Conwy to Pwllheli, In The Rain!

[JamesTT]

The five boats turned into three as we set off from Conwy last Friday at 1pm headed for Pwllheli.
My crew and I had arrived the previous evening in beautiful sunshine, hoping that the forecast was wrong.
It was raining when we woke up on Friday morning and it never stopped raining until we passed Caernarfon on the way home on Saturday, not much fun in an open boat.
The first picture is a shot taken just after we passed through the Swellies, there was a sailboat ahead under power just as I rounded Swelly Rock and ahead of him entering the channel against us was this big ship. Passing this ship in the narrow channel was nerve wracking, but he held his line very close to the Welsh shore and we passed within 8ft of each other, SV2 will definitely get through!
[image]

[/image]
The next picture is of my Pal's Maxum 2900SE, ( a dry home for the weekend ) as we passed Plas Newydd
[image]

[/image]
The sea state was slight across Caernarfon Bar and we decided to abandon the previously plotted course to follow the shore and headed out into the Bay directly to Bardsey Island.
This is a 24Nm leg and it was remained slight even with the wind on our backs as we arrived at Bardsey, even the Tripods and the Sound itself were calm as with the delays leaving Conwy we enjoyed slack water.
Bardsey Island from the Sound
[image]

[/image]
We arrived at Abersoch beach at 4pm to find it deserted, the wake boarding competition had been cancelled so we headed for the marina, fuelled up and took our berth for the evening.
The rain as stated previously never stopped, luckily we had shelter in the Maxum, we got changed and headed to the Yacht club. We were made to feel very welcome and enjoyed a drink. We ordered a cab and set off for Abersoch.The traffic in the Pwllheli was incredible, after 50 minutes in the cab and having travelled less than a mile we headed back to Pwllheli and into the Mitre pub, from the Mitre we crossed the road and found a nice little wine bar and had dinner. We walked back to the marina at around 1am and could hear the festival in the distance but with it still raining and imagining the taxi queue we were glad to have stayed in Pwllheli.
We awoke early Saturday, still raining and headed into the Club for breakfast. During breakfast we were told that the festival for the Saturday night had been cancelled and we decided to head back to Conwy and a warm caravan for the rest of the weekend.
We put on our still wet foul gear and left the marina, determined to get to Conwy as quickly as possible.
Leaving Pwllheli Marina ( still raining )
[image]

[/image]
[image]

[/image]
We set off, the rain was like hail stones...
Abersoch Beach
[image]

[/image]
[image]
Not much time for pictures on the way back, we made the 74Nm trip in 2hrs 30 miutes and burnt 123 litres of 4 star, with the 8.1 big block humming all the way at 4000rpm and around 36Knts.
In contrast the Maxum with twin 4.3l MPi's used 208 litres.
[image][img]http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k259/JamesTT_2006/P1010033.jpg[/image]
Arrived back to Conwy , threw the covers on the boat and went for a steaming hot Jacuzzi at the club house.
It's hard to believe that we made the same trip last year and enjoyed temperatures in the 80's.
It was nice to have made a trip after not being able to get the boat out for 6 weeks, but I still feel wet and don't think I will be doing it again!!
This last shot taken on Monday evening for The Major and Kawasaki, where is it, answers on another postcard please?
[image]

[/image]

 

[Kawasaki]

Cracker James!
Enjoyed that.
Oh! The Big Ship in the Swellies was a Mussel boat out of Port Penrhyn Bangor.
She doesn't actually draw that much for Her size.
"The Welsh shore?" it's Welsh on both sides, cripes! he peeps from Anglesey will be after Your blood.
Well I think they are Welsh, on the other hand You may know summat I don't!!
Sorry couldn't help being a Smart A%rse (why stop the practice of a lifetime I hear You!) That particular vessel is the largest of a fleet of 4, maybe 5 now that work the Straits and the bit past Fort Belan.
She can hug the "Welsh Coast" till just before Price's Point.The mark on Your port side just after You have past The Cardinal on Your way towards Caernarfon.
Then (except high water springs) She has to go to port before She reaches Swellie rock.
Does look huge from a Sports boat doesn't She.
Nice to read You had a good trip even though the "Event" was cancelled, especially after Your recent Dunking, how's the leg by the way?
Interesting to Post the fuel stats.
Shame about the rain but You had decent seas by the look of it.
Nice.
Oh! and by the look of it I know what the where is is!!
But that's too easy for Me.
So I'll let others and Major Catastrophe have a bash!
Well done, good run. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
K

 

[mjkinch1]

Great Pics James - The sea looks pretty good, at least you were able to put some speed on to get back. And as a bonus at least you didnt get stuck in the mud and have to get pushed out by 6 of your mates (as my son did) and come back caked in the stuff!

I wouldnt be over happy sharing the narrow channel with that great mussel ship either!

 

[JamesTT]

Martyn, forgot to write about it in my post but my Pal in the Maxum rescued his 17 year old daughter from the festival which is why we were late leaving.
She phoned him at 7am on Saturday morning, and arrived at the Marina at noon, muddy tired and unusually quiet!
Her mum was to drive down and collect her on Sunday and her mates had left her.
To put it in perspective, she doesn`t like boats and yet she managed to sleep in the chair on the way back!
I am pleased to hear that your son got back safe, I have heard some horror stories!

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Tis Puffin taken from the top of the Great Orme.

I claim my £5.

We watched you return over the bar. We were fishing just out of the final gate and were making our way back over the sands (We had about 2 metres beneath us) and saw you follow the buoys back in. Could hear the petrols. We never saw the rain, just a bit of spitting and warm breeze.

I met the mussel boat in the swellies last year, but I chickened out and turn tail!

 

[Coupe]

Nice pics Jim.
Like the flat out pic - not much Cobalt hull in the water /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Flat seas over our side last weekend too.
I was tempted to pop over to HH - sorry I didn't now.
Hows the foot?

 

[Searush]

I saw you pass from here;-

I, too knew the view from the Gt Orme. Do you know where i was? Kwaka will!

 

[JamesTT]

Searush, great picture.

llanddwyn island, not often you get the place to yourself.