One bank holiday a couple of years ago I enjoyed an excellent cruise from my sailing base at Barry.

I had planned to leave Barry about 9 a.m. on the Saturday. The day dawned bright, clear and, at least at home in Cardiff, also calm. My father was acting as chauffeur to carry my gear to the boat. As storage is difficult, all my gear: sleeping bag, stove, pots and pans. food stock etc., has to be kept at home between cruises. With somewhat of a rush we managed to get myself and gear to the club house at Barry by 8.30 a.m.

I then ferried myself and my stores out to my boat in my canvas cockleshell. My vessel had by this time, been afloat on a rising tide for about half an hour, and was heaving gently at her moorings. I stowed all my equipment and finally folded my cockleshell and stowed that too under the foredeck.

By this time I felt that there was just enough breeze off the land to carry me offshore (this breeze was from about NNW) I thus made full sail, cast off moorings and began to drift slowly seaward. Once I had reached the harbour entrance some ten minutes after casting off I found that the breeze outside was a little stronger and I set a course directly for Hurlstone Point. There was about 2½ hrs. of flood left which one would usually allow for in setting a course across it but, from past experience, I knew that I would take at least four hours for a passage to Porlock Weir. This meant that any leeway due to flood tide would be balanced by ebb, which also runs fast closer to the Somerset coast.

The breeze clear of the South Wales coast settled down to a steady force 2-3 NNW which meant a leisurely sail. Visibility was excellent and so navigation only amounted to maintaining a constant bearing on Hurlstone Point. This is aided by the fact that between Minehead and Hurlstone Point there is a patch of light coloured fields running right down to the sea (on an otherwise dark and tree covered stretch of coast). Around noon I decided to have lunch; I had some sandwiches prepared and so I rather cheated by eating these and having a cold drink. The sea had all this time remained calm but at about high water a slight swell made itself felt. By about 1 p.m. I was off Hurlstone Point; I then shaped course for Porlock Weir. The beach here is large boulders and pebbles and so (although at high tide there is plenty of water) I kept well out from shore.

At last the buildings of Porlock Weir began to appear along the top of the pebble beach but still no sight of the harbour. I closed the shore knowing where the entrance channel actually lay. To strangers it is not possible, after about 1½ hours ebb to spot Porlock Weir harbour from more than about 100 yards off shore. The sight I could now see of sails moving apparently along the shore, would cause great surprise. I was by now sailing as fast as I could so as not to miss the tide. This would happen if I could not enter the harbour by two hours ebb when it dries out. I just managed it with a few minutes to spare, but I had to scull up the entrance channel, by this time only about ten feet wide and 2½ ft. deep. I quickly lowered sail and began to make fast as directed by the harbourmaster.

At this point I must describe the marvellous asset of this harbour, namely that an area of about 50 ft. by 40 ft. just seaward of the harbour proper, and sheltered by a shingle bank remains about four foot deep at all times. It is thus possible for a few vessels to remain afloat and on this occasion few cruisers were present and I could lie afloat alongside the motor boat belonging to the harbourmaster.

The passage had taken about five hours (an average of about 4½ knots including tide). I stowed ship and erected my camping cover. It was still fine and sunny so I went ashore and relaxed with some local acquaintances on the harbour wall before partaking of a little liquid sunshine and returning aboard to cook my usual slap up dinner cum supper of meat, potatoes, tomatoes etc. followed by tinned fruit and topped off with a cup of coffee. Having fetched some more drinking water and washed up my dishes, I adjourned ashore with some fellow sailors for a jolly evening at one of the nearby hostelries.

I turned in fairly early, 10.30 - 11 p.m. and awoke about 7 a.m. to find a fine cold morning with quite a swell running outside the harbour. This settled my doubts as to whether to stay in Porlock or go to Minehead on the midday tide; I stayed. I enjoyed a lazy day so beloved by sailing types in strange harbours.

On the Monday, which dawned fine and clear (yes again) I stowed ship after an early lunch and prepared to leave as soon as there was enough water to pass through the entrance channel. This would give me at least a 1½ hour lift from the tide in the general direction of Barry.

Once clear of Porlock Bay I shaped a course for Sully Island so as to make as much distance up channel as I could before I hit a foul tide. I had a fast passage back to the Welsh coast but I ended up about half a mile offshore one mile below Barry Dock and it was mainly thanks to a following wind that I was able to make up over the strengthening ebb tide to the harbour. I reached my moorings after about a 4¾ hour passage, stowed ship, ferried my gear ashore and had a pleasant surprise to find my parents at the yacht club to meet me and take me home. So ended a very good weekend.