Salcombe Harbour Authority

What Salcombe Harbour Authority does

Salcombe Harbour Authority is a statutory Harbour Authority operating under the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847, administered by South Hams District Council in Devon, United Kingdom. It exercises exclusive jurisdiction over the Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary, providing harbour management, moorings administration, pilotage, vessel registration, byelaw enforcement, and a range of visitor facilities (fresh water at Normandy Pontoon and Batson Quay, showers at Whitestrand, refuse and recycling, black water pump-out, a 10-tonne slipway hoist, hull scrubbing grid, and a diesel/petrol fuel barge). The authority is led by Harbour Master Cameron Sims-Stirling and supported by a Deputy Harbour Master, an office team, a moorings team, a workshop team, and a boat park team — totalling 6 full-time staff plus approximately 10 seasonal workers engaged each summer.

The authority's operational technology stack is intentionally low-tech and standards-based: VHF Channel 14 for general harbour communications and Channel 12 for the Water Taxi service, a Wix-hosted public website with a Windfinder.com weather widget, and online forms for vessel registration, accident reporting, and pilotage requests. It holds no proprietary AI/ML capabilities and operates no app or API surface. The core systems are governance- and safety-focused, including compliance with the Port Marine Safety Code, an enforcement policy, and a body-worn camera policy.

Revenue is generated from harbour fees and charges — moorings, vessel fees, water taxi fares, boat park storage, slipway hoist operations, pump-out, and fuel — supplemented by statutory services funding from South Hams District Council. Pricing is published on a public rates-and-charges schedule with pay-as-you-go billing. The customer base is fragmented and SMB/individual in nature: yachtsmen and visiting vessels (including super-yachts), local fishermen, and recreational water users such as canoeists, paddleboarders, swimmers, and regatta participants. The authority maintains a strategic 150+ year partnership with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) for search-and-rescue operations within a 10-mile radius of Salcombe. Geographic scope is limited to the South Devon estuary; there is no global footprint.

Name

Salcombe Harbour Authority

Legal name

Salcombe Harbour Authority

Website

https://salcombeharbour.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Salcombe Harbour Authority is a statutory UK Harbour Authority under South Hams District Council that manages moorings, pilotage, vessel registration, and marine facilities across the Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary for yachtsmen, fishermen, and recreational water users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Harbour and Port Management Services

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Navigational Services to Shipping (488330), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Marinas (713930)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Maritime & Port Authorities (Public Ports, Harbors, Ferries Terminals) (BPAIALAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Towage & Berthing Coordination (Tug/Line Handling Dispatch) (TLAHAFAC)

Keywords

• Harbour management services
• Statutory harbour authority
• Mooring and pilotage
• Marine navigation services
• Vessel registration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Salcombe

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Harbour Fees and Charges: Revenue generated from moorings, vessel fees, water taxi services, and harbour facilities including slipway hoist operations, pump-out facilities, and seasonal boat park services
2. Statutory Services: Performance of statutory duties under the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847, funded through South Hams District Council

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Salcombe Harbour Authority is a statutory harbour authority operating the Salcombe–Kingsbridge Estuary in Devon, UK, under the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 and the Port Marine Safety Code. It delivers vessel registration, mooring management, pilotage, water taxi service, boat park storage, and visitor facilities including fresh water, refuse, fuel, pump-out, and a 10-tonne slipway hoist. Operations are funded through harbour fees and South Hams District Council.

