We wanted to go to Fishguard, but did not have much wind, so started looking for alternatives. After a number of phone calls I got the number for the person who seems to be responsible for the buoyage and got some clear instructions about the entrance. Tied up to the boating club pontoon, and later had a drink in the boating club. Everyone very friendly and helpful. I think only the really keen ones do much boating as it’s very limited by the tide.
A longer trip than you might think as we had to come well out into Cardigan Bay to go round the outer end of St Patrick’s Causeway which is a long rocky ridge running out from the shore. There is also a firing range in the area, but we did not need to go into the range
Portmeirion is just a couple of miles away. We decided to cover this short distance by bike rather than by boat, as it’s extremely tricky to find the channel into Portmeirion, which is a little further up the main very wide shallow sandy estuary (Porthmadog harbour is in a side channel).
3 July 2014 Caernarfon
Spent the day at Helen’s. Washed clothes
4 July 2014 – Caernarfon
Spent the day at Helen’s. Rained all day
5 July 2014 - Caernarfon to Porth Dinllaen
A fine morning and a bit more activity in the harbour. Left harbour at 2pm and beat very slowly against the tide towards Belan Narrows. Crossed the bar with no drama and sailed to Porth Dinllaen. This is a bay which is protected from the W by a rocky headland and so is a handy stopping point if the wind is from the W or S. We visited the pub on the beach and found the whole place had a relaxed quiet holiday feel to it.
Leaving Caernarfon. Harbour is to R of the castle
Just outside Belan Narrows, looking back to Caernarfon
Lleyn peninsula
Caernarfon bar at I like to see it, calm, enough wind to sail and mountains in the background
6 July 2014 – Perth Dinllaen to Porth Dinllaen
The plan was to go through Bardsey Sound at HW slack. Problem was this meant going against the tide all the way there. After 3 hours of beating we had not made much progress, so headed back to try another day.
Beach at Porth Dinllaen
Beach from the cliff
New lifeboat house, moorings beyond.
The red building is the pub. You can just see the see on the other side of the peninsula
7 July 2014 – Porth Dinllaen to Abersoch
Early start at 7 to get to Bardsey Sound for the LW slack. This is a much better way to do it – with a lighter wind than yesterday it did not take long to pass the furthest point of our previous effort. Saw lots of Manx Shearwaters. Not really the occasion to land at Bardsey as the anchorage requires settled weather from the N, so we carried on rather slowly and picked up a mooring at Abersoch. The moorings are all run by South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club, quite a big establishment which has 3 launches to ferry people to and from their boats. The moorings seem a long way from the shore – maybe they allow room for a dinghy regatta between the moorings and the beach. Anyway the launch man said we could use a mooring. Going ashore, the outboard motor had been a bit sick and this time we had to give up and row. We have hardly used the outboard at all, preferring to row as the dinghy is then very light to carry up the beach, so I think the motor is sulking through neglect. Later, back at the boat, I took off the carburettor and removed a load of rubbish from the bowl. I think it was the result of corrosion, but I don’t know why it occurred.
27 June 2014 - Caernarfon to Menai Strait E
Went through the bridges and the Swellies a bit early, so the tide was flowing quickly but smoothly and continued flowing with us on the other side. We did not fancy the exposed anchorage at The Pool off Beaumaris or the moorings at Beaumaris, but instead found one shortly W of Gallows Point, which is a little more sheltered. There seem to be quite a few moorings that one can borrow on such occasions, and it is accepted as the way to go through the strait as without a really fast boat it’s best to take the tidal gates one at a time. The problem is that the landing places on the shore are all private so you have to stay on the boat.
Britannia Bridge – we will to through the other span
The pyramid mark, from under the bridge
The next transit, looking backwards
Swelley Rock and Menai Bridge
Menai Bridge
Bangor Pier
28 June 2014 - Menai Strait E to Conwy
Probably the slow option, but one suited to first-time visitors. We beat slowly past Beaumaris and through Puffin Sound, then headed over to Conwy Fairway buoy. However by the time we approached the tide was well up and a number of boats were sailing well outside the buoyed channel, preparing for a race. Berthed in the marina and walked into Conwy to take part in the Pirate Day. As we were berthing a pirate ship arrived and fired a few cannons. Helen, Kamal and family came and joined us on the boat for a very late lunch and we rowed the children round the marina in the dinghy.
Pirate Day at Conwy. Novice pirates try rowing
A short trip round the marina
29 June 2014 - Conwy to Menai Bridge
We decided Conwy was not a good base – for a day sail you have to leave 2 hours before high water and motor against 4 knots of tide past Deganwy, do a bit of sailing and then reverse the process the process on the way back. Maybe that’s why there a re a number of big power boats there.
Sailed through Pemnaen Swatch, trying to follow the instructions in the pilot books. This is a high tide route that save going N of Puffin Is (so several miles). Picked up a mooring in the strait just past Bangor. Later we phoned the piermaster at Menai Bridge, who let us use Prince Madoc’s mooring there, which is a heavy pontoon and allowed us to walk ashore. It is much visited by people fishing or just wandering abou, so is a bit noisy. It is also the base for Menai Boat Club, who have a dinghy on a running mooring there. A member can unlock the dinghy, paddle out to his boat, then bring the dinghy back for the next person – very handy and well used. [Prince Madoc is the ship used by Bangor University’s school of Ocean Science – we have seen it a few times in the area]
Leaving Conwy at Sunday rush hour
Dayboat race off Beaumaris
Moored at Menai Bridge
30 June 2014 - Menai Bridge to Caernarfon and Snowdon
Shopping in Menai bridge, including fuel and camping gaz. We then slipped the mooring at the appointed time to go through the bridges and the Swellies. We put up the mainsail and found that we were in a slight contrary tide. However another boat a short way behind us was motoring into a much stronger flow of tide. It’s surprising how the tide varies over a short distance. The boats on moorings at Menai Bridge seemed to always by lying in different directions. With enough wind right behind us, we decided the motor was unnecessary, so sailed through the bridges with mainsail only following the marks carefully. 6 other boats went through at the same time, which gave confidence that we were going at the right time.
1 July 2014 - Moel Elio
Bike ride to Llanberis, tea at Pete’s Eats, who kindly agreed to store the bikes for the day, circular walk up Moel Elio, more tea at Pete’s Eats and biked back to the boat.
2 July 2014 - Caernarfon to Belan Narrows and back
Forecast not too good but maybe we will have a look. Once out in the strait we realised how sheltered the harbour was – this will be just a short outing not a passage! Beat down to Belan narrows with 1 reef. By the time we got there the flood tide had lessened and there was no problem going through, except that we did not fancy a beat all the way to Porth Dinllaen, followed by a couple of days hanging about waiting for the weather for the next leg. So we headed back and were soon back in the same place in the harbour.
