Moorings on the Exeter Ship Canal

The Exeter Ship Canal runs beside the tidal Exe from Turf Lock, on the Exe Estuary, up to the canal basin and quay in the centre of Exeter. It first opened in 1566 and is owned by Exeter City Council, which runs it through Exeter Port Authority.

Boats enter from the estuary through Turf Lock. The council locks boats in between 8am and 3pm on weekdays, depending on the tide and by arrangement, and can lock them through outside those hours for an extra charge. Further up, Double Locks is really one very long lock with its gates set far apart, wide enough for two vessels to pass inside it. The canal is crossed by the Countess Wear swing and lifting bridges and the Salmonpool swing footbridge, and air draft is limited to 10 metres. The old Topsham Lock has been blocked since the 1970s.

Moorings on the Exeter Ship Canal are let by the council, which offers visitor berths for two days or more, weekend stays, season moorings of five months and storage afloat or ashore by the month. The canal basin in the city works as a marina and is also used for rowing, canoeing and kayaking, with the old quayside buildings now housing cafes, shops and studios.