Mooring Porth Dinllaen

stevd said:
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.
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From Caernarvon you could easily spend a day exploring the islands and beaches along the south coast of Anglesey, poking your nose in all the bays, anchoring and going ashore. There are plenty of beaches along there to drop the hook and get the dinghy out if it's sunny and windless.
 
Anchoring, and indeed mooring on others' buoys, is all about the weather? Around Anglesey there are lots of lovely places to anchor with pubs nearby, but most of them are only comfortable with the wind blowing off the shore; otherwise they are too exposed for comfort if it's breezy, or if calm you will roll horribly all night.

I reckon your preparation should be to get your anchor and chain in good nick (make sure the bitter end is tied on strongly in the locker, make sure the shackle to the anchor is sound and tight). If possible have a gps you can use as an anchor alarm (but don't set it to too small a radius - you'll just spend the night waking up to false alarms).

Work out which places you can get to with varying winds and then decide only when you know the detailed forecast? Sort out in your mind how to work out how deep it needs to be when you anchor - in simplicity you need to know how much water is under your keel and how much further the tide will drop after you anchor (the 1/12s rule and the range that day will do it well enough)

In benign conditions anchoring in shallow water is easy. Boats just don't drag around large lumps of pointed iron and long lengths of heavy chain on muddy or sandy bottoms marked on the chart as anchorages when it's not breezy.
 
Stevd,
Do you have a copy of the Cruising Anglesey pilotage guide? Anglesey was uniquely created square precisely to satisfy your Bank Holiday weekend sailing needs. There's always a lee and a picturesque coastline with nice bays and anchorages conveniently tucked away. The Anglesey pilot will give you a lot of ideas.

Porth Dinllaen is also a lovely spot. We prefer to anchor there albeit the only location I've ever hooked a huge mooring chain! A tipping line is a very good idea!

The pub on the beach has an outside men's toilet..............but no roof
 
Thanks to everyones replies.

I do have the pilot guide to Anglesey and North Wales. I've had a good read through it. I guess I'll make my decision nearer the time depending upon the weather. I just wanted somewhere to go, without it being too strenuous or stressfull when I will have a crew of slightly mad party people :-)
 
Why not do a circumnavigation of the island, Moelfre on the east coast has a nice pub on the beach if you can stand to spend the night at anchor. If not then Amlwch a bit further round on the north coast will give you an along side birth and a choice of pubs one of which has a shower specially for salty sailors.
Swellies is easy and there will likely be a procession of boats to follow.
 
Watching the forecasts with interest! Currently hoping to get around the corner from Pwllheli to Porth Dillaen with an early start on Friday. Think we will be running up through the Straits over the weekend to hide on the North of Angelsey if the weather predictions are right for next week! Just hope the weather calms so we can get back again by the following Sunday.. :rolleyes:
 
MarcJ said:
Watching the forecasts with interest! Currently hoping to get around the corner from Pwllheli to Porth Dillaen with an early start on Friday. Think we will be running up through the Straits over the weekend to hide on the North of Angelsey if the weather predictions are right for next week! Just hope the weather calms so we can get back again by the following Sunday.. :rolleyes:
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The weather has been unsettled for the whole of August, and looks to continue that way. There seems to be a day or two of reasonable weather between each blow which then lasts for a few days.
 
MarcJ said:
Think we will be running up through the Straits over the weekend to hide on the North of Angelsey if the weather predictions are right for next week! Just hope the weather calms so we can get back again by the following Sunday.. :rolleyes:
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With your draft and current tide heights Lynas Cove is an alternative to Amlwch. There is a single mooring buoy there.
 
MarcJ said:
Thanks! Will bear it in mind :)
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Take care on the North Coast, it is particularly unforgiving if the wind goes round North again. Holyhead & Amlwch are the only harbours, plus there are many reefs with overfalls & fast tides. I love the place to bits, but would wait for settled weather before venturing on the N Coast anchorages. In settled weather the Skerries Lagoon takes a bit of beating, but there is nothing there but scenery & wildlife - oh & RSPB volunteers to shoo you off the rock during nesting time. How birds ever managed to nest for the 200 years that the lighthouse was manned 24/7 I will never know.
 
