Menai Strait - Marina/Mooring

[P03]

I am relocating due to work from North of the border.
I have 7m boat that I would like to store in a marina from March through till November.
I would then expect to take this out over the remaining months
This is for the next two seasons.

Can you please give recommendations. Having browsed the Internet Port Dinorwic looks idyllic and seems to have all the required facilities including a restaurant.
The other local marina locations also look to be of a high standard.

Any advice would be much appreciated

 

[geem]

Holyhead marina will likely do you a deal including winter storage all included. They are friendly and helpful. It's only 20 minutes from the straits by car

 

[armchairsailor]

Marina? Menai Strait? Wuss...
You could go for a mooring off the Gazelle...
BTW, welcome!

 

[aussi]

Port Dinorwic is a lovely place. Note there's no longer a restaurant on site, but there are a couple of pubs within walking distance, Gardffon Inn is excellent for food and has a lovely location on the front. The marina is in administration at the moment, but it hasn't affected the level of service you get and apparently buyers are queuing up so it should not stay that way for long. As armchairsailor mentioned there's moorings in the Strait but there's also a drying harbour with pontoons and secure access a Port Dinorwic if you can take the ground.

 

[dansaskip]

Port Dinorwic looks idyllic [/QUOTE]

Welcome to the Straits, its a wonderful base for sailing. The only problem with Port Dinorwic as I see it and worth considering, is that it is stuck between two Tidal Gates, Caernarfon Bar and the Swellies. All well and good for departures when you can plan the time well (even if a bit limiting) but much trickier for returning. Other places you might be able to buck the tide a bit, you can get back to a mooring between Menai Bridge and Beaumaris at pretty much any state of tide (easier if you work tides properly of course) but the tide through Belan Narrows or the Swellies is so strong there is such a short window to get through - no chance outside that window.

 

[ukmctc]

I am relocating due to work from North of the border.
I have 7m boat that I would like to store in a marina from March through till November.
I would then expect to take this out over the remaining months
This is for the next two seasons.

Can you please give recommendations. Having browsed the Internet Port Dinorwic looks idyllic and seems to have all the required facilities including a restaurant.
The other local marina locations also look to be of a high standard.

Any advice would be much appreciated

Canaerfon cant spell but great place, good facilities and cheap. Excellent staff and excellent local engineers , riggers etc;

 

[akyaka]

Look at Victoria Dock at Caernarfon if you want to be in a marina, friendly helpful staff and right next to the town walls. The windows at Belan and the Swellies are much wider than Dansaskip suggests particularly if you use the local back eddies. If going for a mooring avoid off the Gazelle. Not only are many moorings a distance from the launching points but it can be untenable in a strong easterly and you need to check that your insurer will cover you there. Wherever you go check sooner rather than later that there are vacancies and this includes swinging moorings.There are a number of places for winter storage including Dinas in PD and Gallows Point at Beaumaris.

 

[Laysula]

Plenty of moorings available at Holyhead sailing club Deep water at all states of the tide and no access problems. Mooring fee also includes launch service. Great club restaraunt on site, plus boatyard with all facilities.
http://www.holyheadsailingclub.co.uk/

 

[akyaka]

Plenty of moorings available at Holyhead sailing club Deep water at all states of the tide and no access problems

as long as you do not want to Anglesey coastal hop when the tidal gates either side at South Stacks and Carmel Head are a consideration ; also very exposed in a north easterly.

 

[Searush]

If your boat can take the ground, mooring in the River Seoint at Caernarfon are very sheltered. There are also drying moorings at Bangor (either side of the pier) that are cheap & the the old slate dock at Port Penrhyn is also utterly safe in all weathers, but only accessible a couple of hours either side of HW. much depends on your boat & what you actually want to do with it.

Tides are big & you need to time them right on any passage in the area & in any boat - except planing mobos, and even then you will use less fuel if sensible with tides.

 

[akyaka]

There are also drying moorings in Beaumaris Bay accessible at least 3 hours either side of high water. The moorings, both deep and drying, on the Anglesey side above Menai Bridge are controlled by the Menai Bridge piermaster and all those below Britannia Bridge are controlled and laid by the Caernarfon Harbour Trust who are also responsible for the excellent ones in the River Seoint as well as Victoria Dock.

