GIFT VOUCHERS

Although Christmas might seem like months away (!) we close the shop for the winter on 31st October, so the next two weeks are a final chance to think ahead and perhaps buy a special Whitestrand Boat Hire GIFT VOUCHER for a friend or relative. It's an ideal present, as they can spend the voucher on anything from a mackerel fishing trip to boat hire or rib rides or even a lovely kids Salcombe Nipper T-shirt. So there is always something to suit everyone of all ages and giving a Whitestrand voucher is just a little different!!! It will give them a great experience on the water in Salcombe to remember.

So pop in now to buy your gift voucher for that special person!

Eco-estuary tours

Last Saturday Anna ran her first eco-estuary tour (advertised through South Devon AONB) on Salcombe estuary. She took a small group of people out on one of the hire boats, and everyone enjoyed the tour and lots of birdlife was seen. No seals unfortunately though! We spotted 2 kingfishers, greenshank, redshank, numerous herons and egrets, plus talked thorugh some of the history of the estuary (Lime kilns, Fort Charles, Saltstone cross etc) and the wildlife lurking underneath the water's surface and how we can better protect it.

Whitestrand's training from The Green Blue and the WISE scheme also came in very handy and qualified us to talk about some of the more burning issues affecting wildlife and protection of the estuary or ria.

Hopefully we'll be planning more eco-estuary tours for the 2010 season.....let us know if you'd be interested in signing up to one of them.

Also, these tours will be mentioned in Hilary Bradt's 'Slow Devon' book published in 2010 - Anna took Hilary on a dummy run of the tour in June this year to show the estuary in a fresh new light.

Eco-estuary tours - NEW !!!!

Ever wondered what lies beneath the waves??? Where do the seahorses actually live and how can we help them??? Take a closer look at the estuary and its wildlife from an environmental viewpoint and discover why Salcombe estuary is so special.

New to Whitestrand - we are offering the chance to go on a small and friendly 'eco' boat tour of the Salcombe estuary with Anna who runs the boat hire (and she is also a biologist)....

Advanced booking is essential and tickets are very limited due to small boat size. Two trips will be run at 10am and 12pm on Saturday October 10th. Each trip will last 90 minutes, and Anna will take you on a tour of the estuary's habitats and wildlife.

Bring binoculars if you have them! Lifejackets provided.
Adults £12 each, Children under 16 £10 each.
Bookings through Whitestrand Boat Hire - call 01548 843818 or email info@whitestrandboathire.co.uk

How clean is your beach?

Whitestrand Boat Hire cleaned Scoble beach up this Sunday - Anna and Megan (staff members) and 2 local volunteers (plus Jasper the chocolate lab) spent the afternoon collecting a total of five bin bags....

The most random items found included some supermarket spring onions and lots of water bombs.....perhaps next year we won't use water bombs in the raft race during Regatta week. A lot of the litter did seem to be more local public litter, and less from shipping sources.

We ran this event as part of the Marine Conservation Society National Beachwatch weekend.....we had hoped for more volunteers but it was great to have locals turn up. Perhaps next year local groups (school, rowing club) could use the beach clean events as an opportunity to do a sponsored event????

And thanks to the Salcombe Coffee Company we all enjoyed a well-deserved and free hot chocolate after our litter-picking mission.

Autumn Beach Clean

As part of the Marine Conservation Society National Beachwatch Campaign, we are encouraging locals to get involved in our next beach clean.

Join us on Sunday 20th September - meet at 2pm at Whitestrand Boat Hire - and we'll take you on a short boat trip across the estuary to Scoble Bay. We survey this beach on a quarterly basis to collect data (and rubbish!) so we can monitor how litter trends change season to season and year to year.

Volunteers will be doing beach cleans all around the country's coastline for this national event, and doing your bit in Salcombe really does make an impact to help conserve our marine environment.

