Plymouth Yacht Charter

As fair weather sailors, mostly in Greece and Turkey these days, it was with some trepidation that we booked a 2 week charter out of Plymouth rather than risk travelling abroad in the current Covid circumstances.

The weather actually turned out quite well and we really enjoyed re-discovering the delights of Dartmouth, Newton Ferrers and Fowey etc. in Sea Shanty – Bavaria 36.

The boat was ready on time, very clean and in good condition and the briefing from David was very thorough.

From start to finish David was easy to deal with and responsive to any questions or problems.

All extremely good, we had a great time.

Thank you, we will be back!

Colin and Bronwen.

Recreational Yacht Charter.

We had a delightful couple of days sailing up and down the coast – and up the Tamar – in Sea Shanty.

She is in excellent condition and David carefully took us through all the kit before we set sail. He was always on the end of the phone if needed.

It is the perfect way to see Devon and Cornwall and we will definitely be back.

Robert Hardman

Family Charter.

I chartered Sea Shanty for 5 days in July and David was very helpful and attentive to all my enquiries.

Sea Shanty proved very easy to sail and we felt at home on her in no time.

We moored on the River Yealm for our first and last nights, and had a delightful sail down to Fowey for the nights in between, with a lovely day anchored up in Lantic Bay for lunch and a swim!

David was easily available whenever I had any queries and I thoroughly recommend using Plymouth Yacht Charter.

I can’t wait to take Sea Shanty out again in the future!

Richard Simpson.

Recreational Yacht Charter.

Thank you for the recent charter of your yacht Sea Shanty.

She was in very good condition and sailed well.

Also, thank you for the excellent way you looked after us throughout the process.

Dave Lawrence.

Proprietor of Orange Tree Events.

A gem of a charter organisation; from the initial contact / booking back in January to the return of the security deposit post charter, it has been a pleasure dealing with David at Plymouth Yacht Charter.

We were warmly greeted at QAB and offered coffee after the slog down the M5. Both Sea Shanty and Meltemi Winds were presented in very good order, shipshape and Bristol fashion as we say around here.

The handovers were very thorough, David and Clive clearly know and cherish their yachts.

Many nice touches to make sailing on an unfamiliar yacht easier.

I look forward to dealing with them next season.

Nigel Owen.

Keynes Park Cruising Association.

Great day out with 3 kids & 3 adults.

Beautiful day, great boat, well equipped, clearly explained & documented.

We were out for the day starting out by motoring up to Saltash Bridge and then sailing back down to the Sound, then tacking out to Drake’s Island, across to anchor in Cawsand Bay and back to the marina.

I have chartered many yachts over the years; this was one of my best experiences of a charter outfit.

Thanks for a great day:-)

Geoffrey, Family and Friends.

Recreational Yacht Charter.

Thank you very much for our Charter of ‘Meltemi Winds’.

We had four lovely sailing days in fresh winds getting down to Fowey, then Falmouth, then back to Fowey, then Plymouth, and she tacked, reached and sailed down-wind very well.  The mains’l reefed and unreefed very easily, and she sailed well under jib alone.

We really liked the modified spacious lay-out,  eg. the clever stairs up to the cockpit, the chart table, and loo door.  The big cockpit locker was large and tidy due to some thoughtful fittings to store the gear. Loads of cushions including for the cockpit. It was obvious that the owners had thought through all their needs and made all the kit/arrangements available to her Charterers – us !

All in all a great yacht to charter.

Best wishes all !

David Birley.

Recreational Yacht Charter.

A most comprehensive hand over and a well turned out boat (Sea Shanty).

I wouldn’t hesitate to charter from you again.

Harvey Tear.

Recreational Yacht Charter.

Having just purchased Sandpiper from Ancasta, the boat was in Chichester Marina – which is a long way up a creek with fast flowing tides, difficult marina exit and a very busy fairway!

I asked David if he would accompany me to bring the boat back to Plymouth.

David demonstrated a very professional approach to the whole process, navigating Chichester harbour with ease and then crossing the Solent.

We refuelled at Yarmouth and then headed out to Plymouth, arriving back in Plymouth Yacht Haven around 1am.

His knowledge and experience taught me a lot about handling the boat and necessary monitoring of the engine systems.

A great delivery – I would have no worries about using David again in the future.

Andrew Newcombe.

Owner of motor yacht Sandpiper.

David & Clive were both fantastic – so welcoming up on arrival and departure and made the whole process so smooth and easy!