Not for navigation of course, but here is the chartlet of the Skerries Lagoon, be aware that there is an uncharted rock in the North Gully roughly where the 2mtr depth is marked. That is why people normally enter via the West Gully, but you can use the N Gully if you have a lookout that isn't distracted by the wildlife as I was. The overfalls shown are seriously fast, enter close to HW (preferably) or LW if you like excitement. There is a substantial Trinity House mooring close to the anchorage symbol that will take a couple of yachts without any issues.

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Searush said:
Not for navigation of course, but here is the chartlet of the Skerries Lagoon, be aware that there is an uncharted rock in the North Gully roughly where the 2mtr depth is marked. That is why people normally enter via the West Gully, but you can use the N Gully if you have a lookout that isn't distracted by the wildlife as I was. The overfalls shown are seriously fast, enter close to HW (preferably) or LW if you like excitement. There is a substantial Trinity House mooring close to the anchorage symbol that will take a couple of yachts without any issues.
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Thanks for that! If we don't get there this time I'm sure we'll be checking it out at some point. We spent a night just off the islands at Abersoch, it was superb watching the birds and seals, though a bit noisy through the night - they never seemed to go to sleep! :D
 
Llanddwyn Island is another fabulous spot and a good place to wait for water over the bar, but there is plenty to see on shore & I have often spent 2-3 days there without getting bored. Caernarfon river is very sheltered in any weather, but dries out & a trip up & down the Straits must not be missed & is not that bad even in gale force winds.
 
Yes we went to Llanddwyn on foot earlier in the year - that's a definite spot we will be going to. At the moment it looks like Monday is the day for going up the straits. We should be in Caernarfon by then. Aberdaron Friday then Porth Dinllaen on Saturday - fingers crossed on the weather! :rolleyes:
 
MarcJ said:
Yes we went to Llanddwyn on foot earlier in the year - that's a definite spot we will be going to. At the moment it looks like Monday is the day for going up the straits. We should be in Caernarfon by then. Aberdaron Friday then Porth Dinllaen on Saturday - fingers crossed on the weather! :rolleyes:
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We have just had a look at the plan for the weekend.

light North westerlies through to Sunday lunch time.

I will never ever anchor even in a light north westerly in Porth Dinllaen by the Ty Coch. It can get very uncomfortable! Be warned!

Plenty of much better anchorages off south coast of Anglesey. Working Around. Mermaids Cove & Pilots cove at Llanddwyn Pen Y Parc or Dinas other side of Malltraeth Bay by wreck mark. Cymyran Bay off Raf Valley by entrance to inland sea. Rhoscolyn, (excellent pub bettter than Ty Coch for food!) Trearddur Bay.

Sunday Night good for Porth Dinllaen when winds go southerly NB Ty Coch only does food during day time! not at evenings.

Last time at Porth Dinllaen we had a great barbecue on the LB beach and were talking to an owner of a yacht moored up on the RNLI Buoy.
Apparently fine to do so.
He was also the Coxwain of the LB!
Only condition be prepared to be moved off at short notice so stay in close attendance!
 
The Skerries has an excellent mooring buoy and feels very secure once you're in, but the entry is quite intimidating. I would recommend the West Gully approach but stay mid channel all the way in, don't cut the corner as you turn right as it's shallow there and folk (not me!) have gone aground there. It's quite tricky to get ashore at low water springs as the steps are too high and the beach is rocky so you risk damaging your dinghy. Also the island is an RSPB sanctuary and you're not allowed past the lighthouse during nesting season, though that might be over by now. All that said, it's probably my favourite place and is where I went on my first trip as skipper, though I had been in as crew a few times before.

The Swellies are absolutely fine at slack water, so just time it carefully and follow the instructions. A chart plotter is also quite helpful/reassuring, but the instructions are good and make sense when you're there. Once you get used to it you can go through with a bit of tide flowing. I'm told that boats that have escaped their moorings not under command usually make it through unscathed as they just follow the flow!
 
BTW, there is no-one to collect fees at Caernarfon & it is right in the town so a great place to drop into for supplies & water. You should have at least 2hrs either side of HW depending on your draught. Free overnight harbours are rare even in N Wales!
 
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