As featured in the Port's newsletter, OnBoard, Spring 2021.

As the weather starts to improve, many of us are thinking about life on the ocean wave. Well, maybe not the ocean, but certainly the stunning waters of Pembrokeshire. While we haven’t been able to enjoy as much sailing, kayaking (or whichever activity floats your boat) as we would have liked over the past year or so, it’s hoped that many of us will be able to get out and about more as time goes on. With this in mind, it’s important to remember that the water can be a potentially dangerous place and it’s essential that you’re fully prepared. Here are a few tips to ensure you stay safe on the water:

• Check your boat before heading onto the water

• Check the tides and weather forecast

• Wear a lifejacket ensuring you carry out annual checks

• Use a kill cord making sure that it works at the start of each day or session and look for signs of wear

• Plan your journey - if possible, let someone else know what your plans are and when you expect to return

• Always carry a mobile phone and VHF radio to call for help if needed

• Do not consume alcohol. There is a waterway byelaw that means it is illegal to navigate while drunk, therefore you could be prosecuted

• If you are on the Milford Haven Waterway, seek advice or help from the Water Ranger

• Sign up to receive Notice To Mariners alerts on the Port’s website

• Respect the environment and the wildlife within it

You can check tide times, subscribe to Notice to Mariners alerts and find out more about safety on the water online at www.mhpa.co.uk

Don’t dice with death

The water may look inviting and there are plenty of ways to have fun in, on and around it, but jumping (or tombstoning) is strictly prohibited at Milford Marina.

Each year staff at the Port have to stop groups of young people ‘jumping in’ from the dock walls and Hakin Point and are often confronted by threatening and challenging behaviour.

Tombstoning is an extremely dangerous activity that can be fatal and the areas around the marina and Hakin Point are particularly hazardous. As well as being a busy shipping and fishing area, there are many hidden dangers beneath the water such as tyres and shopping trolleys which could cause life changing injuries. As well as submerged objects, cold water shock is a very real danger and one of the biggest causes of drowning. Even strong, confident swimmers can be affected.

The Port will not hesitate to enforce its bye-laws, which include fines and banning notices, in order to stop people from risking their lives.