Build Up Your Sea Miles

If a deposit is made via bank deposit, we require you to send as an email to confirm when this is done.

The full payment due on the day of hire. If you book 48 hours or less before the booking date then you will need to pay in full when booking.

No booking is regarded as confirmed until a 50% deposit is received. You can pay this deposit via bank transfer or via card over the phone. We do not accept Amex.

The outstanding balance is due on the day of hire. If you book 48 hours or less before the booking date then you will need to pay in full when booking.

Once you have parked (pay & display) please come to the office where you will be greeted. You will be asked to fill in a booking form and pay the balance on your booking. Then you will provided with buoyancy aids or lifejackets (depending on which boat you had hired) which you are required to wear for the duration of your hire. You will be given a map and a full area briefing before heading to your boat where you will be given a boat brief.

Launch/Pilot: During your boat brief a member of staff will take you out to explain in more detail about the stopping distance of the vessel.

Yacht charter:

Elektra is on a mooring buoy, you will be taken out to the boat for your briefing

Merlin will be on a beath in the marina, you will be taken to the boat for your briefing.

For more details about yacht charter please take a look at the yacht charter page.

Please note the toilet fertilities are a short walk from the office. They are located by the café just after the red telephone box. You may wish to arrive in time to use them before your booking.

If you have any questions about your booking at are not on our FAQ section please get in contact, we are always happy to help.

Your booking is based on your start time, if you are late for your booking, you will lose time on the water. You will still be required to have your boat back on time, for example, if your booking is 9am to 12.30pm then the boat will need to back at 12.30. For fees for late returns please see T&C

The booking time incudes a safety briefing and filling in booking form.

Half day booking – 3.5 hours

Full day booking – 7 hours

Evening bookings times may vary so please require when booking

We welcome pets on board our boats but there are some limits so please read the boat information on your fleet page. The boat capacity is based on people, please consider the size of your pet when booking

April – October, 9am-6pm,

July – August we also run evening hire – enquire for details

We run half day (3 hours) and full day (7 hours) this includes signing in and briefing time.

In case we get some ‘Cornish liquid sunshine’ we always suggest you come prepared with a coat.

If the forecast is looking wet for the day you have booked then you can always contact us. If we are able to move your booking to another day we are happy to do this for a small re-booking fee, however this is not always possible due to date availability. If you wish to cancel, remember we are unable to refund your deposit if cancel you booking with less than 48 hours’ notice. Please take a look at our T&Cs for full cancellation policy details.

All parking is run by the marina and is pay and display. We are in the first car park as you come down the hill on the left. There is also more parking by the marina office and up the valley.

Please give yourself enough time before the start of your hire to park.

 There are plenty of places to stop where you can use the toilet but there are none onboard the Cornish Shrimpers or picarooners. The yacht charter boats have heads.

 Our motor boats can explore the far reaches of the river fal (tide dependent) to St Anthonys Lighthouse, whereas our Cornish Shrimpers and Jeanneau Sun 2500 can go a little further into Falmouth Bay and the Helford River. For more details on Merlin’s (37ft yacht) cruising area please check out her page

 All ages are allowed as long as someone over 18 is in charge of the boat. Please make staff aware when booking of anyone under the age of 8.

As our picaroooners are licensed for non-experienced people they are not speed boats. Though, you can explore the whole of the River Fal in a day, from our pontoon it will take approx.:

Falmouth – 40 mins

St Mawes – 50 mins

Trellissick House – 40 mins

The Pandora Inn – 20 mins

 If you cancel your booking with less than 48 Hours’ notice will not be entitled to a refund. If you cancel with more than 48 Hours’ notice but less than one week before your booking then you will receive a voucher. This voucher will be for the value of the deposit paid and must be redeemed with in 1 year. To receive a full refund of your booking deposit you will need to give over one weeks’ notice.

We do not do a per person price, the price is for the boat.

Our boats can be taken away, as long as you have a suitable mooring and the owners permission, and that you are competent with tying it on safely.

Are there many places to moor overnight with the Cornish Shrimpers or Jeanneau Sun 2500?

There are plenty of places to moor overnight, please see the following links for more information, booking may be required.

Falmouth Visitors Yacht Haven

Pasco’s Boatyard, St Just

St Mawes

Helford River

If you wish to stay on our pontoon overnight on a Cornish Shrimpers this will need to be arranged in advance.

Yes, our boats are moored on our pontoon, which can be accessed via the slipway with no steps involved.

Please let us know your requirements when booking.

Call up and ask us for the tidal information for that day but the Pandora’s pontoon will generally only accessible 2 hours either side of high tide.

There are many pontoons to stop off at including the Pandora Inn and St Mawes (both tide dependent), Falmouth, the heron Inn (Malpas) and Trellissick House, or drop the anchor in a peaceful spot to enjoy a picnic.

You will be given an area briefing on arrival, if you wish to go somewhere in particular please let us know at the time of booking so a member of staff times for you, some places are tide dependent.

Take a look at our cruising area for ideas.

Our motorboats are very easy to drive and we will run through all of the controls upon arrival. For all sailing please see the relative boat page for details on experience and qualifications required.

Yes, we always encourage booking in advance to avoid disappointment. It is best to book as soon as you have a date in mind.

 Yes, they are included in your booking, buoyancy aids a provided for the Motor Picarooners bookings and manual lifejackets for the Cornish Shrimpers and yacht bookings.

Yes. All of the boats have a legal maximum capacity (people). It is not based on age. Please see T&C for boat capacity.

The boat must be tidy and clean on its return. Please take everything home at the end of your boat trip. Do not do any fish prep in the boat or our pontoon . Read T&C regarding clearing charges

We do not mind you bringing your own food and drink. You must the boat tidy and take everything home at the end of your boat trip. Read T&C regarding clearing charges

We do not provide a kit list. Everything we provide is listed and we feel that what you wish to bring with you is a personal choice. We do however suggest you consider tides, weather and duration of your hire when deciding what to bring with you.

We only provide the following items for multi day hire:

• Fuel for stove (Origo single hob meths stove)
• Small kettle
• Small washing bowl
• 5L water for boiling
• Sponge
• Ecover washing up liquid
• Bin bag
• Two cups
• Teaspoon
• Berth mattress (if you are staying overnight onboard)

For more details on the boat and safety equipment provided please take a look at our Shrimper page. We provide a full tank of fuel, a tide table and chart for all hires.

We do not provide any cookware, crockery and cutlery but please feel free to bring your own along.

It works like this:

For every consecutive full day you book you get the evening and overnight in-between included in the price. If you wish to come back to our pontoon, a return time will need to be agreed. For details on where you can stay overnight please take a look at ‘Can we take a boat away overnight?‘

or if you wish to pick up the evening before a full day hire this will cost £80. The collection time will need to be arranged at the time of booking.