Entering Stoke Gabriel Creek
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Low water pontoon at Mill Point
This orange plastic pontoon provides pedestrian access to and from Stoke Gabriel at half tide or less (2.7m). If the tide is higher than this, the pontoon will be fully afloat with no dry access to/from Mill Point.
To reach the village there is a 400m walk from Mill Point along the stony and often muddy foreshore to reach the quay slipway.
When tidal height exceeds 3.6m you may be prevented from returning to your boat by the flooded foreshore and the cliffs
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Stoke Gabriel quay pontoon
Slowly approach the green, starboard-hand mark (Stoney Ground Beacon. The tide gauge is graduated at 0.2m intervals with the 5m, 4m, 3m and 2m levels shown by numbers. If the water level is below 2m and your craft draws 1.2m or more, do not enter the creek on a falling tide but instead use the Low Water Pontoon in the photo above. Otherwise, depending on the draft of your vessel, steer to pass about 5m off the two red, port-hand marks on a bearing of 325°. At the second of these, turn 25° to starboard and proceed parallel to the shoreline for 100m. At this point you will notice a thin white post on your left at the bottom of the cliff. It is the outer post of a transit mark. Turn 60° to starboard and follow the course indicated by the back transit shown by the white post and vertical vertical line. You should now be heading towards the extreme right-hand end of the houses visible beyond the Mill Pool. In about 50m, when you are looking along the centre line of the pontoon on your port side, start turning to port towards the end of the pontoon and berth on the outer end marked "Short Stay Only". Do not berth on the eastern side of the pontoon as this is reserved for the ferry service to Dittisham and for collecting or dropping off crew.
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Additional pilotage information
- Aerial photographs of the entrance to Stoke Gabriel Creek
- RYA Guide to the river Dart