The Cleddau crew have had a short break in Cleddau-land, land of sea and western skies…

To be in Pembrokeshire without taking a coastal stroll and inhaling some sea air would seem an impossibility…! Freshwater West always looks the same but is never the same: here a low tide revealed miles of fine sands.

Freshwater West approached from Castlemartin

On the eastern end of the bay low tide had exposed a significant area of sand.

Despite its popularity with surfers the locals know Freshwater West to be a dangerous beach.

Spot the famous seaweed hut crouched low on the cliff. Here village women from nearby Angle would spread out their seaweed to dry and to be made into lava bread.

Further east is St Govan’s Head. For the fit there’s a clamber down to the tiny St Govan’s Chapel squeezed in a rocky cleft just above the highest tide mark.

Walk out the half mile or so along the clifftop towards the remotely operated coastguard lookout.

At low tide a submerged beach becomes visible. Above it are popular cliff climbing routes.

In fine weather the coastline is breath-taking: Church Rock at Broad Haven South,

the sun on the limestone cliffs of Stackpole Head,

the coast curving past Manorbier and Lydstep to Tenby’s off-shore islands, St Margaret’s and Caldey.

In such a stunning setting conversation with others comes easily: with a familiar face from the past in the car park, with two Germans walking the entire Pembrokeshire Coast Path, north to south, with a VW Beetle fan who had rebuilt her own engine, with Swiss Germans gazing at the view at the Coastguard Station…

Who would not feel joy on a sunny summer’s day from the picture postcard colours of the sea and the clifftop floral extravaganza?

Folk who watch canal boats are often called “gongoozlers”. What might you call someone who will oggle at vessels on the sea? Though not quite a “twitcher” (an informal term for a keen bird watcher) does being a “marin-itcher” cover the compulsion to get to the sea and the itchiness to observe boats in action…?

A good viewpoint is always from Hobbs Point. It was school holiday time and at a very low tide youths were fishing from the north-facing floating pontoon below the Hobbs Point slipway. High above the pontoon brave swimmers padded down the steep slipway to splash into the water, to jump and dive off the slope and even to grab mud from the shallows to lob at each other…

It’s a public slipway these days. An inflatable with an outboard motor was trundled down the slope, eased into the water and its crew set off towards Cleddau Bridge, on an evening fishing mission one assumes.

A fleet of sailing yachts bobbed at anchor, the incoming tide pulling their bows to face downstream.

Coming upstream was a sailing vessel under engine power.

You’ll see tugs on the water: at anchor midstream, in action and moored near to the Irish Ferry berth.

Aah, the ferry. The Isle of Innisfree makes two return trips between Pembroke Dock and Rosslare every 24 hours. Even at low tide the channel is deep enough for this vessel (28833 gross tonnage) to proceed the 10 miles upstream from the Haven entrance to her berth in the Dockyard.

From a vantage point up in Llanreath the Captain and Boatwif munched a picnic lunch and observed the ferry’s arrival, berthing, unloading, reloading and departure…

Lorries still being unloaded, containers and cars waiting to go aboard

Impressive bow and stern thrusters make for a neat departure

Peer across to the Neyland (north) side of the channel early evening and you might see a rowing crew in training – and if visibility is good the Preseli Mountains in north Pembs.

The Cleddau Bridge links the South Pembrokeshire peninsula with “the other side” (Neyland, Haverfordwest and further north), seen here in evening sun…