Insider's guide to Plymouth - Motor Boat & Yachting

The sheltered waters of Plymouth 's vast historic harbour offer plenty to the visiting boater - particularly if the weather is being unkind.

See pictures in our Plymouth gallery .

Home to first-class facilities, plentiful anchorages and the River Tamar , there are beaches and walks for those that fancy being active, and lots of places to eat for those that don't.

If you're looking for somewhere to launch or keep your boat in the south west, Plymouth boasts four marinas as well as many other places to launch and moor your boat.

And if that's not enough, just around the corner in Wembury Bay , past the Great Mew Stone, is the delightful haven of Newton Ferrers.

For more in-depth information check out the full feature in the October 2009 issue of Motor Boats Monthly.

How to enter Plymouth Harbour Arriving and entering Plymouth Harbour is relatively straightforward but check out our Plymouth harbour map to see for yourself.

See pictures in our Plymouth gallery .

There are two entrances past Plymouth Breakwater - the western channel is the widest, but the eastern channel is relatively simple too with just a few buoys and the Shag Stone rock to avoid on your way in.

Once inside Plymouth Breakwater it isn't necessary to keep to the main deep-water channels because there is sufficient depth for most motorcruisers. However, if you want to go to the west of Drake's Island then you will need to pass through a passageway through a shallow reef known as The Bridge , which is marked by four prominent and lit posts.

Alternatively, you can stay just outside the main channel and follow it round to the western end of Mount Batten Breakwater . If you then turn to starboard you will have a choice of three good marinas for your first night in Plymouth.

For more in-depth information check out the full feature in the October 2009 issue of Motor Boats Monthly.

Cruising around Plymouth One of the best things to do in Plymouth is to explore the vast harbour in your own boat - something that's possible even when the weather isn't playing ball. The harbour is sheltered and there are many places to drop anchor and moor for lunch or overnight.

See pictures in our Plymouth gallery .

Cawsand Bay Cawsand Bay , which is overlooked by the pretty 17th century Cornish fishing villages of Kingsand and Cawsand, is one of the best places to drop anchor.

Barn Pool Here you can drop your hook and visit Mount Edgcumbe Country Park , an excellent place for long walks and picnics. Alternatively, the Cremyll Ferry runs a regular service from Admiral's Hard on the Plymouth side and has been ferrying foot passengers to Cremyll since it was built in 1926.

Devonport Docks As you cruise up the River Tamar, past the Torpoint Ferries you'll reach the Devonport Docks . With 14 dry docks, four miles of waterfront, 25 tidal berths, five basins and an area of 650 acres, this is the largest operational naval base in western Europe - you may even spot some of the British Navy 's ships and submarines. Tamar bridges Firstly, Brunel 's impressive Royal Albert rail bridge - which was built in 1859 and still carries 21,000 trains between Devon and Cornwall each year - and immediately behind the rail bridge, the only slightly less impressive Tamar Toll road bridge. The River Tamar is navigable on the tide to Gunnislake weir. However, it is very shallow in places and the upper reaches are best navigated by tender.

For more in-depth information check out the full feature in the October 2009 issue of Motor Boats Monthly. Marinas and moorings in Plymouth Discover Plymouth's varied marinas and moorings and check their location on our marina google map .

See pictures in our Plymouth gallery .

Mayflower Marina Mayflower marina offers new showers and a large car parking/hard standing area with an excellent boat lift. It also has Wi-Fi, free electricity and water with a good restaurant and a small shop and on site. However, the water is deep here and the pontoons, which are chained to the seabed, can move around. Some of the berths can be difficult to get into when the tide is running. www.mayflowermarina.co.uk

Sutton Harbour Sitting inside a locked harbour, there are very few tide and wash problems in this central marina. It's just a short walk to the Barbican with many restaurants and shops close by. Diesel, Wi-Fi, launderette and high-quality pontoons are available but parking is very limited and there are no lift-out facilities. www.suttonharbourmarina.com

Queen Anne's Battery A good choice if your boat needs work because there are excellent chandler's and many engineering services on site. Diesel and petrol are available and there is a good bar and restaurant. The Battery is fairly near to the Barbican but it isn't the most pleasant of walks. www.queenannesbattery.co.uk

Plymouth Yacht Haven A modern marina with many facilities on site, including diesel and pump-out. The pontoons are new, in a sheltered area dredged to at least 2.25m. However, there are few facilities outside the marina and by road it is a long way from Plymouth. www.yachthavens.com

River Yealm One of the most delightful places to moor in the south west, the River Yealm is quiet and set in beautiful surroundings with local pubs, shops and showers. The countryside offers excellent walks but you will need a tender to go ashore. Weekends can be busy with many sailing boats arriving from Plymouth so get there early for the best moorings. River Yealm Harbour Authority Tel: 01752 872533 Email: office@yealmharbourauthority.co.uk

For more in-depth information check out the full feature in the October 2009 issue of Motor Boats Monthly.

Going ashore An abundance of shops and historic sites more than justifies a trip ashore. See pictures in our Plymouth gallery .

Black Friars Distillery The working home of Plymouth Gin since 1793, the distillery offers guided tours where you can learn about the art of making this world-famous gin and then have lunch in the excellent Barbican Kitchen Brasserie restaurant where the food is of both high quality and good value.

The Barbican Packed with eateries, shops and galleries, The Barbican is a great place to while away an afternoon and stock up the fridge from the M & S food hall. The tourist office is also near here and there are about 20 historic sites within walking distance, including a restored Elizabethan house and the Mayflower Steps monument.

Sutton Harbour This sociable harbour is home to both Sutton marina and also the new fish market - the centre of the busy Plymouth sea fishing industry. You can spend a pleasant afternoon walking around this area, admiring the many new buildings that have been built around the marina, as well as watching the comings and goings of the many boats passing through the lock.

National Marine Aquarium At the UK's largest aquarium you will find over 4000 animals from 400 species on display in three massive tanks as well as many smaller ones. The Mediterranean tank, Britain's deepest tank, has sharks that swim overhead. The Hoe The Hoe is a stretch of open land looking out to sea where Sir Francis Drake is famously said to have continued playing a game of bowls as the Spanish Armada advanced up the Channel in 1588. It is also the site of the world's first offshore lighthouse and Smeaton's lighthouse , built in 1759, was the third lighthouse built on these notorious reefs. It stood there for over 120 years and set the pattern for all later offshore lighthouses. The Royal Citadel The Royal Citadel dates back to 1670 and is in a very prominent position overlooking the harbour. Take a tour of the building to admire the Royal Artillery canons and head to the walls for marvelous views of the harbour, including the Mount Batten peninsula opposite. Open Tuesday afternoons, from 2.30pm.