What a brilliant weekend

[Dave_Snelson]

Well I'm back after a couple of weeks in Spain and a couple of weeks hard work to catch up afterwards (still a wage slave).

Last weekend I had a dream day's boating...Picture this...

Got up early (06:30) and the wife and kids didn't want to get up that early to go boating (it's a 17ft Shakespear with 100HP Suzuki btw) so I went out on my own. Got out well before the high tide at 08:30 and motored out from Porthmadog (N.Wales) harbour to the Fairway bouy, 3 miles out. Sun shining, not a cloud in the sky, the panorama of the Snowdonia National Park behind me and clear blue, flat calm Irish sea in front of me.

Can it get better? Oh YES!! I had two full tanks of juice and I headed dead due East for Abersoch, another 14-15 miles, which is a journey past Criccieth and its castle and Pwllhelli and its well known harbour. Cruising at a steady 26 mph I reached Abersoch 45 mins later, having seen dolphins rising and diving of my port side, they followed me for about half a mile, staying about 100 yards distant (I believe dolphins etc don't like the sound of motors).

I pulled on to Quarry beach at Abersoch for my snack (which I had packed) and I enjoyed a completely deseted stretch of golden sand.

Then time to motor home and have a play jumping the gentle rolling southerly swell that seemed to have come from nowhere.

Finish this off in the beer garden of Madoc Yacht Club in the sunshine with a couple of pints of Stella and you have the recipe for one perfect day that comes all to rarely in our world of boating.

For the technically minded...I burned up 4gals of juice in 1.5hrs running time covering 35 miles which is 8.75 mpg. Not bad!

btw I rebuilt the Madoc Yacht Club web site at http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk check out our years events and for those with motor boats there will be two events in the year, one to coincide with the Aug Regatta. If any one is interested, let me know.

Cheers DAVE

 

[hlb]

Lucky bugger. My most memorable trip out of Portmadock was hitting pea soup fog at the bar. Couldn't go back cos the tide had gone. No radar, and the deca said we were in Birmingham!! Nice friendly club house though, been many times in the past.

No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer!!!

Haydn

 

[BarryH]

Re: Decca!

Umm i remember the in the mists of history, Was'nt that a secret weapon used in the war!!

Last time I went out on the boat, The kids were moaning the wife was premenstural (oohh too much info) it was raining the sea was rough and the bloody volvo decided it had had enuff!! Wasn't a bad day really.

Mmmmm. When you break it. You break it big time!!

 

[Dave_Snelson]

Haydn,

Both you and Barry seem to have had bad luck with weather and that can happen all too often on the Irish sea, especially around the Llyn peninsular, an area renouned for bad squalls that can spring up out of nowhere! Not good for a little open bow runabout like mine.

Oh... and the sand banks...there should be a public health warning for boat propellors somewhere out at the Fairway marker.

Still love it though and I have been boating there for 27 years now

 

[Guest]

Hi
Had a look at the website but couldn't see those dates yet....
Are the get-togethers suitable for tiddlers (12'6" classic Broom runabout)?
Nick

Nick

 

[hlb]

Oh. I was just reporting on the most memerable time I was in Portmadock. Not the best time. Harbour master was very nice man too. But it's a fair time ago.

No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer!!!

Haydn

 

[Dave_Snelson]

Yes, definately! We would welcome all powered craft and I know the type of boat you own, I used to have one!

One of the key dates is the August Regatta, which is 22nd-26th Aug, covering the bank holiday. Weather (and having enough entrants) permitting, I will organise a navigational treasure hunt which will have a cup, presented by the club commodore. I hope to organise a joint speed/sail beach BBQ at an earlier time. The web site will be updated but as this is done on a volutary basis, I just fit it in when I can.

My e-mail address is on the site (dave.snelson@cw.com) and you may use this if you wish to keep in touch. Do you know of any other interested peeps?