Traditional Sailing Festival - Holyhead 29-31st Aug 2015

[Simon Head]

Hi

I think the initial plan we were going for after speaking to Julian was that I was going to get there on Thursday, launch and then set off early on Friday. Its £20 to launch/recover. Need to check on parking

The passage should be all done in 1 day arriving later Friday.

The only tricky bits are getting over the bar at Caernarfon which can be done early and getting around South Stack at the right point of the tide to avoid the overfalls.

The Northern part of the Island is trickier and should not be done with any touch of Northerlies as it is a hostile lee shore with little shelter. I am allowing 3 days to do this just in case I have to wait for a weather window. With the right weather it appears to be an easy sail but has to be done at the right point of tide.

The swellies back to Dinorwic is pretty benign so long as you choose the correct point of the tide.

Ive done this passage in my Drascombe Longboat (in 2000!)- it was pretty benign in Beaumaris but was blowing a hooley at Caernarfon!

Regards

Simon

[Paul Turner]

I'm afraid something's cropped up at home and I won't be able to make it to Anglesey. Good luck to anyone who goes. See you all in Chichester next year. Best Wishes. Paul

[Runrig]

Hoping to launch from Pwhelli on Monday or Tuesday and sail in the bay for a day or two before the sail to Holyhead later in the week, hopefully in company.
Who is confirmed?
Simon sailing from Phwelli?
Julian from Portmadoc?
Charles from Phwelli?
Paul (me) from Phwelli?
Cheers
Paul

[Runrig]

Stupid me!
Having re read the posts I get it now!
Everyone is launching form Port Dinorwic on the Menai Straits.
I may still launch at Pwhelli and plan to meet up.
Let's hope for good late summer weather.

[Julian Fisher]

Hi Charles,
Sorry, I've only just caught up with your launching query ( been away sailing at Port Dinorwic!).
Good launching facilities there. They have ample room to park and leave a boat and will launch you with their tractor into the tidal basin for £20.00. I don't know how much it would cost to do it yourself - probably nothing if you were berthing for a night or two. Alternatively, there is what seems to be a public slipway within a few hundred yards but I don't have any details about that.
I had a chat with Leslie in the office, yesterday and she confirmed that they would have no problem finding room for a few CC's at the end of the month. She got quite excited at the thought of more proper boats there.She cut her sailing teeth crewing on the Falmouth working boats.
I'm hoping to meet up with Simon in the next few days to do a bit of passage planning. I've also spoken to Bob Brown today and he would like to crew on Salty Dog if he is able to get away.

Look forward to seeing some of you Cutterers at the end of the month.

Regards,

Julian

[erbster]

That sounds great.
I will most likely be on my own (unless I can persuade my girls to come along), so I will gladly pay for the tractor launch. My plan is to leave trailer and vehicle at PD, but my wife will come and collect it and move them to Holyhead on Friday; we'll recover at Holyhead on Mon or Tue and drive home from there.

I agree with Simons comments about sailing round- looks like it can be done in one day, A south westerly would be good; I gather for us, the more important tidal gate is South Stacks, but the depth and state at Carnarvon is to be monitored.

I quite wanted to go through the Swellies- if the wind looks like it would suit a clockwise passage to Holyhead on Friday, then I would hope to sail up to Puffin Island and back on Thursday (haven't looked at the tides yet).

If sailing anticlockwise, then it could be done in Two days (overnighting for example in Amlwch) perhaps.

I found this rather useful sheet, which might be of interest: http://www.nwvyc.org.uk/Orr_Tides.html

[erbster]

It's me again.

I've checked the tides for Friday 28th. In passage planning I assume a speed of 3.5kt avg.
LW slack at South Stack is 1618 (BST). This is 23nm from Port Dinorwic, so would suggest a passage time of 6hr30min. Therefore if we left at 8am, we would arrive at the Carnarvon Bar at approx 10am, just after HW (0927).
This would give us some time in hand, so we could anchor somewhere for lunch.
It's a further 7nm from S Stack to Holyhead, so this would suggest an arrival somewhere around 1830.

Depends on the weather, of course.

A trip (twice) through the Swellies to Beaumaris or Puffin island and back to PD on Thu is possible, with an early start (approx 7am).

[Simon Head]

Hi

I met with Julian yesterday. It looks like prevailing S/SW winds next weekend. It looks as if we will be heading North through the Swellies past Puffin Island and then along the North Anglesey coast.

We will be leaving at approx 7:30am on Friday.

The time is approximately the same as the route South across Canaerfon bar but is much more interesting than the southern route.

There are few places to bolt to on the south side of the island if the wind pipes up

There is plenty of parking at PD so all are welcome.

Of course this is all dependent upon the weather. Anything with a touch of Northerly in it would preclude this route

Kind Regards

Simon

[Runrig]

Current heavy rain in N Wales and forecast for near gales early in the week. I have delayed going to Pwhelli and will see how the weather develops over the beginning of the week. Please post any updated plans so I can try and meet up if tides and time allow.
Cheers
Paul

[erbster]

Simon, are you planning to sail from PD to Holyhead in one day? It's nearly 40nm- that's quite a long day!
Agree anti-clockwise route is more interesting.
SW forecast, won't that make it difficult?