yotter
Well-Known Member
I am looking at MemoryMap charts, just updated to 2026. But I think the source data may be 2021, so may be a bit out of date.
Entry to Padstow Tidal height and depth in entry channel
- Thread starter yotter
- Start date
lustyd
Well-Known Member
The harbour have the latest surveys on their website, but those stop before you get to the gate. Suspect the rest hasn’t been surveyed for many years
SaltyC
Well-Known Member
I have just checked Navionics on my phone so not the biggest screen, but the soundings on / near the buoyed channel show drying heights of 0.4 and 0.8 close to port hand buoys, however out of channel dries to 2 plus.
This corresponds to both Lustyd and I's experience.
Entry, from Lands End, tends to be near HW as you carry the flood up the coast, exit north is not as convenient!
yotter
Well-Known Member
I posted in post #1 an extract from Memory Map, 2025 chart (upgraded to 2026 last night), this shows a drying height of 3.5m in the channel close to the river, this is what raised my concerns
lustyd
Well-Known Member
I think those 3.5m soundings are correct they just aren’t in the channel. Can you zoom in or are they raster charts?
yotter
Well-Known Member
Many thanks, that looks a lot less worrying. Yes memory map are raster charts. Your chart appears to show drying heights not exceeding 2m, which means I can get in (and out) at Neaps
. We plan to head North to Milford Haven after here. So the tide will likely be rising for while, since I would prefer to exit on a rising tide and then ebbing for circa 6 hours, I guess we may have the tide pushing right to left on that heading.Angus
Last edited:
lustyd
Well-Known Member
Have a camera ready when crossing, there will almost certainly be dolphins in the Bristol Channel
SaltyC
Well-Known Member
You are correct it will be mainly cross tide to Milford Haven, calculate cts and aim to arrive up tide initially to ensure not having to climb uptide at the last minute.Many thanks, that looks a lot less worrying. Yes memory map are raster charts. Your chart appears to show drying heights not exceeding 2m, which means I can get in (and out) at Neaps
Angus
oldmanofthehills
Well-Known Member
Correction/Clarification: Coming in the channel by The doom bar is to port ie keep the Bar to Starboard. Thus keep central shallows to port after the bar coming in.
It was not an issue for us as old boat v shallow but we drifted to starboard too soon after half tide coming outand found it v shallow by the centre moorings on the bank
It’s a well defined channel for quite large vessels such as fishing boats and dredgers
It was not an issue for us as old boat v shallow but we drifted to starboard too soon after half tide coming outand found it v shallow by the centre moorings on the bank
It’s a well defined channel for quite large vessels such as fishing boats and dredgers
Last edited:
barca nova
Well-Known Member
unless it has changed radically you wont be able to exit the harbour proper until 2 hours or so before HW so if you want to leave early, which is what we always did going up to Cardiff, you need to leave the tide beforehand and anchor roughly where the + and - signs are on the chart above. However, since Milford is always open and crossing there means crossing tides and not fighting them as we have to do going up the channel, there really is no need to leave before the Padstow locks open and you have bought the necessary supply of pasties.Many thanks, that looks a lot less worrying. Yes memory map are raster charts. Your chart appears to show drying heights not exceeding 2m, which means I can get in (and out) at Neaps
Angus
Much chat on here and much advice can give you the impression that Padstow is difficult. It isnt. Its even easy to enter in the dark. The two issues are the lobster pots, and a strong wind blowing directly up the Camel river
oldmanofthehills
Well-Known Member
I can attest to pot issue. Left at 5:30 in dark and got potted as finally left the fairway in supposed open water. Happily RNLI Sunday practice at about 0830 and it gave them a real ‘rescue’ disentangling us after all our efforts failed
yotter
Well-Known Member
Many thanks for the good advice, I have just fitted a Darglow rope cutter as an insurance policy. We are very aware of pots on the west of Scotland, they are a menace but that another story, not for this thread.
Allan
Well-Known Member
I'm pretty sure you won't have an issue. You don't say which part of May you are planning for, 1st May is the Obby Oss day. Well worth a visit. Depending on the weather, the harbour can be very busy or pretty empty.
