Frequently Asked Questions

The main boating activities held are: Craning boats In & Out; Opening Trip; Dartmouth July Weekend; Commodores BBQ down the river; Dartmouth Regatta; and ad-hoc trips to other harbours.

Other boat clubs on the river generally welcome visiting members from the TBA, but this is at their discretion. Equally, we are very happy to welcome members of other boat clubs and marine organisations as our guests.

We do not offer official accredited training. Individual members are often free with their advice, but new members are advised to seek RYA-accredited training (or similar) in Brixham or Plymouth. The same applies to canoeing or kayaking, although there are clubs in Totnes that will help.

There are a variety of social events held throughout the year. Details are posted on the club notice boards and website. The main events typically are: Sunday Roast Lunch at the Clubhouse once a month during the winter. Snacks served during bar hours every Sunday during the winter. Valentines Night put on solely by the menfolk to treat the ladies. A sit-down meal with music. Bingo Night. Quiz Night. Darts Night – competition organized by one of our members. New Members Night – an evening to meet new members & answer any queries they may have. Curry Night – a sumptuous meal put on by one of our members. Annual Dinner/Dance – a three course meal with live music or disco Fitting Out Supper – a three course meal with dance music afterwards Laying Up Supper – a three course meal with dance music afterwards Christmas Draw New Years Eve party – a three course meal and disco

All members are welcome to attend Social Committee meetings, at which we organise our events. Dates are published on club notice boards and the website. We are a “self-help” organisation, so if you wish to volunteer to help, this will be much appreciated.

Once a month during the summer, the club provides an evening BBQ. Members bring their own food and cook it on the BBQ’s provided. The BBQ’ fires will be lit ready for cooking and it may be best if you bring a cooking utensil. The bar is open.

We have moorings for 55 boats at Totnes, split into 2 areas: Mainstream (from the clubhouse to the bridge) and above the bridge. All our moorings are trots requiring access by dinghy. Some of the moorings dry out at low tide. There are also moorings in the Mill Tail, these are leased by Dart Harbour. Ask us how to get in touch with them - they have their own waiting list.

We accept boats up to 8m in length. If your boat is longer, it may be possible to accommodate it, but that is not guaranteed – please speak to the Chief Ships’ Husband (CSH). For practical reasons, we do not accept catamarans or fin keels.

We try hard to accommodate every request for a mooring, providing the boat meets our criteria. In recent years we have not had to turn anyone away, but we cannot guarantee a mooring will be available for you until we see, at the start of each summer season, how many applications we have and how many moorings are free. The smaller your boat is, the better your chances. Moorings for larger boats are always in demand and are allocated on the basis of length of membership. There is a waiting list system - please contact us for more information.

Because of the risk of damage to boats and moorings, we do not allow boats to remain on moorings in the mainstream or above the bridge during the winter. Members must take their boat away or store it in our boat park over the winter. Winter moorings are available in the Milltail via Dart Harbour - there is a waiting list.

A trot mooring is one where the boat is secured by warps (ropes with shackles) to buoys fore and aft. The buoys are secured by chains to the river bed. You will need to access your mooring by dinghy.

We have storage facilities for about 60 boats in our boat park on the opposite side of Steamer Quay Road from the clubhouse. There is electricity and water available, at no extra charge.

The boat park is fronted by high secure fencing, but it becomes less secure when the gates are unlocked. We have had instances of theft and vandalism and cannot guarantee security. Outboard engines are particularly vulnerable and you are strongly advised not to leave them on your boat over the winter.

We have electricity and water available in the boat park, at no extra charge. There is also much free advice offered by other members, some of which you may find useful!

If you on a TBA or DHNA mooring you may store your empty trailer in the boat park during the summer . You should apply and pay the fee via Webcollect to do so. Tender storage is available around the clubhouse site for inflatables only, and in the boat park for hard dinghies and inflatables. Again apply and pay via webcollect.

It is a condition of using TBA moorings or boat storage that you have public liability insurance on your boat to a minimum of £3 million. This is standard cover within marine insurance policies. You will be asked to supply a copy of your insurance certificate with your mooring or storage application.

In addition the boat park facilities mentioned above, we have water supply available on the clubsite for refilling of boat tanks, and a crane for lifting heavy items in or out of boats. The use of the crane is only allowed under qualified supervision. We have a slipway for dinghy access to the river, and this can also be used to launch smaller boats on trailers.

There are two club dinghies available for short term use by members to transport items to and from moorings, and for use by the Moorings & Boat Park Co-ordinator when carrying out maintenance to moorings. Dinghies should not be removed from the slipway for more than a few minutes at a time, so that they are available for use by others. When tying up the club dinghies after use it is important to leave a long line so that the dinghy remains afloat in all tide conditions. The slipway should not be blocked.

You get the right to moor your boat during the summer (and winter, for the Milltail) on the mooring allocated to you by the Ships Husbands. You are guaranteed that the club will reserve a mooring for you as long as you remain a Full member, although this will not necessarily be the same mooring you start with. All Dart Harbour and Navigation Authority mooring fees and harbour dues are covered, so you will have nothing extra to pay to DHNA. We will issue you with DHNA stickers for both your boat and tender - these must be prominently displayed. (If you use visitors’ buoys or visitors moorings down the river, DHNA charge much more for boats not displaying stickers.)

