Weston to Swansea | Swansea to Tenby | Tenby to Milford Haven |

Milford to Solva | Solva, around Ramsey Island and Skomer N Haven.

Wed

We time our departure for Ransey sound. The tide time are very confusing, as the flows are hours adrift from Milford, but the heights only 30 mins ! We leave at 7.50am - then drop into Porthylysgi Bay ( something like that ! ) waiting for the last hour of N going before slack through Ramsey Sound.

Ransey Sound is much wider than Jack - but somehow more evil looking. Jack you quickly slip through, but Ramsey is a longer passage. All ok on a day like this - and its so calm we decide to return around the seaward side of Ramsey.

the Bitches, Ramsey Sound, looking back South toward St Brides Bay.
Ramsey turns S at Milford Haven + 3 hrs - but the tide heights are only 1/2 hr adrift from Milford - so this would be mid tide for height, but about to change for tidal flow ! Confusing - yes ! Hence the Solva harbour master having a big pile of local tidal info.

daylight at the end of Ramsey - with Whitesand Bay over to starboard

After a little wait in Whitesand Bay - we catch the S going stream and head around the island. Not a thing to do on anything but a day like this.

We had a look in Aber Mawr Bay - on the NW coast. Rarely will be be ever here again as this side of Ransey. As it was, it was not really worth it, as for the most part its so rocky past Aber Mawr you habe to keep well off so can't see much of the coastal features.

The overfalls at the S tip were quite evident even in this calm !

Just coming back into St Brides Bay we had our second visit by Dolphins, this time all around the boat. I desperately tried to video them. Managed to catch a few - but would be out of a job as a wildlife photographer !

Apparently - just listening to local news as I write this - there was a super pod of upwards of a 1000 dolphins sighted off the Pembroke coast. We heard on the vhf - from two boats we had seen in Milford on their way to Lundy. They were running into huge pods of Dolphins as well. They are difficult to photograph though !

Maybe lulled into a false sence of security after rounding Ramsy Island - we ambled over St Brides Bay for Skomer and N Haven. Aproaching Skomer too far to seaward, we found ourselves in a fierce tidal race going out aorund the Island. It took half an hour at full revs on the Yanmar - and with the main up beating into a now stiffening NE 4 or 5 - to pull out of it. 5.3 kts through the water, 1 kt over the ground - then on top of that the engine started missing revs, as if it was getting some fuel starvation !

( several times it gave us this problem, mostly at higer revs. A bit worrying and needs sorting out - soon ! )

Made it to N Haven - which is very shetered and has now strong pick up visitors mooring buoys, as anchoring is prohibited because of eel grass.

Glorious place, so decide to stay the night - but a little worrying, as you are surrounded by dubious seas if the weather gets up. As it was, it was blowing some now. Two other boats came in later - sigificantly bigger than Lena ! A somewhat lumpy night, but ok - we both slept ok.

cont | 6 Skomer to Milford