It would be fab to see some locals at this event - please do come along and bring your friends and family. Just sparing an hour of your time really does help to make a difference - thank you.

Summer wildlife sightings....

We are keeping a log of all the wildlife sightings in Salcombe on our board in the shop but thought we'd publish them on here too......

16.6.09 basking shark and sunfish seen from Calypso off Soar Mill Cove
24.6.09 grey seal at Whitestrand
25.6.09 sunfish seen from Calypso near Starehole Bay
26.6.09 grey seal at Whitestrand
1.7.09 7 bottlenose dolphins at the Bar playing with Hobie Cat sailing boats
7.7.09 grey seal up the Bag
10.7.09 grey seal near Snapes point
25.7.09 sunfish at the Bar
31.7.09 Portugese man-o-war jellyfish near Whitestrand and by the lifeboat
9.8.09 grey seal at Hope Cove
18.8.09 sunfish at the Bar
19.8.09 five rare green sandpipers up Frogmore creek
27.8.09 grey seal by Marine Hotel in Salcombe, and one also spotted at Hope Cove.
5.9.09 harbour porpoise at sea spotted by Calypso passengers


If you see anything of interest, please do let us know and if necessary we can report the sightings to the relevant wildlife organisation.

What happens when.....

...boats land at Sunny Cove.

Rules are in place for a reason. The reason boats are not allowed to be landed at Sunny Cove or North Sands, is because boats will get swamped and you will either sink the boat or drown the engine. It is VERY dangerous so please don't ignore the rules. Three families have landed at Sunny Cove this August - one boat completely flipped, this one got swamped and damaged, and we managed to tow one away just in time thanks to warning from another local. It's not funny and it's not clever!!!

Sunny Cove is particularly dangerous because the beach is so steep - waves roll in and dump water in the boats rather than pushing boats further up the beach. So sinking is a major risk.

North Sands is a long shallow beach - but the angle waves roll in over the bar means they aim directly up North Sands, often creating a lot of surf. Therefore it's unsuitable for beaching.

We'd be grateful if you read the hire agreement thoroughly and listen to our briefings when hiring a boat, for your own safety and that of our boats and engines. Thank you.

Red Arrows and Harbour swim!!

On Sunday 9th August we were lucky enough to witness the Red Arrows who gave a fantastic display over the estuary!! The display lasted half an hour in which we saw an array of formations, each with a silly name. The whitestrand girls sang the Top Gun theme tune whilst watching the arrows fly what felt like only feet above them!!!

The following morning the team rallied together to go for an early morning swim across the estuary. The swimmers left Smalls cove and arrived at the yacht club. Very proud of the Whitestrand team who completed the swim in just under 10 minutes!!

As featured in Devon Life magazine

See page 94 of August issue of Devon Life magazine for the interesting background story of 'Albert and the Slipper Limpets' and local author Jacqui Kilpatrick, written by Anna Turns. You can purchase the book from Whitestrand Boat Hire £5.99, and signed copies are available.

RIB RIDES new to Whitestrand

Whitestrand is now taking bookings for Salcombe Coastal Charters - cruise the beautiful Devon coast for a day, half day or charter by the hour. Your skipper is Tom Summerton who is a commercially endorsed fully qualifed RYA Yachtmaster who successfully skippered this rib in the Round Britain Powerboat Race in 2008.

The 8.6 m Cobra rigid inflatable is powered by a 300 hp engine and takes up to 7 passengers. It is fully licenced by the MCA and is capable of speeds of up to 40 knots (50mph), yet is incredibly safe.

Cost: £150 per hour; £250 plus fuel for a half day; £350 plus fuel for full day trips.

Bookings through Whitestrand Boat Hire 01548 843818.

Trips will be running from Saturday 10th July thoughout the summer.

Dolphins at the Bar!!!

