places to be able to beach our Bilge Keel boat around North Wales / Anglesey

[Marceline]

Hi everyone - here's another newbie question

Our Bilge Keel boat is moored on the Menai Straits and I've been looking at charts and maps and wondering where safe places/beaches could be where we take the ground for few hours while the tide turns ?

We'd heard nice things about Abermenai and Red Wharf Bay, and seen the boats drying out at Dickies Boat Yard, but just wondered what other places bilge keel boaters take the ground ?

One reason is we'd hope to scrub the hull before the boat comes out next month, but also would be nice to get off the boat for a few hours on some nice beach or cove etc

 

[Rhylsailer99]

Red Wharf Bay would be the best as its nice hard sand . Im hoping to go there this weekend myself .

a video i did last year , you can see the sand and where the gulleys are.

 

[Marceline]

cheers for that (and hope you have a lovely day of it if you do go at the weekend)

 

[Mister E]

Go to the Caernarfon end of the straits and opposite the narrows at Fort Belan still in the Straits.
Is a lovely sheltered bay behind the sand dunes. This is a beautiful spot with only sand no pub.

 

[Rhylsailer99]

cheers for that (and hope you have a lovely day of it if you do go at the weekend)

Cheers also be aware the tides are going very small this weekend, and Red Wharf Bay on a 4m tide at low water Liverpool tide times you could get stuck there until Wednesday oops.

High and low water times and heights at Liverpool (Gladstone Lock) | National Tidal and Sea Level Facility

 

[TSB240]

Hi everyone - here's another newbie question

Our Bilge Keel boat is moored on the Menai Straits and I've been looking at charts and maps and wondering where safe places/beaches could be where we take the ground for few hours while the tide turns ?

We'd heard nice things about Abermenai and Red Wharf Bay, and seen the boats drying out at Dickies Boat Yard, but just wondered what other places bilge keel boaters take the ground ?

One reason is we'd hope to scrub the hull before the boat comes out next month, but also would be nice to get off the boat for a few hours on some nice beach or cove etc

There are lots of alternative places for a Bilge Keeler to dry out on the Strait or around Angelsey.
We had a lift keel boat and have dried out at Abermenai, Llanddwyn Island(pilots or Mermaids cove), Porth Dinllaen to the south.
On the Strait we have beached for cleaning at Dinas Boat Yard and in front of the Gardffon Inn at Y Felinheli.

Further north It is possible to beach off the Gazelle Hotel or at Gallows point in Beamaris Bay.
I would suggest you have a good look at any intended site and also only beach at or near half tide as this reduces the time you may be bounced by waves or inconsiderate wake makers.

There is a dedicated scrubbing grid at Conwy on the quay.

Steve

 

[peteK]

You can dry out opposite the sailing club at Gallows point,Beaumaris on the pebbles,but not if the winds easterly if so go around to the other side next to the slip,around 1.5-2hrs after high water.
Red wharf bay is nice kept the boat there for a few years but check the forecast,the waves come rolling in if there is any East in the wind.Sheltered once your in there.

 

[Neeves]

Different geography - Sydney, Australia.

We beached a couple of days ago and do it fairly regularly, check anodes scrub down, gently.

We have a cat and draw 1m.

We choose tides that subsequent high tides are higher than the tide we beach on. Once we have fixed which day we intend to use we then watch the forecasts - its no fun working on a beach in the rain and you really don't want to beach and float off in strong winds. We try to beach weekdays - you can lose a lot of time having a chat .

Depends on you boarding ladder but consider taking a short? low step ladder. If you want to work on the props - take something to sit on that's easy to clean - or you will take a lot of sand into your yacht. I use a rubber door mat, my wife sits on a low folding plastic stool. we wash off as the tide falls - which in our case means soon after we arrive - all the fouling then gets washed away and is 'soft' as we wipe down.

if the work cannot be competed during low tide and we need stay longer we simply deploy the bow anchor and 2 other anchors off the stern. In the picture you might be able to see one stern anchor line, red dyneema, and the main rode.



If the tides the next day do not suit we would use the Rule of 12ths, for tides and calculate how long after high tide we need to 'beach' to be safe using the following high tide. Our tidal range is less than yours 2m.

