The Welsh Med

[BruceK]

I think Colhel got stage fright so I'll jump right in with a kaleidoscope of 2019 as seen through the eyes of the Conwy mob, group of family boaters that cruise in company, kids dogs and grandparents alike.

Every group needs a face. Meet Kwakkers

Oops, sorry boet

Meet Kwakkers, Welsh Med godfather a.k.a. Admirable Scrounger. It sets the tone for what's to come.

Well 2019 got off to a great start with Kwakkers breaking my boat at lift in before we even got to the perch marking the harbour entrance. Two engines down when he slammed balls to the wall, with one DOA and the other not making more than 1100 rpm. Way to go Kwakkers, that must be a new record. He then crashed my boat into the pontoon in inimitable style using my rather precious neighbours davited tender as a fender as he struggled to get the remaining engine out of forward gear.
Safely on the pontoon wondering what I had just spent fixing the last six months on the hard and where I might have gone wrong or at least over exuberant, Kwakkers waded through my fags and refused to leave until there was just a couple left for the water taxi ride back to his car on the hard. It's just as well all the brand new carpets were mottled grey. That was some foresight on the Admiral's part.
No good deed goes unpunished and we returned to find he had a parking ticket. Just a typical day out of Conwy.

 

[BruceK]

It transpired that my engines had air in the intake fuel lines, probably from changing the fuel filters etc so a quick bleed of both engines and the next weekend the mob joined forces and we were off.

While the rest of us went to enjoy the Easter break at anchor with typical glorious weather Roy and Starfish headed for the nearest sanctuary ?

 

[BruceK]

Amanzi in the meantime was stuck at anchor of Ynys Meibion having chugged the last half of the trip on one engine making, you guessed it, 1100 rpm.

Kwakkers had my this time moved his attention to another mob members boat and was gleefully filling the flybridge with fag ash on the pretext of own boat tuition.

Anyway it turned out my newly fitted fuel shutoff valves were capable of leaking air into the fuel line and not leaking diesel out. Cutting up a grease gun nozzle pipe made for a handy insert that has become a temporary permanent fix while I work out how it's possible to fit fuel taps that dont leak air through the tap. You'd take it for granted they wouldn't right?

Along the way we picked up the fifth and final member boat.

LBRodders of this parish. He has rebuilt a fabulous Sunfury that goes like stink. Re-engined with a beast of a V8 mercruiser when he floors it even Amanzi is left for dust.

The Welsh Med

 

[BruceK]

And so began our 2019 season. Obviously this cant be a year long blow by blow account, it would be a marathon, just an insight on how the Conwy Mob spent it. Every week the core group decides on where we can make the most of the given weather and a new place to visit. it changes every three hours with the weather report and we invariably just anchor hop chasing the sunshine and wind.

The days are given to all manner of water activities

 

[BruceK]

We have no shortage of suitable anchoring spots and seldom have to share

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

 

[BruceK]

I know there are quite a few here that dont like boating with kids, dogs, smokers, Roy, etc. but for the Mob it's very much a family affair and tbh, that is the best part of it. Kids and dogs kind of force the activities along and to me at least brings a lot of joy. When I tire of them nothing gives me more pleasure than to send them to the boats that dont have kids or dogs. They are still of an age where they believe everything you say and have not jaded their inanate belief that life is fair. So something like, swim over to Uncle Chris's boat and he will give you sweets and let you watch television and play on his boat for an hour works. Every time!

They also keep each other entertained

And when it all gets a bit much for them you can find ways to curb their enthusiasm by

inducing a game of bucket wars

sending them to school by tender (the embarrassment!)

Deprive them of friends at parties

Take them rock pooling for the surprise catch

Our dogs force you to explore the areas you love so they can shit on it

 

[BruceK]

If the Mob can do anything well, it's party. We have the legendary Mandy Measure which will floor the unwary and always kickstarts a party

And we BBQ a helluva lot

Kids make excellent wine stewards

 

[Kawasaki]

Bruce
Brilliant
Chwara teg, fair play
Great pictures mostly
Some were OK too!
as for the Prose
I will allow you some poetic licence at this time
Ymdrech da M8
?

 

[BruceK]

When it comes to weather nowhere can boast as much variety as the Welsh Med. We can have everyth


..... prose Kwakkers? Nothing but the truth from these lips mate ?... where were we...

ing in a day. This may put some off, but with a bit of local knowledge, none of which comes from Kwakkers I might mention, one can push through and always be in the sunshine while it rains on the yotties parade. The glory of big diesel engines including those that have a bloody stuck supercharger that cant make up it's mind if it wants to come out of the closet and be a half-assed strip light starter capacitor

 

[BruceK]

 

[BruceK]

We are a fantastic group of very friendly boaters loved by everyone.

Even the raggies send us their photo evidence to the port authorities in tribute

there's one now

and another

cant imagine what upsets them so much

I think this one loves us

 

[BruceK]

But this one doesnt

 

[BruceK]

We take turns at watch, the kids lost a fridge here somewhere much to Roy's delight

Everyone gets a go on the way home. Dad's are usually a wreck and need to conserve energy for important stuff. Like docking

 

[BruceK]

 

[BruceK]

So thats about it. If you are really bored and want some more, this is a small selection of the group's seasonal shots. (With permission)

https://imgur.com/a/4PMxpex

 

[BruceK]

Hopefully there will be a few others here that can share their season / un posted trip reports / etc

 

[BruceK]

185 views and not a single dislike. I'm getting better at this malarkey.

?

Well Cohel, you're up next. Easy crowd fella.

 

[LBRodders]

185 views and not a single dislike. I'm getting better at this malarkey.

?

Well Cohel, you're up next. Easy crowd fella.

Fantastic tribute Bruce to what looking back was a great season.
It was our first [as a family with our boat] and the unofficial club is a brilliant way to cruise in company.
Thanks for making us feel welcome, the tips, banter and odd steak. We hope we add as much as we take.
We have a few additions to through into the mix. Once they are in order i will throw them on here.

 

[Greg2]

That is what boating is all about! ?

 

[sarabande]

What a dissolute, hedonistic, wayward, rakish, unrestraained, degenerate, profligate lot you are.

Can I join please ?