Cardiff to Swansea advice please

[mattonthesea]

not been to Swansea for several years and only once from Cardiff when conditions dictated that we went outside Nash Passage.

Planning to travel late May (neaps-ish) Bristol to Milford Haven and picking crew up in Swansea. Thinking that one leg to Cardiff as normal and then:

leave -2 hours HW Cardiff. Inside Skull Is and hug coast until tide turns.
Nash Passage keeping watch on heading and track! And then straight for Swansea watching out for the banks.

Anything to add? Of course conditions may have other ideas

Thanks

 

[bitbaltic]

not been to Swansea for several years and only once from Cardiff when conditions dictated that we went outside Nash Passage.

Planning to travel late May (neaps-ish) Bristol to Milford Haven and picking crew up in Swansea. Thinking that one leg to Cardiff as normal and then:

leave -2 hours HW Cardiff. Inside Skull Is and hug coast until tide turns.
Nash Passage keeping watch on heading and track! And then straight for Swansea watching out for the banks.

Anything to add? Of course conditions may have other ideas

Thanks

This is what we did a couple of years ago. There have been a couple of threads on here about this passage since.

https://sailingkarisma.wordpress.com/2016/05/30/swansea-bay-bank-holiday/

If settled weather yes go through Nash passage and inside scarweather, leaving Cardiff at HW-2. If you can keep up 5kn through the water and are of modest draft you should just about make the last lock into the Tawe with that plan. The route is quite simple really and Nash passage not as terrifying as it’s made out to be- it’s easier to take it when travelling west because you can chicken out at the last minute; going east you are more committed by being inside the sand bank.

What’s skull island? Sully Island? No need/point to go inside that.

If you are going to Milford though, Swansea is quite off your rhumb line especially if weather windows are short. You can go Cardiff to Milford in something around 14 hours direct, sailing in a straight line from Aberthaw power station to Linney Head. I’d consider seeing if your crew can get on a train to Cardiff/Bay/Penarth.

 

[Allan]

100% agree with Mr Baltic, I've been inside Sully but only on springs. No real benefit, I just did it to tick a box! I've not managed to do Millford in 14hrs, but I would not stop at Swansea. It's a long way and with the lock and tides takes an age. I've tried the plan of stopping in Oxwich bay, which works but I much prefer just carrying on. Two tides with and one against is fine. As you've said get a whole tide from about Cold Knapp and if you're out off Swansea bay and the Gower when pushing a tide it's less than half of what you've already gained. If the ranges are willing to let you through close to shore there's more tide inshore for the last bit of the trip.
Good sailing.
Allan

 

[Gwylan]

Get your crew to Cardiff, altogether better plan.

Getting out of Cardiff and around Lavernock is the biggest challenge if not timed well.

Have form with Nash Point, bit of a puckering moment. Outside is the way to go for me!

Swansea is a time waster, lose time going across the bay, wait for the lock and the office hours of the lock keepers.

Skip Swansea and bang on to Oxwich if you need a stop. Then Milford.

Make sure you arrive at Milford to get the tide to take you in. Ask me how I know this!

 

[oldmanofthehills]

No problem going inside the Nash and have done it fairly regularly and gives shelter if blowing from the west as Scarweather Sand etc takes the brunt. Entrance well marked, just go to starboard of E Nash buoy. On a falling tide its not even that shallow and if you leave Cardiff before HW you will be there well before LW. There are stronger tides outside the ground and it makes little difference in timing to Swansea which way you go.

I tend to go direct to Oxwich, thus no point in being inside the grounds unless I need the shelter or fuel, and I agree that if you can manage a big push then you could go direct to Milford with reducing tidal streams as you head west into Carmarthen Bay. Not much use if crew in Swansea however.

 

[mattonthesea]

Thanks everyone. Not sure why but I did thank before and it disappeared; possibly forgot to post it!

Anyway, food for thought and possible redirecting of crews

Matt

PS Nice blog Bitbaltic

 

[graham]

If tide is coming in provided theres sufficient water you can get quite a lift by going behind Sully Island .The causeway is just covered at half tide .

Agree with others that it would be better to get the crew to Cardiff by train.My best passage time Milford to Cardiff non stop was 15 hours broad reach force 5 to 6.
My slowest passage time Cardiff to Milford was over a week!

 

[mattonthesea]

Thanks all for the advice. We got out of Cardiff two hours before HW and got around to approaching Nash Pt under sail.before wind died and we motored rest of way.

Then Swansea to Skomer to Arklow and on, calling at Dublin and other places up the Irish cost and now about to sit out the gale in Port Ellen, Islay.

Plan is to get to Skye before returning back to the South West

 

[steveej]

Matt,

Where do you park your boat in Bristol? Would love to hear the inside story on waiting lists and goings on etc. I live in Bristol and my last boat was kept in Cardiff so have only ever been to Bristol as a visitor.

Would be good for the winter for me for maintenance etc.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Birdseye]

If the ranges are willing to let you through close to shore there's more tide inshore for the last bit of the trip.
Good sailing.
Allan

There is no "will let" or "wont let" about it. Obviously yopu co-operate if its safe and reasonable to do so, but you are entitled to cross the ranges whenever you want and they have to stop fifing. There is no legal issue about this, which is why the ranges are not show as prohibited areas on UKHO charts.

With Manorbier you can often go close inshore so they can fire over your heads. Castle Martin wont do this.

 

[Allan]

There is no "will let" or "wont let" about it. Obviously yopu co-operate if its safe and reasonable to do so, but you are entitled to cross the ranges whenever you want and they have to stop fifing. There is no legal issue about this, which is why the ranges are not show as prohibited areas on UKHO charts.

With Manorbier you can often go close inshore so they can fire over your heads. Castle Martin wont do this.

It's simple for me Howard, when the nice guy on the radio asked if I wouldn't mind staying 2miles off, I said no problem. When the guy on the range safety boat told me I HAD to change course, I didn't! I hope your sailing is going well this year. Were you in Falmouth for the Golden Globe celebration?
Allan

 

[Birdseye]

No Allan. We do less and less sailing each year - getting old I am afraid. SWMBO is a game old bird but she struggles with mobility these days, and I struggle with harbour rot.