Plymouth to offer visiting vessels walk ashore option, direct onto the Barbican

Cattewater Harbour Commissioners are keen to encourage visiting, and passing, vessels to consider Plymouth’s Barbican as their next stop-over destination. With the Barbican Landing Stage lease having recently been handed back to the Commissioners, and the addition last year of two visitor pontoons situated in the Cattewater, the Commissioners are doing their part to improve access into the city for vessels when visiting Plymouth.

With a variety of options including the Barbican Landing Stage, the pontoons and visitor moorings available for a wide range of vessels, it is hoped that Plymouth will be considered as a call-in destination for leisure cruisers this summer and beyond.

Subject to availability, visiting vessels both commercial and leisure can now berth on the Barbican Landing Stage between 1800 and 0800 the following morning. This new offering provides users with a walk ashore berth, direct into the city’s waterfront. The second option is to utilise the visitor pontoons and moorings off Mount Batten, and tender the short trip to the popular Barbican Dinghy Pontoon. Both options enable visitors to disembark into the heart of the waterfront with a wide variety of local bars, restaurants, and local, independent shops to enjoy.

Chief Executive and Harbour Master Richard Allan said:

“The access to the water in Plymouth is excellent, but I am regularly reminded that the access ashore from the water is relatively poor, particularly around the Barbican. By opening up the Barbican Landing Stage to overnight berthing, like many other South West Ports do, we hope to encourage more visitors into Plymouth by boat. Sailors regularly sail along the South Coast during the summer months, hopefully the ability to now berth in the Barbican, and walk ashore will encourage some of these sailors to alter course, and spend a night in Plymouth during their sailing holidays, rather than bypassing us. The option will also help ease the pressure anchoring has on the seagrass beds within Plymouth Sound.”

The Commissioners moorings are suitable for a range of recreational and commercial vessels for overnight or longer stays. Please contact the Harbour Office by calling 01752 665934 for further information, to book and make payments. Bookings for the Barbican Landing Stage need to be booked in advance to ensure capacity alongside commercial businesses that operate from the location.