Last week, a fleet of vessels taking part in Seafair Haven 2018 made their way to Pembroke Castle Pool enjoying a welcome reception on the quay by Pembroke’s Mayor, Clr. Linda Brown.

The visit is a well-loved feature of the Seafair festival and participants always enjoy lining up to make their way into the pool along the narrow channel and past the barrage, which is only able to open by arrangement for short intervals around the high tide.

The flotilla navigation is carefully prepared by David James and volunteers from the West Wales Maritime Heritage Trust, an organisation based in Front Street, Pembroke Dock, restoring vessels with trainees and volunteers, as well as giving talks, materials and presentations about local maritime heritage.

Seafair Haven is a biennial maritime festival, organised by the Tall Ships (Wales) Trust, bringing specialist tourists and their vessels, often classic and traditional boats, to Pembrokeshire for a week of enjoyment of the Milford Haven waterway.

The flotilla on Monday included vintage ex-RNLI lifeboats, smaller open vessels and day boats as well as some smaller yachts who are able to cross the cill into the pool where they made an impressive sight under the walls of Pembroke Castle.

A handful of the fleet,, including the ex-RNLI lifeboats Richard Vernon and Mary Garforth of Leeds, a 1956 Watson-class which served Angle lifeboat station for 30 years from 1957 until 1987, decided to overnight in the pool giving passers by the chance to inspect these classic life-saving vessels more closely. As the boats waited for the next day’s tide, the crew also had the chance to spend time and see a bit more of Pembroke, enjoying the local hostelries and castle.

The Pembroke River and Pool visit is one of a week of events at destinations along the waterway and diverse activities, including music, poetry, dinners, as well as cruises for the public and community groups with a tall ship Johanna Lucretia operating from Hobbs Point, Pembroke Dock.

The week culminates in a celebratory open day at Hobbs Point where the tall ship and lifeboats will be present and a outdoor theatre show will take place, funfair, stalls and BBQ tomorrow (Saturday), 11 am - 5 pm.

The Tall Ships (Wales) Trust is a local charity that supports training and voyages working with Penarth racing yacht charity Challenge Wales, as well as a range of classic tall ships vessels.