Yachting Monthly – March 2018

Milford

Haven

Angle Bay

Dale

Milford

Haven

Angle

St Ann’s

Head

N

PEMBROKESHIRE

WALES

Dale Yacht

Club Dale

Fort

MilfordHaven

Marina

Stack

Rock

Sandy

Great Haven

Castle

Head

South Hook

Point

Sawdern

Angle Point

Point

Ea

st Ch

West Ch annel

annel

ISLANDSHEEP

THORNISLAND

Chapel

Rocks

Jetty

Jetty

Jetty

Mid RocksRow

Channel

Rocks

0 3nm

River

Cresswell

River

Carew

Cleddau

River

Llmooringsangwm

Hobbs

Point

Sprinkle

Pill mudflats

Hook

New

Milford Landshipping

Quay

Cleddau

Bridge

Black Tar

BentonCastle

Selbech

Park

Blackpool

Mill

Castle Reach

Pembroke

Dock

Beggar’s

Reach

Picton

WesternCleddau Point EasternCleddau

PEMBROKESHIRE

WALES

Lawrenny

Llangwm

N

Haverfordwest

Nyland

Yacht

Haven Lawrenny

Yacht

Station

0 3nm

follows the usual river guidance of

keeping to the deeper water on the

outside of the bends and resisting

cutting the corners where silt builds

up. The echosounder, lead line, and

sailor’s instinct are invaluable aids when

pushing the boundaries of the creek

ends; their shifting mud banks defy

accurate survey, yet the creek-head

quays prove it’s all been done before.

MARINA FACILITIES

NEYLAND YACHT HAVEN

Neyland has 420 fully serviced berths,

a large visitor berthing pontoon, wifi,

toilets, showers, and laundry. The lower

basin is accessible at all tidal states,

and the marina office stays open seven

days a week with 24-hour security

and CCTV surveillance. Nearby Dale

Sailing provides a fuel berth, lift-out

and repairs. Bike hire is available and

the Brunel Café or the Bar Restaurant

can offer refreshments afterwards.

http://www.yachthavens.com/neyland

01646 601601

MILFORD MARINA

With 3 28 fully serviced berths, the

dock basin is accessed through a lock.

Facilities include lift-out, storage, fuel,

wifi, laundry and showers, and there

are restaurants on the quayside and

a supermarket in walking distance. The

marina office is manned 24/7 with CCTV.

http://www.milfordmarina.com

01646 82 3185

MOORING AND ANCHORING

There are two-day moorings under

Great Castle Head but no other official

moorings; Llangwm, Lawrenny Yacht

Station, Rudders Boatyard, and Hobbs

Point (Pembroke Haven Yacht Club) may

offer private moorings to visitors. The

pontoons at Dale, Hazelbeach, Hobbs

Point, Neyland Yacht Club, the Jolly

Sailor, and Lawrenny may accommodate

boats depending on depth, though if

not using marina facilities, many visitors

will opt to anchor in one of the Haven’s

many secluded spots – there is always

a sheltered anchorage, no matter where

the wind blows from.

DAY SAILS

Yachtsmen are spoilt for choice when

considering daysail options from Milford

Haven. Clever use of the tide can make

return trips possible within a sailing

day, but may fail to do justice to the

destination; many visitors opt to stay

overnight and catch the tide back next

day. Day sails up and down the Haven

Waterway can fill more than a weekend,

and have the added advantage of

enjoying accessible shelter should

the weather turn inclement.

SKOMER ISLAND

A mere 5 miles from St Ann’s Head,

Skomer and its environs is Wales’ only

Marine Conservation Zone and the

Island is managed as a National Nature

Reserve. Yachts can either anchor in

South Haven or traverse Jack Sound

to use one of the free mooring buoys

in North Haven. Landing is only

permitted in North Haven when

the Reserve is open; there is a fee.

http://www.naturalresources.wales

SOLVA

This beautiful natural harbour offers

shelter, shops and pubs. It dries to firm

sand; those who can’t take the ground

can lean against the harbour wall or

anchor in the Pool in the entrance. Its

situation on the north shore of St Brides

Bay means a transit of Jack Sound or

trip round Skomer Island to get there;

the visitor moorings dry at 2m over

chart datum, so calculate tides carefully.

CHARTS AND GUIDES

Admiralty Leisure SC14 7 8, SC28 78

Imray 2600.11, C60

Bristol Channel and Severn Cruising

Guide (Imray, £29.50); Sea Guide

to Pembrokeshire (Imray, £1 7 .50)

The Cruising Alamanac (Imray/CA, £ 35 )

MILFORD HAVEN PILOTAGE

Milford Haven can be entered in any

weather and any state of tide, and the

entrance offers no obstructions to

yachts, but it is best to avoid Middle

Channel Rocks and Chapel Rocks in

heavy weather. There are two well-

buoyed and lit deep-water channels –

East and West – in the entrance used

by larger commercial vessels and

yachts must not use them. Instead,

tack inshore of the channels or

between them. All yachts must not

approach within 100m of any tanker

or terminal further up the haven.

Monitor Port Control VHF Ch12

for shipping movements. Be aware

of the tug and pilot boats which escort

the larger vessels, as they can produce

a considerable wash between St Ann’s

Head and Dale Fort.

4 miles south of St Ann’s Head is the

Turbot Bank, marked by a W cardinal

buoy on its W end which is to be

avoided in bad weather. A strong

south-easterly against the ebb also

causes heavy seas off St Ann’s Head

and should be avoided. Instead, use

the East Channel close to Sheep Island.

EXPLORING UPSTREAM

While the shelter offered by Milford

Haven is welcome, sometimes its

tides are not. With a spring tidal

range of up to 7 m, a lot of water

sweeps up and down the Haven,

making passage against the stream

a slow affair. At high tide, yachts have

a welcome safety margin that allows

access to the

Haven’s smallest

creeks, but at low

tide the unwary

may be caught

out by unexpected

shoals and banks.

Navigation marks

stop above the

Cleddau Bridge,

and pilotage advice

THE A LONG WEEKEND

LOCA L

PI LOT

Milford

Hav en

Thorn Island rises up
out of Milford Haven