a kill cord to yourself when helming a vessel with an outboard engine."
That is from Salcombe Harbour Authority, and it applies to every self-drive boat on this page. Check the tide before you go too: several creeks only have enough water in them around high tide, so ask at the handover where you can and cannot take the boat.
Sailing in Salcombe
Sailing runs deep here: the harbour has its own yacht club and a sailing club founded in 1951. For a visitor there are two quite different ways in: learn in a dinghy, or be taken out on a yacht.
Salcombe Dinghy Sailing
Sailing tuitionSalcombe · open all year
It describes itself as "an accredited RYA Training Centre, RYA OnBoard Centre and RYA Sailability Centre", teaching children, adults, families, groups, local schools and people with disabilities. It is run by Ross, the RYA Chief Instructor, and Zoe, and it says it is open all year round. It also offers private tuition.
Good for: children and adults learning to sail properly, with a certificate at the end.
Salcombe Sailing Adventures
Skippered yachtSalcombe
Skippered sailing aboard the yacht Emma Claire, from a day's sail around Salcombe to longer trips along the Devon and Cornwall coast and beyond. No sailing experience is needed. The skipper is Chris, who, in the business's own words, "was, until recently, the full time Coxswain/Mechanic of the Salcombe lifeboat" for the RNLI.
Good for: a proper day's sailing with an experienced local skipper, helping or not as you please.
Sailfunk
Yacht charterSalcombe
Sailfunk Yachting describes itself as "an independent yacht company based in Salcombe, Devon". It offers time aboard a luxury yacht, either lounging over a long lunch in the harbour or with a skipper sailing you on a full or half day, and you can be as involved in the sailing as you like.
Good for: a celebration, or a day on the water that is more about the lunch than the knots.
The estuary is sheltered enough to learn on and big enough to get lost in, which is exactly why there are this many ways to get out on it.
Paddleboarding, Kayaking and Canoeing
The largest group on the list, and a good way to reach the beaches you cannot drive to. We set out which beaches those are, and how to get to each, in our guide to the Salcombe beaches.
Salcombe Watersports
Paddleboard & kayakPort Waterhouse, East Portlemouth
Formerly Salcombe Paddleboarding, and based across the water from the town at Port Waterhouse. It teaches and hires paddleboards, hires kayaks, runs sea kayak and paddleboard tours, and teaches RYA powerboating and windsurfing. From its base, it says, "you can paddleboard to Mill Bay, Sunny Cove, South Pool, Ox Bay or Goodshelter". The easiest way there from town is the passenger ferry across to East Portlemouth.
Good for: a lesson or a tour straight onto the sandy beaches on the far shore.
North Sands Water Sports
Hire shopMain Road, Salcombe TQ8 8NA
A water sports shop and hire centre on Main Road, next to the petrol station, hiring paddleboards and kayaks and running lessons and tours. For single-day hires it will deliver to North Sands beach, and it says it gives a guide to the estuary with every hire.
Good for: hiring a board for the day at North Sands without carrying it there.
Adventure South
Coasteering & SUPCliff Road, South Sands
Paddleboard and kayak hire delivered to your accommodation, to one of several beaches, or rented straight from its base at South Sands, alongside guided paddleboard tours, a giant "Mega SUP" that takes up to eight people, and coasteering. It says it has been running adventures from Salcombe "for almost 10 years". Its approved drop-off beaches include North Sands, Hope Cove and Thurlestone, where we list places to stay by the beach.
Good for: self-catering families who want the boards to come to them.
Further up the estuary and along the coast
These three are worth knowing about, but none of them launches from Salcombe town. Check the departure point on each card before you set off.
Waterborn
Paddleboard toursThe Quay Carpark, Promenade, Kingsbridge
A paddleboard school at the Kingsbridge end of the estuary, now run as a not-for-profit community interest company. It offers lessons, estuary tours, paddleboard and tandem kayak hire, and says its instructors are "BSUPA … or Paddle UK … qualified". It also runs the SUP the Creek race, which it says reached its tenth edition in 2025.
Good for: beginners who want sheltered water to learn on.
Singing Paddles
Guided canoe toursKingsbridge and the upper estuary
Guided canoe tours at a leisurely pace, run by the canoe coach Dave Halsall, in stable canoes with room for a family and sometimes a dog. Tours include Bowcombe Creek near Kingsbridge and the Avon at Aveton Gifford. It lists its credentials as "AALA R1795 * Salcombe Harbour Authority * British Canoeing", and names kingfisher, buzzard, seal and mullet among the wildlife seen on past trips.
Good for: a quiet creek, a naturalist's commentary, and the whole family in one boat.
