Milford Haven to Falmouth

Done this a number of times both single handed and with crew, when we had the boat in lawrenny.
I used to stop at padstow sometimes but latterly,if the weather was ok I would go straight round lands end and then onto falmouth sometimes anchoring off penzance or mousehole to catch the tide. I rarely went into newlyn as its not worth the faff if you are on passage
 
Quiddle said:
Done it a few times solo in both directions: MH to Lundy to Padstow to Newlyn (Porth Curno if wind and swell favourable) then Falmouth.
It's 80 miles MH (overnight at Dale on the pontoon to save a 6 mile slog out of the marina into prevailing westerlies) to Padstow if you want to miss Lundy otherwise the longest leg is Padstow-Newlyn at 60 miles and mostly favourable tides. Not sure why Padstow has the reputation it has; I suspect it's the off-puttingly named Doom Bar which, I believe is named after the colour of its sand. Any conditions which make Padstow inaccessible rule out a trip around The Land. Plus Padstow is a beautiful harbour, best in UK, IMO.
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Totally agree. Padstow is generally approachable unless there is a lot of North in the wind. Incidentally on old charts it was always known as Dunbar sands which got corrupted locally to Doom Bar... Also a nice pint brewed over the river in Rock....

Having done it several times I would only add I agree the direct route is OK. Stand well off Lands End though if you are not familiar. Local knowledge of tides and streams makes a close in passage quite safe but if you are doing it first time please ensure you don't get a closer look at the putty than you intended....... Newlyn is safe in any weather.
ps. You could also visit the glorious Isles of Scilly instead. Tides in your favour and it's a nice trip and from there to Newlyn is easy..
 
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boatmike said:
Totally agree. Padstow is generally approachable unless there is a lot of North in the wind. Incidentally on old charts it was always known as Dunbar sands which got corrupted locally to Doom Bar... Also a nice pint brewed over the river in Rock....

Having done it several times I would only add I agree the direct route is OK. Stand well off Lands End though if you are not familiar. Local knowledge of tides and streams makes a close in passage quite safe but if you are doing it first time please ensure you don't get a closer look at the putty than you intended....... Newlyn is safe in any weather.
ps. You could also visit the glorious Isles of Scilly instead. Tides in your favour and it's a nice trip and from there to Newlyn is easy..
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Thanks for all the helpful advice... Think it is a one hit passage MH to Newlyn.
 
Sea Devil said:
Thanks for all the helpful advice... Think it is a one hit passage MH to Newlyn.
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Should you need, or want, to divert to Padstow, you would best weigh the job up. Google Maps has a nice low water shot and anchoring in poor conditions could cause a few headaches.

Has anyone anchored there? The fairway into the dock seems to have been dredged, is this correct?

The locked harbour is snug in all conditions and used to have the splendid advantage that the harbourmaster would send you a Christmas card.
Of course you would need adequate water to get in.
 
doug748 said:
Should you need, or want, to divert to Padstow, you would best weigh the job up. Google Maps has a nice low water shot and anchoring in poor conditions could cause a few headaches.

Has anyone anchored there? The fairway into the dock seems to have been dredged, is this correct?

The locked harbour is snug in all conditions and used to have the splendid advantage that the harbourmaster would send you a Christmas card.
Of course you would need adequate water to get in.
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Yes, I've anchored there. Seaward of the preferred channel marker, Middle Ground, is rolly but good holding. Up river it is a lot more settled but with a high risk of fouling abandoned ground tackle. I've twice opted for the latter with a tripping line and got away with it. And I got a Christmas card�� TBH, harbour fees are so reasonable that unless you are on an 'arrive late, leave early schedule' confounded by tide times anchoring ain't worth it. If you do anchor the Rock ferry will take you ashore from your boat for a standard fare.
 
Sea Devil said:
That`s interesting anchoring behind Lundy - I had only really heard of it in weather forecasts! Then onto Padstow anchoring there.. Dale is presumably at the mouth of MH... Can´t find it at the moment
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Been there twice, abandoned twice! No likey, too many possiblities of going wrong. Padstow ok if tide times right. Last time I was there though came out late in the tide cycle so no return and found big stuff left over from a prolonged westerly blow, bounced around as we ran for Swansea until the tide turned. It was as if someone had switched a switch. So crossing Bristol channel, as wide as it is, watch wind over tide!
 