Product overview

Salcombe Harbour Authority operates as a municipal port and eco-port providing comprehensive harbour management services for the Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary. The organisation offers a unified set of services including vessel registration, moorings management, pilotage, water taxi transportation, and visitor facilities (fresh water, showers, refuse, fuel, hoist). Core administrative services encompass harbour guidance, tidal information, and local notice to mariners. The authority maintains a partnership with RNLI for search and rescue operations and operates under Port Marine Safety Code governance standards. Services are delivered through the Harbour Office at Whitestrand and Batson Boat Park facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Taxi Service Weekend water taxi service monitored via VHF Channel 12 and mobile 07807 643879, booked through the Harbour Office for movement of passengers around the Salcombe–Kingsbridge Estuary.
• Boat Park Services Seasonal boat storage and yard services at Batson Boat Park in Salcombe, with opening hours varying by season (April–June and July–September 08:00–18:00; October–April Monday–Friday 08:00–16:00).
• Vessel Registration Online vessel registration form for boats using the harbour, administered through the Harbour Office on behalf of South Hams District Council.
• Harbour Guide Comprehensive guide for harbour users providing Local Notice to Mariners, pilotage information, rates and charges, and tidal information.
• Pilotage Services Professional pilotage services for vessels requiring navigation assistance within the Salcombe–Kingsbridge Estuary.
• Moorings Management Harbour authority policy and management services covering the allocation, oversight, and administration of permanent and visiting vessel moorings within the estuary.
• Visitor Facilities Facilities for visiting yachtsmen and water users including fresh water at Normandy Pontoon and Batson Quay, showers at Whitestrand, refuse and recycling points, black water pump-out, a 10-tonne slipway hoist, hull scrubbing grid, and fuel barge (Diesel and Petrol) on VHF Channel 6.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1869Salcombe RNLI Lifeboat Station has been operating for over 150 years (since 1869). The station is operated by a team of 38 local volunteers and 2 full-time RNLI employees (Coxswain and Mechanic). The harbour authority works in partnership with RNLI for search and rescue operations within 10 miles of the station. RNLI is a registered charity relying on voluntary contributions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Trinity House: General lighthouse authority and maritime charity providing aids to navigation across UK waters. Operates in a related maritime governance and safety role, providing broader context for UK harbour management frameworks.
• Premier Marinas: UK marina operator running multiple south-coast marina sites. Competes for the same recreational boating customer base with potentially more modern facilities, digital booking, and a broader geographic footprint.
• MDL Marinas: Largest UK marina operator with a portfolio of premium marinas along the south coast. Represents the private-sector marina model that competes for visiting yachtsmen and offers more modern facilities and digital services.
• Associated British Ports (ABP): UK's largest port operator managing commercial ports. While focused on commercial cargo rather than recreational harbours, ABP represents the broader port operating peer set and provides benchmarking for safety code compliance and governance.

Emerging players

• Sail Loft Trust / local sailing clubs: Local sailing clubs and community marine organisations in Salcombe and Kingsbridge that benefit from the harbour's infrastructure. While not direct competitors, they shape the user ecosystem and demand for harbour services.

Direct peers

• Poole Harbour Commissioners: Statutory harbour authority for a large south-coast recreational and commercial harbour. Operates a similar regulatory model under similar legislation, with comparable services including moorings, pilotage, and fuel facilities.
• Chichester Harbour Conservancy: Statutory harbour authority managing a similar recreational estuary harbour on the south coast of England. Operates under comparable 19th-century legislation with a similar mix of moorings, pilotage, and visitor services, making it a closely comparable peer.
• Dart Harbour and Navigation Authority: Statutory harbour authority covering the River Dart estuary in South Devon, in close geographic proximity to Salcombe. Provides a directly comparable service offering (moorings, pilotage, visitor facilities) for a similar recreational and commercial user base.
• Fowey Harbour: Statutory harbour authority operating a small south-coast harbour in Cornwall with similar recreational and small-commercial vessel traffic. Provides comparable services including moorings, visitor facilities, and pilotage.

Others

• British Ports Association: UK trade association representing port authorities including statutory harbours. Provides policy, lobbying, and benchmarking support relevant to Salcombe's operating context, though not a commercial peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Salcombeharbour
• Facebookfacebook.com/SalcombeHarbour
• Instagraminstagram.com/salcombeharbourauthority
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/salcombe-harbour-authority

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Salcombe Harbour Authority