michaelh
Well-Known Member
So, thanks to all the good advice here and after a wee chat with Kawasaki we decided to drive down Saturday from home North of Blackburn and launch at Menai Bridge. We booked a room at the Anglesey Arms – the last room I could find in the village – and arrived midday’ish. The plan was to have a tootle round Saturday and then leave the boat afloat if possible or retrieve and relaunch on Sunday for more of the same.
This is the vessel – Picture taken in Scotland earlier in the year. She is new to us and gives us greater scope for Island hopping since she should be able to cope with if weather deteriorates. The previous rib was only 5m and it was always a concern that if the wind gets up then we might be marooned.
This is the vessel
This is the launch platz. Now here comes a nice surprise. At the launch place is nice young chap who is living in a BMW 3 series. He has a T shirt which says ‘WARDEN’ so is obviously an official. Anyway then comes the bad news.
1. For the privilege of launching our boat we must register with insurance etc. £20:00
2. Then to launch we must pay £13:00.
OK so that’s £33:00
Now we need to store a trailer and car so for 2 days that’s £12:00. But that’s paid to Porth Daniel who are very accommodating and leave me with no worries about security
All in all a relief because we obviously need to get rid of 45 quid!! And fill in loads of forms.
Anyway, once launched we headed NE up to Baumaris and then to Puffin Island. Where SWMBO suggested we get in close to look at the birds. Excellent, especially as the birds then took us for a target and ****e bombed us. All good since I didn’t get any on me and we had brought a mop so could clean up.
Then off to Moelfre; nice and hot so some factor 50 then back down to the straight. Saw some nice gentle sailing around the now diminishing channel.
Then saw an interesting beaching technique; Actually stopped to see if we could help, but they were well aground. Probably had only 3 hours to wait.
Now we have done a bit of familiarisation time to tackle the Swellies. Gingerly nosed South and got the lie of the rocks. What a boon is GPS.
Then off to pay our respects to Nelson
Then we decided to retrieve since there was very little room left on the Prince Madoc pier. Anyway I never sleep well at night if the boat is generally left afloat, imagining all sorts of thieves and low lifes making off with it.
Back to the Hotel for a wash and beer, then a decision for dinner. To be honest the hotel didn’t look fantastic for dinner so we started drawing straws for who was to drive, I’d seen the pub on the other side of the roundabout was a Marstons house so thought any decision would be better made over a pint of pedigree so we walked over, What a nice place and they served food and the dinner was superb. One of my all time best steaks and SWMBO was similarly impressed. So, here is a tip in return. Try the Bridge Inn – not cheap but not too expensive and everything was well done.
After dinner walked ont the bridge to see Mr Telford’s handiwork and have a look at the view
Next day was a bit overcast and breezy from the SW. Paid another £13:00 to relaunch- hey, whet the hell it’s only money. Set off to go castle hunting so went off to Caernarfon. Fleeces on today which was a bit disappointing given the forecast. Had a bit of a confusion over the change of bouyage but it was highish tide so no probs.
Castle#1
Poked our nose South of the Island but it looked like we would get quite wet. It was quite gusty at this time and looked like it would get worse so we turned round to go west of the island. When we got to Beamaris again it seemed logical to visit castle#2 at Conway so beetled off across the bay.
Here is the wake shot
Decided to stop for an ice cream so SWMBO dropped me off on an empty pier while I went to the mivvie shop, Came back loaded with 2 double cones to find that the pier was now occupied with 3 tripper boats so had to leg it down the front to the castle where there is a slip so she could pick me up. Melted ice cream everywhere. Good job we brought a mop.
Castle#2
Bit of a lumpy ride back to Menai, where we retrieved and got into the car to listen to the football. We’d have been better off staying afloat.
Cracking weekend and thanks for all the guidance
This is the vessel – Picture taken in Scotland earlier in the year. She is new to us and gives us greater scope for Island hopping since she should be able to cope with if weather deteriorates. The previous rib was only 5m and it was always a concern that if the wind gets up then we might be marooned.
This is the vessel
This is the launch platz. Now here comes a nice surprise. At the launch place is nice young chap who is living in a BMW 3 series. He has a T shirt which says ‘WARDEN’ so is obviously an official. Anyway then comes the bad news.
1. For the privilege of launching our boat we must register with insurance etc. £20:00
2. Then to launch we must pay £13:00.
OK so that’s £33:00
Now we need to store a trailer and car so for 2 days that’s £12:00. But that’s paid to Porth Daniel who are very accommodating and leave me with no worries about security
All in all a relief because we obviously need to get rid of 45 quid!! And fill in loads of forms.
Anyway, once launched we headed NE up to Baumaris and then to Puffin Island. Where SWMBO suggested we get in close to look at the birds. Excellent, especially as the birds then took us for a target and ****e bombed us. All good since I didn’t get any on me and we had brought a mop so could clean up.
Then off to Moelfre; nice and hot so some factor 50 then back down to the straight. Saw some nice gentle sailing around the now diminishing channel.
Then saw an interesting beaching technique; Actually stopped to see if we could help, but they were well aground. Probably had only 3 hours to wait.
Now we have done a bit of familiarisation time to tackle the Swellies. Gingerly nosed South and got the lie of the rocks. What a boon is GPS.
Then off to pay our respects to Nelson
Then we decided to retrieve since there was very little room left on the Prince Madoc pier. Anyway I never sleep well at night if the boat is generally left afloat, imagining all sorts of thieves and low lifes making off with it.
Back to the Hotel for a wash and beer, then a decision for dinner. To be honest the hotel didn’t look fantastic for dinner so we started drawing straws for who was to drive, I’d seen the pub on the other side of the roundabout was a Marstons house so thought any decision would be better made over a pint of pedigree so we walked over, What a nice place and they served food and the dinner was superb. One of my all time best steaks and SWMBO was similarly impressed. So, here is a tip in return. Try the Bridge Inn – not cheap but not too expensive and everything was well done.
After dinner walked ont the bridge to see Mr Telford’s handiwork and have a look at the view
Next day was a bit overcast and breezy from the SW. Paid another £13:00 to relaunch- hey, whet the hell it’s only money. Set off to go castle hunting so went off to Caernarfon. Fleeces on today which was a bit disappointing given the forecast. Had a bit of a confusion over the change of bouyage but it was highish tide so no probs.
Castle#1
Poked our nose South of the Island but it looked like we would get quite wet. It was quite gusty at this time and looked like it would get worse so we turned round to go west of the island. When we got to Beamaris again it seemed logical to visit castle#2 at Conway so beetled off across the bay.
Here is the wake shot
Decided to stop for an ice cream so SWMBO dropped me off on an empty pier while I went to the mivvie shop, Came back loaded with 2 double cones to find that the pier was now occupied with 3 tripper boats so had to leg it down the front to the castle where there is a slip so she could pick me up. Melted ice cream everywhere. Good job we brought a mop.
Castle#2
Bit of a lumpy ride back to Menai, where we retrieved and got into the car to listen to the football. We’d have been better off staying afloat.
Cracking weekend and thanks for all the guidance
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