Paddydog`1
Well-Known Member
Has anyone sailed north from Dale to Fishguard? I would appreciate any tips on the timing to get through Jack Sound and Ramsey Sound both at slack water. It looks pretty tight to me.
Milford to Fishguard
- Thread starter Paddydog`1
- Start date
jwilson
Well-Known Member
Yes, but always stopping in Solva - usually anchoring in the pool outside. Have been through Jack Sound in light but good sailing winds both ways at various times with some tide running though not at half tide when it's strongest - same Ramsey Sound. I was fairly used to fast tides and overfalls from various bits of the upper Bristol Channel, so maybe a little blase.
Ramsay Sound was in my experience flatter water than Jack, but more spectacular as you went past the Bitches. All this from the 1970s, and don't have pilot book or tidal atlas for the area to hand. Unless you have a fast boat I doubt you'll get through both at slack.
Ramsay Sound was in my experience flatter water than Jack, but more spectacular as you went past the Bitches. All this from the 1970s, and don't have pilot book or tidal atlas for the area to hand. Unless you have a fast boat I doubt you'll get through both at slack.
geem
Well-Known Member
We never go through at flat water. If the weather is good enough to sail out of Dale and up to Jack sound in a typical SW wind, anything up to F5 is easy, we usually time the trip so we get to Jack Sound just as the flood is starting. This means pushing tide up to Jack Sound. Once you are through Jack Sound you take the flood through Ramsey and up to Fishguard. In those kind of conditions and wind direction it's a pretty flat sail. Worst bit is likely to be pushing tide to Jsck Sound
ghostlymoron
Well-Known Member
I've been through both sounds on the same tide a couple of times so it's quite doable. First time in a 28 footer so you don't need a desperately fast boat. It's a nice trip in good weather but I wouldn't try it in strong winds or big seas. You need slack water at both ideally but it's a bit of a push to get across St Brides Bay in the time available so try to be a bit early at Jacks and use your engine (if you have one) if necessary. Last time we hit Jacks early and there were some overfalls but nothing to worry about. Ramsey was fine.
Follow the pilotage notes for the lines through - I used the old Irish Sea Pilot. I can look up the details if you want but would advise you get a copy on board.
I like Fishguard, theres a nice Bistro restaurant at the top of the hill. Best place to moor is on the quay wall just inside the inner harbour if there's space or there are visitors mooring buoys but you'll need to use your dinghy.
NB I always find it difficult to identify Black Rock to the south end of Jack Sound.
Follow the pilotage notes for the lines through - I used the old Irish Sea Pilot. I can look up the details if you want but would advise you get a copy on board.
I like Fishguard, theres a nice Bistro restaurant at the top of the hill. Best place to moor is on the quay wall just inside the inner harbour if there's space or there are visitors mooring buoys but you'll need to use your dinghy.
NB I always find it difficult to identify Black Rock to the south end of Jack Sound.
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SteveSarabande
Well-Known Member
You could always stay at skomer rather than dale to make the tides easier.
MoodySabre
Well-Known Member
I've done it the other way in an Achilles 24 - no problem - we went round the outside. Tide is everything.
We arrived at Fishguard in a big swell before there was eough water to get against the wall (an excellent spot) so at the HM's suggestion we went along inside the breakwater and picked up the lifeboat buoy and sat on that for 2-3 hours until there was enough water.
We arrived at Fishguard in a big swell before there was eough water to get against the wall (an excellent spot) so at the HM's suggestion we went along inside the breakwater and picked up the lifeboat buoy and sat on that for 2-3 hours until there was enough water.
dansaskip
Well-Known Member
Think this is sound advice, Ive done this twice once in a 25ft boat second time in a 28ft boat. Leave Dale in good time, it doesn't matter if you get to Jack sound a bit early before the tide turns. You have then plenty of time to cross the bay to Ramsey sound.
Paddydog`1
Well-Known Member
Thanks guys. it looks like its possible then. I was worried that I wouldn't reach Ramsey at slack in time after taking Jack Sound at slack water as recommended. It would mean covering the7 mile distance between them in 1 hour.
geem
Well-Known Member
If you look for HW slack at Ramsey you will have a foul tide along the 15 mile stretch past Strumble Head and into Fishguard. This would be a slow trip as tides run fairly quickly here. It is possible to get to Jack Sound and take tide all the way to Fishguard.