Hope Cove Watersports
Kayak & SUP hireOn the beach, Hope Cove
Hourly kayak and paddleboard hire straight off the beach at Hope Cove, with buoyancy aids provided. It is the simplest hire on this list: find it on the beach and paddle out into the cove.
Good for: an hour on the water during a beach day, if you are staying in one of the cottages and inns in Hope Cove.
Where each trip leaves from
Most of these start within a few minutes' walk of each other in the middle of town. A few do not, which is easier to see on a map than in a list.
Loading map…
Choosing, in one picture
Run a boat business on the estuary? This list is made by hand, so it is probably missing somebody. If you are not on it, tell us and we will take a look.
Already listed? If anything is wrong, or you would rather we showed your own logo or a photograph of your boat, say so and we will change it. Nothing to pay, nothing to sign.
Ferries, Water Taxis and the Sailing Clubs
A few more ways onto the water that are not trips as such, but that you will almost certainly use or see:
South Sands Ferry
FerryWhitestrand ↔ South Sands beach
A sea tractor drives out through the shallows at the beach end to meet the boat and carry you ashore, so you land dry. The boat, Harvest Reaper, is licensed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Salcombe Harbour water taxi
Water taxiWhitestrand ↔ the moorings
Run by the harbour authority, mainly to get people to and from boats on the moorings. It covers the harbour from Sunny Cove up to the Saltstone, including Southpool and Batson creeks.
East Portlemouth Ferry
FerrySalcombe ↔ East Portlemouth
The short crossing to the beaches on the far shore, and the way most people reach Mill Bay. It publishes no website of its own, so we cannot quote its times — the harbour authority notes the taxi takes over after the ferry finishes in the evening.
The sailing clubs
Neither of these carries the public. They are here because you will see their boats, and because people ask.
Island Cruising Club
Members’ clubA members' sailing club on Island Street, going since 1951, hiring its own keelboats, a dayboat, a RIB and a yacht to its members. Membership is open to all levels.
Salcombe Yacht Club
Members’ clubA private members' club up at Cliff House, with club racing, RYA training, cadets and a clubhouse bar. It runs no ferry and no public service.
Common Questions
Can you hire a boat in Salcombe without a licence?
Yes. Whitestrand Boat Hire says no experience is required and gives you a chart, lifejackets and a demonstration, and Salcombe Launch Co. gives a one-to-one handover on the water. Salcombe RIB Club has a small RIB that needs no qualification, though it must stay inside the harbour and estuary; its larger RIBs do need RYA Powerboat Level 2 and an RYA VHF (SRC) licence.
Will I see dolphins or seals on a boat trip from Salcombe?
Nobody can promise it. Salcombe Powerboat Charter says plainly that dolphins "are not guaranteed". Sea-N-Shore lists grey seals among the wildlife on its longer RIB ride along the coast, and Singing Paddles names seals among what it has seen in the creeks. Treat any sighting as a bonus.
Can you get a boat from Salcombe to Kingsbridge?
Yes. The Kingsbridge Salcombe Ferry runs between the two towns, about 35 minutes each way. It works around the tides, so its sailing times change from day to day; check its own website before you go. If you miss the last boat back, the ferry company says you should still be able to get a bus.
Can I take my dog on a boat trip in Salcombe?
Often, yes. Salcombe Cruises says dogs are welcome, the South Sands Ferry carries dogs, and Salcombe Fishing Adventures takes well-behaved small and medium dogs that are used to boats. Ask when you book. We cover the beaches that welcome dogs in our guide to dog-friendly Salcombe.
Where do boat trips leave from in Salcombe?
Mostly from Whitestrand pontoon, in the middle of town beside the harbour office. The Kingsbridge ferry leaves from the Ferry Inn steps, the RIB Club from Normandy Pontoon next to Whitestrand, and Salcombe Watersports from Port Waterhouse on the East Portlemouth side.
Where to Stay for a Week on the Water
Stay in the town itself if you can. Most of the trips on this page start at the water's edge in the middle of town, and the town climbs steeply away from it, so a base near the waterfront saves you the drive and the hunt for a parking space. If you are still deciding between Salcombe and somewhere quieter, our honest look at whether Salcombe is worth visiting sets out the trade-offs.
Two within a walk of the pontoons
Salcombe — 2 bedroom flat, fantastic harbour views
A flat above the town with an arched sash window looking straight out over the harbour, so you can see the weather before you commit to a trip. About five minutes down the hill to Whitestrand.
Harbour Hotel & Spa Salcombe
If you would rather not self-cater. It sits on the headland above the moorings, and there is a pool for the afternoon the wind gets up and your trip is called off.
Or browse every holiday cottage and apartment we list around the estuary by area.
