Fishguard to Milford haven, anchorage near Ramsey sound to wait for slack?

S

steve yates

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 Oct 2014
Messages
4,114
Location
Benfleet, Essex/Keswick, Cumbria
Visit site
Trying to punch the tide and sw winds last week from Fishguard left me crawling along, and turning back as I couldn't make sock water in Ramsey sound, with winds going up to f6 later that day.
This time, I'm hopefully looking at f3-4, maybe 4-5, but would like to run with the tide along to st davids head vicinity and then anchor and wait for slack water at Ramsey sound before going through.
Looking at sailing tomorrow night then getting a few hrs kip at anchor and running through Ramsey sound around 9am wed.
I'm thinking white sands bay may fit the bill? Any one used it or know ny other spots?

Also on this, I originally intended to go round skomer, as the tide is running hard there by the time you clear Ramsey sound and reach it, but if it's f3, wind over tide, would you just go straight through it? Or still go around? Milford haven is the destination, unless I found myself on the s side of jack sound early on and feeling fresh, I might go for padstow, or maybe stop and anchor at Lundy if I get tired.

Thx
 
We did this bringing my son’s Achilles 24 to Milford. We went round the outside of Ramsay and Skomer. Spinnaker up. Some back eddies off Ramsay. Can’t remember the tides but we did it in one go.
 
I don't claim local knowledge, so better to get advice from someone who has it, but the first thing that strikes me that if you catch the ebb south once the hurricane has blown out you are still likely to run into some significant swell, and there will be places where the ebb and swell will combine to make things pretty uncomfortable. Coming out of a sound is likely to be one of them.
 
Have you got a decent pilot book?

I’ve never done this passage although I know the area well. Whitesands has ferocious seas in an onshore blow and I would not think it any kind of Anchorage, although I stand to be corrected. There are not really many starting options but Fishguard. You may get into Porthgain and get a head start, but it is a fishing harbour and not easy- not impossible- if you can take the ground.

If you need to anchor before Jack Sound then Goultrop Roads, immediately west if little haven, is recommended. It is supposed to be a safe anchorage and I have seen yachts in there in quite rough weather, I presume it is better than it looks when the wind is SW.

Sorry not to be more useful; get the Lindy and Irish Sea pilot if you can (its dated but better than the various successor volumes)
 
I did Fishguarad to Dale in July in 25knts from the SW. How far did you get towards the sound? It can be a bit depressing when you leave the favourable eddy outside Fishguard and hit the foul tide off Strumble Head where everything comes to a virtual stop. Things do improve dramatically after a couple of hours so avoid the temptation to despair with low SOG. The haven should be doable on a single tide if you can make 5 knts through the water, assuming safe, navigable conditions, of course.
As you can see, fine weather is almost guaranteed.
Strumble.jpg
 
Last edited:
I was down to 2.5 knots quiddle and when I gave up and turned around, that went to 10.5 knots! Was spring tides and quite blowy, on the nose, so could probably do better now tides are less and there will be not much wind.
Winds are dying completely tomorrow night, and then coming in from the east ( so off the land) in the morning.
 
steve yates said:
Trying to punch the tide and sw winds last week from Fishguard left me crawling along, and turning back as I couldn't make sock water in Ramsey sound, with winds going up to f6 later that day.
This time, I'm hopefully looking at f3-4, maybe 4-5, but would like to run with the tide along to st davids head vicinity and then anchor and wait for slack water at Ramsey sound before going through.
Looking at sailing tomorrow night then getting a few hrs kip at anchor and running through Ramsey sound around 9am wed.
I'm thinking white sands bay may fit the bill? Any one used it or know ny other spots?

Also on this, I originally intended to go round skomer, as the tide is running hard there by the time you clear Ramsey sound and reach it, but if it's f3, wind over tide, would you just go straight through it? Or still go around? Milford haven is the destination, unless I found myself on the s side of jack sound early on and feeling fresh, I might go for padstow, or maybe stop and anchor at Lundy if I get tired.

Thx
Click to expand...

I used to plan for the trip Pwhelli/Aberystwyth to Scillies as one leg - did it about 12 times.
Coming back was always more difficult. The only anchorages I knew of, after St David's were up Milford Haven and N of Lundy. once used Padstow but an unpleasant entrance - even on one occasion, radioed the CG and hove-to off Cape Cornwall for a 40' lie-down.
Used to go through Ramsay (even after dark, under radar) and always outside Skomer and Skokholm. The Ramsay anchorage is very definitely a fair-weather one.
I used to find the Smalls the most problematic.
Boat Parker 31, 90% single-handed.
 
Thanks Jim, for the record I left at 4am to go through at 8.30 so didn't need to anchor, but had a wee look at porth melgan at north end of whitesnds bay and it looked a useful little spot to anchor.

Had a lot more trouble going between skomer and skokholm, but wind was verging on f6 on the nose by then and over tide, and that's another story.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top