Dartmouth Boat Hire
ENTRY
from £79
WHERE
Dartmouth
What it’s like
Take the wheel yourself and pilot a self-drive boat up the River Dart to Dittisham, no licence needed.
No licence, no instructor sat next to you, just a map, a quick explainer on the river rules and the wheel in your hand. You hire the boat and steer it yourselves up the Dart towards Dittisham, the first village upstream, where the Ferry Boat Inn makes a decent excuse to stop for lunch. Beyond Dittisham the river gets fussy about tides, but the stretch up to the village is navigable whatever the water's doing, so that's your reliable turnaround point.
Boats take up to eight, which makes this one of the easier group days out to organise, since you're not splitting into two cars and two bookings. Prices climb with both boat size and time on the water: the smaller boat starts at £79 for an hour and runs up to £209 for a full six-hour day, while the larger boat is £119 for an hour up to £315 for the day. An hour feels brisk if you want to actually get to Dittisham and back with time to moor up, so two or three hours is the more comfortable pick if lunch is part of the plan.
Fuel, life jackets and the river chart are all included, which takes some of the faff out of it. Bookings have to go through their online system rather than over the phone, which is a slightly odd rule for a place otherwise happy to email you about evening hire, but it is what it is. Town centre parking is tight, so the Park and Ride is the sensible option if you are there for a few hours.
Need to know
- Booking
- Advance booking recommended June-August
- Parking
- Dartmouth Park and Ride recommended for all-day parking
- Worth knowing
- Fuel, life jackets and river chart included
- Fuel, life jackets and a river chart are included in the price
- An hour is tight if lunch at Dittisham is part of the plan; two or three hours gives you breathing room
- Advance bookings must go through the online system, same-day slots can be phoned in
- Beyond Dittisham the river is tide-dependent, so check the state of the tide before you push on
Plan your visit
Do we need a boat licence?
No licence needed, they talk you through the basics before you set off.
How much does it cost?
From £79 for an hour on the smaller boat up to £209 for a full six-hour day. The larger boat runs from £119 an hour to £315 for the day.
How many people can go in one boat?
Boats are licensed for up to eight people.
How far can we actually get?
Dittisham, the first village upstream, is reachable whatever the tide is doing. Past that it depends on the tide.
Do we need to book ahead?
Advance booking is recommended for June to August, but same-day bookings are possible online or by phone. The advance booking itself has to be done through their online system, not by calling.
Can we hire a boat in the evening?
Sometimes, they say to email them directly if you want to ask about an evening hire.
Where do we park?
Town centre parking is limited, so the Dartmouth Park and Ride is the better bet if you are out for a while.
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