Menai strait chart

HenryEDM

HenryEDM

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Felinheli, N Wales
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If anyone is passing through the south western Menai strait, be aware that it is currently very shallow between C11 buoy and B14 buoy. I ran aground there yesterday where the chart shows 2.5m. There was less than 1m on what was a 0.6m low tide.
 
Yes sorry, between C11 & C14. I guess the tide could have been lower than predicted but I was under the assumption that there would still be a couple of metres at least. There is basically no passage through here in a yacht with any draught at low water springs.
 
HenryEDM said:
Yes sorry, between C11 & C14. I guess the tide could have been lower than predicted but I was under the assumption that there would still be a couple of metres at least. There is basically no passage through here in a yacht with any draught at low water springs.
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Cutting the corner past Plas Menai at low water springs has always been extremely risky and in reality does not save a great deal of time.
 
HenryEDM said:
I'm not talking about cutting the corner, I'm talking about following the suggested 'channel'.
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Sorry I can see the impression I made I meant cutting inside C14 . Have you spoken with Richard Jones at the Caernarfon Harbour Trust, he's usually pretty on the ball with buoyage at that end of the Straits.

Seeing you are based at Y Felinheli do you know if the dock is functioning again.
 
Yes, there's far less water than there should be in that area, there are issues in other parts of the strait and Caernarfon Bar too.
 
Yeah I've spoken to Richard and he's aware of the situation. He reckons there's no more than. 0.7m there at LAT but that there not much he can do about it because there's no alternative channel. I suggested a notice to mariners on the CHT website might be appropriate to which he agreed. The dock seems to be fully functional again now yes.
 
HenryEDM said:
Yeah I've spoken to Richard and he's aware of the situation. He reckons there's no more than. 0.7m there at LAT but that there not much he can do about it because there's no alternative channel. I suggested a notice to mariners on the CHT website might be appropriate to which he agreed. The dock seems to be fully functional again now yes.
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Many thanks
 
CHT vessel was there lifting the buoy last Friday, not sure if they were repairing it or moving it a bit. But I always go straight past Plas Menai anyway as I don't draw that much & I am seldom there at dead on LW.
 
Searush said:
CHT vessel was there lifting the buoy last Friday, not sure if they were repairing it or moving it a bit. But I always go straight past Plas Menai anyway as I don't draw that much & I am seldom there at dead on LW.
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buoyage maintenance, they were painting the perch up by dinas on Friday morning.
 
There was a Westerly Konsort that scraped over just after i ran aground, I'm sure they must have touched bottom too because they did a bit of pirouetting. I've been monitoring my echo sounder a lot more closely in that area and there is very little water in quite a few spots around Plas Menai. Caution is definitely advised around there.
 
HenryEDM said:
There was a Westerly Konsort that scraped over just after i ran aground, I'm sure they must have touched bottom too because they did a bit of pirouetting. I've been monitoring my echo sounder a lot more closely in that area and there is very little water in quite a few spots around Plas Menai. Caution is definitely advised around there.
Click to expand...

I generally cut across the corner every time I pass Plas Menai. I never follow the bouys and always straight line it from the deepest charted water Caernarfon side to deepest point by the watersports centre moorings.

I saw 2.5 m least under our keel mid tide last weekend. So say 4.2m depth on 2m tide so I would estimate that using the same line at low on a neap you would be looking at 3.2m . Springs would be at lot less at 1.7 in which case I would be hovering over the keel lift button ready to reduce draft by as much as 1.2m!

Like Steve we very rarely use that part of the straits at or around Low. Our passage planning to and from the dock usually means at the latest or earliest a half tide passage!

I also use a similar strategy between the red bouy at Caernarfon and the red bouy at Abermenai.

I have never had to lift our keel except to dry out at Abermenai or LLandwyn!


Last weekend we also followed an approximate line from Mermaids cove to the new Windmills until we rejoined the marked bar channel no more than 2 hours after low.

We saw a minimum of 1.9 under our keel close by to the Llandwyn Cardinal but at least 2.5 for the rest of the route.

I have regularly used this route for the last two years to make in my view a much more comfy and quicker passage to and from Llandwyn.
I hope this info is of use to you all.
 
TSB240 said:
I generally cut across the corner every time I pass Plas Menai. I never follow the bouys and always straight line it from the deepest charted water Caernarfon side to deepest point by the watersports centre moorings.

I saw 2.5 m least under our keel mid tide last weekend. So say 4.2m depth on 2m tide so I would estimate that using the same line at low on a neap you would be looking at 3.2m . Springs would be at lot less at 1.7 in which case I would be hovering over the keel lift button ready to reduce draft by as much as 1.2m!

Like Steve we very rarely use that part of the straits at or around Low. Our passage planning to and from the dock usually means at the latest or earliest a half tide passage!

I also use a similar strategy between the red bouy at Caernarfon and the red bouy at Abermenai.

I have never had to lift our keel except to dry out at Abermenai or LLandwyn!


Last weekend we also followed an approximate line from Mermaids cove to the new Windmills until we rejoined the marked bar channel no more than 2 hours after low.

We saw a minimum of 1.9 under our keel close by to the Llandwyn Cardinal but at least 2.5 for the rest of the route.

I have regularly used this route for the last two years to make in my view a much more comfy and quicker passage to and from Llandwyn.
I hope this info is of use to you all.
Click to expand...

Do you have the boat 'Tamsin' that is in the dock? The pic on your profile looks like the same boat. Nice boat, what is she?
 
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