As soon as you know you would like a mooring you should advise the Moorings & Boat Park Co-ordinator by phone or in writing, giving an indication of the type and size of boat. Your request will be noted and kept on a waiting list. In February each year, Mooring Application Forms are sent out to members by email, and are available behind the clubhouse bar. The completed form, insurance certificate and payment need to be sent to the Treasurer. In April we will publish a moorings chart, showing which moorings have been allocated to which boats. In the unlikely event that your request cannot be accommodated, your money will be refunded in full.

If you have a trailer you can use our slipway or the public slipway next to the Dart/Totnes Rowing club about half a mile downstream or you can use our cranage facilities. Each spring and autumn we hire the services of a cranage company to lift the boats in/out of the water and onto trailers or into our boat park. This process normally takes two days. Members do much of the hard work involved to keep the charges down, so you are strongly encouraged to turn up and help. If you require cranage, you should fill in the appropriate section of the Summer Mooring or Winter Storage application form.

The Boat Park opposite the clubhouse is available for car parking (not caravans or camper vans) during the months when the boats are afloat. There is no additional charge for parking. Parking should not obstruct remaining boats, trailers or other cars. All parking is at entirely at owner’s risk.

The clubhouse bar is usually open: Friday evening 7pm to 11pm Sunday lunchtime 12am to approx 3pm Barbecue nights during the summer – usually a Wednesday – see noticeboard for dates Some bank holidays and at Christmas During many club events. Details of specific opening dates are posted on the notice board and website.

On completion of the probationary period, all members are issued with a swipe card key to open the main door onto Steamer Quay Road (one key per family). Additional keys can be purchased if wanted. The use of this key allows access to the toilets and shower at all times. For security reasons, the doors to the kitchen and social area are kept locked except when the club is officially open.

Guests are very welcome at events provided they are accompanied by a member. Ticket prices for guests are higher than for members.

In line with UK law, smoking is not permitted inside the clubhouse. Members are welcome to smoke outside, either along the river frontage, or on Steamer Quay Road.

Dogs are welcome inside the clubhouse, but we request that they are controlled and kept off the furniture.

Members may book the clubhouse for private functions by contacting us, we'll provide an application form and other details. We do not accept bookings for18th or 21st birthday parties.

We keep a selection of toys for children in the social area, and there is a baby changing facility in the disabled toilet/shower. Children under 14 should not use the pool table.

For disabled members access is provided to the clubhouse via a specialised access ramp at one end of the property. There is a disabled toilet for use when the clubhouse is open. At other times, there is a disabled public toilet within100m of the clubhouse.

The clubhouse is owned by the club; the site is leased from South Hams District Council.

In order to allow access for dinghies, parking on the clubhouse site is not permitted except during specific events. At the front of the clubhouse the public road has double yellow lines, but can be used by persons with a disabled parking permit. All parking is at entirely at owner’s risk.

Everyday clothes may be worn at the majority of events and normal club days/evenings. A few events will be publicised with advice of any specifically requested dress code. Dirty overalls and boots should be removed before entering the main room.

The club has insurance for its own property and public liability insurance. It does not have insurance covering injury to members or damage to members’ property, except where negligence is proven.

Each year the Commodore nominates a charity, usually a local one, that will receive profits from a number of social events that are run during the year, such as the quiz night. Previous charities have included: Devon Air Ambulance; Sailability (sailing for the disabled); Chernobyl Children’s Fund.

The Executive Committee members are all volunteers and are elected by the membership and implements the policies; and manages the club and its affairs. Currently this committee has several roles: President, Commodore, Events Organiser, Treasurer, Secretary, Moorings & Boat Park Co-ordinator, Bar Manager, and Publicity Officer, Facilities Management. We also have General Members who looks after training, small craft/canoes/kayaks and the website and IT. The Executive normally meet on the first Monday each month, excluding August, with a minimum of 10 meetings per year. ​

The following sub committees are elected by the membership. The chairperson of each sub-committee reports back to the Executive. Finance chaired by the Hon Treasurer Boating facilities chaired by the Moorings & Boat Park Co-ordinator Wines Committee chaired by the Bar Manager Building Maintenance chaired by the Facilities Manager Boating Events & Social Activities chaired by the Events Organiser Publicity chaired by the Publicity Officer

All members are welcome to attend meetings of the Social Committee, but not other committee meetings. The Annual General Meeting may be attended by all members of the club. ​ If I come to AGM's will I be 'press-ganged' into joining Committees? Members who come to AGM's will not be 'press-ganged' into joining Committees, however as the club is for the benefit of everybody, members are encouraged to become involved in support of the club in any way that they feel able to.

Follow this link to our WebCollect portal . Applicants also need to visit the club and meet one or more members of the executive committee. Applications are reviewed at the monthly executive meetings and after that the applicant will be informed and at that point be asked to pay the fees. They then become full members. For more information please just get in touch.

If you do not have a boat, or if you have a boat but do not require use of our boating facilities, you are still very welcome to become a member and play a full part in the club. Apart from boating events (which you can still enjoy on someone else's boat), there are many social activities off the water. (Have a look at this year’s calendar of events).

Approximately 400+ members.

Sorry, but we do not have discount arrangements for members. Some local boating suppliers do offer members a small discount.

We offer reduced annual subscriptions for members between the ages of 18 and 26. Please ask.

Informally, you can talk to the Commodore or any of the Executive Committee. If you want your complaint to be logged and/or you would like a written reply, you can write to the Club Secretary, who will ensure that your issue is raised at the next Executive Committee meeting, and will reply to you.