It was a good excuse to shut up shop for half an hour today as we heard reports for the South Sands Ferry of dolphins at the bar. We thought they'd be gone by the time we got there but they were still happy playing alongside one of the sailing hobie cats, and did not seem at all bothered by any of the quietly observing boats. It was great to see all the boats keep their distance and just enjoy the experience!!!

We counted 7, possibly 9 bottlenose dolphins, including one which did an aerial display and nose dived back into the water. They seemed happy playing and swimming back and forth across the bar, enjoying riding in the bow waves of the sailing boat.

We kept our distance and did not get close enough to get any ID photos but have reported our sighting to Seawatch and Devon Wildlife Trust.

It was a beautiful sight and a great omen as earlier today Whitestrand Boat Hire signed up to take part in the National Whale and Dolphin week organised by Seawatch later in July.

Basking shark sighting from Calypso!!!

Us girls in the shop were very excited this morning when we received a call at 10.30 am from Steve our Calypso fishing boat skipper to say he had just sighted a 20 foot basking shark. It was seen swimming past the boat 3.5 miles off the coast due South of Soar Mill Cove.

Basking sharks are the second largest fish (second only to the whale shark) and they are filter feeders, feeding on plankton. They are often seen migrating past the south coast, but more commonly during July and August.

Steve was out on Calypso taking a deep sea fishing trip, and they did not approach too close so as not to agitate the basking shark, so sadly did not get a photo. We have reported our sighting to Seaquest South West, part of the Devon Wildlife Trust, and we'll all keep our eyes peeled for future sightings.

Bang and Go Back Race 2009

This bizarre and incomprehensible boat race is organised by Chris Turns as part of the Salcombe Festival. Come along and watch from Cliff House Gardens by the Yacht Club at 5pm this Saturday 13th June.

Old boats with stuart and brit inboard engines can take part - their throttle must remain at a constant level throughout the race, but speed can be changed by moving passengers from bow to stern. At the first hooters, boats leave the start line, in either direction. Every time the hooter is heard, the boats must all change direction. After twenty minutes or so of this banging and going back, the final hooter is sounded - then the first boat back to the Yacht Club Line is the winner of the Stan Turns trophy!

This event is a lot of fun to watch. Having said that, even we don't really understand it really....

Lifejackets for sale

We are currently selling some of our second-hand buoyancy aids - all sizes from kids to adults. Some have got small rips on the material or a dodgy zip that could be fixed but all are for sale for £5 ONO. Pop into the shop to have a look for yourself...

Basking sharks, dolphins, sunfish, seals....the list goes on...

The South Devon coast is a haven for marine wildlife - and we want to hear about what you see while you're out on the water!!!

All marine wildlife sightings can be reported to the Marine Life Information Network (MARLIN) on 01752 255026 or go to www.sealifesurvey.org or Devon Wildlife Trust Seaquest project on 01392 27428 or email dbrc@devonwildlifetrust.org

And we are keeping a list of exciting recent wildlife sightings in and around the area in the Whitestrand Boat Hire office, so do keep in touch with us!

Recently. basking sharks have been spotted along the coast off Salcombe (3rd May) and also further west near Wembury, Plymouth (31st May) plus the big lifeboat saw a small group of harbour porpoises out to sea on a shout on 20th May.

Greenstrand

We are doing our bit for the environment at WBH - all our brochures are now printed on 100% recycled paper and we would encourage customers to pass the brochures on to someone or recycle them when they have finished with them. Also, all our hire boats have four-stroke engines which are much more economical in terms of fuel than the older two-stroke types. We have got other plans in the pipeline too, so hopefully we'll help to keep Salcombe estuary as blue as possible.

Our next beach clean is on Sunday 12th July too - more details will be posted here nearer the time.

Whitestrand Goes Green....and Blue

Whitestrand Boat Hire organised a workshop in Salcombe today with The Green Blue - a fantastic intiative by the RYA and BMF to raise awareness about the marine environment and how to be more green at sea.

