Conwy to Holyhead tp Conwy last weekend

NigelFortune

NigelFortune

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Probably one for the North Wales sailors

Had a very pleasant sail to HH from Conwy over the weekend. Left Conwy at a time to allow me to be at the Skerries about 1hr before slack water . Went from Conwy Fairway to Pt Lynas , East Mouse, Middle Mouse Furlong, Skerries and then across Church Bay to HH. For the return on the Sunday left HH @ 14:15 to get me at Skerries just before slack. Nice sail across Church Bay and calculated that wind angle and pointing ability meant if I went close to Skerries would allow me to tack and sail along the North coast. However when I tacked found I couldn't point high enough and with time constraints had to use the "iron sail". Wind was coming from the ENE at 12 to 15 knots and sailed reciprocal course to the previous day at about 800 to 900 yds off the shore. I was quite surprised how rough it got off the nuclear plant and Pt Lynas and then again off Puffin Island. Due to wind direction and the fetch to the nearest land I think there was nothing else to do but keep going.
Would I have Been better leaving more room between me and Anglesey. Was the state of the sea due to the shallowness of the sea and a rising tide with wind over current or did I do the right thing.
Speed over ground was about 6 knots with the tide and wind on the nose giving apparent wind speed of 20-22knts in some instances.
Arrived back safe at 21:00 after learning a little more about my boat ( the windows leak). Any comments ( please not too detrimental) would be appreciated.

Thanks Nigel
 
Done lots of sailing round Anglesey. I don't think going further offshore would have helped, the tide runs strong for miles offshore, the only benefit is being further from rocks if anything were to happen. The seas round Carmel Head and the West coast of Anglesey can be a great deal worse or better than one might expect at times. I've been round Carmel head in F8 wind from the SW and Tide of the ebb, West to South West going, not a problem waves about 4-5ft. I've been round in less wind with a NE to E going tide with SW wind about F5 and the seas were big, lots of overfalls perhaps 15ft high. A Irish Sea swell was probably the issue. The flood tide is stronger, wind over tide is almost always a problem and the roughness of the bottom a very big factor. Don't cut inside Harry Furlongs rock buoy or stray towards Victoria bank. At various times and conditions, not necessarily too obviously, any part of Anglesey can be a problem.
 
I was off Puffin Island at 7am on Sunday. I don't have an anemometer but at the time I thought it was a solid F5 with the occasional foray into a F6 and pretty much coming from conwy..but that could have been apparent wind rather than true and I may have been kidding myself. Difficult to say.

Anyway point is that I was also surprised at the sea state. Not the size of the waves which I estimated were around 6ft but the steepness and shortness, a stinker of a chop. In fact I found it difficult reefing as every time I set the autopilot into the wind and went to the mast, a wave would knock the bow off, the tillerpilot would be overwhelmed, the main would fill and I'd have to go back to the cockpit and start again.

So an interesting trip for me also with some questions posed about my singlehanded technique which need answering.

Btw I also discovered my hatches leak. New seals on the way!
 
One very kind soul organised a flotilla from HH anticlockwise around the island this last weekend. On the Sunday, we went through the Swellies at 08h00 is a near flat clam. By the time we reached Beaumaris it was gusting 20+ kts from ENE. A short sea whipped up quite quickly albeit still wind with tide. As the tide turned (we were about an hour early), I imagine that the NE end of The Straits would have been fairly uncomfortable. We then had a fair tide with a beam wind along the east coast, fast sailing and a bit of surfing, too. Very enjoyable. The north coast gave us wind on the stern but with a strong fair tide. My boat doesn't like running (it makes the skipper very nervous) so we had fun broad reaching and gybing. We completed the circumnavigation by beam reaching through Church Bay.

I can well imagine a bumpy ride for you along the north coast with wind over tide conditions. The sea would have been calmer further off shore but providing that you are confident in your position, depth etc (there are some shallows) I think I would have done exactly as you did. Further out to sea, there are a couple of cardinals, west of Middle Mouse.

Sounds like you had a great adventure.
 
I'm glad of the other reports that it was quite windy / lumpy - and not just me.

Sometimes sailors exaggerate wind strength and without an anemometer I always suspect myself of doing just that.
 
obmij said:
I'm glad of the other reports that it was quite windy / lumpy - and not just me.

