Pembroke 8-9 July 2006

Jono Garton · 28 June 2006, 18:18

Hi All

Thinking of having a few days away in the Pembroke area, anyone know how far down the river you can get and how far the speed limits go?

I belive you can launch at pembrokshire watersports??? Anywhere that way for petrol on the pontoon???

Jono

Downhilldai · 28 June 2006, 18:34

If by the river, you mean the Pembroke River, then I think you can get as far up as Pembroke Town, but it is tidal and dries out. If you mean the Milford Haven Waterway or River Cleddau, as the upper reaches are known, then you can get up to Haverfordwest, but again you'll be relying on the tide. On low water, a lot of the Cleddau (both Eastern and Western branches) are navigable.
Good slipway (free) at Pembrokeshire Watersports and many others too along the Haven.
As far as I know, you can only get petrol on the quay at Lawrenny. This was the case a few years ago, but may have changed since.
Alex Brown on this forum is from Milford Haven and will probably have more detailed local knowledge, should you need it.
No speed limits down river of the Carew/Cresswell tributaries at Lawrenny. No planing upriver of there (National Park Nature Reserve).

taurus · 28 June 2006, 19:31

Just spent the weekend in the area. Launched at Dale, free slip and good facilties. Quiet car park nearby - 60p all day parking (+60p if trailer left as well) Great cafe and pub. Link to Milford Haven leisure guide for deatils of Milford Haven.

http://endeavour.milford-docks.net/f...guide_2004.pdf

Have fun.

peter 24/7 · 28 June 2006, 20:12

Petrol at Lawrenny, but what price and when not sure. Launch at pembs watersports, or Hobbs point, either and you are only 2 minutes from Tesco for petrol. If you want to launch the other side of the bridge, then Neyland slip or Milford or Gelleswick bay.

Let us know when you are down and may be able to join you for a spin. Just got back from Grassholm and Skomer, plenty of wildlife to see. Ramsey / Grassholm and the smalls if you are around this weekend.

Alex Brown · 28 June 2006, 20:14

oooops, that's the old leisure guide, I was meant to replace that with this years a few months back

- shall do it tomorrow.....

I personally like launching at Neyland Yacht Club slip - you can do it at any state of tide on a neap, but around an hr either side of low water on a spring is dodgy as anything cos it flattens right off to mud at the very very bottom. Also, look out for the WW2 concrete blocks that are just off the clubhouse - they don't get on with engine skegs very well!!!

Basically, there are speed limits in the small bays, like Angle, Dale, Pembroke River etc... and the main limit applies from Lawrenny all the way up both the western and eastern cleddau. It's not a speed limit as such, just no planing, and keep your wash down basically. On our way back from H-West, I normally get overtaken by all the chuggers doing 8 or 9 knots, and then I overtake them at 35knots about 20mins later when we're clear of the limits

If you're staying for a couple of days, try and plan it for a good spring, so you can get to the pubs up river on the evening - well worth it if you can. Haverfordwest trip coming up on the 11th of July, where we go as far up river as possible and park outside a pub in the middle of town.
Failing all that, get down river, and out to the islands, round to tenby, out to the smalls etc... anything's doable on a nice day.

The other weekends video when I got out to Grassholm is here:-
http://videos.ribseadrive.co.uk/cruise_17-06-06/

Timewise, from Milford Haven, you're looking at just over an hr to get to Tenby cruising around 28knots, just on an hr to get to the Smalls, and 25mins to get out to Skomer at the same speeds.

Plan it so there's been a good SW breeze, and you can't beat the journey through St Anns as an alternative to a rollercoaster ride.

If you have any dates in mind or need any more info, let us know - Peter24/7 is back on the water now too.

-Alex

Jono Garton · 28 June 2006, 20:45

Cheers guys

Looking at the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th July

May come down by sea or possibly by road.

Do you know of anywhere to camp or hotel by the water, where I can leave the RIB?

Is it far to Lawrenny to fuel up? I take it fuel is on the pontoon.