 

[P03]

Slipway launch as an alternative

There are also drying moorings in Beaumaris Bay accessible at least 3 hours either side of high water. The moorings, both deep and drying, on the Anglesey side above Menai Bridge are controlled by the Menai Bridge piermaster and all those below Britannia Bridge are controlled and laid by the Caernarfon Harbour Trust who are also responsible for the excellent ones in the River Seoint as well as Victoria Dock.

Guys thanks for your input on this. It has given me plenty of options to look at.
I think I need to review my boat storage plans.
The boat is a 7M RIB and ideally I dont want it to be beached and unusable during certain states of tides.
I think I would be better looking for the facility to store the boat on its trailer and then launch via a slipway as required.

However based on the previous replies it would seem that there may not be any slipways that are available to launch during the full (or most of) the tidal range.

I am visiting the Menai area in the next few weeks so i could scope out any launch/storage facilities then

Regards

 

[Cymrogwyllt]

The boat is a 7M RIB and ideally I dont want it to be beached and unusable during certain states of tides.

In that case try Ty Calch

 

[TSB240]

There is to my knowledge only one full tidal range launching for ribs available on the straits..

South of Caernarfon at Ronnies http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk/default.aspx?page=display&nodeid=1447 Storage here possible

Dont know of any that provide storage actually in Caernarfon

For reference some old codgers posted this some time ago....

"Kawasaki
20-06-10, 00:18
The best place to launch on Anglesey is Menai Bridge.
The slipway has been widened.
There is always somewhere to park the car and trailer.
The slipway is virtually 24/7
Only on Springs the end of the slipway drops away a bit fierce
Springs at low water appear at about 19.00 hours and 0.6.30 hours ish.
The former doesn't interfere too much with imbibing hours and the latter too much with the breaking of the fast!
The beauty of launching in the Strait is that you can go with the flow as it where
Mind You the flow does flow quite quickly now and again
However, if the wind is a bother from one end of the Strait one can beggar off tother way
That's the beauty of the place
You will never be short of somewhere to play, whatever the conditions.
Searush
20-06-10, 16:58
Other possibilities;
Morfa, Conwy (near the marina) has a decent car park & floating landing stage. but about 10 miles from the N end of the Straits.

Also sailing club slipway at Llanfairfechan

Plas Menai. I believe you can use their slipway for a charge, but check first.

Opposite Port Dinorwic on Anglesey there is a slipway at the end of a little lane.

At the Gazelle Inn (off the Beaumaris road) opposite Bangor there is a slipway & some car parking - phone the Gazelle for info.

There is a public slipway between Bangor Pier & Dickies. parking is limited & charged for but Dickies may help out for a small charge if you ask them.

There are two slipways along the Sarn Helen road just the opposite side of the R Seoint from Caernarfon. I think they are club owned but will probably accept visitors for a fee.

The Dinas boatyard have a slipway at the S end of the prom in Felinheli (Port Dinorwic)

Anglesey Boat Company (Beaumaris) has a concrete slipway & will allow visitors to use it for a fee.

There is a huge slipway just beyond Beaumaris (used to be used for flying boats!) and the lifeboat one by the pier at Beaumaris - but do not block that!

There is the ferry slipway near Victoria Dock, Caernarfon, but I don't think there is any vehicular access, but the boatyard which builds RIBs in the Dock may allow visitors to launch there.

Can't think of any others, but I'll bet there are more. Do a bit of "Google-earthing"


PD Dinas Boat Yard also opposite on anglsey shore there is a self launch slip no storage."



We self launch our 24 ft trailable yacht from Dinas Boat yard Port Dinorwic. Not possible at low water spring.They will do secure and under cover storage

Also storage available at ABC on gallows point Beaumaris

Slipways at old Gloster/Saro factory in Friars bay Beaumaris are now closed off.

Suggest you PM Kwackers and he will give you an up to date and in depth summary.

He will then entice you on one of his guided trips, or enroll you on a training course. All courses and trips will involve familiarization with key land marks and refuelling points

Notably The GardFon and the Vic in Port Dinorwic, Anglsey Arms or Black Boy Caernarfon, Liverpool Arms Menai Bridge, Gazelle Glyn Garth, Bulkley Arms Beamaris, Ship Inn Traeth Coch. Pilot Inn Moelfre for starters.

He will also point out all the lumps and bumps to be avoided. He has hit most of them!


Steve