Off the Gazelle & other Menai Straits moorings

[JimC]

I'm starting to explore out from my new Summer mooring at Conwy. So far I've dried-out at Red Wharf Bay and Gallows Point and on Sunday I went up the Straits to the Gazelle Hotel, which I understood had moorings for the use of visitors. Arrived off the Gazelle we found several unoccupied buoys but they all had boats' names on except for one large orange one that didn't have a strop. Another large orange nameless one had a boat already on it. Perhaps these were the visitors' buoys? We didn't try to lassoo the stropless buoy which looked too big to lift and instead secured to a buoy marked Buccanier. We dinghied ashore but our enjoyment of the hotel's beer was a bit spoiled by having to be constantly on watch for the return of Buccanier with choleric skipper demanding the return of his mooring. In the event this didn't happen, we spent the night on the buoy and next day carried on to Menai bridge where we saw a boat called Buccanier (same spelling) on another buoy there. We'd been told we'd be able to lie alongside the Prince Madoc if she was on the jetty but her topsides looked a bit high and what if she wanted to leave? A phone call to the Menai Piermaster's office drew no response so the pubs of Menai Bridge went unsampled and we made our way back to Conwy.

As a newcomer to the area, and having been brought-up in the belief that if you pick up somebody else's mooring you should stay on your boat in case they return, I'm rather confused by the mooring situation in the Straits. There are thousands of mooring buoys but seem to be few or no designated visitors' buoys like you find in say Western Scotland - be they free or charged for. This seems to mean that sailing to new destinations and going ashore for a pint or two on arrival is a no-no unless you go to the marinas at Caernarfon or P. Dinorwic. Am I missing something? I've bought Cruising Anglesey and Adjoining Waters but it seems a bit reticent on the subject.

 

[savageseadog]

It isn't easy. It's not necessarily a good place to moor in bad weather either. Great care must be taken to ensure your boat is suitable and on a correctly sized and serviced mooring, Beaumaris bay can be very rough. I think the visitors moorings have ceased due to insurance issues and cost, Liverpool Yacht club used to have moorings which were ceased due to cost. You could consider Port Penrhyn at Bangor if you can dry. Try Stan at Gallows Point, ABC and the clubs.

 

[akyaka]

There are no visitors moorings. Its common practice to pick up a spare mooring but as you say it can fraught if going ashore and not leaving anyone on board. At Beaumaris you very rarely see a spare deep water mooring, those that there are are often for the Squib/Fife/ MS racing boats and a little small for yachts of any size. You can anchor in the Pool opposite the pier and dinghy ashore or go alongside the new pontoon off the end of the pier but you will have to dinghy round to the stone steps as the gates are locked. Beaumaris iand around the Gazelle are only rough in a north easterly otherwise they are fine particularly in the prevailing south westerlies .In most winds you are snug at Menai Bridge and Prince Madoc looks worse that it is to go alongside and clamber over, most weekends sees 3/4 boats tied alongside and often curiously pointing different ways, must make for some fun snaking across the decks after a night in the Vic or Liverpool Arms.If departure is imminent there is usually someone on board the Madoc.If you do want to pick up a mooring just before Menai Bridge you will invariably find at weekends one of the boats has someone on board and a polite request will usually ensure you are directed to a free berth . If you do go ashore there is a low level landing stage for dinghies at the back of the pier on the Bridge side.You ask if you are missing something - yes all of the many anchorages around the coast of Anglesey which at weekend is where many of the boats off the empty moorings are.

 

[TSB240]

I have regularly picked up an empty mooring at the Gazelle... Never the same one and never had a visit from its owner.

I have usually stayed on board but on the odd occasion that I have left the boat I leave a conspicuous note with my mobile number on and a profuse apology for being on their mooring. I promise to return to the boat as soon as possible and move on if required.

I never use their pick up I thread my own line through an appropriate fastner or chain.

This will allow any owner to come alongside and pick up their own gear.

I have sailed on the straits since a child and this is an acceptable practice in calm conditions.

You wouldnt want to be on any mooring by the gazelle or anywhere else in any other conditions I assure you.

A bottle shared or handed over as thanks will help ease any tension that your occupation may have caused.

 

[akyaka]

I have sailed on the straits since a child and this is an acceptable practice in calm conditions.

You wouldnt want to be on any mooring by the gazelle or anywhere else in any other conditions I assure you.

If this was so then you have to wonder why so many keep there boats there particularly when many have long distances in small dinghies to get to their boats. Like anywhere there are times when it can be nasty but not to the extent suggested by your comment and my experience from having had a mooring for 30 years supports this.

 

[GrahamM376]

Why not join one of the local clubs? Plenty of advice and sailing in company around the area.

 

[vyv_cox]

If this was so then you have to wonder why so many keep there boats there particularly when many have long distances in small dinghies to get to their boats. Like anywhere there are times when it can be nasty but not to the extent suggested by your comment and my experience from having had a mooring for 30 years supports this.

+1. We had a mooring for nearly ten years about halfway between the Gazelle and Gallows Point. Quite a long way in the dinghy with four of us plus kit. Over that period we had our fair share of bad weather, thrown out of bed when the tide turned, slept on the floor to beat the rolling. But we were never prevented from getting on or off, except once, the day of the Atlantic Fleet Review off Moelfre, when it blew around F10 from the NE. It can be an exposed mooring but in most conditions waiting a while will see it calm down.

 

[Searush]

I won't use Beaumaris for overnight as at certain tide states you'll roll like a pig. Once past Gallows point it is generally OK for overnighting & we often pick up moorings off the Gazelle or Menai Bridge, I don't like ST Georges pier as the tidal eddies are pretty fierce.

Try going thro the Swellies, plenty of moorings off Port Dinorwic & a bit further along at Rowan bay & two off Caernarfon, but many do not have a strop. Even solo, I manage to cope by lying on the foredeck & passing a rope end thro the top shackle. Or anchor at Aber Menai but make sure it sets properly! You can pop into Caernarfon for shopping without any fees &, as far as I can tell since Harry retired no-one is bothering to collect fees anyway.

Holyhead & Amlwch charge something like 20 quid a night, Holyhead is exposed to NE'ly gales & Amlwch has no facilities as far as I remember. there are loads of lovely places along that N coast, but they are the only two places suitable in Northerlies. The Skerries Lagoon is a fabulous spot, but hairy to get into.

 

[akyaka]

I won't use Beaumaris for overnight as at certain tide states you'll roll like a pig.

What boat do you have?

 

[JimC]

Hunter Channel 31, twin keels, 4 ft 2 inches draught.

 

[akyaka]

Hunter Channel 31, twin keels, 4 ft 2 inches draught.

Presume you are Searush also. Nice boat but surprised you "roll like pig" on every tide; not my experience or have you just got used to the calmness of the river.

 

[vyv_cox]

Presume you are Searush also. Nice boat but surprised you "roll like pig" on every tide; not my experience or have you just got used to the calmness of the river.

Everybody rolls when the tidal flow reverses, with any wind from SW or NE. Lasts about half an hour for boats between Beaumaris and the Gazelle, and probably further south also.

 

[obmij]

I'd be happy to hear any favourite spots on the North / East coasts of Anglesey - we're also new to Conwy and are heading out tomorrow!

Cheers!

 

[Amphitrite]

I have only chartered out of conwy a couple of times, but i always liked amlwch. Not exactly beautiful, but it has its own spirit and some pubs ...

 

[sailgoodthefaultless]

don't go to rhoscolyn
its terrible

 

[C08]

It isn't easy. It's not necessarily a good place to moor in bad weather either. Great care must be taken to ensure your boat is suitable and on a correctly sized and serviced mooring, Beaumaris bay can be very rough. I think the visitors moorings have ceased due to insurance issues and cost, Liverpool Yacht club used to have moorings which were ceased due to cost. You could consider Port Penrhyn at Bangor if you can dry. Try Stan at Gallows Point, ABC and the clubs.

Yes I would agree the deep water moorings at Beaumaris can be very rough as can be even close in by the Gazelle but closer in at Beaumaris where you will dry out is pretty sheltered at one end by Gallows Point and the other end by the Beaumaris Pier. Also quite good to dry against the stone part of the pier just keep clear of the stone steps used by trip boats.

 

[JimC]

Presume you are Searush also. Nice boat but surprised you "roll like pig" on every tide; not my experience or have you just got used to the calmness of the river.

No I'm not Searush, he has a Westerly which he keeps on the river at Caernarfon, "roll like a pig" was his expression. I'm normally based at Glasson but am having a year at Conwy by way of a change and have barely started up the learning curve yet so glad of all the info' that comes my way re Menai Staits, Anglesey etc.