Cheers

Jono

Downhilldai · 28 June 2006, 21:05

Jono,
We should be around that weekend and would love to meet up for a spin. If Alex and Pete are around too, we could perhaps get a few RIBnet boats out together?
Hotels near moorings would restrict you basically to Milford Haven or Neyland. Milford Marina is accessed through lock gates and is right in the town, which has a choice of basic hotels and guest houses. Neyland has a very good marina, but there's a short walk to the small town, where you may get a guest house - much more choice in Milford though.
Camping sites are available around Dale, as are Youth Hostels. Also a Youth Hostel at Lawrenny, a short walk from the Yacht Station, which has swing moorings on the river and a walk-ashore pontoon for short-term berthing.
Lawrenny from Neyland is about a ten minute spin. Neyland to Milford, a bit less.
Pete/Alex: What about Angle & Dale for guest houses?

Hugh Jardon · 28 June 2006, 21:08

just wondering if we should turn this weekend date into the swales rib meet we were looking at? or should we still do that in the summer?

wadyathinkcaptnnemo

Jono......not trying to gate crash but that weekend was one Brad and i were considering as a south wales get together for a few of us, we have a couple of other dates we are tossing around so everything is up in the air at the mo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

Jono,
We should be around that weekend and would love to meet up for a spin. If Alex and Pete are around too, we could perhaps get a few RIBnet boats out together?
Hotels near moorings would restrict you basically to Milford Haven or Neyland. Milford Marina is accessed through lock gates and is right in the town, which has a choice of basic hotels and guest houses. Neyland has a very good marina, but there's a short walk to the small town, where you may get a guest house - much more choice in Milford though.
Camping sites are available around Dale, as are Youth Hostels. Also a Youth Hostel at Lawrenny, a short walk from the Yacht Station, which has swing moorings on the river and a walk-ashore pontoon for short-term berthing.
Lawrenny from Neyland is about a ten minute spin. Neyland to Milford, a bit less.
Pete/Alex: What about Angle & Dale for guest houses?

Jono Garton · 28 June 2006, 21:18

Sounds Good

Looking at Stopping at the Lawrenny Castle Hotel in Neyland and coming down by rib not car.

Jono

Hugh Jardon · 28 June 2006, 21:23

the cornish pirates were looking at travelling to swales by boat as well!

could be interesting if the weather is good

Alex Brown · 28 June 2006, 21:48

Lawrenny from Neyland Marina is just over 5mins @ 40knots

Lawrenny from Milford is around 15mins at the same sort of speed.

If you're coming by boat, then you realistically have 2 choices - Milford or Neyland Marina. I can recommend places to stay in Milford that overlook the marina, but I don't know about Neyland I'm afraid.
Milford is closer to the sea, and Petrol is available at Tesco which is about 50metres from the top end of the dock - I can easily help you out with transport if that's the case since I work on the docks anyway.

The only thing with Milford as Dai has said is that Milford is behind a lock system. Provided you plan ahead, you shouldn't have a problem with it - ie our Haverfordwest trip on the 11th will get us back to Milford in the dark on the last Access lock of the evening, yet I'll be out from Milford going to H-West straight after work on the first access lock before high water.
If you are down here then, and the weather is good, the trip up should be good cos there will be a few other boats coming up as well.
Last years pics are here... http://gallery.ribseadrive.co.uk/pdc/btb-2k5/ and the previous years are here... http://gallery.ribseadrive.co.uk/pdc/btb-2k4/

If there's more than a one or two boats coming, we'll have to ensure that getting a berth won't be a problem - I am aware that both Milford and Neyland are rather full right now.

I've recently added a new webcam for interest on the website at work, which looks into the Milford Docks basin.
http://www.mhpa.co.uk/webcams.php
Also go to http://www.mhpa.co.uk/weather.php for live weather reports from our two weather stations.

-Alex

Downhilldai · 28 June 2006, 22:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Brown

Lawrenny from Neyland Marina is just over 5mins @ 40knots

Lawrenny from Milford is around 15mins at the same sort of speed.

-Alex

Ok Alex - my timings were inclusive of refuelling stops at The Jolly Sailor and the pub at Llanstadwell

Downhilldai · 28 June 2006, 22:13

JK - Perhaps this thread should be moved to 'Cruise Planning'?

< Edit: Whoosh! JK >

Hugh Jardon · 28 June 2006, 22:18

ok count us in, northwales on the 1-2 July

south wales on the 8-9 July cooooooool

digs are sorted ........cheeeers for that

gunnaby a busy summer me thinks.

bringing the pintsized crew as well

need to think about booking in my 100 hour service at this rate

Mike C · 28 June 2006, 22:53

Jono....

