Shelter from E to S winds in Milford Haven

[BristolDiver]

Hi,

Despite being living in Bristol, we're not familiar with Milford other than diving the wrecks in the area! Our home port is Plymouth and we're nearing the end of a UK circumnavigation, planning a jump to Padstow very soon.

However, we need to leave Milford Marina and anchor off or moor somewhere as we need to set off close to low water, when we're trapped inside the lock.

We anchored off Chapel bay which was OK from S and Sandy Bay which was OK for E, but neither were brilliant in SE which is what we seem to be getting here.

Considered Pennar Gut or the pontoon off Hobbs point, but unsure of the depth at Hobbs point for MLWS. Also, we'd rather stay west of Milford Marina otherwise we have an even earlier start in the morning to make Padstow and the fog is around so an easy escape route to sea is favourable.

West Angle Bay looks like a good bet, but I can't find any information on it in the almanac or online.

Can anyone with local knowledge suggest a suitable anchorage/mooring for E to S winds?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[Coaster]

West Angle Bay is a poor anchorage. It's shallow for a long way out and there's usually a swell coming in.

We're based in Milford Marina and prior to a passage elsewhere we sometimes anchor at Angle Point or in Dale itself, both of which are sheltered from the S but open to the E. However unless the wind was more than say F4 I wouldn't expect it to make either anchorage uncomfortable (although wash from large vessels can be a problem at Angle Point).

To the northwest of South Hook point there's a decent but little used anchorage, in a bay marked on the OS map as Kilroom. We've found it good as long as the wind is E of S and there's no big swell coming in at the Heads.

Of course you could go up the Haven to very sheltered places but that would defeat the object of making a rapid getaway. Are the lock times really so awkward that you can't use a scheduled exit?

 

[BristolDiver]

West Angle Bay is a poor anchorage. It's shallow for a long way out and there's usually a swell coming in.

...

To the northwest of South Hook point there's a decent but little used anchorage, in a bay marked on the OS map as Kilroom. We've found it good as long as the wind is E of S and there's no big swell coming in at the Heads.

Of course you could go up the Haven to very sheltered places but that would defeat the object of making a rapid getaway. Are the lock times really so awkward that you can't use a scheduled exit?

Thanks, the anchorage NW of South Hook is where we tucked in the other day when the wind picked up from the East. Pretty little spot with a small red sandy beach to the NW.

I think given the wind has dropped right off here just now we'll go take another look at Dale, and fallback to Kilroom if Dale looks uncomfortable.

The scheduled lock times are just a little too tight for our liking to get to Padstow. Not having done the passage, nor entered Padstow before we'd prefer an hour in hand to be at the bar for 1800. We wanted to be off St Anns Head around 0430, the scheduled lock tomorrow is 0427 which probably means 0500 into the Haven and 0530 out to sea. And its very big Spring tides so there won't be much water outside the lock, we draw 1.9m and its dark I'm sure it would be fine, we usually pleasantly surprise ourselves by arriving earlier than planned, but wouldn't want it the other way

 

[tico]

Kilroom is the only place to get decent shelter in the haven from Easterlys, but beware of going in too close as there is a rock pinnacle slap bang in the centre, submerged at anything above mid tide when all around is 20' deep.
Alternatively there is a small bay just to the west of West Angle, but i'd just use it as a lunchtime stop rather than overnight.

 

[Alcyone]

Is there any shelter in Gelliswick? I used to stop there for lunch on the pontoon there, but I'm not sure if they still put a pontoon there. It looks as if it would give shelter from Easterlies.

 

[Coaster]

Is there any shelter in Gelliswick?...

Gelliswick is very shallow. Anchoring at low water, particularly with the OP's draught of 1.9m, would be difficult. To find enough water you'd need to almost out as far as the Murco refinery jetty. I don't think that tying up to that jetty is allowed for leisure craft!

The OP asked about shelter from the SE and Gelliswick's no good for that. I can remember launching our 16' Orkney Strikeliner on the slip there quite a few years ago and struggling to retrieve it at the end of the day when a strong S wind had blown up.

As an aside, do people nowadays use the small boat passage that passes through the legs of the shore-link sections of the Murco and South Hook jetties? I know it was closed for a while but now seems to be reopened.

 

[Alcyone]

Ah, right, cheers for that. We only draw 1.4m, and as I say, I've not overnighted there.

 

[bert49uk]

BIDEFORD pilot and harbour master Capt Roger Hoad has spelled out his concerns of potential shipping danger and of damage to the coastal outlook from the proposed Atlantic Array offshore wind farm.

A meeting of the Taw and Torridge Estuary Forum on Monday night received a presentation from RWE npower renewables, the group behind the proposals, which has also held a series of public consultations around the region.

The forum also received Capt Hoad’s views in his regular report on shipping and the estuary, read out in his absence.

In it, he said: “It is noted that the imminent Atlantic Array plans will drastically affect the outlook from North Devon tourist beaches and coast, as well as South Wales coastal areas, and completely change Lundy as a ‘remote’ island.”

He also gave an example of the track of a very large ship laden with 171,882 tonnes of iron ore, passing through the ‘soon to be unavailable’ windfarm area.

His report said: “These vessels are regular visitors to Port Talbot and spend days manoeuvring in the already restricted Bristol Channel waters, while awaiting a berth.

They anchor in the wind farm area and would be forced further up channel, but still close to the restricted area – a quarter of a million tonnes on one anchor upstream of a huge obstruction that does not provide any shelter, just danger in a fast flowing tidal area.

“By studying the tracks of ships going to ports throughout the Bristol Channel, it will be seen that shipping will have a much reduced area to navigate – especially the big ships that wait in the Bristol Channel to go to ports such as Milford Haven, Port Talbot and Portbury concentrating vessels nearer to the coast on either side.

“Given that shipping is on the increase, we need to carefully study the legacy that the windfarm will leave with us.”

Captain Hoad acknowledged that ports such as Bideford would benefit from supply work from the Atlantic Array, but said that, in his opinion, traversing the channel by sailing yacht would become considerably more dangerous.

Robert Thornhill, project manager for Atlantic Array, said: “As part of our detailed environmental assessments, we have collected data on existing shipping and leisure activity in the Bristol Channel and are engaging with commercial and recreational organisations operating in the area.

“There would be no restriction on navigation or recreational fishing at the Atlantic Array Offshore Wind Farm once the site is operational.

“During construction, safety zones will be set up within the site. The zones will be kept at a minimum to ensure the lowest amount of disruption, whilst maintaining high safety standards.

“Detailed communications would be released to give skippers and other sea users the appropriate information in line with navigation authorities’ guidance.”

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