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Couples, families, friends.
(Up to 6 people)
Available from Easter to October. OUR LATEST NEWS
"Amazing", "Beautiful", "Magical", "Wonderful" and "Perfect" are some of the comments we get from those who join us onboard for our unique and engaging river trips. Departing from near Truro, we gently sail the sheltered waters of the beautiful Fal estuary.
With over 80 miles of shoreline, the Fal is Cornwall's largest and most beautiful estuary, surrounded by lush tropical gardens, grand historic estates, ancient harbours, and stunning countryside.
Discover this enchanting river from the water itself as we sail along its meandering course and experience a closer connection to wind, tide, and nature.
Relax, the friendly crew take care of all the sailing and we especially welcome those who have never sailed before.
Please use our CONTACT form or call / message 07588 971357 to easily schedule a trip.
Bring along a picnic or Champagne, stopping at anchor in one of the Fal's beautiful bays.
A chance to visit a rarely visited arm of the river, or to sail amongst the active harbour events.
Sailing experience gift vouchers available.
Our tours are a great experience to gift. We produce beautifully presented vouchers for you to give to friends and family.
More about experience day vouchers
"Lucy and Angus - We can’t recommend this trip highly enough, Neil and Debbie’s boat is beautiful and this was a really magical way of exploring more of the river and learning about the Roseland and Lizard. They were great hosts and were very knowledgeable about the river’s history and ecology which made the sail even more interesting. We were even lucky enough to have gorgeous weather! Thank you!"
"Hi Neil and Debbie, Many thanks for such a wonderful and memorable experience on your beautiful sailing boat ‘Drifter’.
It was magical to be in nature so close to basking seals, seeing many interesting birds even curlews and learn about the amazing history of the area. Thanks again Best Wishes
Jeanette, Pierre and Ellie"
"We can highly recommend Sailing barge Drifter. It was an amazing experience and the barge is a dream boat. The feeling of sheer tranquility was overwhelming and it must be one of the most relaxing few hours spent in a long time for us. Forget Spas and massage and go enjoy messing about on the river. Neil and Debbie gave us a trip to remember and we can’t wait to do it again. Lesley and Alistair."
"Hi Debbie and Neil,
Brilliant time today. Thank you very much although I had to put up with Phil singing "We are sailing" all the way home in the car ! He really appreciated the day. You made the birthday gift special.
Best wishes
Avril & Phil"
Wonderful Sailing Experience
Perfect day out on the river
A highlight of the holiday
Neil and Debbie will always go out of their way to ensure every aspect of your time onboard is as good as it can be. Onboard Drifter, they are your local river guides and they also take care of all the sailing tasks such as hoisting and lowering the sails.
Over the last 20+ years they have worked as professional crew on an envious variety of boats from historic to ultra modern, sailing in the most beautiful locations including Europe, the Caribbean and the USA.
When the time came to buy their own boat, they chose a sailing barge because their passion is traditional vessels, and the design is well known for comfortable and social sailing. They particularly wanted a boat that excelled in sailing on inland and shallow waterways but was just as capable of undertaking more adventurous coastal voyages. Their barge suits the waters of the Fal estuary perfectly and enables them to offer unique sailing experiences.
Neil is a qualified 'Yachtmaster Ocean' with over 50,000 sea miles. Back in 2000 he took a sabbatical, which resulted in swapping a career in IT for a life on the water. Debbie also holds a skippers license and has a wealth of experience in care and hospitality.
They met while working together onboard a historic (100 years old at the time) Thames sailing barge, and later got married in the middle of winter because they were too busy sailing in the summer!
They have made the River Fal their home. Their enthusiasm for sailing in this unique and beautiful area, and for sharing the experience and their local knowledge with others is obvious to all who meet them.
We start and finish our sailing trips at Malpas marina near Truro.
Satnav postcode is TR1 1SW. There is free parking alongside the road either side of The Heron Inn.
Please allow plenty of time for parking as it is sometimes quite busy.
There is a coffee shop with toilet facilities at the marina (we also have a toilet onboard), and an award winning inn very close by.
Contact us with your desired date or week you would like to sail.
We will accommodate your trip taking best advantage of tides on the day.
Look forward to a beautiful day on the water.
For more information, bookings or gift vouchers please use our secure contact form.
or your 
app: sailingbargedrifter@gmail.com
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07588 971357