New boat (to us) and summer cruise with pix

sr04

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Well after 9 months of searching we eventually found the boat of our dreams, a Maxi 100 named Lopud in Conwy. We got the keys on the 7th Aug and began transferring our kit to her. As she was on a mooring in the river we decided to take her the quarter mile up to the Conwy Marina to finish loading her. We turned on all water cocks, started the engine and left it ticking over whilst we had a brew. 40 mins later we untied from the mooring and began making our way the short distance to the marina against the flooding tide. 1 minute later the engine stopped!!! I quickly ran forward to drop the anchor, but it was underneat fenders and rope in its locker, worriying about where we were drifting to - othe boats or to the low bridge I quickly unfurled the genoa and my son steered into some clearish water, we made a liitle way towards a free mooring buoy but then the wind died and we started drifting slowly backwards. Fortunately the club launch was near by and came to assist us by towing us back to our mooring. If you ever read this thanks a million.
Lopud in the river at Conwy
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A check on the engine showed no fuel - Doh - I had not fully turned on the fuel tap. after pumping feverishly for what seemed like an eternity on the manual feed pump the engine once again sprang into life and off we went.
After a night in the marina next day we set off down the Menai strait unfortunately there was no wind so we had to motor but the scenery was fantastic.
Snowdon from the menai
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We moored at Beaumaris for the night awaiting high tide slack at Swellies. An earl 6AM start saw us motoring through the treacherous waters of the Swellies ( well they can be in the wrong weather conditions or at the wrong time, as you can see from the photo below they were in a very benign state.

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We sailed down to Caernarfon marina where we spent the rest of the day walking around Caernarfon and visited the fantastic Royal Welsh yacht club for a drink in the fanatstic bar inside the castle. From the photo you can make out the clubs balcony overlooking the Menai complete with cannon!!

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Friday morning saw us heading off for Holyhead in murky wet conditions which cleared almost immediately after leaving Caernarfon bar leaving us with a sunny, blustery sail up past South stack on the western side of Anglesey.

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A friend came and joined us for the trip over to Dun Laoghaire which was a great 9 and a half hour sail in F6-F7 westerly winds managing 7knots over the water most of the way.
We spent a couple of pleasent days in Dun Laoghaire, sightseeing in Dublin and testing the Guinness as often as we could.
Dun Laoghaire marina
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A short sail round to Howth was next circumnavigating Irelands Eye on the way! Our second circumnavigation of the trip.

Irelands eye
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After spending 3 days weather bound (forecasted F7 and F8 never came) we left for the 65 mile trip up to Port St Mary on the Isle of man. Asteady F5 and 2M following sea swpt us there in no time where we tied up to a visitors mooring for the night
Next morning we caught the tide for the short trip up to Douglas, where we left the boat for a few days so that we could nip home
ON THE Ben my Chree for my son to get his GCSE results

The sailors refuge in Douglas bay
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We returned to Douglas again by the ferry (Saw Johnny H sailing back home to Fleetwood on the crossing) and left next morning bound for Piel Island 60 miles away almost due East. Another blustery trip with wind and sea right behind us.

Piel Castle in the early morning sun

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The seal colony on Walney Island

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After a bit of a bumpy night on a mooring anothe early start for the 20 mile trip acroos Morecambe Bay and up the river Lune to Lopuds new home in Glasson Dock Marina

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I am very happy with Lopud and despite the miserable summer we have had, we only got wet once and that was running for the Ferry, we got nicely sunburned had some great sails and thouroughly enjoyed ourselves for the 3 weeks.
Hope I've not bored you all but I love reading of sailing trips and seeing other peoples photos of their trips so thought I would post my own.
 

Bajansailor

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A lovely sailing story with esxcellent photos, thank you!
I sailed down the Menai Straits and around Anglesey 13 years ago, and thought it was wonderful, never mind that we were wearing thermals in September, and it blew a hooley most of the time...
 

Amphitrite

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Thanks for sharing... it brings back the memories of a week in the Irish Sea last year in April - great weather and wind with fantastic scenery - the itinerary was similar to yours, only that we did not visit the Irish side...
 

Allan

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Many thanks for posting this. I plan to be posting just this sort of trip on the Livaboard forum in the near future. I know the weather is often not perfect but when I "run away to sea" I plan to see much more of the Irish sea coast before I even think of moving on.
Thanks again,
Allan
 
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