Cruise to Anglesey and the Lleyn Peninsular

Thursday 28th July – Sunday 8th August 2011.

Log of TAURUS

Call sign                     EI-JO-7

MMSI                         250002121

Sun Odyssey 32i

Length overall           9.6M                31’5”

Beam                          3.3M                10’9”

Draught                      2.0M                6’6”

Sail No.                       IRL 1293

Home Port                  Howth, Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Club                            Howth Sailing and Boating Club   www.howthboat.ie

Skipper                       Mike Medcalf

Crew                           Mike Taylor, Purser

Tony Lynch, Steward

Accompanying Boat

Carnjoe

Skippered by John Craddock and crewed by Harry Breslin and Terry Kelly (part)

Also in Part time attendance

Boogaloo

Skippered by Dave Martin

Wednesday 27th July 2011.

09:00   Round to John’s office to pick up Bond Licence then off to warehouse on Grand Canal Quay to collect our Bond allowance.

            20 litres of spirits and 25 litres of wine – interesting and legal exercise

14:00   Boat now fully loaded

19:30 Crew training at Regular HSBC – Wednesday Night Series

Also on board Graham Perry and Luis Sergezi

Good start and certainly not the best finish as abandoned due to lack of wind

5M

Thursday 28th July 2011.

06:00   Howth towards Holyhead

8 to 10 knots from the North

07:45   Departed Howth with the Flood to cross St Georges Channel

            Log not working

08:30   Now 20 knots and reefed

15:30   Alongside in Holyhead marina – fast uncomfortable crossing, Carnjoe in a little later – they saw a whale on the crossing, lots of puffins at sea

Dined on Board – Crab Morney and Fillet steak, Caesar salad

Yacht club and a few sociable drinks on board – Terry very sociable

                              63 M

Friday 29th July 2011.

In Holyhead all day – officially retains its status as a dump

Harry fixed the Log on Taurus – not much water in the boat!

Ashore to watch the cricket and to see the “Sights”

Missing legs are very common in Holyhead!

Dined aboard on Queen Scallops and Lasagne

Enjoyed the Yacht club again

     0 M

Saturday 30th July 2011.

Holyhead toward Moelfre

2 knots from the South East

12:30   Left marina tocatch the last of the ebb and sailed up and along the bay towards Carmel head

15:00   6 knots SE. stopped for lunch in the bay at Trwyn Cerrig, very relaxing so far – now for Carmel Head!

16:15   Leaving for Carmel Head and the race – arrived dead on slack water and sailed though in slight winds and no sea or race running

            Sailed along the North coast and watched the Round Anglesey Leaders pass us under Spinnaker

20:00   Anchored in Moelfre Bay on Carnival Night – great night on board listening to the music and watching John Craddock and the inshore lifeboats rescue dinghy’s in distress! Steak in a tomato and red pepper sauce

                                 16 M

Sunday 31st July 2011.

Moelfre towards Conwy

6 knots SW

08:00   Left anchorage, and sailed along the coast to pass north of Puffin Island

10:00   Picked up the fairway buoy, - no wind at all and motored along a well buoyed channel, came to the narrows and 11 knots over the ground in the big spring tide made the turn (just) into the Marina    

11:00   Tied up in Conwy marina – Carnjoe directly behind us – nice marina with a tidal sill, Breakfast and then a run ashore – Terry leaves to go back by ferry

            Dined in the Mulberry Pub at the marina – all you can eat authentic Indian buffet!

                              11.5 M

Monday 1st August 2011.

