Saturday morning saw two boats by the slip at Port Dinorwic: Gerald Harrison’s Drascombe Lugger Tweetle with crew Phil and Stuart, and Chris Battersby’s Sailfish 18 and crew. Chris had arrived on Friday evening but had still to launch. With wind across slip, launching had its moments, with Chris’s shear pin going as the stern hovered over the slip. We found an iron bar set in the harbour wall and finally tied up to this. Lugger Tweetle was then launched and pulled alongside the Sailfish.

Leaving Port Dinorwic at 13.00, Gerald leading, both on engine till sails were set, we reached South Cardinal buoy at Caernarfon in half an hour. Six knots, no less, including the two knot ebb of course. In no time at all C8 and Abermenai Point seemed to race towards us. One moment’s contemplation, Abermenai anchorage or Llanddwyn Island, and we were through the narrows to ‘have a look’, and it was blowing!

Taking the passage between Mussel Bank and North Sands we downed sail and settled to a steady slog on engine through the now steepish seas, the wind being ‘on the nose’. Chris had also come out for a look but, as it was his first salt water trip in this boat, exercised caution and returned to the straits. Meanwhile, Gerry and crew struggled to clear North Sands before a course could be set for Llanddwyn lighthouse. The line of breaking water could be seen all along North Sands, and even at a distance of less than half a mile we could see the largest waves having their tops blown off. To port was the sobering sight of a wreck on Mussel Bank. Although it was blowing force 4-5, the steepest waves were not quite up to our Morecambe Bay trip (see Bulletin 132) but then, we were not over Halfway Banks!

As we reached south of Llanddwyn lighthouse the routine became ‘head up, then bear away as long as possible’ in order to make our way to Pilot’s Cove. Things eased as we neared Llanddwyn and we were soon passing an ocean-going catamaran anchored opposite Pilot’s Cove, whilst we opted for Mermaid’s Cove where a seal, sunning itself on a rock, raised its head in greetings.

Beaching, and taking an anchor ashore, we sprawled out in the shelter of a rocky outcrop and spread our clothes out to dry, hardly crediting that it was the same afternoon as we began to steam in the sun. We dried, dined, took photographs, finally walking the length of the island and back. A comfortable night on our own, as the catamaran had departed.

06.00 Sunday saw us up and ready to sail by 07.00, our deadline, as the previous night’s forecast had been, ‘calm night but wind SW 3-4 later on Sunday’.

Saturday evening we had seen a gap between the shore and North Sands and so decided on the inshore passage for the return journey. We were just touching bottom when we reached the gap, and so downed sails and rowed until we cleared the bank. It was interesting to see that north of the bank the incoming tide swept round forming a back eddy against us. Once over the bank the flood was towards the narrows. It was still early and we passed through the narrows more slowly than we had come out, and we had time to look at the strange patterns on the surface of the water formed by the different currents meeting. We half expected to see Chris anchored at Abermenai, but only the catamaran was there. Whether he was avoiding us or the weather we shall never know!

After straying out of the channel once or twice — no problem on the rising tide — we spotted the Sailfish on a mooring in the entrance to Caernarfon, rafted up to him and had breakfast. Chris had spent the night there and had been ashore. He was staying until Monday so we were away after breakfast, having a pleasant sail back to Port Dinorwic. First towards Plas Menai sports centre where their ‘mini fleet’ was out in force, where, on a broad reach with sails neatly filled, slipping carefully through moorings before gybing back across the channel Phil said quietly, “You know, there are at least twenty pairs of eyes on us now.” A little unnerving, to say the least, when you’re helming someone else’s boat. The ‘traffic’ was now increasing and included a Fishery Protection Vessel who ploughed between the lugger and a large yacht, leaving a wash that would have swamped us had we not presented our ‘backside’ to it (terminology in line with his bad manners!). Plenty of time to slip at Dinorwic, dine again, and to unwind after an exciting weekend. Just before we left for home, Hugh Clay’s Eel was seen setting sail. Gerald managed a brief word with him before we set off.

The score for Menai ‘92 was… 3 boats. Where were you? You missed a great weekend!