Yachting Monthly – September 2019

RIGHT Cardiff’s old

docklands are

now the site of

the Wales

Millennium Centre

S

panning the Avon Gorge, the

engineering splendour of the

Clifton Suspension Bridge never

fails to astonish as you cruise

beneath it, making Bristol one of the

most impressive English harbours.

It is a shame then that many sailors

seem to be put off from visiting by

the Bristol Channel’s strong 15-metre tidal range.

Although one of the most challenging cruising areas

in the country, planning the tides carefully allows you

to recoup considerable rewards with Bristol Docks

offering a mix of maritime heritage and museums as

well as a wide choice of restaurants and pubs. Few

harbours have facilities that allow you to moor

virtually in the centre of the city.

Bristol is my home cruising ground and I still get a

thrill as I head past the dock areas of Avonmouth and

Portbury before navigating the River Avon. The low

lying land on the river banks gives way to rising

limestone cliffs marking the start of the Avon Gorge,

which formed a defensive gateway to Bristol and

helped make it a strategically important port.

You need to pass through a large lock and then a

couple of swing bridges before you are in the Floating

Harbour. In use since 1809, this non-tidal dock area

leads right up to Bristol’s city centre and beyond and

there is history all round you. On the left just after the

second swing bridge is the Underfall Yard, a historic

boatyard and slipway that remains in full use today.

Here you can fi nd traditional riggers and blacksmiths

as well as wooden boat builders maintaining the

traditions and skills of the past.

Further up, the docks are dominated by the tall

masts of the SS Great Britain, Isambard Kingdom

Brunel’s famous steamship that has returned to the

dry dock in which it was built 176 years ago, and is

now restored as a visitor attraction. This is close to

Bristol Marina, which has been developed on the site

of the old Charles Hill Shipyard. Here there are

pontoon berths

for visitors, but

if you want to be

closer to the city

centre head

towards the

St. Augustine’s

Reach where

there are also

pontoon berths.

Sail boats are

likely to stop at the city centre moorings but you can

explore further by tender. If you feel adventurous you

can continue up the harbour and re-enter the River

Avon and navigate all the way up to Bath and beyond.

There is no shortage of pubs on Bristol’s waterfront

and close by the swing bridges there is the

atmospheric 19th Century Nova Scotia, which still

has traces of large lanterns from the days when it was

a coaching inn. It has barely changed in the 50 years I

have known it, with its good selection of real ale and

friendly service. If cider is your tipple then the award

winning Orchard Inn tucked away on Spike Island

has more than 20 ciders on tap. If you fancy staying

afl oat then further up the harbour at Welshback is

the Glassboat Brasserie, which has been serving

award-winning food for the last 30 years.

When visiting Bristol your problem is likely to be

that there is too much to do and see rather than too

little, and reluctantly it was time for us to depart the

city for Cardiff via Portishead.

INTO THE BRISTOL CHANNEL

We passed the locks and cruised back down the River

Avon into the Bristol Channel and made the short sail

to Portishead. The lock at Portishead Quays is

available from three hours before to three hours after

high water and the marina staff are very helpful.

Portishead used to be a coal dock for the old power

station. Now, waterside apartments surround the

dock and there are a number of pubs and restaurants

within walking distance. It was a lazy start the

following morning ahead of the short hop to Cardiff.

Since the barrier was built across Cardiff Bay this has

become a yacht harbour with access at nearly all

states of tide, the only one on the Bristol Channel.

It is best to stick to the side of the main channels,

particularly if under sail, but when crossing the large

ships have priority here. Beware of the strong tides

which can drive you upstream rapidly. It is also

mandatory to check in with Bristol Port on VHF Ch12

The engineering splendour of the imposing Clift on

Suspension Bridge never fails to astonish

A LONG WEEKEND

Whet your whistle in

time-honoured tradition...