Weir Quay to Cothele and Calstock

Mission Statement: Sail upriver from Weir Quay on the Tamar River to Cotehele, a National Trust property, and extend your sail to Calstock

Launch point: Weir Quay

Trail Introduction

This trail takes you up the River Tamar, which is a beautiful and remote river sided with steep oak covered banks, reeds, some beautiful views and challenging sailing. River sailing always comes with flukey winds and areas of no wind, so take the tide there and back as the tide will carry you through windless patches. Be prepared to row or use a motor if the wind completely drops.

About the Area

Cotehele is an National Trust property and the ex-docks provide a good place to tie up at high tide. Note that the pictures below are taken at low tide so that you can see what is below you. At the dockside the National Trust have a coffee and ice-cream vendor and there are public toilets.

Interesting fact: This area was a hub of mining activity with the peak of the mining trade in 1864, which has resulted in good quays to either nudge the bow of the dinghy into the soft mud, or tie up alongside with suitable fenders to protect the gunwhale of your boat.

Landing at Cotehele

You can choose to tie up to a wharf wall or nudge the bow into the mud next to the slipway. Pictures at low tide give you an idea of what the landing is like, and if you arrive at high tide it looks very different, and these photographs should help you choose your landing location.

Round Trip Distance:
4.5 miles there, and 4.5 miles back as measured over the ground – shorter when the tide is with you in both directions.

Approximate Time that the Trail will take:
About 90 minutes to 2 hours there, an hour for lunch and exploring, and 90 minutes to 2 hours back. Note that the sea breeze can get inland this far, and it can be a beat to get there, and when the sea breeze comes in, a beat home.

OS Map or Chart:

Imray Chart C14

Trail Details

Step by Step description of the trail

1. Launch from Weir Quay and sail into the centre of the channel with the flood tide.
2. While it looks like the river is wide here, the inside turn is very soft mud and worth avoiding if it’s a lee shore. Going around the outside is safe.
3. The locals are very proud of the newly created wetlands which has attracted huge numbers of wildlife. Sail in the channel to avoid disturbing the wildlife.
4. Follow the river and arrive at Cotehele. Enjoy a beverage and there are toilets. Reverse the trail to return to Weir Quay when the tide begins to ebb.

Video:
Sailing Skismo sailing the Calstock and Cotehele.

Trip Extension: Sail to Calstock

Extend your sail by sailing up to Calstock. There is a high jetty to tie up to using fenders, avoiding the river side as it’s a live jetty for the river ferry. The slipway is steep and narrow and not really a good place to arrive and land unless the wind were a Northerly and no one else was planning to use it.

Calstock is well served with good public houses, ice cream vendors and toilets.

This extension adds a further mile to the overall journey. You sail under the magnificent railway viaduct which dominates this valley.

Tidal Information

Tidal Information:
This is best done on a tide that is high during the day, so that you sail with the tide to Cotehele or Calstock, enjoy lunch at your chosen destination, and sail home with the ebb tide. Calstock is 1 mile further on from Cotehele.

Best Tides:
Best times for this dinghy trail are on a day with a high tide between 12:00 (12 PM) and 15:00 (3 PM) so that you can have a lunch break at either Cotehele or Calstock before returning on the ebb tide.

Toilets:
Toilets at Cotehele on the wharf and up at the house.
Public Toilets in Calstock and in the pubs of the town.

Useful Information

Dinghy Trail Sponsor:

Name

Page Month Published:

April 2026