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Painting of Torquay harbour on the English Riviera with boats at the pontoons below the town.
Torquay, illustrated for Old Sea Dogs Guides. · Artwork supplied by Old Sea Dogs

Old Sea Dogs Guides

Torquay

Torquay sits on the northern shore of Tor Bay — the English Riviera’s enclosed harbour, with visitor pontoons under the town and Tor Bay’s shelter from the prevailing westerlies outside.

Harbour · West Country

Welcome to Torquay

Torquay sits on the northern shore of Tor Bay — the English Riviera’s enclosed harbour, with visitor pontoons under the town and Tor Bay’s shelter from the prevailing westerlies outside. It shares Tor Bay Harbour Authority with Brixham and Paignton, but the character here is leisure and promenade rather than Brixham’s fishing fleet.

Harbour authorityTor Bay Harbour Authority (Torbay Council)
Harbour officeBeacon Quay, Torquay TQ1 2BG
Telephone01803 208443
Email[email protected]
Harbour VHFChannel 14 — call sign Torquay Harbour
Private marina VHFChannel 80 — Torquay Marina (MDL); phone 01803 200210
Office hours1 May–30 Sep 08:00–21:00 daily; 1 Oct–30 Apr 08:00–16:00 daily
Out of hours (urgent)Tor Bay Harbour security 07768 553881
Visitor pontoonsNot bookable — first come; rafting may be directed when busy
Short stayFirst two hours free on Authority visitor pontoons
Fees (Authority recreational visitors, Schedule 2026–27, VAT included)up to 5.5 m £16/day or £80/week; over 5.5 m £4/m/day or £15/m/week; cats/trimarans £4/m/day or £19/m/week
DepthsConfirm with harbour / marina — check before arrival

Setting & Character

Enclosed harbour at the heart of Torquay town: cafés and restaurants on the harbourside, shops a short walk inland. Tor Bay itself is the wider natural harbour shared with Brixham and Paignton — useful shelter and a natural stop with the Brixham pin on the same bubble.

Arrival by Sea

Enter Torquay’s enclosed harbour and look for Authority visitor pontoons to starboard along Haldon Pier and to port on the V-section of Town Dock. Large vessels should call Torquay Harbour on VHF Channel 14 before entering. If aiming for MDL Torquay Marina, call Torquay Marina on Channel 80 for a berth. Orientation only — use a current chart for Tor Bay approaches.

Choosing a Berth

Authority visitor pontoons are first-come and often busy in season. Anchoring is prohibited inside the enclosed harbour; outside, common areas are south-east of Haldon Pier or south-west of Princess Pier — avoid seagrass and follow harbour advice. Tor Bay anchorage is generally free for private vessels outside the enclosed harbours. MDL marina is a separate product — confirm prices and availability with the marina.

Fuel & Facilities

Water on the Town Dock visitor pontoon (not on Haldon Pier); electricity cards from Harbour offices. Petrol and diesel available at Torquay Harbour via Marine Fuels Torquay (01803 290624) — reconfirm opening hours on the day. Town facilities within about ten minutes’ walk. Beacon Quay slipway is cited as all-tide by the Authority.

Tides

Use the free official tide tables linked below — this guide does not copy tide heights.

The Tide and wind panel on this page shows local wind; pair it with the tide links below.

BBC Weather tide tables — Torquay ADMIRALTY EasyTide

Old Sea Dogs View

Torquay is the leisure half of Tor Bay on the West Country bubble — pair it with Brixham’s fishing harbour and the Dartmouth hop west of Berry Head.

Skipper's Notes

Quick notes before arrival.

  • Call Torquay Harbour Ch 14 early — especially if you are large or the pontoons look full.
  • MDL visitors: Ch 80, not Ch 14.
  • First two hours free on Authority pontoons; then Schedule 2026–27 rates.
  • Do not anchor inside the enclosed harbour.
  • Distinct from Brixham — same Authority, different enclosed harbour.

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.

  • tor-bay-harbour.co.uk/about/contact
  • tor-bay-harbour.co.uk/visitors/visitor-moorings
  • tor-bay-harbour.co.uk/our-harbours/torquay/harbour-facilities
  • tor-bay-harbour.co.uk/media/xn2l1qf4/2026-27-tor-bay-harbour-authority-schedule-of-fees-charges-1.pdf
  • mdlmarinas.co.uk/marinas/mdl-torquay-marina
  • bbc.co.uk/weather/coast-and-sea/tide-tables/10/25

Conditions

Tide and wind

A quick look at the water around Torquay 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.

BBC Weather tide tables — Torquay (UKHO / ADMIRALTY)

Wind knots

Now
ESE 14, gusts 16
Sat
ENE 8, gusts 13
Sun
NNE 8, gusts 14
Mon
NE 13, gusts 22

Powered by Met Office data. Day figures are for midday. Updated 15:52.

Find your way

Location

This map is supplied by Google. Google may receive connection and device data when you load it.

Open Torquay in Google Maps

This map is provided for general orientation only and must not be used for navigation.

Cruise On

Where the water leads next

Brixham

A working Tor Bay fishing port under Berry Head — Authority visitor pontoon first-come, MDL marina on Channel 80, and a colourful town within a short walk of the quay.

West Country

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.

Related Guides

Painting of Durdle Door, the limestone arch on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, with a yacht and the cliffs beyond.

Cruising Area

West Country

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.

Painting of Brixham harbour with colourful hillside houses and boats in the outer harbour.

Harbour

Brixham

A working Tor Bay fishing port under Berry Head — Authority visitor pontoon first-come, MDL marina on Channel 80, and a colourful town within a short walk of the quay.

Painting of the Dart entrance at Dartmouth, with the castle, wooded hills and boats in the reach.

Harbour

Dartmouth

A deep, wooded river harbour between twin castles — walk-ashore pontoons in town, island pontoons and Mainstream buoys, and full-service marinas on both banks.

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.

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