Princess Motor Yacht Sales Plymouth – the brand home of Princess Yachts
Richard Clarke is the oracle on why yacht ownership in the South West feels like a little slice of paradise. ‘My Princess’ caught up with Richard, the South West Sales Manager, in the Princess Motor Yacht Sales office at Turnchapel Wharf, Plymouth, for a chat over a coffee to get the low-down.
Set in a former Ministry of Defence site, Turnchapel Wharf is the home of autonomous yacht development in the UK and a thriving 14-acre commercial waterfront business park. It’s set on the River Plym across the water from the global HQ and shipyard for Princess Yachts itself. An inspired hive of maritime activity with a slipway, hard standing, a plethora of marine-related businesses, there’s even a café with fantastic views across the beautiful river.
‘Just look at the scenery, we have picture-postcard rivers, country pubs and Devon’s stunning coastline to discover, and white sand beaches you can only reach by boat,’ enthuses Richard.
In safe hands
Richard studied marine engineering and started his career at Windsor Racecourse Marina on the Thames as an engineer, and soon started running the sea trials on weekends with prospective customers for the sales team. That prompted Richard’s move to pursue a career in yacht sales. He started by expanding the dealer network for one of the brands that they distributed within the UK and worked alongside the sales teams for new and pre-owned motor yacht sales. The lure of the coast and the prospect of larger yachts sales, prompted a move to join Princess Motor Yacht Sales, then based in Sutton Harbour on Plymouth’s historic Barbican, 18 years ago.
Richard has grown up around boats and recounts fond childhood memories of family boating on the Thames and now enjoys taking his own family out on the water. ‘I don’t know many places in the UK where you can cruise just 10 minutes from your marina berth and be in a beautiful anchorage like the River Yealm. I can cruise from the marina and be in one of my favourite waterside pubs within half an hour!’, says Richard with sheer delight. Richard also recommends Hope Cove – great for a day at the beach, swimming, paddle boarding and going ashore for some lunch, or Cellar’s Beach to drop the anchor for a picnic, and there’s many more sheltered coves all along the coast.
South Devon’s finest
Devon’s South Hams countryside, rolling hills, pretty rivers, coves and golden beaches with chocolate-box villages, pubs and thatched cottages, offers an idyllic slice of paradise in the UK for boat owners. Picturesque Salcombe has a beautiful river to explore that meanders up to Kingsbridge, with peaceful pontoon moorings for visitors and a water taxi to town. Quintessentially British with a good mix of boutiques and restaurants along with luxurious facilities and spa at the Salcombe Harbour Hotel and Beach Club Resort, as well as the Devon Rum bar and the Salcombe Gin Distillery, and a river fringed with golden sandy beaches, there really is something for everyone.
Similarly, Dartmouth, steeped in rich maritime history is set on a busy river with Dart Marina Yacht Harbour and Noss on Dart Marina, but be sure to book ahead as these spots are busy in the summer months. Time your visit with the Salcombe Town Regatta, Salcombe Crab Festival, Salcombe Live music festival, Dartmouth Royal Regatta and fireworks and the Dartmouth Food Festival for some additional entertainment.
No-one knows your Princess better than we do
Situated a hop across the water from the Princess Yachts Head Office, the Princess Motor Yacht Sales office in Plymouth takes great pride in being able to offer a very personal and unique service to guide potential yacht owners throughout their yachting journey. ‘We can help clients from the start. Tell us what you’re looking for, how you want to use your boat; as a couple, family with children, cruising longer distances and where and with whom you want to use it, then we can offer advice on the best new or used yacht model to suit your needs’, says Richard. The Plymouth sales office team also has the contacts to help secure berthing on the South Coast or further afield. There’s even an in-house finance and insurance department to help make your dream become a reality sooner than you think.
‘Aftersales support is just as important as the support we give to customers during the sales process, it’s also key to our repeat business’, highlights Richard. This is assisted with facilities including a boat hoist, slipway, pontoons, parts department, engineers and technicians, providing ongoing service, maintenance, retrofit and refurbishment. The bright and welcoming showroom has a comfy seating area and a wide range of products to enhance your yachting experience from Seabobs and tenders, to stabilizers and music systems. And if you’d like to discuss a bespoke project, there’s a luxurious Board room full of inspiring sample books for restyling the interior of your yacht to make it a real home-from-home.
Pop in for a coffee and discuss your next motor yacht, browse the inspirational showroom or have a tour of the facilities. Come and discuss your next motor yacht with Richard and the team.
Call Richard on +44 (0)1752 600657 or pop in to the showroom at Turnchapel Wharf, Barton Road, Turnchapel, Plymouth, PL9 9RQ, open Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm.
