Menai Straits eastwards

[AngusMcDoon]

Is it possible to do Caernarfon bar and the Swellies going east in one tide? HM says local HW -3 earliest for crossing the bar, and arrive at Swellies at Liverpool HW -2.5, but as the 2 HW are not the same it leaves just under 2 hours to do the 12 miles between the start of the bar and the Britannia Bridge. Does the tide give a bit of help once into the Straits to arrive at Britannia Bridge in time?

 

[[3889]]

Is it possible to do Caernarfon bar and the Swellies going east in one tide? HM says local HW -3 earliest for crossing the bar, and arrive at Swellies at Liverpool HW -2.5, but as the 2 HW are not the same it leaves just under 2 hours to do the 12 miles between the start of the bar and the Britannia Bridge. Does the tide give a bit of help once into the Straits to arrive at Britannia Bridge in time?

Yes, easily done. HW Caernarfon is HW Liverpool -1.5hrs.
For HW Liverpool 1200 arrive FW buoy 0700, transit the Narrows 0730 giving you 3 hrs to arrive at the bridge, with tidal assistance, at Swellies HW slack ( slack is Liverpool -1.5hrs).
You can arrive early and carry the last of the NE going stream under the bridges though it may be swirly in places.

 

[ridgy]

I can't remember the details but when I had a mooring at bangor pier one of my usual trips was south on the ebb through the swellies to llanwydn island for the night and back the following day on the flood. I recall it being an easy trip.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Thanks everyone. I'm reunited with my tidal stream atlas since I asked the question & it looks like there's a darned good tidal whooshing along the strait from Caernarvon bar to the Britannia bridge so no problem getting there on time.

 

[TSB240]

You don't need to stick to the three hour rule. If you have the Grampian wreck on your chart you can take a direct route from Llandwyn Island twyr Bach tower passing either side with at least 3m of water when the wreck is just showing. The marked bar route is significantly shallower. Just don't hit the wreck! They are supposedly going to weld a beacon on it to help navigation in the deeper old channel.
Steve