The harbour at dusk: two boats moored inside the breakwater, its red light lit at the end

We leave the quay on the turn of the tide, round the light at Gull Point and bring you home with salt on your sleeves.

Book a seat

Rated 4.9 out of 5 by 3,100 passengers

Nine departures a day from Pier 3, April to October, and weekends through the winter.

Meet the skippers

Three ways out of the harbour

Every trip leaves from Pier 3 on North Quay. Tickets online or at the kiosk on the day; children under four sail free on a lap.

Plan your trip

Harbour Loop

Fifty minutes round the moorings, under the swing bridge and along the fish quay, with the skipper naming every hull you pass.

Boat
Marigold, open deck
Leaves
10:00, 11:30, 13:00, 14:30 and 16:00

£16per adult, £9 per child

Book the Loop
Masts and flags of the fishing fleet crowded along the quay
Small fishing boats resting on the harbour floor at low tide

Lighthouse & Seals

Two hours out past the breakwater to Gull Point Light and the ledges where grey seals haul out. Binoculars on every bench.

Boat
Kittiwake, covered and heated
Leaves
10:30 and 14:00

£32per adult, £18 per child

Book the Light
A red and white lighthouse on a cliff above calm blue sea
Seals lying on weed-covered rocks at low water

Sundown Sail

Ninety minutes under tan sails on the ketch Hesper, timed so the sun drops behind the town while you are out. One drink from the bar included.

Boat
Hesper, twelve guests
Leaves
An hour before sunset, Thursday to Sunday

£38per guest, twelve and over

Book the Sail
A ketch with red sails on a flat evening sea
Passengers on deck watching the sun go down over the islands

The water we cover

Five places you will pass, depending on the trip. Every skipper has a favourite; ask on the way out.

A blue fishing boat settled on the mud beside the quay at low tide
Loop

Fish Quay

The trawlers settle on the mud at low water; at high tide the morning's catch comes ashore right beside you.

Market stalls under umbrellas above boats moored at the steps
Loop, Saturdays

Market Steps

Stalls run down to the water at the weekend. Wave to the oyster sellers; they always wave back.

A tall white lighthouse rising above sand dunes and dry grass
Light

Gull Point Light

Lit since 1871 and still working. We hold off the rocks long enough for every camera on board.

A seal asleep on pale rocks in the sun
Light, low tide

The Seal Ledges

Grey seals haul out here when the water drops. We cut the engine and drift; they rarely mind.

A small white boat at anchor in a clear cove under a rock wall
Sundown

Tern Cove

A sheltered bay where Hesper drops anchor while the sun goes down behind the town.

Three boats, all older than their skippers

We keep them on the slip every winter and paint them every spring. Each one does the trip it was built for.

Marigold, a wooden launch with a white canopy, full of passengers

Marigold

A wooden launch with an open deck and a brass bell. She runs the Loop all day and knows every mooring by name.

Built
1958, on this quay
Seats
36 under a canopy aft
Runs
The Harbour Loop
Boarding
Two steps down, a hand offered
Kittiwake, a white excursion boat with a covered saloon, at her berth

Kittiwake

A covered cruiser with a heated saloon, big windows and a top deck for the brave. She takes the Light run twice a day.

Built
1974, Falmouth
Seats
60, half of them inside
Runs
Lighthouse and seals
Boarding
Step-free ramp, toilet on board
Hesper, a varnished wooden ketch, tied up along a pontoon

Hesper

A gaff-rigged ketch that sails twelve guests at a time into the evening. Ask the skipper and you can take the helm.

Built
1936, as a pilot's tender
Seats
12 on deck, with blankets
Runs
Evenings under sail
Boarding
Over the rail from the pontoon

Everything you need is already on board

  • Blankets under every bench

    Wool, and washed after every trip. The wind is always colder once you are out past the light.

  • Tea, coffee and a small bar

    Hot drinks on every boat; local beer, wine and cider on Kittiwake and Hesper.

