Cardiff Bay - the in's and out's

Javelin

Javelin

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Southwold
www.southwoldboatyard.co.uk
Bought a boat that currently sits on a "Cardiff Bay Boat Sales" marina staging.
I need to sail her back to Southwold in Suffolk.

My rather weak plan is to drive the 300 miles over on Friday to fit the sails and sort/check the running rigging, fill her with food, water, diesel etc.
Sort out down below for the four or five crew that will be coming with me, buy Bristol Channel charts.
All with the aim of heading for Swansea a week Saturday for a shake down sail and all being well then off to Falmouth.

It's a new boat (to me) and I want to learn her handling traits under power, which way she kicks, how much, how fast a turn, how fast she stops etc.
I wondered if there was enough space and whether you are allowed to motor round the bay for such an exersize?
It looks pretty big on google earth.

She draws 6'4" but the chart seems to show plenty of water.

Given her draft at what state of the tide can I go out through the sea lock?
Looking at the tides for 6/7th April it looks like a very early start to get to Swansea, what do you think.
 
Yes you can practice to your hearts content in the bay,there are public pontoons down at mermaid quay that you could pratice coming along side on. you can get out through the locks at most state of tides with your draft, but i guess for swansea you could leave 1 or 2 hours before high water then take the ebb down.
good luck
 
Getting into swansea will be more of a problem. To get the ebb tide you leave cardiff at high tide, arrive swansea around low tide. Check the tawe lock times, you will need to hang around to get into swansea
 
You basically have two alternatives getting out of the bristol channel in a deep fin . Either you can crew up and go direct for Falmouth which arguably is the easiest to plan or you can do it in stages which is more weather dependant. Problem is, where do you break the trip if you do it in stages. With your draft Ilfracombe is useless - you'll have to anchor right in the entrance over low water. Swansea is a PITA because of the lock gates and is a fair distance from the next stop Padstow, and then there is Lundy. Lundy is fine to anchor in anything from the west but its a decent distance from Cardiff and you dont want wind over tide on that trip. So you chose an easterly which then means you cant use Lundy.

My boat is a similar draught and I do that trip at least once a year and often twice. I either chose an easterly and go for it at least as far as Padstow or I motor in a near calm. I never use Swansea because I cannot see any advantage in doing so.

Tide gate wise you need to time it right round Lavernock leaving Cardiff, Hartland point / Bull point and the inshore passage round Lands End. I usually leave the Cardiff barrage 2 hours before HW and stay well inshore of the Welsh coast getting as far west as possible. As the tide turns I head for the middle of the channel getting close inshore to the English coats as the tide changes again. If I have timing problems I sometimes anchor off Ilfracombe to wait a couple of hours

Lobster pots are very few until you round Hartland but after that there are loads of badly marked ones and the entrance to Padstow can, depending on springs or neeps, be like a minefield. So if you are doing Cardiff to Padstow in one, leave Cardiff in the dark and do the north cornwall coast in daylight when you have a chance of spotting them.

Good luck!
 
Neap tides that weekend so there wont be much if any waiting at Swansea .Looks like a 4 am Lock out from Cardiff, get down there for low water take first available lock into the Tawe Barrage as the tide starts to make.

Tawe Barrage Lock info here http://www.swanseamarina.org.uk/marina-users/lock-operation

As Bosun Higgs says unless you especially want to visit Swansea it is adding a lot of extra time and miles to your passage.
 
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With stiffish easterlies, my advice would be to grab the opportunity and go for it direct to Padstow. I've done it in just less than 12 hours before now though that was with a spring tide
 
Thanks for the replies.
The reason for Swansea is that she's a new boat to me so I thought it a little reckless to dive straight into a 145 mile trip round Lands end.
The sail to Swansea idea is just to shake her down and give me a chance to see what she handles like.
My theory being that if we find any issues we could then do another days sail to Milford before taking on Lands end.

I guess I could learn a bit sailing round Cardiff bay a few times but it's not the same as being out in the uppy downy stuff.
 
Aim for Swansea and if it all looks good go on to Oxwich Bay and anchor there. Then decide on Steinville if things look good, Swansea if things are dropping off.
But it will be a pain and use up much more time than you think.

Again you need to time carefully your entry to Steinville and be trapped by tide gates.