Conwy towards the Garth / Menai

8 knots SE

10:00   Left Marina, entering the river with the Flood against us – strange noise from prop shaft – hopefully just weed – cant do anything in the strong current

11:00   At the Fairway Buoy – passed 2 Howth Yacht Club Boats entering the river – set course across the dreaded Leven sands via the notorious Penmaen Swatch – lowest depth was 6.4M

12:10   entered the straights just north of Beaumarris

13:00 – on swinging moorings opposite Bangor pier – Moorings arranged by John Butterfield – who came on board to plan the evening

            Motored all the way due to low winds on the nose

            Straights Regatta and passed through the finishing fleet at Beaumarris getting fired at from the Royal Anglesey Yacht Club

            Dined altogether in the Gazelle with John and Gayle – Dave Martin joined having arrived from the Isle of Mann

                               12 M

Tuesday 2nd August 2011.

Garth towards Port Dinorwic

6 knots from the South

10:45   Left mooring bound for Menai Bridge and the Infamous  Swellies

11:20   Entered the Swellies and bit of tide against us – watched east bound boats going sideways

11:45   Out of the Swellies and saluted Rear Admiral Lord Nelson due to a French boat behind us

12:30   Entered through the dock into Port Dinowic. Motored all the way again.  David Medcalf joined us for Dinner – Prawn starter and roast beef – ashore in the Gardd Fron pub –the village is a very nice place

                                     7 M

Wednesday 5th August 2011.

Port Dinorwic towards Caernarfon

8 knots from South

11:30   Docked out into the Menai – David on board for a sail, sailed back up to Plas Newydd and then a beat back up against the tide towards Caernarfon – engine on and sail down when sailing over the sands!

13:30   Tied up and rafted altogether in Caernarfon

Dined on board – Mussels and Lamb chops

Royal Welsh YC closed! So joined a group in the Caernarfon Sailing Club

                                   6 M

Thursday 4th August 201.

Caernarfon towards Porth Dinllaen

11 knots South

13:00   Departed Marina and entered the channel to the bar, sail up at Fort Belan – channel choppy with wind over tide, past the last gate and set off towards Trevor, made good time and the motored towards Porth Dinllaen

17:00   Anchored in the Bay – nice evening but deteriorated overnight with a very uncomfortable swell – busy anchorage – Duck spring rolls and venison meat balls in a piquant tomato sauce

                                    17.5 M

Friday 5th August 2011.

Free day ashore

Nice hot sunny day – a long walk and lunch in the Ty Coch , pumped dinghy up but still leaking

Back on board for a very calm evening and a dinner of sausage spuds and onion gravy

                             0 M

Saturday 6th August 2011.

Porth Dinllaen towards Dun Laoghaire

9 knots W

08:30   Left anchorage a set off on a beat in gentle winds towards Ireland

            Warm and sunny day

14:00   Engine on to help with the light winds and to sail closer to the wind – being pushed to far north by wind and tide

17:15   Land Ho! – Lambay wind now up to 20 knots and sea building up

20:00   Passing the Kish in the gloom of squall clouds

21:30   Moored in Dun Laoghaire – Dinner was a casserole of everything that was left and the last of the Bond!

            Carnjoe and Boogaloo sailed to Holyhead to cross St Georges Channel at a later date

                                            70 M

Sunday 7th August 2011.

Dun Laoghaire towards Howth

8 knots W

14:00   Left Marina

15:30   Alongside the Pen to unload

16:30   Back on home mooring

                        7 M

Summary

TAURUS – Mike Medcalf, Mike Taylor & Tony Lynch

Tour of Anglesey and the Lleyn

Wednesday 27th July   5 Miles

Thursday 28th July       63 Miles

Friday 30th July           0 Miles

Saturday 31st July       16 Miles

Sunday 1st August      11.5 Miles

Monday 2nd August    12 Miles

Tuesday 3rd August     7 Miles

Wednesday 4th August 6 Miles

Thursday 5th August   17.5 Miles

Friday 6th August        0 Miles

Saturday 7th August7  70 Miles

Sunday 8th August      7 Miles

Good weather and light winds nearly every day!

Total               215 Miles

Engine hours – 20 hours in total

50 Litres of Fuel used

3 tanks of fresh water

1 bottle of Gas

5 litres Gin – Wine not measured – 4 bottles of Pimms