Moorings in Falmouth and the Carrick Roads

This area covers Falmouth Bay, Falmouth harbour and the Carrick Roads, the estuary of the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall. The Carrick Roads is a ria, a river valley drowned as sea levels rose after the last ice age. It runs for about 4 miles from Black Rock to Turnaware Point, is at least a mile wide along its length, and carries 12 to 14 metres of water in many places. Creeks and rivers open off it: the Penryn River, Mylor Creek, Restronguet Creek, the Percuil River at St Mawes, and the Fal and Truro rivers leading up to Truro. The Helford River enters Falmouth Bay a few miles to the south.

The water is shared between several bodies. Falmouth Harbour Commissioners, a trust port, look after the inner harbour at Falmouth, the Penryn River, parts of the Carrick Roads and much of Falmouth Bay. Falmouth Docks is run separately, Cornwall Council is harbour authority for Truro, the St Mawes Pier and Harbour Company handles the visitor moorings at St Mawes, and the Helford has no single port authority.

Moorings in Falmouth and the Carrick Roads include several marinas. In Falmouth there are Port Pendennis, with an outer marina and an inner dock behind a gate that opens near high water, the Falmouth Haven visitor yacht haven, and Falmouth Marina on the Penryn River. Mylor Yacht Harbour, on Mylor Creek, has pontoon berths and swinging moorings. The Harbour Commissioners also offer annual marina berths and seasonal moorings.

Away from the marinas, St Mawes has visitor moorings and an anchorage, while the Percuil River above it largely dries and suits shallow boats. The Truro River shallows towards Truro, where there is soft mud at low water. The Helford is exposed to easterly winds, and the channel up to Gweek at its head dries and needs a good tide.