SteveSarabande
Well-Known Member
Slack water at Ramsey is one hour after jack sound so it works out ok. Except that you will be going through jack sound at low water, beware of the rocks
Boo2
Well-Known Member
I sailed it in the other direction in 2011 but went round the outside rather than through the sounds, quite a bit less pilotage like that and didn't take too long. Theres a GPS track of our route at http://www.mikedavies.net/Sunrunner.html if you're interested but you'll need the Google Earth plugin in your browser to view it.
Boo2
Heckler
Well-Known Member
Ive done it several times, slack water Jack is about 2.5hrs after Milford. You need to be in Jack at slack low, its about 8 nm from Dale, so leave Dale around Milford low water depending on the speed of your boat, not forgetting you will be pushing the tide till you get there. Aim for the Blackstones and then turn towards the sound when approx 100yds away (it is quite scary, especially if it is bumpy!) Aim for the tuskar rock on the other side, look back and you will see the flat cliffs on the south island. Be careful with wind against tide conditions. Once through hurry as fast as you can, to get to Ramsey and whistle through there. Both times going north we carried the same tide almost all the way to Fishguard. I usually keep close in once around Strumble head, there seems to be a counter current there which helps. Look out for pots though!
As long as the wind is SW it is pretty much a doddle, once done and having conquered the demons you feel good!
Stu
Paddydog`1
Well-Known Member
Thanks Stu
Just the info I needed
Just the info I needed
richardabeattie
Well-Known Member
And when you get to Fishguard you can go into the small inner harbour but it dries and has a stony botttom. There is a big sandy area just outside but a bit more exposed. No visitor buoys so phone the harbourmaster who is helpful but not there full time..
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
When I was going to bring my (then new to me) boat from Milford Haven to the Clyde, a forumite very kindly lent me a slim sailing guide to the Pembrokeshire Coast which had excellent details of passages, tides, anchorages, harbours and things to see. I can't now remember what the book was, but I think it may have been the Imray "Sea Guide to the Pembrokeshire Coast"
Coaster
Well-Known Member
The book in question was called A Sea Guide To The Pembrokeshire Coastline. The current title is A Sea Guide to Pembrokeshire.
It is an exceptionally good local Pilot.
Details in this recent thread:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?383238-Best-Bristol-Channel-Pilot
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Yup, that's the badger. I googled but didn't recognize the new Imray cover. Best local pilot I haver ever read, of anywhere. I was very disappointed that a lack of time and an excess of weather meant I had to pay a delivery skipper in the end; Milford Haven and Pembrokeshire generally are on my "I must go back to there" list.
Skylark
Well-Known Member
We sailed from Dale anchorage to Fishgaurd in August 2013. The 41ft boat was about a week old. I found pretty useful pilotage info via a Google search. I'm in India as I write this, it's 22h00 and I've had a couple of beers so I can't recall the detail. We left Dale at the precise time / tide condition suggested in the piloatge notes but we arrived at the first sound early. We still had at least 3kts of foul tide and, with SW wind, a very grumpy wind over tide. The swells were pretty big and I was not at all happy in my brand new boat. Rocks all around, wind over tide, big swells and a grumpy sea. Not at all a pleasant experience. We sailed very slowly the 7M between the two sounds and the second one was a pussy cat, a mill pond. Easy pilotage due to the slack tide. If you want, when I'm back home, I can add a link or post the pioltage that I used. I think it was out (early) by at least 30 to 60 minutes. Nice scenery, though.
ghostlymoron
Well-Known Member
I don't think it's necessary to go within 100m of Blackstones - I always chicken out well before that and haven't hit anything yet. Also I give Strumble Head a wide berth to avoid the overfalls but the counter current sounds useful.
C08
Well-Known Member
Last time I was there I was appalled to see lobster pots right on the pilotage line leading into Jack Sound-one of the last places you would like to be hooked up on a pot buoy! Going via S Bishop is not much further and far less stressful , particularly if there is any doubt about the weather.