Locals from all aspects of the marine industry in Salcombe attended to represent a complete overview of estuary users, and we discussed everything from better ways to anti-foul to marine litter and wildlife disturbance. It was a really inspiring day...many thanks to Green Blue. We have got lots of resources in the shop too, so if you are interested feel free to drop in and pick up some leaflets.

Their website is www.thegreenblue.org.uk and we will continue to work closely with them in the future to develop more ways of making boating on Salcombe estuary greener.

Every boat user has the opportunity to make a real difference - even just keeping your speed down will minimise your fuel consumption and save you money in the process. And remember not to chop up the eelgrass with your propellor when beaching your boat - turn the engine off, use the paddles and save a seahorse!!! Pop in to the shop anytime and chat to us about how you can help.

Very cold April Showers!

Yesterday we had a freak hail storm in Salcombe - very bizarre - and the heavens suddenly opened. Whitestrand was covered - it really was a White strand....luckily the sun is shining again today.....and high pressure will hopefully come in for a sunny May bank holiday weekend.

GIFT VOUCHERS

Give someone the chance to explore the estuary....

Whitestrand Boat Hire now supplies gift vouchers for mackerel fishing trips and hire of motor boats, canoes and rowing boats. Please ask in the shop for more info.

Calypso trips running daily

Mackerel, Pollock, Whiting, Wrasse.....
You name it, Steve is your man. Steve Barker is our new skipper for Calypso and fishing trips are running every day of the season, weather permitting. We can cater for your needs - 2 hour mackerel fishing trips are ideal for families, and for the hardier fishermen Steve can take you out for longer deep sea fishing trips to the skerries.

And if fishing doesn't float your boat, why not book the boat out for a group estuary cruise and try your hand at spotting some of the local wildlife (these trips best around high tide).

Call 01548 843818 to find out more and to book.

Beach Clean a Success

Thanks to all 20 of our volunteers (including Will, above, who particularly liked the grabbers) who turned up on Saturday to help clean Scoble Beach. And thanks to the harbour officers for their help shuttling us across the estuary!

We collected 20 bin bags of rubbish - a lot of it was glass. This beach is part of the Marine Conservation Society adopt-a-Beach scheme, and we chose to survey this one in particular because this is where a lot of the flotsam and jetsam lands form out at sea as the swell and the tide comes in. All data collected will be collated and submitted to MCS to help lobby for marine bills. Next beach clean is in July - details will be posted here!

April Fools Day

We are now OPEN for the 2009 season! The season runs through until 31st October and we'll be open to hire boats every day weather permitting. Long may the sunshine continue...

Albert and the Slipper Limpets

Local author, Jacqui Kilpatrick, has just published her first children's book 'Albert and the Slipper Limpets'. Albert the seagull lives on a post on Victoria Quay in Salcombe and this book tells the story of his first adventure in the estuary. Books are available from Whitestrand Boat Hire at the price of £5.99 (signed copies in stock now!), and we also have a pair of slipper limpet shells for you to have a look at, before going to try and find some of your own. The story is aimed at kids aged 5-8, and we plan to organise a book reading with Jacqui Kilpatrick on the beach where the story was written. We'll keep you posted once we have a confirmed date for this event!

Spring Clean our Beaches!

Make a difference this Easter – help ‘spring clean’ our beaches – fun for all the family!

Anna at Whitestrand is organising our first beach clean - part of the Marine Conservation Society's Adopt-A-Beach scheme. We'll survey the rubbish we collect and this data will be used by MSC to help lobby for marine bills etc, so it really does make a difference.

The first of these beach clean events will take place on Saturday 11th April 2009 from 2pm until 4pm.

Two beach cleans will be taking place simultaneously - one at Batson Creek and one at Scoble Beach (accessible by boat courtesy of Whitestrand Boat Hire). So you can either meet Anna at Whitestrand Boat Hire shop for Scoble beach clean at 2pm and there will be a free boat trip across estuary to shuttle all volunteers to the beach. Alternatively you can meet Mark at end of Batson creek for beach clean by foot.

