Cymraeg Early shakedown to Aberystwyth
The April Bank holiday saw 11 Pwllheli sailing and motor boats head for Aberystwyth, setting off in relatively good conditions those sailing took the inside passage to the causeway at which point the wind dropped down a little and the latter part of the trip down was done under motor arriving in Aberystwyth in the late afternoon. The following day the crews met up in the sunny but cold weather on the pier for a catch up and some went to ear egg wrack babies on a coastal foraging foray. It was a weekend of big tides with some boats grounding in their berths with owners milling around at 2am to check on the warps and how the boats were lying. One boat returned in the heavier weather on the Sunday whereas the others had a far easier and sunnier return trip on the Monday. It is hoped to do a similar shakedown cruise to Aberystwyth in early 2023 for anyone who is interested.
A Scilly Cruise
Alba and Sea Otter left Pwllheli marina at the end of May 2022, after a couple of overnight stops in Fishguard and Chapel beach bay (by Dale) we arrived into a very busy Padstow just before the queens jubilee weekend. Leaving Padstow heading for the Isles of Scilly we picked up a mooring in Old Grimsby Sound Between Tresco and Tean. A couple of weeks spent exploring Tresco, St Marys and St Martins, we left our mooring and headed for Kinsale Southern Ireland. On route we encountered some of the 200 boat single handed racing fleet from France going around or trying to round Fastnet in 0 wind on a very still night. After a couple of days at Castle Park marina and a visit from Irish customs with the weather starting to change, we headed east up the river to Cork City marina. Supplies low, we re stocked at the English Market and headed to Royal Cork Yacht club, then on to Dunmore East and Kilmore Quay.
Leaving Kilmore Quay, heading north to our more familiar sailing grounds, Arklow then on to DunLaoghaire, we spent some time in Howth before going back to Greystones where we left Sea Otter to carry on with their cruising and us heading back to Pwllheli and back to work.
Keeping it local
On a windless week Quattro’s planned cruise to the Isle of Mann seemed like it would be monotonous under engine the whole way. A quick rethink gave an opportunity of exploring all those areas close by and the light north easterly winds made anchoring in places your wouldn’t normally go possible
Aberdaron has been a favourite this year due to the unseasonal northerlies through the summer and a quick ice cream and pizza stop before heading through Bardsey in a reasonable swell and a nice F2 round the corner to Porthdinllaen. Anchoring up for the night and watching the lifeboat launch we were treated to a beautiful sunset and a flat calm sea, an early rise saw dolphins, seas and diving gannets on our way to Llandwyn, a place I’ve always wanted to go by boat
The anchorage here was quiet with just three other boats but the huge spring tides made it fee quite tight at low water, the island itself is beautiful and the following morning we took the opportunity to row the dinghy round the islets watching seals in a flat calm sea
Mid morning we headed off to Trearddur Bay, on route being faced with a posse of power craft hurtling towards us. At first we were mystified but a shapes under the boat revealed a pod of dolphins trying to get away from the oncoming traffic , they slipped the other side of the boat and hid from their pursuers until they had gone then gave us a cheery wink as they sped off in peace
After a few days of calm and quiet at sea we entered the noise and bustle of Trearddur Bay anchoring just off the reef to wait for the tide, heading ashore for further ice cream and exploring the coastline in the dingy
A slowing tide round saw us set off in the evening to nestle just inside south stack in the deep anchorage of Abrhams Bosom, only really available in easterlies this was one of the few times I can think that I would have been happy staying here over night, the holding is good but you need a lot of scope out at a HW height of 16m. the night felt slightly under the spotlight as south stack light loomed round the bay and the morning hailed another stunning morning and a motor back across to Porthdinllaen for an afternoon at the Ty Coch and an early night ready for a start back through the sound over to the anchorage at Bardsey, wary of comments that the holding there was difficult and tricky to retrieve the anchor we found it a firm footing and a relatively easy pick up, then over to Porth Cariad for a sunset swim before heading back to Pwllheli.
Greystones and other Irish ports
Several members have taken opportunities this year to pop over the channel to Ireland, the all tide access marinas at Greystones and Dun Loghaire being the favourites. Quattro had a fairly blustery sail in June to Greystones in bright sunshine and lumpy seas making 7kn most of the way after an inauspicious start leaving Pwllheli in fog and drizzle the night before to anchor at Abersoch and returning via Aberdaron to wake to a perfect midsummers day .
Sea Otter Alba and French Maid set off for Dunloghaire in August and spent time cruising up to Howth, Malahide and various jaunts before heading back in the wonderful sunshine
Circumnavigation of Ireland
After an inauspicious start due to a rope round the prop hummingbird set off for a circumnavigation of Ireland in June arriving in Irelands gourmet capital Kinsale at the same time as the regatta and having to moor on the opposite side of the estuary to Castlepark then via Fastnet Rock to the west coast of Ireland’s Kenmare River area and we made a diversion to the beautiful anchorage of Sneem, stayed there for the night before our next objective, visiting the Skellig Islands for photo opportunities before setting course for Dingle. Following this it was to Galway and this saw a traverse of Blasket Sound where we picked up a line and had to sail between Inishmmor and Inishmaan to moor at Rossaveel which like much of the west coast has very few facilities
From here it was to Inishbofin and then heading for Killybegs where unfortunately the boat came down with Covid and had to spend some time quarantined from here it was a stop at Sheephaven Bay and then on to Ballycastle Ardglass then Greystones before heading back to Pwllheli
Go Cruising in 2023
These are just a few of the adventures that our members have had during the year.
Next year we hope to get more boats out (both sailing and motorboats) on the water, starting with a cruise to Aberystwyth again early in the season and some overnight cruises to either Aberdaron or Porthdinllaen depending on the weather.
These are ideal starter cruises for those who want to try anchoring overnight or want to pass through Bardsey for the first time in company.
On the way we have fun, go to interesting places, and see spectacular wildlife, scenery and sunsets/sunrises. Let us know your plans and wishes and hopefully we will meet up on a far flung beach somewhere next year for good company good sailing