Sometimes sailors exaggerate wind strength and without an anemometer I always suspect myself of doing just that.
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The Irish sea is well known for short steep seas, partly because of its shallowness & partly because of the strong tides. Get used to it & try to avoid wind over 1/2 tide situations at the marked overfalls sites. NW'lies over the ebb to get back from Puffin to Conway is a particularly unpleasant passage as you will roll like a pig - very nauseating conditions.
 
Only 2 questions to ask:

1 Did everyone get home in one piece
2 Did everyone enjoy the trip

Any other issues are peripheral

I would be surprised if you can find two people who would agree on every stage of even a simple bit of navigation let alone one such as the one you describe which is quite complicated.

From your post you would appear to have fulfilled the 2 conditions

I spent 3 years based in Conway - I always reckoned getting in and out of the river was the trickiest bit of any trip.
 
In my case the answer to your questions are

1) Yes (although by different routes)
2) No, not entirely.

Set out two up on Saturday - came back singlehanded on Sunday!
 
obmij said:
In my case the answer to your questions are

1) Yes (although by different routes)
2) No, not entirely.

Set out two up on Saturday - came back singlehanded on Sunday!
Click to expand...

Anything particular happened on the Saturday to occasion 2) . We had an excellent sail that day
 
I had a great sail! My wife though..chronic motion sickness with the added bonus of (I suspect) mild heatstroke and dehydration.

Day started well, left at about HW + 1 - didn't want to run directly to puffin so reached out towards the Great Orme. Cracking sail, but when we gybed back towards Anglesey, wife started to get a little woozy. I decided to head into the straights to relax, but unfortunately met the tide coming out. Nothing horrendous, but it didn't make her feel any better.

Upshot - she spent the night in The Gazelle, I sailed back to Conwy in the morning and picked her up in the car. Sixty quid well spent. If she'd have stayed on the boat and come back with me the next morning, things might have been messier.

So, no planks were used although plenty of disinfectant was.
 
obmij said:
I had a great sail! My wife though..chronic motion sickness with the added bonus of (I suspect) mild heatstroke and dehydration.

Day started well, left at about HW + 1 - didn't want to run directly to puffin so reached out towards the Great Orme. Cracking sail, but when we gybed back towards Anglesey, wife started to get a little woozy. I decided to head into the straights to relax, but unfortunately met the tide coming out. Nothing horrendous, but it didn't make her feel any better.

Upshot - she spent the night in The Gazelle, I sailed back to Conwy in the morning and picked her up in the car. Sixty quid well spent. If she'd have stayed on the boat and come back with me the next morning, things might have been messier.

So, no planks were used although plenty of disinfectant was.
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The bay between Puffin & the Gt Orme can be bloody horrid with wind over tide. It was one of several reasons for moving to Caernarfon. We loved Conway & had both our boats there for extended periods, but the river is dangerous, especially with young kids.
 
Searush said:
The bay between Puffin & the Gt Orme can be bloody horrid with wind over tide. It was one of several reasons for moving to Caernarfon. We loved Conway & had both our boats there for extended periods, but the river is dangerous, especially with young kids.
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As is PD to Caernarfon, Caernarfon bar and a number of places around Anglesey . Agree about the river at Conway, wouldn't like to try getting on/off a boat on a mooring when it is in full flood or ebb particularly after rain in the hills.
 
The Clyde sounds great - bit of a treck for a daysail though!

I like Caernarfon. Lovely town and great people, and a great yard in Menai Marine. I thought of staying there permanently but felt a bit constrained by bar at one end and the swellies at the other - but I guess it's probably no more so than Conwy.

Not sure yet where I'm going to spend next year, but staying in Conwy, a mooring in the straights, Caernarfon, Holyhead, a mooring off the Wirral, the IOM and perhaps even Fleetwood are all under consideration.

Sorry for the threadjack
 
obmij said:
The Clyde sounds great - bit of a treck for a daysail though!

I like Caernarfon. Lovely town and great people, and a great yard in Menai Marine. I thought of staying there permanently but felt a bit constrained by bar at one end and the swellies at the other - but I guess it's probably no more so than Conwy.

Not sure yet where I'm going to spend next year, but staying in Conwy, a mooring in the straights, Caernarfon, Holyhead, a mooring off the Wirral, the IOM and perhaps even Fleetwood are all under consideration.

Sorry for the threadjack
Click to expand...
Never felt constrained by bar or swellies, once familiar!

Ok they determine your passage plan a bit. But the best part is there is always a lee side of Anglesey for some shelter or a nice anchorage.
 
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