tides round ramsey island

[ghostlymoron]

We sailed from milford haven to fishguard over the w/e and had some difficulty with timing passages through ramsey and jack sounds. There seems to be some difference between the tidal atlas and the tidal gates sections in the almanac. We made a safe passage in the end but were not convinced we had timed it right. Has anyone sorted this out? I recall an article in PBO by Roger Oliver about this but have scoured my old issues and not found it.

 

[Flossdog]

Hi ghostlymoron, we made this trip last month and yes, you do have to get the tides right. Leaving Milford Haven at HW you can get through Jack Sound on slack but have to wait 6 hours to get through Ramsey Sound. In the event we went outside of Skokholm, Skomer and Ramsey Islands and carried the tide almost to Fishguard. It was a flat calm and we motored but had a SOG of 8.6 kts for much of the way. The best book for info on this route is Tom Bennet's Sea Guide to Pembrokeshire.

 

[BobnLesley]

We've been through a few times and found that going south was OK; if you get it right to pass through Ramsey Sound and cross St Brides Bay promptly, you'll find Jack Sound favourable too. Going North we either got kicked around in Ramsey Sound, or for preference stopped off in either Solva or Skomer North Anchorage and set off from there.

I remember that the very first time we went through Ramsey, we'd set of early from Fishgaurd to have a bit of time in hand, then got a flyer due to a very brisk Northerly breeze and as a result we reached Ramsey Sound about 2.5 hours earlier than advised. Being fairly new to sailing and a bit of an optimist, I felt it wouldn't be as bad as people said, so rather than wait, we decided to give it a go - that was possibly the second worst sailing decision I've ever made; continuing to keep trying for the next two hours, until I'd finally forced my way through was the worst one!

 

[roly_voya]

This is our local water and yes it is very confusing. Jacks sound is not so bad as it is very short and I have found that if you co with about 2kn tide againt you it is easier as you get plenty of time. Don't try it to late or you get swept through so fast you are not readlly in control. Ramsey you do at slack, no exceptions. The real problem with both of them is if you get any significant swell or wind. Any waves going into those tide get exagerated and it very quickly get truly dangerous not just unplesant so if in doubt go round and give the whole area a 5 mile offing as the races off the west of the islands can be as bad as the sounds. The most reliable tidal data I have found so far is on the current Cmap cartography which seams spot on.

 

[Heckler]

very interesting, we went through going north about 2 months ago, left Dale at just before lo water and then found jack relatively benign although lumpy and carried on thru ramsey with it as flat as a mill pond although blowing a sw 5 -6. didnt have to wait for anything although we were in a 46 ft moody and averaged 8-9 knts
stu