This event is open to everyone, locals and visitors, the more the merrier. Why not bring your friends and family! Dogs on leads welcome. The more hands on deck we can get, the more rubbish we can collect - and this time of year there is usually A LOT of litter to collect after a stormy winter. And its always a good chance to have a chat with your friends while you are doing something rewarding.

On the day, it's a good idea to dress warmly, and wear gloves if you have them. Bags for rubbish collection and lifejackets for boat crossing are provided.

All volunteers will receive a voucher for a FREE coffee at Salcombe Coffee Company and some Easter mini-eggs from Cranch’s Sweet Shop as a big THANK YOU!

For more information please contact Anna Turns at Whitestrand Boat Hire: 01548 843818 or email info@whitestrandboathire.co.uk

NEW flagship boat launched today

Chris launched our new 'Kruger' boat today. It's a new type of cuddy boat and this one will replace the fastliner 'Charlie'. It was a perfect day on the water to take it for a test drive and we think this will be a popular choice for families, as there is plenty of room for the kids in the open cabin and it can take up to 8 passengers.

Salcombe Nippers Guide to Crabbing

Use hook-free crab lines to avoid damaging crabs

• Use smelly bait such as mackerel strips or even bacon!


• Best to crab on an incoming tide - best spot near Whitestrand is from the stone wall at Victoria Quay near the lifeboat station.


• Don't put more than 10 crabs together in a large bucket.


• Add rocks to the bucket to help replicate the crab's natural environment.


• Only put crabs in sea water, not fresh water.


• Keep your bucket in the shade.


• Don't keep them out of the water all day long - return them to the sea....


• Enjoy crabbing!

Organic cotton 'Salcombe Nipper' Kids T-shirts are sold for £12 at Whitestrand Boat Hire.

And you can pick up a leaflet in the shop to find out how best to catch crabs.....

Calypso, pretty in pink

Although the boat hire shop is closed for the winter, there is still plenty of work to be done 'behind the scenes'. One of the messiest jobs of the year is anti-fouling our biggest boat Calypso, the fishing trip boat.

This Spring, the boat is having a full makeover. You can see the work in progress as it is currently out of the water along Gould Road - you can't miss it.

As well as having a new wooden cabin built, it is having a complete repaint. After the first couple of coats of paint, the hull looked a distinct 'salmon pink' colour. Chris was quite tempted to keep it this way, but we eventually agreed a pink fishing boat might well lose all its street cred in the harbour pretty quickly!

So Calypso will be sticking with its trademark red and blue colouring, and should be ready for fishing trips on the first day of the season, April Fool's Day.

We are also very lucky to be welcoming a new skipper on board - we'll keep you posted...

Cutest customers of 2008

Two of our best customers from last season. Frodo is the ferry dog and he soon learnt that we had a secret stash of dog biscuits behind the counter so he would pop in to say hello regularly between his shifts on the Salcombe - East Portlemouth Ferry.

And 'Crispy' the duck came in the shop one rainy morning last Easter, but left her friend 'Pancake' out in the cold.

So, what does the SR stand for?

We are often asked what the SR logo stands for, it's on our boats and even our doormat! SR simply stands for 'Salcombe Racing' which is the name of the Honda powerboat which races around the country, driven by WBH owner Jerry. To find out more about the raceboat and follow its progress, click on:

http://www.f4sa.co.uk/team-h2salcomberacing-t20.php











Unfortunately the hire boats aren't allowed to go this fast......

Welcome!!!

Whitestrand Boat Hire begins 2009 by opening a new shiny blog! This will be the place to share our news about what is new in, on and by the water, plus all the latest gossip from Whitestrand from new boats to beach clean events. We are passionate about Salcombe estuary, its people, wildlife and landscape and want to start a forum where ideas, stories and memories can be shared and passed on.