Cardiff Bay barrage

[Manic76]

Hi all,

Interested to understand what folks do when waiting to lock through into Cardiff Bay? I had naively assumed yachts could wait alongside a pontoon or such but I now see that it is not the case?

 

[pondfish]

You just drift around waiting your turn can be tricky when busy

 

[bitbaltic]

Generally you try to time it so that you arrive in the Wrach channel only a short while before you want to lock in, and call the barrage from there, so you don't waste time milling about. There is not always much water in the pool immediately outside the locks for that and as pondfish says that can be tricky if its busy. You can't hang around in the small boat channel as its too narrow.

I think the original idea was you could if necessary tie up to the dolphins in front of the lock gates but it doesn't look very comfortable and I've never seen anyone try.

 

[Lioness]

Hi all,

Interested to understand what folks do when waiting to lock through into Cardiff Bay? I had naively assumed yachts could wait alongside a pontoon or such but I now see that it is not the case?

Depending on your size, (we are 33ft) you can wait for one of the 3 locks in the outer harbour area. Can be a bit cramped but gets you out of the worst of the sea and it is easier to hold station for 10 mins or so there than waiting outside.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

We used to tie up to the dolphins but the mooring arrangements there were never risk free to the hull and now seem absent. So its jilling around in the outer harbour which is a pain if you have a boat like mine with a Bukh which creeps forward if engine running due to its clutch/gear system

 

[Manic76]

Thanks for all the feedback, it does seem a bit of a faff, especially if it is busy. The other thing that confused me when I was having a look around at the weekend was that the lock timings didn't seem to be hourly, with the 3 locks opening at what seemed to be random times?

 

[Dutch01527]

Never really found it an issue, just float about until the lock opens. Timings seem to run to schedule albeit only one lock out on the hour and one lock in at quarter too at the moment due to low water levels in the bay.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Normally on the hour and the half hour out, and quarter too and quarter past in, just ring or call on ch18. Temporary restrictions due to this drought, and even then at busy times they try maintain normal schedule. Some issues at very lowest spring tides as boats may ground if they draw more than a metre but didn't affect our boat. No faff at all, and even in bad weather once you are in outer harbour or locks most of it blows over your head leaving you to wait or tie up in relative peace

 

[Rob Rover]

There's big signs next to the ladders in the outer harbour with very stern warnings 'No Mooring - Underwater Obstructions'. Has anybody risked finding out whether this is true? It's very tempting sometimes...