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.