Menai Strait Advice

[Dan Gurney]

Evening all.

We're off down to Caernarfon on Saturday for an impromptu bank holiday weekend. I'd like to head through the strait and up to Puffin on the Sunday at some point and am just wondering on when to do it.

HW at Menai Bridge is supposed to be 11:18 which puts Slack water at 10-ish doesn't it. So if I go through then what time do I need to be coming back through? Is it really un-navigable whilst on the ebb? In a 5m rib? The pilotage stuff I've read all say you have to go through at HW slack.

All advice gratefully received.

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by Clamchowder

Evening all.

We're off down to Caernarfon on Saturday for an impromptu bank holiday weekend. I'd like to head through the strait and up to Puffin on the Sunday at some point and am just wondering on when to do it.

HW at Menai Bridge is supposed to be 11:18 which puts Slack water at 10-ish doesn't it. So if I go through then what time do I need to be coming back through? Is it really un-navigable whilst on the ebb? In a 5m rib? The pilotage stuff I've read all say you have to go through at HW slack.

All advice gratefully received.

hi, we will be about on Saturday, launching from Ty Calch and most probably heading through the Straits to Puffin Island, looking for Puffins!! no probs going through on any state of the tide, loads of water, just watch of for the rocky bits! pm me if you want to meet up, happy to help out

[kerny]

There is a channel stick to it, especially at low water,if you tag along with Chris you will be fine and once you have done it a couple of times it's easy to remember.

Going out over the Caernarfon bar is another matter.

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by kerny

There is a channel stick to it, especially at low water,if you tag along with Chris you will be fine and once you have done it a couple of times it's easy to remember.

Going out over the Caernarfon bar is another matter.

Kerny, that's almost a compliment, I've got a tear in me eye there's nowt wrong with the caernarfon bar, they do a nice pint anyway, it may have to be a trip over the bar, I can feel a trip to Ty Coch coming on, a pint on the beech sitting in the sunshine, just what me knackered body needs, if not Ty Coch, at least that lovely beech at Pilots Cove, YIPEEEEEEEEEE

[kerny]

Pilots cove is pretty but... bar

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by kerny

Pilots cove is pretty but... bar

stop it Kerny, it's only a sand bank, when its calm its not a problem, just stay away from it when HP organises a Ribnet cruise

[kerny]

Originally Posted by Chris Caton

stop it Kerny, it's only a sand bank, when its calm its not a problem, just stay away from it when HP organises a Ribnet cruise

I meant this kind of bar

[Dan Gurney]

Thanks Chris. Prolly won't get down in time to do anything meaningful on Sat, though might chuck it in for a bit if its blazin.

I see the channel on the chart... in some ways it might be better to go through at low water, at least that way the nasties are visible?

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by Clamchowder

I see the channel on the chart... in some ways it might be better to go through at low water, at least that way the nasties are visible?

mmmm... unless they are just below the surface?

[Dan Gurney]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

mmmm... unless they are just below the surface?

Ok ok, i meant more of the nasties. At high water it looks like butter wouldn't melt...

[Chris Caton]

I like going through on high tide, then coming back on low water, you can see all the rocks that were hiding before, but there's always a few more
hopefully we'll be out both days, I'll pm you my number, Ribnet not so quick on Caernarfon O2 but afternoon cruise to Pilots Cove sounds good

[Silverfox]

We're off to puffin on Sunday and probably Ty Coch. Not sure on timings depends when I can get the kids motivated!

The swellies are fine ish watch out for the platters. Get the Bar at the wrong state of the tide and that can be fun!!!

Might see you around.

Channel 8 on the VHF.

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by Silverfox

We're off to puffin on Sunday and probably Ty Coch. Not sure on timings depends when I can get the kids motivated!

The swellies are fine ish watch out for the platters. Get the Bar at the wrong state of the tide and that can be fun!!!

Might see you around.

Channel 8 on the VHF.

sounds good

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by kerny

I meant this kind of bar

sorry Kerny, strait over me ead, too much chemo anyway, I won't be go over that bar, I'll be under it if Jeff buys me a pint or two

[kawasaki]

Originally Posted by Clamchowder

Evening all.



HW at Menai Bridge is supposed to be 11:18 which puts Slack water at 10-ish doesn't it.

Just for Info
Tidal Predictions Sunday 26th
Llanddwyn- effectively Caernarfon Bar
LW 05.04
HW 10.40
LW 17.27
Caernarfon
LW 05.47
HW 11.22
LW 18.11
Dinorwic
LW 06.01
HW 11.35
LW 18.26
Menai Bridge
LW 06.32
HW 12,18
LW 18.56
Trwyn Du- effectively 'Puffin'
LW 06'32
HW 12.18
LW 18. 56

