Travels and boat care
It was great weather to welcome Teresa for her first trip on Molia, and Andy making his return trip to the second Severn crossing.
There was enough wind to sail both ways, and not too much to enjoy a picnic lunch onboard on the way back.
With another very hot day forecast, we set off down tide again. This time we managed to sail around both the Holms islands before slack water.
Then Anna and I tied ourselves to the boat and went for a dip in the brown water!
Another very hot day! We set off just before high water at Portishead and got into Cardiff in good time. An excellent lunch at Hub Box Cardiff, then a rest shade waiting for the tide to come back in. We left Cardiff 2 hours after low water.
We drifted down the Severn with the tide on one of the hottest days so far this year. Caroline, Nick and Anna were onboard for this family-based cruise.
Our last leg, on the first day of July.
The local wildlife is being watched!
At last it was time to leave and make our way back 80NM to Swansea. As this was 7 days after we arrived, the tide had moved around to the early morning – so we left as soon as the gate opened at 0430 – it was just daylight!
This was a pleasant trip with wind and swell behind us. But there was a spring tide against us for the first part of the day, so we avoided the Hartland Point tidal gate and set our course close to Lundy.
We arrived back at the Tawe Lock in Swansea at 1830, just before high water, and the lock was on free flow.
Now on our way back, we spent a few days in Swansea in better weather!
We walked on the coast path around Oyster Bay from the docks to Mumbles Head.
After our stay in Milford our next leg was 77NM right across the mouth of the Bristol Channel to Padstow. We left Milford an hour after low water, at about 0630, planning to arrive in Padstow Bay just about sunset and therefore around 2 hours before high water which was at 2333. The gate at Padstow is open at the very earliest 2 hours before high water.
The grey skies at the start of the day soon turned to blue, and the sea became a bright azure that I am sure rivalled the colour in the south of France. We saw puffins nearer to Wales, and then dolphins on and off all the way to Cornwall.
With a light wind directly behind us, we motor sailed, making good progress. But in the end we went too fast! At about 1830 we cut the engine and drifted the last 10 NM into Padstow Bay. You can wait for the tide in the bay by anchoring behind Stepper Point if the wind is in the right direction. This requires great care as it is over the notorious Doom Bar sandbank, and it is often a rolly anchorage. We prefer not to anchor here, and anyway today the wind (such as it was) was blowing directly into the bay.
On today’s neap tide the harbour gate opened promptly just after 2130, and we made our way up the River Camel with a small group of boats.
It is always a great pleasure to wake up in Padstow Harbour; it is the natural centre of the town, and there are lots of shops and places to eat. In the daytime the harbour sides swarm with land visitors; but they do not arrive early in the morning, and have left by the night – so then we have the place to ourselves.
We spent a week in Padstow, swam in the sea over Doom Bar and walked north onto Stepper Point to visit the day mark and National Coastwatch Institution (NCI Padstow) lookout.
We also walked east on the Camel Trail to Wadebridge. This path follows the river on a disused railway, and is part of the national cycle network – so there are a number of bike hire places if you prefer to cycle.
We did find that this year the Padstow Harbour building is currently being rebuilt – this halved the number of bathrooms, but it was not a problem. It will look great when its finished, and the facilities for visiting yachts will be improved.
Next up: 57NM to Milford Haven. As it was a neap tide, we left Swansea just half an hour after low water and we were fine. It started to rain a couple of hours into the trip.
As you can see from the sketch chart, just off Tenby we had to curve around the military firing zone (which is active most weekdays) before heading in.
It is probably worth factoring this in immediately after rounding the Gower; I think making a more southerly course across Carmarthen Bay would save distance later.
Access to Milford Haven is at all states of the tide – but take care in the approach channel at low water springs. The sea lock (Ch.14 ‘Pier Head’) itself has nice new floating pontoons on each side.
We noticed that the advertised waiting pontoon was missing. It had not been put outside the harbour by the time we arrived on 13 June – but we did not need it. We got there around high water, and the lock was on free flow.
We found the missing waiting pontoon – it is up at the end of the marina!
It was great to stay in Milford Marina. It is a friendly place, has good facilities, is right in the town, and there is a big supermarket one street back.
Next, on to Swansea – 46NM with the tide. We left Cardiff Bay an hour after high water, and the fast ebbing tide accelerating us past Barry, to Nash Point (there is a lighthouse) and on towards Porthcawl. The brave (not us) can go landwards of the Nash sandbanks to gain extra speed from the tide; but the rest of us go around them and then also outside the Scarweather Sands further west.
Swansea Harbour entrance has a reputation for being tricky, but take advice from the lockmaster at Tawe Lock (Ch.18) – he is very helpful and will guide you in.
All the Swansea locks have handy grab ropes to make tying-up easier. Once through the sea lock there is a second lock in the River Tawe into the marina (Ch.80) – and then you have to tie up at the marina visitor’s pontoon as well.
The rain started just outside Cardiff, so I sent Jo down below – there is no point in both of us getting wet! As you can see it was still raining in the lock at Swansea! The rain stopped almost as soon as we had tied up in the marina.
