Flatholm lighthouse
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chrishelen
N/A
Guess its getting painted again.
pondfish
Well-Known Member
Has anybody landed on there and had a look around
SteveSarabande
Well-Known Member
you have to go on an organised trip. private landings are forbidden
tonybarebones
Well-Known Member
I've been there on many occasions over the years, it's a magical place, well worth a visit...
Snifter
Well-Known Member
As Tony says, magical place. I anchor off the north side most years at low water before sailing back to Oldbury Pill. Only landed once when, about 12 or so years ago, 5 of us sailed 2 dinghies and a small cat down for the night. We had warned the wardens of our arrival and booked beds in the bunkhouse by the farm. We had an 'interesting' 5 hour slog down with no wind, a short bit of f5 on the nose off Battery point, then a lovely sail to the island. With 5 of us it was easy to lift the boats above the HW mark. The wardens gave us a great welcome and a tour of the whole island. I remember lots of slowworms, seagulls attacking us as it was nesting season, seagull corpses - apparently they get botulism from raiding chicken carcasses in Cardiff's rubbish dumps, and interesting remains like the pits for big guns, which lifted up to fire and then hid again! Writing this has made me want to make another landing this year!
SteveSarabande
Well-Known Member
i thought private landings on flatholm were not allowed, is that true? i have seen a sign on steepholm banning landings. It would be good to anchor and row ashore
chrishelen
N/A
I worked on the flatholm ferry until Cardiff council in its wisdom decided to get rid of the island, the staff and the boat about two years ago.
Then they decided to hang onto it for a while, don't know which organisation is responsible for it now.
They have volunteers running the place now, they have a volunteer warden who would I'm sure be glad to show people around if he had notice of a visit. Visitors are still not allowed to just turn up, but some do.
A great place to work and visit, and I met some great character's over the years.
We re introduced the pub about four years ago...the 'Gull and Leak', the most southerly pub in wales, very popular with the visitors on a hot sunny day. Lots of cannon laying around, and some interesting buildings.
The gulls are vicious at breeding time, but they all disappear buy the end of August, and the place is silent again except for the wind and waves.
Then they decided to hang onto it for a while, don't know which organisation is responsible for it now.
They have volunteers running the place now, they have a volunteer warden who would I'm sure be glad to show people around if he had notice of a visit. Visitors are still not allowed to just turn up, but some do.
A great place to work and visit, and I met some great character's over the years.
We re introduced the pub about four years ago...the 'Gull and Leak', the most southerly pub in wales, very popular with the visitors on a hot sunny day. Lots of cannon laying around, and some interesting buildings.
The gulls are vicious at breeding time, but they all disappear buy the end of August, and the place is silent again except for the wind and waves.
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tatali0n
Well-Known Member
Some of the dinghy sailors out of Lydney YC are planning a weekend trip to Flatholm in a few months time, I believe all the necessary arrangements and permissions for landing and camping ashore have been made with the Warden; there is both a landing and a camping fee, and they'll need to ensure they leave space to land on the beach for a passenger boat that's visiting on the Saturday concerned.
We're hoping to meet them with our Westerly out of Portishead (before we recently bought our Griffin we sailed a Drascombe Lugger out of Lydney), not sure what the anchorage is like though, or the wisdom of staying there overnight on anchor. Nobody I ask seems to have done it, which might be telling me something! Figured it would be very weather dependent, and have it in the back of my mind that if we were at all uncertain of our holding, we could head to Cardiff (or Barry, depending on tide?) for an overnight bolt-hole.
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Bill
Westerly Griffin "Calstar"
Portishead
We're hoping to meet them with our Westerly out of Portishead (before we recently bought our Griffin we sailed a Drascombe Lugger out of Lydney), not sure what the anchorage is like though, or the wisdom of staying there overnight on anchor. Nobody I ask seems to have done it, which might be telling me something! Figured it would be very weather dependent, and have it in the back of my mind that if we were at all uncertain of our holding, we could head to Cardiff (or Barry, depending on tide?) for an overnight bolt-hole.
--
Bill
Westerly Griffin "Calstar"
Portishead
bitbaltic
Well-Known Member
The holding is generally reckoned to be poor all around flatholm. I haven't anchored there myself but you do see boats anchored off the north and east of the island around lunchtimes. Think I would agree that it is an adventurous overnight stop especially at springs. Would also be interested to hear from anybody that has done it.
SteveSarabande
Well-Known Member
I anchored at steepholm last week. Despite big tides there a places where the stream is pretty slow. Not sure if Flatholm is the same though.
I have seen a mooring buoy on the North side, maybe you could use that.
I have seen a mooring buoy on the North side, maybe you could use that.
chrishelen
N/A
Latest reports is that the mooring bouy has gone. You can anchor near the slip in okish holding but not recommended with any east in the wind, I wouldn't anchor overnite or leave the boat unattended for any length of time, we dragged a few unattended speed boats off the beach over the years. The sea gets very confused around the island, even on neaps, and if there is a wind blowing it can get very nasty on the ebb.