Sailing from Skomer to Mumbles

[Marsali_1]

Assuming fair winds and a 30 foot full keel sailboat, is it possible to make a passage from Skomer to Mumbles on one tide? Thanks in advance for your thoughts and experience.

 

[mattonthesea]

Assuming fair winds and a 30 foot full keel sailboat, is it possible to make a passage from Skomer to Mumbles on one tide? Thanks in advance for your thoughts and experience.

Short answer: yes. Done it in a 32ft. But it was gusting W F7 with 2-3m waves. We rounded the west end of Skomer at early slack water to get the full tide and miss the race.

Wind over tide and I wouldn't countenance it. I'd do it in two.

Assuming you know the area and the several safe havens along the way.

Fair winds

M

 

[Snoopy463]

Bear in mind diversions for the firing ranges if not on the weekends.

 

[Marsali_1]

Thank you Mattonthesea for confirming that my analysis of the relevant tidal diamond data was reasonable and thank you Snoopy463 for the reminder about the firing ranges. I'm not sure when I will make the actual passage but I have been doing paper passage plans for different scenarios of wind, tide and time of day. My intention would be to transit range waters at a time when they are not in use (ie early morning, evening/over night or weekend) so as to avoid unnecessary holes in the sails or hull and to make the shortest routes between waypoints.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Bear in mind diversions for the firing ranges if not on the weekends.

You can insist on necessity but they will winge and harass you. They only work 0900 to 1700 or thereabout so an early tide certainly does it as you are already mid range by the time they come on duty, and you agree to clear off eastwards.

in typical SW wind you will be close hauled to get round St Govans/Gowans, but then have fair wind and we have done it in one in slow 31ft, though needed to keep in back eddy Oxwich onwards as tide was gainst us and resorted to engine once boredom set in.

However I can reccomend anchoring by Caldey Island/drying out in Tenby (or anchoring off Tenby or Sandersfoot) and anchoring just inside Oxwich. Mumbles nothing to write home about