Good luck

Jonathan

 

[Graham376]

We always scrubbed off our bilge keelers in Conwy opposite the Liverpool Arms. IIRC there's power point and a water tap on the corner of the quay.

 

[Marceline]

Go to the Caernarfon end of the straits and opposite the narrows at Fort Belan still in the Straits.
Is a lovely sheltered bay behind the sand dunes. This is a beautiful spot with only sand no pub.

Thanks Mister E - sheltered bay and sand dunes is just what we're hoping to sail to

Just checking on the map, is that the Foryd Bay / Fort Belan side (accross the channel opposite Abermenai) ? as if so we'd love to explore round there as well

(and is it allowed to visit Fort Belan / look around, or is it private property or restricted) ?

 

[Marceline]

There are lots of alternative places for a Bilge Keeler to dry out on the Strait or around Angelsey.
We had a lift keel boat and have dried out at Abermenai, Llanddwyn Island(pilots or Mermaids cove), Porth Dinllaen to the south.
On the Strait we have beached for cleaning at Dinas Boat Yard and in front of the Gardffon Inn at Y Felinheli.

Further north It is possible to beach off the Gazelle Hotel or at Gallows point in Beamaris Bay.
I would suggest you have a good look at any intended site and also only beach at or near half tide as this reduces the time you may be bounced by waves or inconsiderate wake makers.

There is a dedicated scrubbing grid at Conwy on the quay.

Steve

Marvellous and many thanks for those suggestions

 

[Marceline]

Cheers also be aware the tides are going very small this weekend, and Red Wharf Bay on a 4m tide at low water Liverpool tide times you could get stuck there until Wednesday oops.

High and low water times and heights at Liverpool (Gladstone Lock) | National Tidal and Sea Level Facility

You can dry out opposite the sailing club at Gallows point,Beaumaris on the pebbles,but not if the winds easterly if so go around to the other side next to the slip,around 1.5-2hrs after high water.
Red wharf bay is nice kept the boat there for a few years but check the forecast,the waves come rolling in if there is any East in the wind.Sheltered once your in there.

Different geography - Sydney, Australia.

We beached a couple of days ago and do it fairly regularly, check anodes scrub down, gently.

We have a cat and draw 1m.

We choose tides that subsequent high tides are higher than the tide we beach on. Once we have fixed which day we intend to use we then watch the forecasts - its no fun working on a beach in the rain and you really don't want to beach and float off in strong winds. We try to beach weekdays - you can lose a lot of time having a chat .

Depends on you boarding ladder but consider taking a short? low step ladder. If you want to work on the props - take something to sit on that's easy to clean - or you will take a lot of sand into your yacht. I use a rubber door mat, my wife sits on a low folding plastic stool. we wash off as the tide falls - which in our case means soon after we arrive - all the fouling then gets washed away and is 'soft' as we wipe down.

if the work cannot be competed during low tide and we need stay longer we simply deploy the bow anchor and 2 other anchors off the stern. In the picture you might be able to see one stern anchor line, red dyneema, and the main rode.

View attachment 142965

If the tides the next day do not suit we would use the Rule of 12ths, for tides and calculate how long after high tide we need to 'beach' to be safe using the following high tide. Our tidal range is less than yours 2m.

Good luck

Jonathan

We always scrubbed off our bilge keelers in Conwy opposite the Liverpool Arms. IIRC there's power point and a water tap on the corner of the quay.

many thanks - those are all really helpful suggestions

 

[Marceline]

Is the harbour atTrefor a place also ok to beach ?

 

[Mister E]

Watch it going into Trefor you need a high tide. When you go in go in straight and stay close to the Quay and immediately turn right. There are lots of big rocks on the left. It is a lovely little harbour. Do not cut the corner.

Yes that is the Bay and there is some all tide anchoring. I have wandered around Fort Belan once in March but didn't have that good at look. I did dry out there using one of the moorings.

 

[Marceline]

cheers for the info advice (and the warnings about being careful going into Trefor - guess we'll build up to visiting there )

We'll def try the bay at Fort Belan - sounds one we'd enjoy thanks