Places to anchor Menai Straits and North Wales

[Marceline]

so I've finally got my Day Skipper (was a condition for my insurance to be able to take the boat out and be covered) so this year my partner and I are going to be slipping our mooring in our 24 bilge keeler and start to sail up and down the Menai Straits and then hopefully venturing out beyond Caernarfon Bar and Puffin Sound once we've gained experience to places like Porth Dinllaen.

We're hoping to start anchoring more and wondered what are good places to try (or avoid)? I know of Fort Belan and Abermenai (did them on my courses), but hadn't tried Mon Foel yet (that looked like a poss anchorage to try in the Cruising Anglesy and Adjoining Waters guide)

I guess/hope with our Bilge Keels we'll be ok if caught on sand banks and had heard some do that at Abermenai and take the ground

but just wondered are there any other places you'd recommend to try so we can make some plans for our weekends/day sails this year?

 

[Tranona]

Can't help with anchorages as not my neck of the woods - but be wary of relying on your bilge keels if you hit a sandbank. That is not what they are for! Take great care drying out on bilge keels. Survey where you are going to do it before hand. You will soon discover that in anything other than a firm flat or muddy bottom in calm weather, drying out is not a comfortable exercise until the crashing and banging stops and your sitting solidly on the bottom. Then 5 or 6 hours later you go through it all again as the tide and waves lift you off again.

While the idea of nosing up into shallow water or up a quiet river and settling down for the night sounds good the reality is that only rarely are conditions suitable to do this. Bilge keels really only come into their own when they allow you to use secure and sheltered moorings in drying harbours and rivers. I sail in Poole and had 2 bilge keel boats when I started, but quickly found out the hard way that taking short cuts and getting stuck on hard sand on a falling tide is an unpleasant experience. While we did dry out to plan a couple of times a year, once we moved from a drying mooring to deep water bilge keels lost their attraction. The second boat was a long keel and bilge plates and I removed them and built a deeper draught keel. After 20 years of fin keels I now have another long keel and bilge plates but doubt I will ever dry out except maybe as an alternative to hauling out for cleaning or inspection.

Suggest you keep to deep water to start and avoid sandbanks in particular then maybe experiment with drying out in well know and sheltered locations.

 

[Marceline]

thanks so much Tranona for taking the time for such a detailed reply and will keep in mind all your advice

 

[ridgy]

I wouldn't say that anchoring anywhere in the Straits is a particularly relaxing experience, the tide fairly hammers through wherever you are and wash from passing boats is fairly constant. Abermenai is the most popular (and the only regular anchorage I would say) and gets very busy on summer weekends. To the north I've gone behind the green cone in Friars bay which is peaceful in the evening but mostly for fishing purposes. I haven't tried Fort Belan but if drying out it looks very sheltered.

You don't say which side of the Swellies you moor but Llanddwyn Island if south or Moelfre if north are easy targets.
If you have the Cruising AAW book then it tells you everything you need to know. Rhoscolyn bay is my favourite followed by the east bay at Cemaes and then Porth Trecastell. Cemlyn is pleasant too.
I've anchored in nearly all the spots at least once over the years and all are fine in the right weather though swell can sometimes ruin an evening on the north coast.
Rhosneigr is least favourite often suffering from jetskiitus and similarly Trearddur bay can get very busy.

Red Wharf bay is a good place to practice drying out but it's often quite lonely (as are most of them).

 

[Marceline]

thanks ever so much Ridgy - lots of very nice suggestions (just been looking at them on online maps)

we'll try and get to visit those this summer (and we're quite solitary, so lonley/quiet places are ideal for us)

 

[Supertramp]

Aberdaron, through Bardsey Sound is good but can be rolly and Abersoch or Llanbedrog further into Cardigan Bay are surprisingly sheltered but jetskis abound.

The real challenge is to master (as in understand) the tides, slack water times in particular, and the weather. Especially how reliable the wind direction is. Checking several forecasts (inshore waters, Windy, BBC) to look for consistency is useful.

Many of the suggested anchorages can be exposed. I have had to bail out of Porth Dinllean in the dark as the wind goes N or E. That's not to put you off, more to recognise when to leave the engine ready to run and your boots near the bunk.

And a final thought is that the seas off Holyhead and near Bardsey Sound need respect and can be lumpy and confused even in settled conditions, especially after strong winds.

Good luck - a great area to learn in.

 

[Marceline]

Thanks ever so much Supertramp - that's very handy to know (we are hoping to venture further on than Porth Dinllaen once we've managed to get there/back to the straits a few times), so that's good to know of the 'here be dragons' of Bardsey Sound (and similar for Holyhead areas when we also hopefully attempt to circumnavigate Anglesey)

 

[geem]

Aberdaron, through Bardsey Sound is good but can be rolly and Abersoch or Llanbedrog further into Cardigan Bay are surprisingly sheltered but jetskis abound.

The real challenge is to master (as in understand) the tides, slack water times in particular, and the weather. Especially how reliable the wind direction is. Checking several forecasts (inshore waters, Windy, BBC) to look for consistency is useful.

Many of the suggested anchorages can be exposed. I have had to bail out of Porth Dinllean in the dark as the wind goes N or E. That's not to put you off, more to recognise when to leave the engine ready to run and your boots near the bunk.

