Milford Haven to Clovelly

Wednesday 23/7/08
Leaving Milford Haven was as complicated as our arrival, and once out to see we were visited by a very friendly Range safety boat to advise us that they were firing 'some big stuff' on the range that day and we should stay well clear. Later we felt rather than heard the gunfire.
The wind was stronger than predicted, and the tide seemed against us, together with an unpleasant choppy sea. We looked at our options. I wanted to visit Cardiff, but that was the opposite direction, we could have gone back, but we eventually decided to move on to Lundy hoping the anchorage would be ok.
As we approached Lundy, the wind had eased, but the forecast threatened F6 later and that would make the usual anchorage untenable, so we chose the west anchorage in Jenny's Bay. We anchored as close in as we could to avoid the wind, but after half an hour decided that the swell from the west was too great to stay.

Plan 'B' was Clovelly, but we would not get there until after dark. Not a good prospect, but the best option.
We crossed some passing cargo vessels, and when the AIS reported a close encounter, I called one up and he very kindly altered course to pass behind us. This helps you feel safe in the dusk.
It was difficult to find Clovelly, the lit buoy was invisible, and we used a powerful torch to search for visitors mooring buoys, but we could have mistakenly picked up a crab pot instead, so we anchored, badly, then anchored again.
The wind got up and it was quite choppy, and I got very little sleep.