Beaumaris dates from 1885 and the Royal Welsh started at
Caernarfon 50 years earlier. The north end of Menai looks three
miles wide, spreading across acres of drying sands, though the
navigable fairway hugs the Anglesey shore. The south end is also
littered with sandbanks, and boats entering or leaving here must
cross the notorious Caernarfon Bar near HW. The south entrance
narrows to two cables at Abermenai Point, where a spit of dunes
juts out from Anglesey.
Working north from Abermenai, you soon reach Caernarfon,
graced by another medieval castle. Victoria Dock is highly
recommended by Conwy berth holder James McGoff and has
splendid open views across to Anglesey. The strait then glides
past the prominent National Watersports Centre and Port
Dinorwic Marina. The most notorious stretch is the Swellies,
a tricky mile between the two Menai bridges which can seethe
at springs, when up to 8 knots of tide pours over rocky shoals.
However, the Swellies are usually no great problem for fast motor
boats because transits can easily be timed for high-water slack.
On a still day this is a beautiful passage, its calm wooded banks
setting off the impressive architecture of both bridges.
Mark Beeston often brings his Sunseeker through the strait
at weekends and told me about two special anchorages. The
fi rst is on Anglesey, just outside Caernarfon Bar off the tip of
Llanddwyn Island. Here, Pilot’s Cove is a wonderful sandy spot
in quiet or northerly weather, looking down towards the Llţn
Peninsula. The other gem is Porthdinllaen, a dozen miles south
of the Bar, inside a sheltering peninsula off a golden beach. Here,
the Tţ Coch Inn has been voted one of the top ten beach bars
in the world and on a warm summer day, Porthdinllaen feels like
a Caribbean hideaway.
ISLE OF MAN
A Crown Dependency with its own Manx parliament, the Isle
of Man is surprisingly large – 26nm long and nine across – and has
some of the most spectacular scenery in Britain. The lush rolling
country includes signifi cant hills, winding wooded valleys and
charming villages. From almost anywhere on the island, you
can usually glimpse the sea. In the pubs and shops, the welcome
has a traditional northern warmth reminiscent of the most genial
Lancashire publicans or seaside landladies. The dialect has theJames McGoff enjoys the
view from his Sunseeeker
while crossing Conwy BayThe Menai suspension
bridge makes a
spectacular sightBen and Jo Corcoran
Boat Happy Hour, Sealine F42/5
Berth Peel Harbour, Isle of ManBen runs Bevan’s Marine at Peel,
who handle all the marine electronics
hereabouts. He has owned many
different boats but finds his Sealine
ideal for both local pottering and
crossing to Ireland or the Cumbrian
coast. With two D6-370hp Volvos, Happy
Hour cruises easily at 20-22 knots.
Ardglass in Northern Ireland is a frequent
weekend hop, and Ben and Jo also
like Portaferry, a pretty County Down
village at the mouth of Strangford Lough.
Last summer, Happy Hour revelled
in a more protracted cruise over to
Belfast Lough, calling at Bangor –Ulster’s yachting hub – before pressing
on to Belfast city. Ben was particularly
keen to motor through the docks, still
alive with all kinds of shipping. They
passed the unmistakable Titanic
museum, built in the shape of four
huge outward-facing prows. Happy
Hour moored alongside the city marina
quay, in the fashionable Titanic Quarter.PEEL LOCALSTRAVEL