And a final thought is that the seas off Holyhead and near Bardsey Sound need respect and can be lumpy and confused even in settled conditions, especially after strong winds.

Good luck - a great area to learn in.

I think if you can master the sailing around the North Wales coast there is nothing anywhere else that would be a problem to you. Its a great place to cut your teeth. Certainly in at the deep end.
I grew up there sailing before gps. We didn't even have a vhf. We had a Walker log, Seafarer RDF and depth sounder. That was it. I really appreciate that as everything is so easy now with gps and chart plotters. I still never completely trust the chartplotter and I always look to make sure the depth agrees with chart and reefs and sandbanks etc are in the right place.
Today we were navigating through reefs in the Caribbean. Mk1 eyeball, depth sounder and chart plotter. A long way from my childhood sailing around North Wales

 

[oldmanofthehills]

thanks so much Tranona for taking the time for such a detailed reply and will keep in mind all your advice

I would echo Tranona on his advice. In particular accidental drying out in tideways. If across the tide, the boat can be pushed on its side and the bucket effect of those twin keels can keep it there immobile, when a single keeler might slip sideways. Nothing impossible in drying out deliberately on sandbanks in tideway and have done it including at Ferryside but anchor must be up tide for fall and then for rise to hold her bow or stern to the rush. Drying out in quiet creeks is however a pleasure with bilge keels

 

[dansaskip]

Not many places inside the straits but plenty outside. North coast there is E side of Puffin Island (if still allowed), Moelfre, Traeth Bychan, Porth Eilian, Llanbadrig Cove, Cemaes Bay, Cemlyn Bay. S coast Pilots Cove by Llanddwyn Island, Rhosneiger - to name a few. I spent many happy year here sailing and anchoring in my 24' boat though being fin keel I never explored drying anchorages. One of the beauties of sailing in this area is that whatever way the wind is blowing you can find shelter by carefully picking your coast and destination . The other thing of course is to work the tides carefully,

 

[Marceline]

Many thanks again to you all for all the advice on places to anchor (and good guidance to avoid the sandbanks even with bilge keels!!!)

We're looking forwards to getting out on the Straits this weekend and hopefully start to get further along to those many marvelous looking anchorages and places to visit in the weeks/months/years ahead.

Cheers so much to you all - and hope everyone has a wonderful Bank Holiday Weekend ahead (and hoping if you're further affield like Geem you're having some glorious days in the Caribbean - hoping one day might make it to there)

 

[Sandy]

Congratulations on your Day Skipper

I've enjoyed Mike's videos on his YouTube Channel looks like he is in your area.

 

[Marceline]

Thanks ever so much Sandy and cheers for the recommend - have watched many of Mike's - been very useful for so many reasons and very entertaining as well

 

[Mister E]

The harbour at Trevor is a nice sandy one. It does dry out.
Just make sure you stay close to the harbour wall and turn sharp right as soon as you can.

 

[eebygum]

so I've finally got my Day Skipper (was a condition for my insurance to be able to take the boat out and be covered) so this year my partner and I are going to be slipping our mooring in our 24 bilge keeler and start to sail up and down the Menai Straits and then hopefully venturing out beyond Caernarfon Bar and Puffin Sound once we've gained experience to places like Porth Dinllaen.

We're hoping to start anchoring more and wondered what are good places to try (or avoid)? I know of Fort Belan and Abermenai (did them on my courses), but hadn't tried Mon Foel yet (that looked like a poss anchorage to try in the Cruising Anglesy and Adjoining Waters guide)

I guess/hope with our Bilge Keels we'll be ok if caught on sand banks and had heard some do that at Abermenai and take the ground

but just wondered are there any other places you'd recommend to try so we can make some plans for our weekends/day sails this year?

I think @danaskip covers all the key anchorages.

The other one I would add is just west of Puffin Sound, around the corner from the lighthouse which is an excellent place to wait for the tide.

 

[Marceline]

cheers so much - will add them to the notebook

 

[C08]

My favourite there was Porth Wen, very sheltered apart from the north, good holding and good barbeque spots among the ruins of the old brickworks. Also a good place to source some very old decorative bricks.

 

[[3889]]

If the wind is in the east, and you're confident it will stay there, drying out alongside the root of Beaumaris pier is an option. Lying inside the concrete jetty SSE of Bangor pier, where your keels will sink completely into soft mud, is also an option.
There's a designated anchorage 2 cables SSE of Beamaris pier but it's not the most comfortable place except in settled weather.

 

[TSB240]

If you are interested in joining with experienced and less so boaters, cruising in company is a good way to make new friends and gain confidence.

This group is from the Royal Welsh Yacht Club and made their way to Cemaes Via Moelfre and are returning back for shelter into the Strait tonight. Their choice of anchorages usually involves pubs or beach bbqs.

YNYS MÔN/ANGLESEY | Cemaes this afternoon

I tagged onto one of their cruises in company around the Island 15 years ago. I didn't need to as I have sailed around Anglsey on and off for 57 years. There are other clubs in our area but none of them have a clubhouse or bar to match!

Recent events for me have shown the significant benefit of being a member of a thriving club and boating community.

 

[Marceline]

My favourite there was Porth Wen, very sheltered apart from the north, good holding and good barbeque spots among the ruins of the old brickworks. Also a good place to source some very old decorative bricks.

Wow - that looks wonderful thanks - think we'll def try and go there this year