Abercastle

Abercastle is a village in the Welsh language speaking area of Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales. Abercastle has a working harbour which is managed by Abercastle Boat Owners Association. The harbour was the landing site of the first single handed atlantic sailing west to east in 1876 starting from Gloucester, Massachusetts, by the Danish born fisherman, Alfred "Centennial" Johnson. HistoryAbercastle is an old trading harbour which exported local slate and grain, limestone, butter, honey, corn, and some coal. There are also the remains of nineteenth century limekilns. Alfred Johnson memorialAlfred Johnson landed at Abercastle on Saturday, August 12, 1876, after sixty six days sailing from Gloucester Massachusetts, becoming the first person to make the single-handed Atlantic crossing. Johnson, a Danish born fisherman used a small dory named 'Centennial'. He managed an average pace of about 70 miles (110 km) a day, quite respectable for such a small boat in the open sea, and survived a gale which capsized the boat. A plaque made of Welsh Slate is on the quay wall near the slipway and was unveiled by Alfred Johnson's grandson, Charlie Dickman on October 17, 2003. Local author Rob Morris has also written a book about the crossing called Alfred "Centennial" Johnson. St Davids poet Tony Davies also dedicated the following to Alfred Johnson:

Abercastle is a village in the Welsh language speaking area of Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales. Abercastle has a working harbour which is managed by Abercastle Boat Owners Association. The harbour was the landing site of the first single handed atlantic sailing west to east in 1876 starting from Gloucester, Massachusetts, by the Danish born fisherman, Alfred "Centennial" Johnson. HistoryAbercastle is an old trading harbour which exported local slate and grain, limestone, butter, honey, corn, and some coal. There are also the remains of nineteenth century limekilns. Alfred Johnson memorialAlfred Johnson landed at Abercastle on Saturday, August 12, 1876, after sixty six days sailing from Gloucester Massachusetts, becoming the first person to make the single-handed Atlantic crossing. Johnson, a Danish born fisherman used a small dory named 'Centennial'. He managed an average pace of about 70 miles (110 km) a day, quite respectable for such a small boat in the open sea, and survived a gale which capsized the boat. A plaque made of Welsh Slate is on the quay wall near the slipway and was unveiled by Alfred Johnson's grandson, Charlie Dickman on October 17, 2003. Local author Rob Morris has also written a book about the crossing called Alfred "Centennial" Johnson. St Davids poet Tony Davies also dedicated the following to Alfred Johnson: