North Wales Cruising...?

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Amphitrite

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Hi, justed wanted to ask for some local advice on the North Wales Area. I have been there for a few days last spring and found it to be great, so I will be back next april for a week, starting from Conwy. The boat is a S.O. 34.2, so drying out is no option.

Having read the relevant pilot books, what would you recommend if you had a week and would not mind some longer passages?
I thought about a visit to the IOM and pherhaps a detour to Ireland and back through the Menai...

Thanks, Holger
 
my home base, it's a great area, get a copy of NW Venturers cruising anglesey book its very detailed and gives good pilotage for the swellies as wellas for all the small bays on Angleseys coast. Conway however is not my favourite place Try holyhead harbour, access at all states of the tide, easy access by road and sea, places you within 50 Nm of IOM and wicklow ROI, Canearvon is just a spit away. the HSC is a great friendly club with a a good restaurant. what more do you want ?
 
If you want an easy time and some really good places to visit stay in the Menai Straits. On the South side there is Caenarfon Marina, Port Dinorwic Marina (Y Felinheli) Anchorages at the Belan Narrows and outside at LLandwyn Island. On the North side there is St Georges Pier at Menai bridge. Don't worry too much about the Swellies in the Menai Strait just go through following the transits 2 hours before HW Liverpool.There are plenty of moorings as well. Holyhead has got a good harbour and Marina but the town is a dump, there is some great scenery though at South Stack. The passage round to Holyhead is best taken round the North Side of Anglesey (same for the trip back).
It's not advisable to go round Anglesey in anything more than force 6 as a general rule unless you know the area well.
Liverpool is well worth a visit but there isn't much between Conway and Liverpool.
.
 
If the weather is right and you can get the bay to yourself, you must go to Porth Wen on Anglesey N coast - go ashore and poke around the brick works. If I only had 1 week in the area I would probably not blast across to IoM or Ireland. There is plenty to do and see in the area. Bardsey Is is another spot which has a magic anchorage if the weather is right and there is no-one else around. A very gentle circumnavigation of Anglesey is always fun with 1 or 2 challenging bits. The tide will add (or subtract!) over 4kn to your speed in many places. N W Venturers (my old club) is very welcoming if basic. Their website is useful and their pilot, as has been said, is the definitive guide.
 
Just out of interest, what have you got against Conwy? I know the place moderately well as a tourist, and when I eventually get a boat it's one of the places I would think of keeping it (significantly closer to home - near Manchester - than Holyhead, or even Caernarfon or PD).
 
Conway is not a bad place to visit, exeedingly picturesque in parts but full of tourists and getting in and out is a bit tricky plus its tidal which I find is too restricting. At holyhead (yes the town is a bit run down but I go for the boating not the shopping) you can come and go at will, its got a big easy entrance with lots of shelter which when you're tired after a long passage is a big plus, its easy to get to We have a caravan nearby, for wife and non sailing kids, and both our neigbours are from Bolton, they reckon its worth the extra 3/4 hr. Overall I prefer 24 access and peace and quiet.
 
Pity you cannot dry out - that would add a whole new dimension. Having lived in Beaumaris and had a mooring there I would suggest that with just one week, in April, you should limit yourself to a circumnavigation of Anglsey.
 
We're on a swinging mooring. so much less restricted by tides and save a bundle on marina fees. Going in and out the river is easier than some maintain...by which I mean that we haven't managed to muck it up yet!
 
My passage plan for the YM Practical required going into Conwy with a choice of daytime or night depending on other issues earlier in the passage.

I have never been there but the Almanac said the entrance should not be attempted in the dark. Is the entrance channel lit now?
 
The entrance channel is lit but I still wouldn't recommend going in at night the first time at anything other than high water +-1hr. For a start the tide can run at 5 knots mid tide so any little error soon gets magnified.
 
At HW on tides >9m Liverpool, Conwy can be entered from any direction, disregarding the approach chanel, in a boat drawing less than 2m.
 
[ QUOTE ]
At HW on tides >9m Liverpool, Conwy can be entered from any direction, disregarding the approach chanel, in a boat drawing less than 2m.

[/ QUOTE ]
Don't think that's great advice for a stranger, at least in my opinion anyway.
 
I'm not sure I like that advice - bearing in mind your name! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
In a week I think a circumnavigation of Anglesey will be a bit undemanding, as it takes about 18 hours. You could extend it by taking in Port St Mary, IoM , or Porth Dinllaen, known as PY, on the Lleyn peninsular. I wouldn't recommend a long stay at Holyhead; although there is 24 hr access you are tidebound by south stack and Carmel head and the SW menai straits cannot be reached on a single tide. The marina is also very exposed to swell in NW to NE. I would recommend Caernarfon, Beaumaris, PY and Conwy.
Andy
 
If the water is deep enough it is deep enough - I don't see how being a stranger makes any difference. I am not suggesting any difficult navigation but giving the benefit of my knowledge of my home port.
 
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