Going through the Swellies

We had originally planned the week as a possible anti-clockwise circumnavigation of Anglesey. We seem to be doing everything in the British Isles widdershins so why stop now?

Then I had the idea of going to Liverpool this week so Robinetta would be there for the 80th anniversary of her launching at Birkenhead. Last night Julian spent hours pouring over the tides and weather. Liverpool looked unlikely with strong north easterlies in the forecast and a tidal gate at the end but there was a chance the wind would go down, and if we anchored at Puffin Island we could leave any time to make the tides come right.

The alternative was to go to Conwy or Deganwy. This would give us easy transport back to the car. We didn't need to decide that until we were through the Menai Strait. The strait is one of the iconic passages in British waters and there was no way we were going to leave the area without going through it.

Also it is where Robinetta spent the Second World War. She wintered at Gallows Point Beaumaris in 1938 and didn't leave again until the second owners picked her up from there in 1946. Julian was keen to see it, at least from the water.

The pilotage instructions make it look really complicated, because of the fierce currents and rocks between the two bridges. The area is known as 'The Swellies'. In fact, from Caernarfon Victoria Dock, if you leave when the flap gate opens you will be just fine. At least at springs.

Last night I had made stew in our new Mr D Thermal cooker. There was enough left for a soup today, so I heated it up again in the morning, and left it to stay hot in its vacuum shell.

This morning the forecast showed a little less wind. XC and the Met' Office disagreed quite a bit about how much (3s or 6s, quite a range!), but both contained north westerlies, not good for heading into the Mersey. We decided we were better off going to one of the Conwy marinas, rather than anchoring.

The sill gate was due to open at ten, and at 09:45 I had just started putting a course into the chart plotter when Felix announced “The lights have gone green!”

The engine went on immediately and Worm was put in the water. Julian cast us off and we backed away from our berth and headed for the harbour entrance only to go aground. The depth gauge said Robinetta had 0.5 m beneath the keel, but we were stuck. Luckily I was able to back off, and one of the local motorboat owners came out of his cabin and advised us that the deeper water ran close to the pontoon by the outer wall. I took Robinetta over to that side and we made it clear of the marina.

I turned Robinetta's bow as though we were going back the way we had come to fight the inrushing tide, and we ferry glided out into the Menai Straits. Even with the engine on full throttle we were swept east, but we managed to clear the cardinal marking the mud by the marina entrance. Once we were in the channel I aimed us straight down the Straits.

Julian had got the bowsprit out while I got us clear of the marina, and he hauled up the no 1 jib.  We were doing 6 knots on the stay sail and engine at only half revs, but it seemed a shame to waste the wind, so Julian hoisted the main on the run. This works Ok in calm conditions, the only problems are that the battens tend to get caught on the topping lifts and the gaff falls off so it's difficult to tension.

Julian had a chat on the phone with Mary Gibbs, who has been keeping Molly Cobbler at Deganwy. We had discussed doing part of the trip in company but Molly is not quite ready yet, fitting out afloat (mostly aground) at Port Penrhyn. Mary persuaded us that Deganwy is better than Conwy. She also said that being early at the Swellies was not a problem.

The engine went off and we sailed east, with Felix on the helm, while Julian finished my abandoned job of plotting Robinetta's course. We gybed several times as the channel curved, but had to put the engine on to keep steerage way when the wind went light near Plas Newydd. This was just due to the high banks, and as soon as we were round the curve the wind came back.

Approaching Britannia Bridge

We were dead running nearly all the time, and it did not feel very safe to be worrying about gybing as we headed beneath the Britania bridge and entered the area of the Swellies. The engine went back on and I centred the main.

Under the Britannia Bridge

Swellies Beacon

Menai Bridge ahead

through the Menai Bridge

We followed the recommended route, watching the depth gauge all the time, and keeping a wary eye on the swirling water. It was quite fun, but a bit nerve racking and I was glad when Robinetta was safely though beneath the Menai bridge.

Another yacht came through behind us, and we took pictures of each other as we passed by Saint George's pier.

I let the main out, and put the engine off, while Felix helmed, as we headed out of the straits. We needed to gybe several times, but Felix and I made a good team on the helm and main, while Julian handled the jib. Having three in the cockpit makes gybing much easier.

As we cleared Bangor Pier Julian entered the course to Deganwy on the chart plotter. The tide was against us now, not very strongly but our speed went down to three knots. That would not get us to Deganwy before the flap gate shut, so the engine went on to help the sails. We put a preventer on the boom as the water was no longer absolutely flat, which made unplanned gybing more likely.

Gallows Point boat yard

The Gallows Point boat yard where Robinetta spent WW2 is still full of boats.

Past Bangor Pier

Julian was helming by the time we turned into Penmaen Swatch. All at once the worry about gybing stopped as we went onto a lovely broad reach. Our speed went up with the change from running to reaching, so we could put the engine off. The waves were gentle, and from behind us, making for a perfect sail, then just to cap the moment off we saw a small pod of bottle nosed dolphins. They came up and swam alongside for a moment, amazing Felix who had not seen them before. Unfortunately they were soon gone.

We got the sails down by the Conwy safe water mark, then followed the well bouyed channel towards Conwy. Where we had to cross the waves we realised that the swell was quite nasty, and yachts coming out of Conwy looked very uncomfortable crashing through the waves. Robinetta rolled quite a bit, but Felix had no problems with sea sickness today.

Entering the river the tide slowed us to less than 2 knots. I had been thinking about asking Julian to get the bowsprit in, but instead he set the jib again, and with both foresails setting goose winged and the engine on full revs we made progress against the tide and reached Deganwy Marina with an hour to spare before the flap gate went up and sealed the marina.

It was beginning to spit with rain as we tied up, and by the time we had everything tidied away the drops were bouncing off the walkways. Julian dashed up to the marina office, and got a card for the electric so we could hook up the heater and dry out a bit.

By now Julian had decided that the only way to get to Liverpool with a tidal gate at both ends was at neaps so we decided that Deganwy was as far as we were going. The marina was happy to have us stay, so next day we packed up and headed back to Holyhead by train to collect the car.