We had no experience sailing on the South Coast and they went above and beyond not only with recommendations of where to go but also a quick look at the charts and chat about how to get to our chosen destination (Salcombe) when we arrived, we found the local knowledge very useful!

Meltimi Winds is a great boat to charter for the weekend and we’ll definitely be back to sail her again.

Tori Harris.

Recreational Yacht Charter.

2 friends required tuition in respect of RYA Dayskipper and Yachtmaster and a full day on the water in Plymouth Sound on a commercially categorised vessel would fit the Training Schedule.

Meltimi Winds was presented in superb condition, spotlessly clean, fully fuelled, no defects and a welcoming carton of fresh milk and CHOCOLATE! biscuits.

Throughout a dynamic day, exercising all aspects of small boat handling, Meltimi Winds behaved impeccably, she shrugged off our mistakes safely and returned a high degree of speed when required.

On returning to her berth the grateful crew decided that a future charter of Meltimi Winds would be wonderful, perhaps for a week or so.

Once again David, thank you so much for a brilliant charter vessel.

Chris Adams.

Commercial Delivery Skipper & Sailing Coach.

We had a long weekend bareboat charter on Sea Shanty in May.  She was really well equipped and provisioned at handover, including those little items that you forget to bring when chartering.  She is roomy and comfortable below deck.

Sea Shanty performed well under engine and sail and the three of us found her very easy to handle.  She sailed well in the light winds that we had for some of the charter but she performed best when the wind picked up and she stood up well under full canvas in a fresh breeze.

Plymouth is a long way from home for us so we appreciated David’s flexibility in handover times and in extending the weekend charter to 3 days.

He also went out of his way to help us source a few larger things we had forgotten and was thorough and helpful throughout.  All round excellent customer service.

Andrew Wall.

Recreational Yacht Charter.

I was hugely impressed by my week on Sea Shanty. She was impeccably presented and David did all he could to ensure we had an enjoyable week.

I was amazed with quite how quickly this boat slips along and found myself having to slow her down at times so as to not arrive before the tide – a very pleasant surprise. She was easily handled short handed and provided a wonderful means to explore the area.

I will definitely be returning soon!

Johnny Savile.

Recreational Yacht Charter.

With less than two years’ experience of sailing my 24-foot sailboat around Torbay, I was
anxious about the prospect of moving her from Torquay Inner Harbour to a new mooring
at Plymouth Millbay Marina.
I contacted David Franklin at Plymouth Yacht Charter, who offers a professional boat delivery
service using wide-ranging experience of delivering both sail and motor boats around
Europe.
David planned our trip to take the best advantage of weather conditions, sea states and
tidal streams, estimating a day-long passage, approaching Plymouth Sound after
sunset. Ahead of the trip David provided a comprehensive checklist for me to complete
to ensure that the boat was well prepared.
David was skipper for the day, and his professional approach was evident throughout:
completing a rigorous initial inspection of the boat; providing a detailed explanation of
the planned route; and regularly logging our progress, including engine condition and
fuel consumption.
David’s care and attention to detail ensured that the trip was completed successfully,
and on time.
During the trip David was also happy to share his extensive sailing experience,
including mooring best practice, coastal navigation, VHF listening to VTS to understand
large vessel movements, lighting of channel and cardinal marks, and navigation of the
Plymouth Sound approach at night. Afterwards, David also provided some photos of
the boat and coastal landmarks that recorded this most enjoyable trip.
As a result, I would thoroughly recommend David at Plymouth Yacht Charter.

Richard Jones.

Owner of sailing yacht Guillemot.

We had a great few days on this classic cruiser racer, sailing from Plymouth to Salcombe, Dartmouth and Brixham.

She’s a really sharp sailer, very well equipped on deck, with a reliable motor for that last push to the pub and accommodation below ideal for coast hopping.

She’s good value and we will be back!

David Harding.

Recreational Yacht Charter.

As a RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and professional yachtsman I get to experience many sailing vessels in a variety of conditions and states of presentation.

When I see I’m scheduled to sail and teach courses on Sea Shanty I know that I am going to be working on a well equipped boat that is more than capable of delivering a quality experience for our clients.

This is in no small part down to the ‘nothing is too much trouble’ attitude of her owners who share a passion for consistently getting things right with their boat. A pleasure to sail time and time again.

Simon Chapman.

Yachtmaster Instructor & Proprietor of Change of Tack.