Or go to Lundy and wait in the lee for the tide gate around the end. Or stop off St Ives.
Head into Newlyn, if it was anywhere else you'd never stop there.

Then Falmouth for some real sleep, a shower and provisions. Then Cawsands or better Salcombe and on to Swanage, Brighton, Eastbourne, Dover and Bob's your mother's brother.
 
St Ives is useless in a deep fin unless the weather is very settled but Oxwich is a better alternative to Swansea if the wind direction is OK. Some risk of a fouled anchor though.
 
OK, so if Swansea is a no,no then head for Lundy.
According to chart you and anchor West, South or South East depending on wind dir.
However if going well carry on to Padstow.
I guess if we're still going well just carry-on past and go straight for Falmouth.

Is there a specific time I should avoid, tide wise, at Lands end ?

EDIT: Ah belay that, just read reeds which sorted that out.

Newlyn looks favourite I think once round the corner.
 
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With your 4 or 5 crew its no problem at all. I just think its nicer stopping enroute especially somewhere like Padstow.Just keep a good lookout for pots. If your crew are up for it, I would visit the Scilly Isles seeing as your passing.
 
Javelin said:
OK, so if Swansea is a no,no then head for Lundy.
According to chart you and anchor West, South or South East depending on wind dir.
However if going well carry on to Padstow.
I guess if we're still going well just carry-on past and go straight for Falmouth.

Is there a specific time I should avoid, tide wise, at Lands end ?

EDIT: Ah belay that, just read reeds which sorted that out.

Newlyn looks favourite I think once round the corner.
Click to expand...

The timing of the Lands End tides on the inner passage is good for the Lizard so if you are going well at Lands End, just carry on.
 
Just got back to freezing Southwold after a little yacht about Cardiff harbour today.
It was a bit breezy and I was on my tod, so only the jib came out.
Didn't take long to run out of wet stuff but it's a fabulous facility, very jealous.
I can see a lot of very good dinghy sailors will be bread there.
Took me a while before I understood what all the yellow markers were.

Boat ready-ish, just waiting for a weather window now.
 
Well the current wind direction is great for escaping the BC, and heading down to Lands End, but then on the nose for the whole of the S.Coast and home to Southwold! When the westerlies come, you've got the opposite situation! How big is she? Have you considered road transport (I've done this twice in winter and didn't regret it at all)?
PS - sailed into Southwold some years back. A wonderful little place.
 
Gwylan said:
Aim for Swansea and if it all looks good go on to Oxwich Bay and anchor there. Then decide on Steinville if things look good, Swansea if things are dropping off.
But it will be a pain and use up much more time than you think.

Again you need to time carefully your entry to Steinville and be trapped by tide gates.

Or go to Lundy and wait in the lee for the tide gate around the end. Or stop off St Ives.
Head into Newlyn, if it was anywhere else you'd never stop there.

Then Falmouth for some real sleep, a shower and provisions. Then Cawsands or better Salcombe and on to Swanage, Brighton, Eastbourne, Dover and Bob's your mother's brother.
Click to expand...

Why not Oystermouth, just inside the Mumbles for a stop, could pick up a buoy.
 
She's 34' ol with a 29' wl and 11' beam
disp 3629kg with a 6'4" 1400kg lead elliptical fin
30hp Yanmar
IRC around .960 to .980
So she's no slouch.

I tested her under power on the bay on Sunday and at 2500rpm she did 6knts into a pretty stiff head wind but dead flat water.

So plan currently is to leave around 12:30 to 13:00 and head initially for Lundy, passing by and then on to Padstow.
Will then do the maths to arrive at Lands end at a slack water period.
Once round the corner I'm not too worried where I stop as there appear to be a lot more options.
cork2004_5.jpg
 
No Sorry not today.
Saturday looks best, last of the Easterlies to get me down the BC, turn the corner in time for the new westerlies.
Well that's the plans anyway.

She's moored next to Cardiff Bay Boat Sales.
Name "Somersault" on the boom/sail cover

EDIT: Wind looks more in the south now than west for Sunday. How many hours before HW can I lock out through the barrage? (6'4")
What's the protocol for locking out?
I know it's ch 80 for Penarth marina bridge and lock.
 
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