Launch sites around Milford Haven

[Lee R]

Evening all!

I'm looking to do a little diving around Skomer, Skokholm and Dale harbour next weekend. Being a good little boy I've done my homework and found loads of info charts, online and from Divernet (though most of their marks seem WAY off acording to charts - anyone else noticed that??).

Now, the only the question that remains is that of launching. We'll be using a 5.5m rib towed with an old frontera 4x4 (generally fine on sand/loose stuff). I know there's a good slip at Dale which I'll be using if we're in the sound itself, however I'd like to use Martin's Haven to launch for Skomer and the Lucy, and potentially Stackpole Quay if the northerlies blow.

So, after all that rambling...has anyone got any experience of launching at these (or any other) slips that could be useful to me so I don't turn up and look awfully silly when I can't launch/get my truck stuck to its belly in mud :-) In particular info on conditions at various states of the tide and the kind of footing I can expect to be driving on would ber really useful.

Many thanks,

Lee

[Ed Howarth]

Beware of Little Haven. When we were there a couple of years ago, it was £50 for the season, which is a tad expensive if you only want to launch once.

See the bsac wiki here (http://www.bsacforum.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Launch_Sites_in_Wales)
and the boatlaunch website here (http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk/)

Ed

[Woz]

I did my AIC at the yacht club, Gelliswick Bay. Launched RIBs over the mud no problem. Well it's a bit of a faff at low tide as you'll need to rope the trailer cos it's a very shallow slope. High tide- piece of cake. Nissan Navara and a Land Rover. The mud is pretty solid.

[Mark]

For both Skomer and Skokholm I launch out of Dale.

It's possible to launch out of St Brides (or was a few years ago when I last dived there), but you really need a Land Rover or other proper 4 x 4.

Martins Haven is a very steep shingle beach. I've seen 4 x 4 trucks having to be towed off it. I'd not launch there.


:)

[Richard Whitcombe]

We use Gelliswick (as woz said though, check tide times first, on springs you can be confronted with mud and a long walk to the slip - anything below 1.7m chart datum is likely to dry it!).

You have Dale as well which isnt that expensive to launch and Little Haven.

It all depends where you want to tow, what sort of roads to tow on and where you're going. If its Skomer/Skokholm then Little Haven or similar is nearest and maybe a bit more sheltered from south westerlies. Gelliswick to Skomer is roughly a 45 min journey.

[Lee R]

Many thanks all for the tips and past experience. Dale is looking like the best bet from what you're all saying, though it does look like being a long old RIB ride round to the Lucy...

Any more thought's greatly appreciated,

Lee

[tony J]

Many thanks all for the tips and past experience. Dale is looking like the best bet from what you're all saying, though it does look like being a long old RIB ride round to the Lucy...

Any more thought's greatly appreciated,

Leeborrow an inflatable, carry and launch from Martins haven beach - 10-15 minutes boat ride and about a pint of Petrol...

And do North Tusca on slack, cracking !

Tony

[Edward]

Many thanks all for the tips and past experience. Dale is looking like the best bet from what you're all saying, though it does look like being a long old RIB ride round to the Lucy...

Any more thought's greatly appreciated,

Lee

Hi,

We used to launch from either Dale or Little Haven and motor the RIB to Martin's Haven with just cox and 1 crew. Then operate for the day out Martin's Haven and motor back when finished.

Edward

[Janos]

I did my AIC at the yacht club, Gelliswick Bay. Launched RIBs over the mud no problem. Well it's a bit of a faff at low tide as you'll need to rope the trailer cos it's a very shallow slope. High tide- piece of cake. Nissan Navara and a Land Rover. The mud is pretty solid.

What he said, except it was my AIE and a different weekend.

I think Cardiff BSAC go there a fair bit. It might be worth pinging them a friendly email?

Janos

[Mark G]

Hi Lee,
As Janos said, our club dives in the area regularly throughout the year.

For the St. Brides Bay area, including the Lucy and the north of Skomer, we usually launch from Broadhaven. It's a very flat sandy beach facing west, so if it's calm you can launch and retrieve relatively easily, but 4wd can be an asset. Any westerly swell usually negates the possibility of a safe launch and retrieval, so bear that in mind.

If we have lots of divers, we send them all to Martins Haven for a quick turn around.

For anything south of Skomer, it's just as easy to launch from Dale or Gelliswick which gives you the added bonus of all the wrecks in the haven should the weather turn inclement.

If the weather is good and the tides are right, we found a new wreck of a fishing boat on Crow Rock a few months ago. Slack is about 3 hours after HW Milford and the site has always been known for its stunning scenery, even before the wreck sank there in February. Co-ordinates of the wreck are 51°36'726N 005°03'219W.

Here's a video of the wreck in May;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkyCruPlzfs

If I can help with anything else, email me via the club website

Cheers

Mark Gosling

[Richard Whitcombe]

If the weather is good and the tides are right, we found a new wreck of a fishing boat on Crow Rock a few months ago. Slack is about 3 hours after HW Milford and the site has always been known for its stunning scenery, even before the wreck sank there in February. Co-ordinates of the wreck are 51°36'726N 005°03'219W.

Is this the wreck that sank in the last year or so off there? (Or is there another one)

[Mark G]

Is this the wreck that sank in the last year or so off there? (Or is there another one)


Yes, this wreck sank on the 20th of Feb 2010 when it hit Crow Rock. All 5 of the crew got off and were picked up in their lifeboat a short while later.