There are pontoons and a water taxi, it's safe and protected, It has fantasic views of the castle, even a desert island to walk the dog on, when the tide goes out. Yet neary no one comes to visit, the HM does not even have a proper sysem for visiting boats, cos it nearly never happens. Yet there is everything, well nearly, thats in Fowey or Salcolme., or all the south coast. FAIK it's the only place in N wales with a water taxi and pontoons. Whats the problem??
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How long have you been there again? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
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Posts: 886
Re: Why Does no one go to Conwy.
To visit Conwy you have got to come from somewhere. Liverpool is too far for a weekend trip isn't it? I think the problem is due to the lack of proximity to other harbours/marinas.
Even though I am East Coaster, because it is nearer to me, I was born in Manchester and spent the first 25 years of my life holidaying on the North Wales coast. I am hoping to bring my boat over to Conwy for a season, perhaps in 2011.
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Intend to have my Swin Ranger back afloat in May 2010!
Conarvon gets visitors, mainly from Conwy, yet none the other way about. The only difference I can see, is electricery. Buy why would you need that for one or two nights, anyway these days you can make yerown.
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I think that the answer, certainly for those us with smaller boats, is in what kawasaki has been trying to tell me for almost 12 months, i.e. where do you go to from Conwy? Once you've explored upriver & joined the procession to Puffin Island a few times, there is not a lot left for small cuddies to do. As has been said earlier in this thread, if you head east then the next real boaty stop is Liverpool (too far for a return day trip). If you head west to the marinas & anchorages either in the Straits or off Angelesey, then you might as well be based there anyway.
Note, at this point, to philiz & kawasaki:- I think that I have just, very publicly, talked myself into that move guys [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].
....to far from the Solent [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
What about a quick trip to the IOM or Ireland.
May I suggest, to come from the south, perhaps, you could read the pilot notes of entering and navigating the straights through the swellies or rounding Anglesey, after reading them, the lure of Conwy may be outweighed by self preservation, it never makes good reading, maybe thats what puts people off
I used to moor in the River Dee (Hewall) so the first trip was a 40 mile passage to conway as a base for the holiday. Then I decided it was easier to base in Conway & have a 2hour drive instead of a 10 hour passage.
The main objections to Conway are the restricted entry times & long entry channel. It is seen as a "Dead End". It is quicker & easier to drop into Bangor or Gallows Point than to get into Conway. You are then much closer to getting thro' the Swellies to Caernarfon or Llandwyn Island or Porth Dinllaen or whatever - lots of choices.
Having said that I loved it as a base for a couple of decades & only moved to Caernarfon for safety & economic reasons. The Conway tides are really strong and there are regular fatal accidents in tenders serving the moorings, one of the key reasons for having a ferry boat.
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Talking of Conway has anyone ever seen a local chart for the waters south of the bridge up towards Llanrwst.
Went up river a few miles last year on a rising tide very nice I must say but a bit too shallow for my liking at some points.
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Talking of Conway has anyone ever seen a local chart for the waters south of the bridge up towards Llanrwst.
Went up river a few miles last year on a rising tide very nice I must say but a bit too shallow for my liking at some points.
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The only Pilotage article I have ever seen was in a Publication now defunct.
A Monthly mag about mobos which died a death.
Anyway.
Yep You Can get as far as Tal Y Cafn.
The only way to suss it out though is to go by car at LAT and check it out from the road.
Or as hlb suggests pop up in the dinghy.
The channel generally is biased towards the Western side.
After the Yellow info bouy.
Ie turn to starboard whilst going upstream after that un.
Then stay right of centre fer a bit.
Then middle ish fer a bit.
Then leg it over to the right abit.
Then watch out for some wooden steaks.
No, not the ones served in The Mulberry
[img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
The ones that stick up on the left a bit.
Don't try going further than Tal Y Cafn unless you have a coracle on the transom!
See its quite clear and simple really.
The place changes more often than Caernarfon Bar!
Not really 'surveyed' it proper like since 2001 so don,t take too much notice of My detailed pilotage notes. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
We have been up the river a long way past Tal Y Cafn maybe 5 miles or so, the river gets more regular, narrower and deeper beyond the tidal flats just past Tal Y Cafn.