Great place to go. I was there last weekend too!

Stayed at Knowles Farm, http://www.lawrenny.org.uk/ about 2 miles from the Lawrenny Slip. Excellent, 1st class B&B and didn't mind me parking a RIB in their yard!

Managed to get out to some of the islands on the Saturday including landing on Skomer Island, (£6 per person to the warden). Great place this. There are no ground predators so the birds are really tame. The puffins walk within feet of you.... including one cute one with his dinner who walked across the footpath in front of us! Lots of seals around too!

Then on the Sunday, we awoke to more wind and greyer clouds, so I was persuaded to leave the boat and ‘do’ a castle. Needless to say, Sunday turned out to be the best day weather wise by the afternoon!

.
Saw the RIBS below at Stackpole in the afternoon, (before rushing back to get on the river for an hour or two). Then saw the same RIBS at Creswell Quay in the evening…. (High water pub) Who are you?

Alex. Sorry, I meant to give you my mobile number so we could meet up but only remembered half way to Wales….

Next time then!

Mike C

Alex Brown · 29 June 2006, 07:53

Nicely done Mike - glad you enjoyed your stay down here. I have only ever been on Skomer once, and that was when I was with primary school a good many years ago!!

As much as I'd have liked to get on the water on Saturday, I was unfortunately working the full day, and didn't get away from the place until the early hrs of Sunday, which as you say was a cracking day for weather.....

Did you take the boat upto Cresswell on the evening Mike? - must have been a bit close on the depth for any boat over the weekend, cos the tides weren't really that high.

-Alex

Mike C · 29 June 2006, 08:30

Hi Alex,

No, I didn't take the boat up there. My boating 'allowance' had been exhausted by then. We drove past on the way to Carew for dinner. There seemed plenty water at Creswell though, judging by the high speed one boat was doing, heading UP-stream from the pub! (Maybe after they’d sampled the beer?)

I’ll be a bit more adventurous in the river next time….. Maybe you can guide me?

Cheers,

Mike

Alex Brown · 05 July 2006, 16:34

Hello Mike,

Yeah, not a problem - give me a shout next time you're planning a trip down this way, and we'll try and work the tides to get to the upper reaches of the Cleddau. About 95% of the time, I turn right at the Dock entrance and head out to sea these days, since a good day up river is filled with water skiiers, jet skis and the like - it makes easy cruising not entirely possible since you're constantly ducking and diving to avoid hitting people!!

Edit:- On your last pic Mike, our house is there if you look at the higher res pic you will probably see it - look at the bunch of houses above rudders boatyard, and our house is the last one on the right

In the mean time, is this weekend still on? - Looking at the charts, Saturday looks to be just fine, whereas Sunday will see a couple of frontal systems piling through with increased winds from the SW. I doubt the swell will pick up much, but it could still be interesting all the same

My fuel line has cracked (it's had one movement and an hr of uv ray too many) and consequently needs replacing.... only found this out last weekend, so this is my project to fix over the coming few nights

If Saturday is fine, where do we go? - do we turn left at the heads and take the 35mile trip to Tenby, go straight on at the heads and take the 30 mile trip due west to the smalls, or do we turn right and head upto the islands, and round St Brides Bay?

-Alex

Hugh Jardon · 05 July 2006, 16:41

been chatting to brad and if the weather holds then we are up for it, will leave the planning to you local guys as is your home area, we have a 6 yr old and 3 yr old on board so will need to be in the calmer waters for them and not tooo long a drag. we are up for some watersports of some description as that would be fun. we are staying at the downhilldai guest house and apparently there is a beer tasting event on which should be good!!

maybe a bbq on a beach somewhere for lunch would be cool

we are looking to travel up on friday eve and travel home sunday eve,

cheers

chris

The Garfish · 05 July 2006, 19:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh Jardon

we are staying at the downhilldai guest house

i fink i stopt att dat plaice wunce. fuk mee itt waz lyke de baytes mowtel inn dat itchcokk filum. derty nett kirtins an smels ov catts pis an de lanlaydy wares rowlers an a hare nett wiv a fagg inn hir mowf orl de tyme an de lanlawd iz az madd az a fkin atter. cair inn de comewnitty i fink

keap yorr bedrewm dorr lokt att orl tymes

an downt gow inn de fkin showir

gaRf