Pembrokeshire Coast aerial picture tour guide

[Barney Strumble]

Hi all, Here's a little aerial tour of the Pembrokeshire Coast, working our way from Saundersfoot to Fishguard Harbour.
captured at mean low spring tide, approx 1.2 meters above LAT.
Please feel free, If anyone would like to contribute from their experience of sailing or power boating in the area
Points of interest/ease of anchorage/best launch and recovery sites/passage planning etc. hopefully the information gathered on this thread will serve as a guide for others searching info on cruising this area.
Starting with Saundersfoot Harbour

Tenby

https://www.flickr.com/photos/125562668@N06/

 

[MoodySabre]

Great pics. My son lives in a Saundersfoot - his house is at top of the first photo. His boat is currently out but previously was on a mooring at Lawrenny. There is a slip there. I'll send him this link.

There's lots of info in the Sea Guide to Pembrokeshire of course that could be supplemented with people's experiences.

 

[Barney Strumble]

Cheers for viewing and commenting Moodysabre, I've sorted those links now, they were supposed to show images not just links, Saundersfoot is certainly a wonderful location.
Caldey Island

St Margaret's Island

then back over Caldey sound to the secluded Lydstep Bay.

With Manobier just around the headland.

 

[Barney Strumble]

Continuing North this section contains some of Pembrokeshire's best sandy beaches, with some fascinating rock formations along the way,
Freshwater East, there is a slipway here, but I'm not sure whether its private or public ?

Stackpole Quay and Barafundle beach.

Broad Haven south - Church rock and Bosherston Lilly ponds

 

[Barney Strumble]

The next section features some of the best rock formations and large caves, although its worth noting,
passage from St Govan's Head to Linney Head is restricted through the week, so passage plans will require you keep upto 5 + NM or more offshore, depending on distance the range require that day. But if you can time a weekend cruise, then you can pass as close as you can safely manage.

St Govan's Head and Chapel.

Stack rocks or locally known as Elegug Stacks, Elegug meaning Guillemot in Welsh,

Pen-Y- Holt Stack

 

[Barney Strumble]

That's pretty much the extent of the South Pemb's Coast, with Freshwater West being the last sandy surf beach along this stretch,
At this point we cross the mouth of the Daugleddau Estuary, around St Ann's Head, with distant views of the Harbour, including East and West Angle Bay.

West Dale Bay looking toward the sheltered waters within Dale roads, easy launching slipways can be found in the Harbour,

For those heading North from this point, plans need to be made whether to go through the Jack Sound or divert around the Islands,
either way your going to get a hammering if the winds up, just mind those rocks! the currents can run 6kn + here, with slack in the sounds occurring approx 2hr after low and high water.

 

[William_H]

Lovely pictures all of them froma fan of UK from afar. olewill

 

[Barney Strumble]

Cheers Will, Your comments from afar are much appreciated, I'm a fan of your neck of the woods too.
Here we have Skomer Island, one of the most popular local destinations for Bird watching and general nature observation,
with sheltered anchorage at South or North haven,

For those looking for a further offshore cruise, the Gannet colony at Grassholm Island is a worth visit, laying approx 9 NM west of
Skomer.

Continuing West another 9 NM and we have the Smalls Lighthouse. great caution is needed out here, the area is scattered with rocks and strong currents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fe3PgBxREM

 

[Barney Strumble]

Past Skomer we have St Brides Bay, with deep water sheltered anchorage for most conditions.
Musselwick Beach.

St Brides Beach

Broad and Little Haven

Nolton Haven

Solva

Porthclais

Continuing North we have Ramsey Island, passage through the sound can be lumpy on full flood, but the tide slackens off approx two and half hours after low, and three hours after high.

The Devil's hole

North Ramsey

South Ramsey

 

[Barney Strumble]

With the turbulent waters surrounding Ramsey aft, we continue North around St Davids Head into Cardigan Bay.The next port of call is Porthgain.

Abercastle.

Then we head around Strumble Head and over the sheltered waters of,

Fishguard Harbour.

Unfortunately Biggles announced our hours pleasure flight was running short at this point, and we had to return to Haverfordwest Airfield,
but I'm looking forward to chartering the good services of Haverfordwest pleasure flights again, to cover Fishguard to Cadigan, and hopfully further.
so I shall bid you all farewell for now and, leave you with some video's I knocked up the other year with my last boat, I knew I should've bought a Yacht.LOL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-eb-jf-TQg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-T2zhmJzO8

Here's a little view of the Estuary, speeded up a little.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgK7S081cJc&list=UUS6X4DD_wx8csBKrQL3L7GA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHyQ933e8jw&list=UUS6X4DD_wx8csBKrQL3L7GA

 

[vyv_cox]

Very nice viewing! I would like to see a shot in Ramsey Sound that shows Horse Rock, more or less opposite The Bitches. We have always diverted for it but never seen it.

 

[richardabeattie]

Close up of Fishguard Lower Town Harbour please and try and get my house in shot - everybody always focuses on the quay and leaves my side out of view!

 

[Barney Strumble]

Very nice viewing! I would like to see a shot in Ramsey Sound that shows Horse Rock, more or less opposite The Bitches. We have always diverted for it but never seen it.

sorry but I haven't got any Horse rock shots, nothing more than a shadow of it that is, as a guess I'd say the depth in the sound was about 1.5 above LAT, however,
I was quite pleased how the image shows the direction of the turbulent currents ebbing off the submerged outcrop,
this alone may hopefully help someone one day, with reference to there charts of course, to help with passage plans,
there's a couple of images on google someone has captured of the actual rock though, and a video of some canoeist guys standing on it,
the fact it drops off to 66 meter such a short distance from land with, steep outcrops like the horse and bitches, it's no wonder it gets lumpy! in there. I found a 3D image of the sound on the net for reference.
http://brian-mountainman.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/glacial-landforms-ramsey-island.html

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=h...glacial-landforms-ramsey-island.html;1061;610

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1PQSwHkxjk

 

[Barney Strumble]

Close up of Fishguard Lower Town Harbour please and try and get my house in shot - everybody always focuses on the quay and leaves my side out of view!

There you go Sir, I'll see what others I have.
Thanks for viewing.

 

[richardabeattie]

Nice try but no cigar. My place is just off the top of this photo!

 

[onesea]

there's a couple of images on google someone has captured of the actual rock though, and a video of some canoeist guys standing on it,

http://peak-biking.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/ramsey-sound.html

I got intrested..

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Great pics, I grew up (well maybe not!) from age 11 onwards living in Saundersfoot, school in Tenby, scouts had a cabin in Lawrenny where we went canoeing.

Happy days!

 

[vyv_cox]

http://peak-biking.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/ramsey-sound.html

I got intrested..

I'm pleased that have always diverted for it.

 

[VicMallows]

Thanks for the terrific photos. The pics of Tenby and Saundersfoot bring back memories of Sunday School trips from Swansea c.1960. I just wish the sail from the Solent to Wales was a bit easier .... maybe I should try the long way anticlockwise

 

[Barney Strumble]

Great pics, I grew up (well maybe not!) from age 11 onwards living in Saundersfoot, school in Tenby, scouts had a cabin in Lawrenny where we went canoeing.

Happy days!

Cheers Nick, Happy Days indeed!