  • A warm saloon

    When the weather turns, Kittiwake seats thirty inside behind wide windows.

  • Step-free at Pier 3

    Tell us when you book and we will keep the seats nearest the ramp for you.

Three skippers, one rule: home before the tide turns

  1. Ros Pennick sitting on the bow of a blue boat by the sea

    Ros Pennick

    Skipper of Marigold since 1996

    “I learned to row in this harbour before I could ride a bike. The Loop still surprises me most mornings.”

    Her stretch: the fish quay at first light

  2. Jonah Reyes leaning out of a window on the side of a boat

    Jonah Reyes

    Skipper of Kittiwake since 2017

    “The seals know the sound of our engine. Cut it at the right moment and they come up to look at you.”

    His stretch: the ledges on a falling tide

  3. Tomas Kerrow sitting by the water in a white shirt and waistcoat

    Tomas Kerrow

    Skipper of Hesper since 1981

    “Hesper is older than me and better behaved. Give her a breath of wind and she does the rest.”

    His stretch: Tern Cove as the sun goes

Take the whole boat

Private hire for up to sixty, with your own skipper and your own route. Prices are for the boat, not per head.

Friends gathered under a boat's canopy against the evening sun Colleagues on the open deck and stairs of a passenger boat Two people at the rail as the sun sets over the water A group in life vests at the bow of a boat at dusk

  1. Birthdays and anniversaries

    Bring a cake and we bring the plates. Marigold is the one for a party that wants to see the whole harbour.

    Marigold from £420 for two hours

  2. Office afternoons

    Kittiwake's saloon takes a slideshow if you must; most teams end up on the top deck instead.

    Kittiwake from £680 for two hours

  3. Proposals at the light

    Just two of you and a skipper who has done this before. We know exactly where to hold Hesper still.

    Hesper from £520 for an evening

  4. School and club trips

    Lifejackets for every size, a skipper who answers every question, and a quiz sheet for the way home.

    Kittiwake from £9 a head on weekdays

Ask about a charter

Heard on the way back in

From the comment cards we hand out at the gangway, copied out as they were written.

“We went for the seals and came back talking about the skipper. Jonah knew every buoy and half the people waving from the quay.”

Hannah LoweLighthouse and seals, in August

“Booked the evening sail for my dad's seventieth. He took the helm for ten minutes and has not stopped telling people.”

Marcus BellSundown on Hesper, in June

“The children were wrapped in blankets with hot chocolate and their noses on the glass all the way to the light.”

Priya NairKittiwake to the light, in October

“Fifty minutes, sixteen pounds, and I finally understand the harbour I have lived beside for twenty years.”

Tom AshdownMarigold's loop, in May

Before you come aboard

Dark rocks running out into a calm sea at dusk

Ask the kiosk

Whoever is on the kiosk at Pier 3 picks up from half past eight until the last boat is in.

Call 01632 000 000
What should I bring?

Something warm, even in August. We have blankets, but a hat and a windproof layer make the run to the light far nicer.

Do you sail in bad weather?

In light rain, yes: Kittiwake is covered. If the harbour master closes the bar or the swell is too big, we text you by eight in the morning and refund in full.

Can I bring my dog?

Dogs on leads are welcome on Marigold and Kittiwake. Hesper is too small for them, sorry.

Is it all right for small children?

Yes. There are lifejackets in every size on board, and under-fours sail free on a lap.

Where exactly do we meet?

At the kiosk on Pier 3, North Quay, ten minutes' walk from the station. Please be there a quarter of an hour before you sail.

Can I change my booking?

Up to a day before departure, free of charge, online or at the kiosk.

Your seat is waiting at Pier 3

Ticket kiosk
Pier 3, North Quay, Kelmouth
Phone
01632 000 000
Email
hello@pierhead.example
Kiosk hours
8:30 until the last boat is in