Day 3....What a Difference a Day Makes! 25/07/2010

The rain continued on and off through the night but as I was packing the tent up patches of blue sky began to appear through the cloud and the forecast was for lighter wind. Hopefully today would be a better day.

I follow the coast for a bit before paddling northward out toward Stack Rocks, the outline of the camel can be clearly seen to the left of the rocks. The Little Haven ILB, out on a jolly, came over for a quick chat as I approached the rocks.

I don't know so much like a camel, more like the Loch Ness Monster. As I paddled around Stack Rocks numerous Shags and Gulls were taking advantage of the early morning sun.

Leaving Stack Rocks I paddle back across to the mainland and look Eastward with the Howney Stone in the foreground, then the headlands of Ticklas Point and Borough Head with Little Haven in the distance.

I stop in the SE corner of St Brides Bay just before the entrance to Little Haven and look back into the Goultrop Roads which is sheltered from the prevailing SW gales, hence the vegetation almost to the water's edge.

Carrying on I paddle across the small cove of Little Haven and then the larger expanse of sand of Broad Haven.

Just past Broad Haven there are some caves and arches to paddle to, but today the tide is too low so I have to paddle past these and the Sleek Stone, which is like a large pipe running into the sea.

As I paddle northward the cliffs grow in stature but look very crumbly in places. At Black Point there is a large arch, but again the tide is too low to access it from the small bay.

I paddle to the front of the arch and there is just enough water to paddle backwards through the arch and take a picture looking back out to sea.

As I approach the beach of Druidston Haven, the cliffs are no less impressive, but again don't look too safe especially in the top photo.

Passing Nolton Haven and then Rickets Head I have a 2.5 nautical mile paddle across the vast expanse of the sandy beach of Newgale until I reach the NE corner of St Brides Bay.

I now start paddling Westward past the headland of Dinas Fach and Dinas Fawr with the small island of Green Scar marking the entrace to Solva, well on the homeward stretch now.

I paddle between Green Scar and the entrace to Solva harbour where the tide is right out, it should be just right to see the wrecks about a mile further on.

The tide is just right to see what remains of the most intact of the 3 tugs that were wrecked in October 1981. The tug has broken into 3 pieces but the name of their home port, Liverpool, is still clearly visible on the stern section.

The massive engine block is still pretty intact but the bow is on it's side and starting to break up.

I paddle into Caer Bwdy bay where the distinctive coloured slate for St David's Cathedral was quarried, there is also a similar pipe shaped rock formation like the Sleek Stone near Broad Haven.

Paddling across the crowded Caerfai Bay I then head into St Non's Bay to the cliffs under St Non's Chapel said to be the birthplace of St David.

I paddle across the entrance of the small harbour of Porth Clais and when I round the headland of Carreg Fran the South of Ramsey Island comes clearly into view.

I paddle into Ramsey Sound at the small period of slack water but as I approach St John's Point, althought flat clam my speed picks up as the Northerly Flood tide starts to flow.

It is only a short paddle to Porthsele to end a paddle of 19.5 nautical miles (36km or 22.5 miles) in much better conditions today.

A cracking 3 days of paddling covering a lot of the Mid Pembrokeshire coastline in varying weather conditions with a total distance of 57.5 nautical miles (approx 108 km or 67 miles).