Lundy Island and on to Milford Haven

Some 40 years ago, an advert in the London Times for the position of Warden of Lundy Island. The position required someone who was good in small boats and could manage people. I almost applied: the Owners Agent advised against it and I had always had a secret ambition to visit it one day. Well, that box can be ticked and I’m glad I didn’t apply.  It’s a lovely spot for a day but I could not imagine living on it!

Back to Vagabond. The Purser and I had found our way in to Ilfracombe and moored fore and aft to lines attached one of the visitors buoys. We went ashore, found the local yacht club and had a free shower before wandering round the town to find somewhere to eat that provided free Internet access on the side.

The Purser had to return home the following day and we need to find bus and train times to get him home via Barnstaple (Bus), Exeter and Reading (train).

Vagabond settled on the sandy harbour bottom and we had a peaceful night sleeping above the current local sea level. Next morning the water returned and I rowed the Purser ashore to catch his bus and then readied for sea. I was reluctantly aiming at Swansea – it was really too far East and would take me even further into the maw of the Bristol Channel and it’s fearsome tidal currents and tidal range. Even at Ilfracombe at “springs” (and it is springs*) the range is 7 metres **.

Drying out in Infracombe

By the time I was ready, the water in the harbour was receding fast. I cast off and immediately ran aground. Quickly raising the centre board broke the connection with the bottom:  I had left it too late to leave.

I returned to the mooring and spent the day doing “stuff” on Vagabond and generally drying out.  It was sunny and hot, the first sunny day ashore for some time.  I repaired to the yacht club and got into discussions with some locals.

‘The weather looks settled, it would be a good time to go to Lundy’ said the commodore ‘Several of our members are leaving at 08:30 tomorrow. Why not come?’

It seemed a good idea – Lundy was in the right direction for Milford Haven. ‘Can I anchor there overnight?’ I asked. ‘Yes – mine’s a pint’ was the answer.

And so it was that I joined the fleet aiming at Lundy the following morning. There was no wind, so Freddie was pushing us all the way. The fleet left us behind and their Penta diesels powered them ahead at 7 knots.




Leaving Devon behind


 We left Devon behind.

By the time we got to Lundy the visitors buoys had all been taken. We had to use theanchor. Help. It’s only a little thing with 5 metres of light weight chain on it. And the tides – I need almost all the rope and chain I’ve got to cope with the rise in height of the tide!

I anchored in about 4 metres of water, let out all the chain and most of the rope and then slid one of my weights down the rope to the bottom to provide an additional resistance.

I worked out my courses to Milford Haven for the morning, checked the weather forecast (F4 – 5 from the South, ideal) and abandoned  Vagabond for the afternoon as I joined the day trippers walking around the island.

I climbed the light house, had tea at the Inn, walked some of the cliffs and heard rather than saw the sea birds. The Island is owned by the National Trust*** and consist of a flat plateau, about 200 feet * above ea level, with cliffs all round. There is a church, a farm house and a few barns that have been converted to visitor accommodation. Pigs were in a pen, sheep wandered around and still the grass was being cut by a machine. And, as it is owned by the NT, there is an NT shop!

Local pork sausages were on the menu board for the evening meal.

I took a few photos. They were all rubbish, so you can't see them except for one of the fleet moored in anhorage off Lundy.

The fleet in the anchorage at Lundy

I returned to Vagabond, cooked my meal and prepared for the night.
It was uncomfortable – a swell came in from the North and Vagabond rolled heavily and various lines inside the mast rattled and clanged to the rythym of the waves.
Not a good preparation for a 10 hour sail to Milford Haven.

Despite this, when I raised the anchor to set sail next day we were still in the same position as the previous evening, so the little anchor may not be so bad after all.


At 05:30, we motored out from under the lee of Lundy Island, to be met by a southerly breeze. All sail was hoisted and we were off skipping along on a course that was just north of north west, aiming at Milford Haven.

Soon small wavecrests started to break and Vagabond was become less docile. Time to take in a reef.


Docility was restored. An hour later, larger waves were starting to break and the process was repeated.


So we flew along, with the tide (and Lundy) behind us. I could ust discern a stick on the horizon ahead and wondered what is was. Half an hour later it became clear that the stick was part of the petrol refining complex at Milford.


We came up to Milford Haven entrance. By now the tide had turned, pushing us  away from the land. It took ages get into the mouth of the Haven but, once in, the water calmed down and we had a good sail up to the Milford Haven Marina. This was rather spoilt as I had to wait for an hour on a rather rough pontoon for the lock gates to open to let us in. We weren't alongside and properly moored up until about 7:30 pm.
14 hours.
I was shattered.
And, of course, it was Sunday. In Wales.
Nothing was open.



*  Anyone know why the high tides that occur every two weeks are called spring tides?
For non metric readers
** Roughly 22 feet.


*** An English non governmental organisation that owns most of the English “heritage” sites. Go and look it up in Wikipedia ; -there’s bound to be an entry.