St Mawes, illustrated for Old Sea Dogs Guides. · Artwork supplied by Old Sea Dogs
Old Sea Dogs Guides
St Mawes
Across Carrick Roads from Falmouth, St Mawes is the Roseland harbour under the castle — visitor moorings in the outer harbour, a slower pace than Falmouth Haven, and the Percuil opening inland for resident boats.
Harbour · West Country
Welcome to St Mawes
Across Carrick Roads from Falmouth, St Mawes is the Roseland harbour under the castle — visitor moorings in the outer harbour, a slower pace than Falmouth Haven, and the Percuil opening inland for resident boats. Book a visitor mooring with the Harbour Office; do not assume a free private buoy.
Falmouth cross-refFalmouth Haven VHF Ch 12 — see the Falmouth guide
Setting & Character
Roseland peninsula village harbour looking across to Falmouth’s docks and Haven. Castle and waterfront give the classic postcard; the inner harbour stays primarily commercial. Percuil River Moorings are residential — no visitor buoys upriver.
Arrival by Sea
Approach via Carrick Roads on a current chart. Call or email St Mawes Harbour for a visitor mooring — VHF Channel 12 is not a 24-hour watch. Keep clear of commercial movements and obey harbour directions. Orientation only.
Choosing a Berth
Book one of the 28 visitor moorings. Anchoring is allowed outside the Inner Harbour on the published tariff; there is no anchorage inside the Inner Harbour. Summer pontoon is mainly for small craft; over 5 m only with Harbour Master or pontoon supervisor permission.
Fuel & Facilities
No Haven-style fuel barge is listed on St Mawes harbour pages — top up at Falmouth Haven (or confirm local arrangements). Water taxi for shore runs. For a full marina product, see Falmouth Haven / Port Pendennis on the Falmouth guide.
Tides
Use the free official tide tables linked below — this guide does not copy tide heights.
Falmouth’s quieter twin on the Roseland — book the visitor buoy, look back at the Haven, and leave Percuil to the residents.
Skipper's Notes
Quick notes before arrival.
Email to book a visitor mooring — do not rely on 24-hour VHF.
Day visit: off by 1600 or pay the night rate.
No Percuil visitor moorings.
Fuel plan: Falmouth Haven barge.
See the Falmouth guide for Falmouth Haven.
Information checked against official sources
The practical information in this Guide was checked against the source records below on 28 October 2026. Operational details can change — confirm with the harbour office before arrival.
stmawesharbour.co.uk/moorings
stmawesharbour.co.uk/contact
stmawesharbour.co.uk/rules-regulations
percuilriver.co.uk/faqs
bbc.co.uk/weather/coast-and-sea/tide-tables/10/5
Conditions
Tide and wind
A quick look at the water around St Mawes before you set off. Always check the full forecast and tide tables.
Tide times official tables
Official tide tables via BBC / UKHO and ADMIRALTY EasyTide. Confirm local advice with the harbour office.
A quiet wooded Cornish river opposite Falmouth Bay — green visitor moorings run by Helford River Moorings, with voluntary seasonal marks and no statutory harbour office.
Carrick Roads’ Atlantic gateway harbour — Falmouth Haven visitors’ marina and green/yellow swinging moorings under the town, with commercial docks still very much in the mix.
Devon and Cornwall’s south coast — deep river harbours and the long hop west from Portland Bill, from Tor Bay and Dartmouth to Falmouth, Newlyn and Padstow.
Carrick Roads’ Atlantic gateway harbour — Falmouth Haven visitors’ marina and green/yellow swinging moorings under the town, with commercial docks still very much in the mix.
A quiet wooded Cornish river opposite Falmouth Bay — green visitor moorings run by Helford River Moorings, with voluntary seasonal marks and no statutory harbour office.
Local knowledge
Know this area?
Old Sea Dogs welcomes constructive feedback from local sailors, harbour users and cruising skippers. If you have spotted something that has changed, or have local knowledge that would improve this Guide, we would be pleased to hear from you.