I was shown the channel a number of years ago by local RYA instructor whilst taking PB1.
Only ever go up slowly on a rising spring tide.
I took the picture below following a big tide, all the fields were flooded and the usual river banks, never mind the channel could be seen.
Last month I grounded the boat on a bank just near where this picture was taken, I hadn't been up that far since last season and got caught out. It was just before high water, we all jumped off very quickly and pushed the boat for what seemed like an age trying to find the channel. We just managed to find deeper water as the flow went slack, my heart was in my mouth as I was imagining the boat stuck up the river for two weeks awaiting a bigger tide.
Please take Kawasaki's advice if you plan to go up and have a look from the land, the channel does shift.
Belting piccie James!
Yep been past Tal Y Cafn years ago.
Where the Trout spawn!
But heck, would never advise peeps to go there as Strangers like yer say!
Tiss magic though.
Nearest place to the Norfolk Broads in North Wales!
Dunno if hlb would get under the bridge at high water though.
His flybridge instrumets need checking.
Gonna try to fix next week.
Could be a good idea to try then?
Watch this space
Or 'no space' as it where.
Well
Taint My boat [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
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Plus Don,t do serious, lifes too short.
I know everyone will be amazed but your directions are just about right from my venture up there – keep west then stay in the middle for a bit etc ... you missed the part about having a pair of spare trousers handy though .
Last year I got as far as Tal y Cafn and bottled out ( too far past Hw to take a chance without a chart ).Interestingly I’ve just looked on Google Earth and it gives a pretty good idea of where the deep water is I think.
Going much further all down river past Tal y Cafn much depends on to your boats draft , lots of speedboats around there drawing a few inches.
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Where’s the Chief Engineer, Electrician, Radio Officer, Chief Steward and Purser when I need them dammit !!!
MF fits under the bridge, long as you can steer the arial between the spars. Dunno what tide, cant remember. Been up a bit, but chickened out. Depth sounders only tell you after you hit. Dinghys no good, cos that just tells you, there six inches or not.
Was practicing again yesterday, mooring with the tide, but wind blowing off the pontoon. You should add it to your courses. Do able, but not the easyest manuver.
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Very strange around there, some have webbed feet and funny streaks in their hair!!!!
My bruv will be wintering there again this year, well the boat will, he'll be in Corfu!!
We'll be in Ibiza when I can get off this rig!! Then wintering in Barce again, you would be welcome to come visit, anytime!
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There used to be two pubs, one on each side of the river, "The Tal y Cafn" and "The Ferry"
The Ferry was knocked down years ago. As far as I know the "Tal y Cafn" is still there.
[img]/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]
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Barsa Baa, Every time we think of going there, some thing goes wrong. Not trying to avoid, just cant make it work.. Plan to be in Glasson in a week or two. Hope we do not cock up the tide.
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No one can force me to come here. I'm a volunteer!!.
Very easy to cock up the tide at glasson and the river/channel bouys are a laugh. Once you get in the dock, wait for low tide and drive out to the point wiv yer binos and have a look at where the bouys are!!
Location: Porthmadog / Jawhara Smir / Port Leucate
Posts: 7,394
Re: Why Does no one go to Conwy.
Dunno mate. I did my PB2 there with Frank Radcliffe (good chap) and did note the facilities. One thing you haven't mentioned is the ability to go boating up-river, so you can do some boating even when the weather is blowing up. Good approaches from the sea as well. Bit far for me - in fact its much further than Wicklow or Arklow.
Does anyone recognise that Bayliner ?
I recall one just like it being photographed in Studland bay a year or two ago, could it explain the delay in returning to the stranded vessel [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]
Not sure where the Bayliner came from, but he seemed to know the river and tried to help tow the stricken boat off but it was high and dry with the tide turned. The Bayliner is still well afloat in the river, nosing the bank.I haven't noticed it around Conwy recently.
The next day at low water we dug the ditch out by hand that the boat came to rest in and dragged it back into the river as the water rose, all by hand, boat started first time, no damage.
Why Does no one go to Conwy.
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