When I first did it I called at a Newlyn pub to ask some fishermen for advice, about the inshore route at lands end.
No point in going the long way round outside.
Their advice was " If you see a rock, don't hit it, Otherwise you are OK"
Actually it is not bad advice. It is deep water all the way through, except where there are rocks & you can see them inshore- so do not hit them & you are Ok
I asked about the tides as Reeds showed some weird tidal flows.
One fisherman replied" Listen mate I've been fishing here 40 years & i still have not worked em out round there. Just b..dy go. Nothing to worry about,"
He was right really.
The trip took me about 24 hours Newlyn to MH both times, but that is with head wind across the Bristol Channel (31 ft boat) & motoring through the inshore passage both times.
 
Daydream believer said:
When I first did it I called at a Newlyn pub to ask some fishermen for advice, about the inshore route at lands end.
No point in going the long way round outside.
Their advice was " If you see a rock, don't hit it, Otherwise you are OK"
Actually it is not bad advice. It is deep water all the way through, except where there are rocks & you can see them inshore- so do not hit them & you are Ok
I asked about the tides as Reeds showed some weird tidal flows.
One fisherman replied" Listen mate I've been fishing here 40 years & i still have not worked em out round there. Just b..dy go. Nothing to worry about,"
He was right really.
The trip took me about 24 hours Newlyn to MH both times, but that is with head wind across the Bristol Channel (31 ft boat) & motoring through the inshore passage both times.
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Between Lands End and Longships, roughly in the middle, there is a rock, which side did you go?
 
burgundyben said:
Between Lands End and Longships, roughly in the middle, there is a rock, which side did you go?
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To be honest I cannot recall. I had neither detailed chart nor chart plotter. Both times I just followed a short distance from the coast (& rocks) until I could turn the corner for MH.
I motored that short coastal bit for ease. I just know that the echo sounder showed ample depth.
Actually, I did have charts, but they were passage charts, so Newlyn, for instance, was not marked. Hence the chat in the pub.

Edit: Just borrowed a copy of Imray C7 & there is no rock charted, that I could see, in the middle of the channel. Once through the gap head north for the west of Beesons rock, or in your case south after Beesons.Then keep close inshore. there are 2 points of interest on the shore, but I could see them both, so I did not hit them, as advised by the fisherman:encouragement:
 
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Sea Devil said:
I like the Scillies a lot. Used them as a jumping off point a couple of times for a direct Biscay crossing to Bayona
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I like the Scillies to much to willingly miss them, and I used them as jump point for Ushant. I only came back via Landsend when in hurry from Brittany. Having said that Landsend proved not that difficult even in fog with chartplotter but it would have been nice to actually see Wolf rock.
 
Quiddle said:
Done it a few times solo in both directions: MH to Lundy to Padstow to Newlyn (Porth Curno if wind and swell favourable) then Falmouth.
It's 80 miles MH (overnight at Dale on the pontoon to save a 6 mile slog out of the marina into prevailing westerlies) to Padstow if you want to miss Lundy otherwise the longest leg is Padstow-Newlyn at 60 miles and mostly favourable tides. Not sure why Padstow has the reputation it has; I suspect it's the off-puttingly named Doom Bar which, I believe is named after the colour of its sand. Any conditions which make Padstow inaccessible rule out a trip around The Land. Plus Padstow is a beautiful harbour, best in UK, IMO.
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+1 We purposely stop off at Padstow as a nice place to stay

Leaving Padstow on a good tide and wind I've several times hit St Ives a the perfect time to go inside Lands End. But that does mean a long day.

Lundy has an anchorage on the West side too - although you can't go ashore from there
 
Daydream believer said:
To be honest I cannot recall. I had neither detailed chart nor chart plotter. Both times I just followed a short distance from the coast (& rocks) until I could turn the corner for MH.
I motored that short coastal bit for ease. I just know that the echo sounder showed ample depth.
Actually, I did have charts, but they were passage charts, so Newlyn, for instance, was not marked. Hence the chat in the pub.

Edit: Just borrowed a copy of Imray C7 & there is no rock charted, that I could see, in the middle of the channel. Once through the gap head north for the west of Beesons rock, or in your case south after Beesons.Then keep close inshore. there are 2 points of interest on the shore, but I could see them both, so I did not hit them, as advised by the fisherman:encouragement:
Click to expand...

Only just noticed the edit. Very clear on google maps satellite view and can be seen on google streetview pictures thingy. Curious.
 
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