The Swellies is 'The Swellies' and stays much the same so just follow the marks to pass throiugh
Caernarfon Bar is a diffent kettle of fish and changes
C1 and C2 recently went 'off station' and C3 recently just 'went off'!
Caernarfon Harbour Trust have now re- postioned C1 an 2 an put C3 back too
Check out their web site
The Bar is best left to three hours either side of HW until you get to know it
The Swellies can be passed through at any state of the tide in a Planing hull
Here's a good rule of thumb
On Springs HW is about midday ish
On Neaps 'tea time' ish like 18.00 hours
So if HW Menai/ Dinorwic is 12.18 Sunday you deffo know it's Springs and at 18.56 there will be lots of 'sticky out' bits in the Swellies
Good time to stand on Menai Bridge and gaze at the size of Swellie Rock, worth getting a camera out!
Today, taking a bunch of schoolkids out (lookin fer Puffins)
Sat/Sun a bunch of Adults(lookin to stop em sinkin!!)
Monday, a Bod's 45 footer (lookin to empty his drinks cabinet after)
Tuesday on one of the RIBS (To familierise a Bod ref the Swellies etc)
Clammy, been muckin about the place for 30 odd years and it's stil l'Awesome' as our Colonial friends would say!
Noticve how HW/LW is almost an hour and a half different between 'The Bar' and 'Puffin' and even Dinorwic and Menai Bridge it varies about 3/4 of an hour sometimes and it's only a couple of miles as the Crow flies but then again Crows don't need to know that!
Oh! and remeber to add the Hour for U.T.C (was B.S.T) cos some tide table predictions don' do that fer yer!
Weather looks like it might be OK
Enjoy it M8
Cheers
K

[Dan Gurney]

I read something on one of the pilotage guides about HW slack being an hour before HW. Which doesn't really make sense. And evidently my tide predictor doesn't adjustt thw time (though the instructions suggest that it does).

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by kawasaki

Just for Info
Tidal Predictions Sunday 26th
Llanddwyn- effectively Caernarfon Bar
LW 05.04
HW 10.40
LW 17.27
Caernarfon
LW 05.47
HW 11.22
LW 18.11
Dinorwic
LW 06.01
HW 11.35
LW 18.26
Menai Bridge
LW 06.32
HW 12,18
LW 18.56
Trwyn Du- effectively 'Puffin'
LW 06'32
HW 12.18
LW 18. 56

The Swellies is 'The Swellies' and stays much the same so just follow the marks to pass throiugh
Caernarfon Bar is a diffent kettle of fish and changes
C1 and C2 recently went 'off station' and C3 recently just 'went off'!
Caernarfon Harbour Trust have now re- postioned C1 an 2 an put C3 back too
Check out their web site
The Bar is best left to three hours either side of HW until you get to know it
The Swellies can be passed through at any state of the tide in a Planing hull
Here's a good rule of thumb
On Springs HW is about midday ish
On Neaps 'tea time' ish like 18.00 hours
So if HW Menai/ Dinorwic is 12.18 Sunday you deffo know it's Springs and at 18.56 there will be lots of 'sticky out' bits in the Swellies
Good time to stand on Menai Bridge and gaze at the size of Swellie Rock, worth getting a camera out!
Today, taking a bunch of schoolkids out (lookin fer Puffins)
Sat/Sun a bunch of Adults(lookin to stop em sinkin!!)
Monday, a Bod's 45 footer (lookin to empty his drinks cabinet after)
Tuesday on one of the RIBS (To familierise a Bod ref the Swellies etc)
Clammy, been muckin about the place for 30 odd years and it's stil l'Awesome' as our Colonial friends would say!
Noticve how HW/LW is almost an hour and a half different between 'The Bar' and 'Puffin' and even Dinorwic and Menai Bridge it varies about 3/4 of an hour sometimes and it's only a couple of miles as the Crow flies but then again Crows don't need to know that!
Oh! and remeber to add the Hour for U.T.C (was B.S.T) cos some tide table predictions don' do that fer yer!
Weather looks like it might be OK
Enjoy it M8
Cheers
K

excellent advice as always K

and awesome it can be, if you get your timings right it's riding the rapids on a river, tides are all over the place, but best place to learn is amongst it, take your time and enjoy

[Jeff Hutcheon]

Originally Posted by Chris Caton

sorry Kerny, strait over me ead, too much chemo anyway, I won't be go over that bar, I'll be under it if Jeff buys me a pint or two

Oh ok then!! Its tycoch for dinner or puffin/ orm for air show, h,mmm?

[kawasaki]

Originally Posted by Clamchowder

I read something on one of the pilotage guides about HW slack being an hour before HW. Which doesn't really make sense. .

Roughly an Hour and a half before HW Menai Bridge the Swellies' slows down'
Most Almanacs and Pilot books refer to the 'Standard Port' of Holyhead for passage plans for the area
There are only two Standard Ports for Wales tother is Milford Haven
Menai tides are earlier than Holyhead
Sunday HW Menai Bridge is 27 mins before Holyhead
So according to Secondary Port calculations slack water at Menai will be 10.51 hours
The reason 'slack' occurs around about an hour or so before the HW is the way the tidal streams flow in in Liverpool Bay and St George's Channel
The 'Nothern Flood' , Liverpool bay becomes stronger towards HW and 'stops' the flow from the Southern end of the Strait
It just happens that about an hour before HW its 'stopped' at Menai then the flood continues towards Caernarfon
So effectivly it floods and ebbs in the same direction!!!!
Good innit

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by Jeff Hutcheon

Oh ok then!! Its tycoch for dinner or puffin/ orm for air show, h,mmm?

or both