Wales Skomer crossing

orangeframestudio

orangeframestudio

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Can anyone advise please...

We've been told to get to the skomer ferry in plenty of time... Ie very very early.
But no one has actually said a time yet.

Has anyone who has actually been give us a good time that we need to be at Martin haven for the 10am ferry.? Are we talking 5,6,9am? Just how busy and very very early is early enough?
We've got a long long trek as it is :)
Thanks
 
I went a few weeks ago. (It was brilliant!) I went with a pre-organised group which gave us access to the supply boat which goes at 8.30, but I arrived at 8.00 and the queue was already pretty substantial. There are 50 seats on the boat and it's strictly first come first served. Not sure that helps very much tbh, but if I were going again, I'd get there as early as possible, but don't forget to check the weather forecast before you set out because they don't go if it's very windy or otherwise poor weather.

I understand that the boat operators make the decision.

Also (while I'm typing) .... Wear good footwear or hiking boots, take your own food and water, take appropriate clothing for the weather conditions, stay on the paths at all times (very important!), take spare batteries/CF cards etc .... Great day out, thoroughly enjoyed it.
 
I went a few weeks ago, arriving too late for any landing - 10.30ish
I was told that people had been there from 6pm but it might have been an extreme case because the previous day's landings were cancelled due to choppy water/wind.
 
Can't remember what time the ticket shop opens but i usually get there about 20mins before that and not had too many people in front of me.
 
It really depends on the day, month, weather, if sailing was cancelled the day before, if it's a weekend, peak sandeels season etc. I seem to remember the shop opens at 8am, there was quite a few people there at 7am. Tickets are on sale for all boats when the shop opens, no tickets are held back for later boats so I have a wait if you get tickets for the last boat.

Last year I planned two days in the area and tried both mornings. First day missed out as I underestimated what the queue size would be, second day we got there early and got on the third boat. What I found annoying was there seemed to be no limit on number of tickets you could buy you (ie only one person needed to be in the queue) and there was a school trip that booked out a whole boat each day. Considering it was a Saturday and Sunday it was annoying that 50 places were prebooked for a group in mid June when you can't prebooked yourself. We were about 15th in line yet got on the third boat. It's a bit of a lottery if you do leave it late, I seem to remember some who turned up as the shop opened didn't get tickets.

Regarding boats back they give you a time for your return trip. They like you to stick to it otherwise they would get too many turn up for the last boat. They won't leave skomer without a full boat either so we had a bit of a wait on the boat for enough people to turn up before going back.

Regarding weather they give an update on sailing on their website the evening boat. The main issue seems to wind direction and swell, it's obvious why when you land on skomer.

This year I've booked accommodation for 2 nights so no issues with getting boat tickets as we leave before the day trippers. Having to travel 7-8 hrs to get there it's nice to know I will get on the island.

Edit: my trip was planned for the start of sandeels season and was a weekend too so it was probably busier than a weekday in July. Don't forget I think they don't sail on Mondays. Regarding ferry times it pretty much what you can get.
 
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It makes a big difference what sized party you are with. I have been twice, both times on my own, and both times I got the last remaining ticket on the first boat in spite of not being there before the ticket shop opened, as most parties are twos so there is often a single place left that they want to sell.
 
Lockley Lodge, where you buy the tickets opens at 8:30am - at this time of the year the queue starts early, I arrived at around 7:30 (my ticket was already assured though) and the queue extended down the hill and around the corner ... maybe 75 or so waiting for tickets, allowing for others waiting in cars in the carpark much of the allocation of 250 max tickets may already have been spoken for.
 
Thanks for the replies and info (y)

It was Sunday am... landings did land on sat too. We got there about 7:30, and made it on the first boat. If we'd got there 20 mins later, I doubt wed have got on the 10 or 11am boats.

Fab day. Weather was amazing which helped, but worth the trip if you want to spend the next few weeks of your life sorting through 1000+ puffin pics :clap:
 
idigitize said:
It was Sunday am... landings did land on sat too. We got there about 7:30, and made it on the first boat. If we'd got there 20 mins later, I doubt wed have got on the 10 or 11am boats. Fab day. Weather was amazing which helped, but worth the trip if you want to spend the next few weeks of your life sorting through 1000+ puffin pics :clap:
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I've just got back from four and a bit days of glorious sun-soaked Skomer (Sat AM to Wed AM), but I would have been sleeping off my early start and having lunch while you were about. The downside the bright sun was I quickly gave up any hope of a decent guillemot/razorbill stuff. It's the one shame about Skomer is there's not more locations to work the non-Puffin sea-birds.
 
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