Mooring Porth Dinllaen

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stevd

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Hello,

I am trying to plan where to go for the August Bank holiday, I was thinking of heading down from Holyhead on Friday 22nd August, going around South Stack at slack water in the morning, and heading down to Porth Dinllaen for the afternoon and leaving just after low water to get to the Menai entrance and then on to Caernarfon Victoria Dock for the night. I haven't been to Porth Dinllaen before, so what are the chances of being able to pick up a mooring suitable for a fin keel boat with a 1.45m draft. Is it likely to be very busy if the weather is good.....which it will be.....it has to be :-) or will i be able to find one with ease. What are peoples past experiences like? I will anchor if I have to, but I would rather pick up a mooring :-)

Cheers
 
stevd said:
Hello,

I am trying to plan where to go for the August Bank holiday, I was thinking of heading down from Holyhead on Friday 22nd August, going around South Stack at slack water in the morning, and heading down to Porth Dinllaen for the afternoon and leaving just after low water to get to the Menai entrance and then on to Caernarfon Victoria Dock for the night. I haven't been to Porth Dinllaen before, so what are the chances of being able to pick up a mooring suitable for a fin keel boat with a 1.45m draft. Is it likely to be very busy if the weather is good.....which it will be.....it has to be :-) or will i be able to find one with ease. What are peoples past experiences like? I will anchor if I have to, but I would rather pick up a mooring :-)

Cheers
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I've not failed to find a adequate mooring there for a while & I draw 4' 6" (approx. 1.45m). But I am twin keel & happy to anchor shoreside of the moorings anyway. Lots of visitors anchor outside the moorings, but it's a long way for me to row in from there.
 
I've been there several times but always in bilge keelers. There are plenty of moorings there in the lee of the headland. It's a good place to stay for the night and the pub serves excellent food. Stay overnight and head for Menai in the morning.
 
Lovely spot. I've always anchored, and taken a long trip ashore. Its not the best holding but water is so clear you can usually see your anchor on the bottom.
I'd be dubious if many of the moorings were suitably size for a yacht.
 
MarcJ said:
We'll be heading north from Pwllheli that week, if there are moorings available, do you have to pay?
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There are no visitor moorings that I am aware of, although I have not been there this year. They appear all to be private and many for small boats. If you just pick up one you will risk 1) annoying the owner and 2) overloading it. In quiet weather not from the North to East is a fine place to anchor.
 
AngusMcDoon said:
There are no visitor moorings that I am aware of, although I have not been there this year. They appear all to be private and many for small boats. If you just pick up one you will risk 1) annoying the owner and 2) overloading it. In quiet weather not from the North to East is a fine place to anchor.
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+1. We picked up a mooring overnight for about 8 hours in April but I assume it belonged to a boat not yet launched. Doubt it would be free in summer. I am surprised to read that holding is variable, in the past we have ridden out SW gales here and never had a problem with the anchor, even when we had a CQR!!!
 
vyv_cox said:
+1. We picked up a mooring overnight for about 8 hours in April but I assume it belonged to a boat not yet launched. Doubt it would be free in summer. I am surprised to read that holding is variable, in the past we have ridden out SW gales here and never had a problem with the anchor, even when we had a CQR!!!
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Thanks for the replies everyone.

Are CQR no good? :-S Thats what I have.
 
Just spoke to the ranger in charge of the moorings - I can confirm there are no visitor moorings there. She said the inner harbour moorings are designed to take boats up to 18ft....
 
vyv_cox said:
Ah, I see you are fairly new to this forum. Anchor threads are legendary hereabouts, some of the longest threads ever recorded have been about them. CQRs are marvellous/terrible/outdated/never bettered according to your viewpoint.
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I see, so its one of those where I have to try and find out for myself rather than delving too much into it :-)

As I have nothing to compare CQR's against im voting that they are amazing :-) I have to admit, anchoring is one of the main things that concerns me about boating. Yes, there are lots of little things, but I find that having the confidence of having my pride and joy being secured by a little metal hook a little daunting! How do people have the confidence to leave their boats alone whilst at anchor. I am sure once I have done it a few times I will put my mind at ease. Oh, and not having a windlass worries me too. I have only every had to push a button to recover an anchor :-)
 
MarcJ said:
Just spoke to the ranger in charge of the moorings - I can confirm there are no visitor moorings there. She said the inner harbour moorings are designed to take boats up to 18ft....
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Thanks for that, so it does look like I will have to practise anchoring. :-S thanks for taking the time to check!
 
I share your concerns about anchoring. I'm usually the one who doesn't get any sleep at an anchorage, because I was up a dozen times in the night checking transits to be sure we haven't dragged. In calm conditions I will quite happily leave her for a while, after I've revved the engine astern to make sure we're well dug in, but I won't leave her through a change of tide incase the hook breaks out.

A lot is made of new vs old generation anchors, but what is often ignored is that under fairly benign conditions the arguments only hold good if you're carrying the minimum weight of anchor for the boat. My experiences are based on always buying the next size up and never trusting it in lively conditions, plus using an all chain rode. Mind you, my kedge is one size smaller than the minimum, a ruce copy with rope rode. I wouldn't trust it beyond a lunchtime stop, though it has been rowed out to haul us off the beach quite succesfully. Why was I on the beach? Rather an embarassing story...

Rob.
 
I am struggling deciding on where to head after Caernarfon. It will be a small group of lads in early 30's. wanting something to do in the evening. Where would be good to head for Saturday night from Caernarfon, given than we have to be back in Holyhead for late Sunday evening. I have thought about a passage through the swellies, but having only done it whilst on a comp crew course, I am a little nervous about doing it. I have read through pretty much everything available, so the transits etc do make sense but doing it in practise....well thats another thing.

I am half tempted to go around Bardsey and pick up a mooring in Abersoch, and head back to Holyhead after that.

Any suggestions?
 
I must admit that thought had crossed my mind... But that's a long passage 25 miles from land in my 'new' very old boat... Actually I know it is more than capable of it....however am I. The other reason putting me off is the people I am sailing with have to be back at the airport by Monday in Liverpool. But then I suppose there are always the ferries back if it is too windy for me :-S hehe
 
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