The City of Swansea is established at the junction of the River Tawe and Swansea Bay. This junction has now been sealed with a Barrage (through which you must lock), and Swansea Marina is set in a former commercial dock which lies on your port hand side as you enter the River Tawe, after passing through the barrage lock. The Marina has it's own lock through which you must pass and this maintains the water levels within at 1 m above the impounded level past the barrage.

Nevertheless in a similar manner to Cardiff, the water in the River Tawe is maintained at all states of the tide, never drying out. ... read more

If approaching from the South East pass outside of Nash Sand and Scarweather Sands, and in particular give the Nash Sands and their buoyage a good offing as there are currents and overfalls (Southerly Cardinal Mid Nash (Q(6)+LFl15s) and Westerly Cardinal West Nash (VQ(9)10s)).

A generally WNW course made good from here will take you past the South Scar southerly Cardinal buoy (Q(6)+LFl.15s) and the West Scar westerly Cardinal buoy (Q(9)15s) on your starboard side. At this point it is safe to shape up a course directly for the Swansea entrance channel which lies to the north with a touch of West. Watch out for the tide setting you towards Scarweather Sands after you make your turn northwards if it is flooding.

The intrepid yachtsman or motorboater can cut inside the Nash Sands and the Scarweather Sands in the right tidal conditions with good visibility, but this is not recommended for newcomers and it is not proposed to describe this passage here either.

Further Pilotage Directions... ... read more

Follow directions from the Marina staff, who will run through procedures with you and direct you to a berth. ... read more