You have now entered
Sailing & Membership
Scroll to find out more
Welcome to RDYC
Some clubs have a nice view. We have the River Dart, Dartmouth Castle, and the open sea stretching away beyond the estuary. On a good day it is, frankly, unfair on everywhere else.
The Royal Dart Yacht Club has been on the Kingswear side of the river for over 160 years. In that time, we have accumulated a remarkable sailing history, a terrace that is extremely difficult to leave, and a membership that ranges from serious offshore racers to people who simply love being near the water with a good drink in hand. Both are equally welcome.
Racing, cruising, junior sailing, training, events, food, and a bar with a view that will rearrange your priorities. Come and see what you have been missing.
Visitor
Information
Visitors are very welcome at the RDYC.
Whether you are arriving by water, by ferry or on foot, come and find us. You will be glad you did.
The bar and terrace are open to non-members during our regular opening hours as guests of members. Come for a drink, stay for lunch, end up watching the sun go down over the Dart. It happens a lot.
We serve food throughout the day. The kitchen takes local sourcing seriously and the menu changes with the seasons. The terrace is relaxed. The dining room is a step up, but not in a way that should make anyone nervous. Smart casual covers it.
If you are visiting with a group, planning a private event, or arriving as part of a regatta or rally, get in touch and we will make it work. Use the enquiry form or drop us a line directly. We are good at sorting things out.
Mooring Facilities
There are not many places in the country where you can leave your boat for the season and have a view like this waiting for you every time you step aboard. The River Dart does things to people. It has been doing it for 160 years and it shows no sign of stopping.
Our trot moorings sit right on the riverside in Kingswear, a short tender ride from the club. Seasonal moorings run April to October and are available for boats from 7 metres up to 14 metres. We also have swinging moorings for smaller shallow-draught vessels up to 4.5 metres. Availability is limited, so getting in touch sooner rather than later is the wise move.
2026 seasonal mooring fees (April to October, pro-rata for later starts) are as follows. Boat mooring up to 7 metres is £115.23 per metre. Boats over 7 metres are £136.59 per metre.
Shore Storage
On-site storage is available for tenders, kayaks, SUPs and outboards. Whether you have a rigid inflatable alongside a seasonal berth or just need somewhere sensible to keep a paddle board between visits, we have the space.
Tender rack storage is £264.47 per season, paddleboard storage is £122.12 per season, and a Bosun's Locker is £120.92 per season. A harbour fee of £18.37 per metre is also payable to DHNA, which RDYC collects and pays on your behalf.
The Bar and Terrace
Right. This is the important bit.
The bar terrace looks out over the river towards Dartmouth. On a good day, with a cold drink in hand and the sun making one of its Devon appearances, it is genuinely hard to think of anywhere you would rather be. On a less good day, the river still looks beautiful and the bar is still open, so the logic holds.
We have local ales, a proper wine list, cold drinks when the weather cooperates, and a bar team who know their regulars. Post-sail decompression happens here. Race results get relitigated here. Someone always ends up staying for dinner even though they only came in for one. You know how it goes.
Food and Dining
Phil Almond and the kitchen team cook with local, seasonal produce and take it seriously without making a fuss about it. The menu changes to reflect what is actually good, not just what always appears on a yacht club menu.
Casual lunches on the terrace. Proper sit-down dinners in the dining room. Club suppers, themed evenings, private dining and a social calendar that gives you plenty of reasons to book a table. Check the events calendar to see what is coming up.
Showers and Shore Facilities
Hot showers are available for members and mooring holders, because there is a limit to how long character-building cold sails should have to last. Shore facilities include changing rooms, showers, heads, dinghy and tender rack storage, outboard motor storage, SUP rack storage, and Wi-Fi. There is also a galley kitchen with self-service tea and coffee on an honesty basis, for those moments when you need something warm before the bar opens.
Getting Here
The club is on the Kingswear side of the river. The Higher and Lower Ferries cross the Dart regularly from Dartmouth. The Noss Ferry now connects Noss Marina, Dartmouth and Kingswear, which has made the whole thing considerably more straightforward.
By road, follow signs for Kingswear. Parking is available at the Darthaven Marina car park, though it fills up on busy sailing weekends, which is when everyone else has also decided that the RDYC is the best place to be. There is road parking on the roads above the club on the hill. Great views on the descent, good for the legs on the ascent.
Arriving by water? Contact us for approach and berthing guidance specific to your vessel.
Visiting Yachts
Arriving by sea? You have chosen well. The Dart is one of the finest anchorages on the south coast and we may be slightly biased, but only slightly.
Trot moorings are available for visiting yachts. Get tied up, come ashore, and let the bar terrace do the rest. Contact Martin, our moorings manager, before you arrive to check availability and get the approach details for your boat.
Contact
For specific enquiries, visit our contact page to find the right first port of call.
Priory Street, Kingswear, Dartmouth, Devon, TQ6 0AB
Email: manager@royaldart.co.uk
Tel: 01803 752496
Opening Hours
Hours are summer hours from 19 May 2026. On event nights the bar or kitchen menu may be changed or reduced, but bar snacks are always available. The kitchen closes early if the club is empty, so booking in advance is always a good idea. Hours may vary during regattas and bank holidays. It is worth checking the calendar or giving us a ring if you are making a special trip.
Monday:
Closed (except on bank holidays)
Tuesday:
Bar and hot drinks: 11am to 3pm and 5pm to 9pm
Kitchen: 12pm to 2:30pm and 6pm to 8:30pm
Wednesday
Bar and hot drinks: 11am to 9pm
Kitchen: 12pm to 2:30pm and 6pm to 8:30pm (crew supper night)
Thursday
Bar and hot drinks: 11am to 9pm
Kitchen: 12pm to 2:30pm and 6pm to 8:30pm
Friday
Bar and hot drinks: 11am to 9pm
Kitchen: 12pm to 2:30pm and 6pm to 8:30pm
Saturday
Bar and hot drinks: 11am to 9pm (9:30am during the 12-week junior sailing programme)
Kitchen: 12pm to 2:30pm and 6pm to 8:30pm
Sunday
Bar and hot drinks 11am to 3:30pm
Kitchen 12pm to 2:30pm