.gif)
Leg 3: Padstow to Milford Haven - Boy, what a trip…!
The forecast was for light winds and calm seas… not a bit of it!
It started early… up at 3ish to get the boat ready to get out of the harbour before the tidal gate shut at 4ish. What I hadn’t planned for, based on the forecasts I had, was for fog! Well, mist really at Padstow but it got worse a bit further on. Do I go or not? That was the question very much on my mind. Well, every forecast I saw suggested that it should clear and with forecast light winds and a slight sea I reasoned that it should clear but if it didn’t then I would talk to the coastguard and see if they can help with traffic info.
It didn’t clear! In fact it was never more than a mile or so all the way across but with the OK from the coastguard, no shipping showing up on their AIS (that covers the big boys), I continued on but with a very sharp lookout all the time. The big news though was the sea state. There certainly were no big waves and it was never more than a slight to moderate but it was the short, choppy stuff that made planeing difficult. Eventually I got the rhythm of the wave pattern and it became easier and so I was actually able to keep the speed up at about 14kts most of the way but boy was it uncomfortable! I can only describe it like driving for 7 hours in a car while going over a sleeping policeman every 5 yards! 
Again, nothing at all dangerous or even a worry just very tiring and requireing total concentration if I wanted to keep the speed up. It really only smoothed out 5 miles from Milford Haven.
I had my first dolphin moment too… a pod swam alongside and ahead of the boat for several minutes. I stopped to take photos and they must have got bored and I didn’t see them again. Again, a little later on another pod joined me but this time I tried to take photos whilst still on the plane but it was so bumpy I don’t think I got anything. I haven’t checked the photos yet because of the 3G issue but I will over the next couple of days.
Entering Milford Haven everything changed… the sea flattened, the mist cleared and the sun came out and that is how it remained all day.
All in all an eventful and thoroughly enjoyable but challenging trip. An excellent day.
I am now berthed in Neyland Yacht Haven who are giving me 3 days free berthing… thank you. Tomorrow (Sunday) I am collecting with my RNLI bucket at Milford Haven Tesco (with their permission) so please return to see how much I have raised for the RNLI.
Not a great deal to see on this leg as the mist was down almost all the way. It did clear just as I entered the Harbour though.
Click on pic to enlarge…
{gallery directory=rb4rnli2008/legs/padstow}
