Bristol Channel Shipping Memories

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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Much of the coastline at the western end of the Bristol Channel faces west towards the Atlantic Ocean meaning that a combination of an off-shore (east) wind and a generous Atlantic swell produces excellent surf along the beaches. The heritage coasts of the Vale of Glamorgan, Bideford Bay and Gower are, along with the Atlantic coasts of Pembrokeshire and Cornwall, the key areas for surfing in the whole of Britain. Although slightly overshadowed by the Atlantic coasts of North Cornwall and West Pembrokeshire, both Gower and Bideford Bay nevertheless have several superb breaks—notably Croyde in Bideford Bay and Langland Bay on Gower—and surfing in Gower and Bideford Bay is enhanced by the golden beaches, clean blue waters, excellent water quality and good facilities close by to the main surf breaks. On 8th January the coastal motor tanker “Candourity”, of London, had engine trouble off Breaksea Point in severe weather. A tug eventually got a hawser to her and towed her to Barry Roads.

March 1st. The “Unity”, Bristol from Cardigan, ran onto Nash Point. Four of the seven crew perished. Part of the cargo was saved but the vessel was lost. On 10th December the “Trelawny”, a Bristol West Indiaman bound for Jamaica, was driven ashore on Nash Point and was smashed to pieces. The captain was killed by the fall of the mainmast, but the mate, pilot and 15 to 20 others escaped in the ship's boats. Eleven other crew and passengers were lost. Part of the cargo was saved but the vessel was a loss. The “Rosalia”, Bristol from Portugal, ran onto the Nash Sands. Three of the crew of twelve were lost. The cargo and vessel were saved.

BRISTOL CHANNEL - Ship Marine Traffic Live Tracking AIS MAP Density Map. Vessels Current Position. Sea Distance Calculator.

Once the U-boats had found a way into the Irish Sea - where they could disrupt traffic to Ireland, the USA, and South America - they made numerous return visits.” On the evening of 7th March the new Penarth lifeboat, Joseph Denman, was launched to stand by to assist the brig “ Crocodile”, of Dartmouth, which had gone ashore on Cardiff Sands in a gale. Fortunately the “ Crocodile” was refloated on the flood tide and sailed on to Cardiff.

On 30th December the “Vigilant”, went ashore on Breaksea Point. The Barry lifeboat went to her assistance but could not get near enough. Four of the ship's crew were hauled through the sea on ropes to safety but the captain and two others stayed aboard. Fortunately the ship held together and those on board were able to walk ashore at low tide. December 27th. The Wexford schooner “Elizabeth Jane”, which had been sheltering in Mumbles Roads for a number of days, was observed firing distress signals. A strong gale was blowing and the Swansea pilot cutter “Beaufort”, which was on station in the bay signalled for the Mumbles lifeboat and proceeded with all haste to the scene.. On arrival the vessel was sinking in huge seas and despite lines being thrown to men clinging to the rigging, the vessel went down with the loss of all hands.The International Hydrographic Organization defines the offshore western limit of the Bristol Channel as "a line joining Hartland Point in Devon ( 51°01′N 4°32′W / 51.017°N 4.533°W / 51.017; -4.533) to St. Govan's Head in Pembrokeshire ( 51°36′N 4°55′W / 51.600°N 4.917°W / 51.600; -4.917)".

Long stretches of both sides of the coastline are designated as Heritage Coast. These include Exmoor, Bideford Bay, the Hartland Point peninsula, Lundy Island, Glamorgan, Gower Peninsula, Carmarthenshire, South Pembrokeshire and Caldey Island. On 5th December the Spanish schooner “ Loretta”, bound from Liverpool to Cuba, was seen drifting towards Nash Sands near Porthcawl, having been blown off course. The Porthcawl lifeboat (Good Deliverance) went to her aid, initially taking off the master's wife and then the whole crew of eleven and the pilot. A memorial stone to HMHS Glenart Castle in Hartland Point, Devon. Picture: Wikimedia/Etchacan1974 (under CC BY-SA 4.0)On October 21st the MV “Actuosity”, went ashore at Colhugh Point between Aberthaw and Llantwit Major. Her engine room and fore hold were flooded. With the fall of the tide, however, she was refloated and a massive salvage operation began, which lasted until December of that year. February. The Prussian brig “Fortuna”, with a cargo of cotton and sugar from Venezuela for Liverpool, became dismasted during a storm. She was driven up the channel and run ashore in Broughton Bay. The crew were saved as was much of the cargo. The vessel was a total loss.