Cruising Pembrokeshire Coast - 07/08-08-03

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:35

Bern Hanreck, and JCW bought their rib 'La Bamba' down this last week to do some cruising around the Pembrokeshire coast. I had fuel tank problems the first couple of days, but the last two days (Thurs and Friday), I joined them with some cruises.
This is 'La Bamba' just leaving Milford Haven (I got stuck in the lock at Milford so held them up a bit....

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:38

Leaving St Annes Head, just passing the Irish Ferry. Although there was fog around, the sun was starting to burn it off nicely, and it seemed that all radio reports on passing tankers indicated that it was lifting too. From here, we turned right towards Skomer Island, to go through Jack Sound, and then almost directly North upto Ramsey with intentions of going round the Island, and then round the smaller islands, the 'Bishops' afterwards.

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:40

45 minutes later, at 24 knots cutting across St Brides Bay, we approach Ramsey Sound, and as the weather appears to clear, a trip round the island could be quite interesting.

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:41

Just drifting through Ramsey Sound at 4 knots with the current (not much apparently), it's time to take a few pics of each other

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:42

A large Humber rib takes passengers out from St Justinians to go around Ramsey Island. You can hear the sound of the outboards for some distance around.....

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:44

This is the area called 'The Bitches' - I think when we got here was just after high tide on a neap tide, so there wasn't as much happening as I had previously seen on tv.... however, there were some small whirl pools, and some terrific currents....

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:45

This is now at St Justinians looking back at the house of the St Davids RNLI Lifeboat. We're sat here quite happily on a mooring enjoying lunch, and then, all of a sudden.....

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:47

The fog drops

We finish lunch, pick up anchor, and pull the plug on going round Ramsey Island. Not knowing the area enough, we decide to track our journey back out on the chartplotters, and head back down south towards Skomer Island.

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:49

On our way back across the bay, the fog lifts to give us approx 2 miles visibility. As Skomer island comes into sight, we make the decision to head out to Grassholm Island to go and see the Gannets which make the Island look so white from a large distance away.

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:50

I was trying to see if the digicam would take a pic through the binoculars - it sort of works....

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:50

There be a lot of birds on that there island

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:52

From Grassholm, we made the decision to go further out, and head for the Smalls lighthouse, approx 25miles from land. This was made hoping that we would at least see some dolphins on the way out, sadly, we didn't though.

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:53

The Smalls from another angle - imagine this in a force 9 gale

gavin · 08 August 2003, 20:56

You got some excellent shots here, good calm water, lots of colour well done

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:56

The following day, Friday (today), we left Milford at about 1400hrs, and turned left at St Annes to go out to Caldey Island. Anyone else doing this, please make contact with the Castlemartin range first to ensure they are not firing when you wish to go through. Although they were programmed to be firing all week this week, Bern called them, and found that there was no firing going on today, so we were able to proceed.
Here we are just dropping anchor on a beach the west side of Caldey island.

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:57

Now heading to Tenby at 25 knots on flat sea, looking back at Caldey on the left, and the mainland on the right.

Alex Brown · 08 August 2003, 20:59

Last picture *phew* - Tenby now in shot. Loads of people on the beaches at high tide, which made them look well packed. Although there was a breeze on land this morning, at sea, there was nothing apart from a gentle small swell. Temps just over 25 degrees C, water temp at 18 degrees C around Tenby according to Garmin

From here, I headed back for the 1hr journey to Milford, and left Bern, JCW, and JCW's wife to stop off at Tenby and look around.
These are just a few pics... the other 200 or so pics are on my website under 'gallery' on the 2nd page.....

Biggles · 08 August 2003, 21:03

Some well done pictures. Like the boats and the scenery.

narked · 08 August 2003, 21:24

Nice pictures, looks like it's been a good few days for boating. Been bloody hot here, roll on winter.

Keith Hart · 08 August 2003, 21:31

Thanks for the great pics and the story Alex, very interesting.

Cyanide and Magellan Alpha will be in Milford Marina on the evening of next wednesday after the first leg of our 'Round the UK' and Orkney Expedition trip.

It's nice to see what some of the coast we will be passing looks like.

Keith (just a few days now) hart