Allan
Allan
yotter
Well-Known Member
We are unlikely to be leaving Salcombe until about 3rd May, and at least 2 stops on the way round, so 6th or 7th May I guess depending on weather. Would love to visit the Scillies on the way but do not want to get stuck somewhere with a long journey ahead of us, so will see nearer the time.
Allan
Well-Known Member
We try to go to the Scilly Isles at least once a year. A favourite for both of us. they also have an event, the world gig championships, 1st-3rd May. Have a great trip.
Allan
Allan
Beneteau381
Well-Known Member
Just a point to remember, I left there a few years ago, we had been storm bound, we’re getting padstow locked in feeling. A window started to open in the evening. Heading for Lundy to anchor for the night and then on to Swansea. There was an older gentleman and his grandson behind us. IIRC there was a stiff westerly blowing and the tide was falling. I know! There were big seas outside, I suddenly realised there was no turning back and we had to continue. Lundy was out so it was an all nighter to Swansea. It got rougher, the old man and his grandson were in contact with us all the time, the youngster was seasick as a dog. Then I realised then when the tide turned the seas would abate. I called the old man and said, don’t worry, it will get better, just hang on in there. They did, just a patch of Genoa and we were flying. I spotted a green and red off our port bow and decided to call them! A sleepy voice answered, allegedly a big training boat! I said can you see me? No! So I switched the mast head nav’s on as well, he saw me, I warned him to keep an eye out, there was a boat behind us as well!
The rest was uneventual, my wife loves night watch, she woke me at day break, we were off Swansea and had to stooge around to wait for the lock to get in. The old man was ok as well. The-moral of the story, Bristol Channel and wind over tide not nice!
AndyDavies
Active Member
If it's a bit grim in a westerly there's normally reasonable shelter off the new lifeboat station.
For the OP, I visited Padstow in 2023 drawing 2.15m and don't remember any concerns about depth. Exited as soon as the flap dropped but can't remember if it was springs or neaps.
dunedin
Well-Known Member
Be careful just assuming the best of the chart views you can see.Many thanks, that looks a lot less worrying. Yes memory map are raster charts. Your chart appears to show drying heights not exceeding 2m, which means I can get in (and out) at Neaps
Angus
The Memory Map Charts are based upon UKHO raster charts - those issued as “2026” probably had a cutoff date sometime mid 2025.
But at least you should be able to see the data sources table - and if this shows 2021 that is probably the last date surveyed (and much better than most inshore waters in the UK).
Navionics starts off with the same UKHO data, with perhaps a 3 month delay in their receiving it. And sometimes they MAY have applied additional information, for example from a harbour master. But it is near impossible to determine the data sources table and last survey date.
Hence the best approach is always to consider the WORST of the chart versions as the real one, and navigate accordingly. Unless can get better information direct from the harbour master #.
# But I tend to be very cautious of advice from harbour masters. I was assured by the HM in St Peter’s Port that our berth had well over 2m at LW, but came back to find hard aground in 1.5m - and the rudder a couple of inches off a concrete block with just 1.0m.
Other harbours have also assured me deep berths but since then I tend to walk round with a hand line and often massively optimistic.
yotter
Well-Known Member
Many thanks for that. I carry a lead line and use it quite often. I sometimes just put a tape measure down, but the salt does not much for its life. You suggest going for worst case, thats 3.5 metres drying height, but as Lysted posted it closer to 1 metre, that is a huge difference.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
It's a good example of the weakness of raster charts and of relying on UKHO in a leisure vessel. Navionics have been remarkably accurate for us, including mirroring the antares charts very well in Scotland.
While Dunedin is technically correct, that advice would see almost nobody entering Padstow as official charts say it's impossible.
It is possible to see the source of Navionics charts if you wish to. It's also possible to see the enhanced version which includes the depth data of other Navionics users who have been in that location, which greatly enhances resolution compared to traditional soundings which may happen every 200 years or so if you're lucky.
While Dunedin is technically correct, that advice would see almost nobody entering Padstow as official charts say it's impossible.
It is possible to see the source of Navionics charts if you wish to. It's also possible to see the enhanced version which includes the depth data of other Navionics users who have been in that location, which greatly enhances resolution compared to traditional soundings which may happen every 200 years or so if you're lucky.