Brixham

Brixham sits under Berry Head on the south side of Tor Bay — a proper fishing port with the fish quay still busy, colourful houses cascading down the hillside, and the breakwater giving shelter from westerlies. It is a natural Tor Bay night before or after the Dart hop, and a useful fuel and provisions stop when the fleet is not filling every gap.

Close Tor Bay on a current chart with Berry Head as the coastal landmark. Inside the enclosed harbour the Authority’s approach outline is: follow the main fairway with the MDL marina to port and the fishing basin to starboard; the Authority visitor pontoon is the one to the right of the pair ahead. Keep clear of MFVs and fish-market traffic.

Call Brixham Harbour on VHF Ch 14 for berthing instructions. If you are aiming for MDL Brixham Marina, call Brixham Marina on Ch 80 before entering. Tor Bay gives shelter from westerlies; the enclosed harbour still wants local advice in strong easterlies or swell.

The Tor Bay Harbour Authority visitor pontoon (Town / Authority pontoon) is not bookable — first-come, limited space, and rafting is common when busy. Short stays on the visitor pontoons are free for the first two hours; after that daily rates apply. Confirm the current tariff on the Authority visitors pages before arrival rather than relying on an old figure.

Anchorage in Tor Bay is free for private vessels; avoid seagrass and do not anchor inside the enclosed harbours or approaches. Seasonal visitor buoys at Fishcombe Cove support seagrass protection — follow Authority advice.

Drying berths and scrub facilities in the Inner Harbour are bookable with the office; published drying figures are orientation only — confirm depths and tide times with harbour staff before you use them.

MDL Brixham Marina (Berry Head Road, TQ5 9BW) is the private marina option: telephone 01803 882929, VHF Ch 80. Call before entering. Diesel is listed at the marina fuel station — confirm products and hours with the marina. Harbour dues and marina berthing are separate matters; check both.

Water and electricity are available on the Authority visitor pontoon; electricity cards come from the Harbour or Fish Quay security office — card prices change, so confirm on the day. Town shops and pubs are about a ten-minute walk from the quay. MDL offers the usual full-service marina set — confirm showers, laundry and Wi-Fi with them if that is your plan.

Fuel for Authority visitors is best confirmed with Tor Bay Harbour or MDL on the day. Engineers, chandlery and yard services sit around the fishing port and marina — always confirm insurance and harbour requirements with Tor Bay Harbour Authority before arrival.

Brixham town has shops, fish restaurants and the working quay atmosphere that makes Tor Bay feel different from the quieter river harbours further west. Berry Head country park and the coast path are the natural walk if the crew wants stretch after a passage.

A Tor Bay working-harbour stop with town within walking distance.

It is a busy commercial fishing harbour, and Authority space is limited.

Brixham grew as Tor Bay’s fishing capital and still lands the catch that shapes the harbour. The breakwater, Berry Head and the colourful hillside streets are the postcard; the fish quay is the working heart.

Dartmouth on the River Dart lies west-southwest after Start Bay / the coast hop. Torbay, Torquay and Paignton share the bay. Further west the West Country chain runs Salcombe, Plymouth, Fowey, Falmouth and the Helford.

There is no separate BBC Brixham tide row. Use the BBC Torquay tables (nearest listed Tor Bay UKHO station), ADMIRALTY EasyTide, and Tor Bay Harbour advice for local timing. Pair the official tide links with a current forecast before you leave Dartmouth or the Channel coast.

The practical information in this Guide was checked against the source records below on 27 October 2026. Operational details can change — confirm with the harbour office or marina before arrival.