Day 5: Snowdonia's coast - Pwllheli to Barmouth

Odd one out?  Pwllheli Marina

Sitting amongst the immaculate gleaming white cruisers and performance racing yachts of Pwllheli marina, John’s 31-year old Capercaille looked like a boat that had seen some adventures.  After a leisurely breakfast in the company of my father, who had called by to wish us bon voyage, we were joined by our latest crew member, Lowri the Welsh Coast Project Officer and organiser-extraordinaire of this year’s Welsh coast Neptune celebrations.

Lowri at the helm

We cast off and retraced last night’s dash-for-refuge and continued to the St. Tudwal islands, where we drifted past the restless agitation of the seabird colonies.   With no wind to speak of, we motored on a bearing of 160 degrees right out into the middle of Cardigan Bay to avoid Sarn Badrig, the ten mile long shingle bank that juts out at right angles to the coast, before turning east and lining up the bow with the sunlit houses of Barmouth.  We were joined briefly by a solitary dolphin, powering effortlessly alongside.

The sinuous pattern of massive grey drystone walls at Egryn stood out clearly in the late afternoon sun and, as we approached the entrance to the mighty Mawddach estuary, we spotted Ty’n Ffynnon, the onetime home of the National Trust’s first donor, Fanny Talbot, and the surrounding land that she gave in the first two months of our existence in March 1895.

Dinas Oleu and Ty'n Ffynnon (white house above town)

To round off a pleasant evening at Barmouth, John and I paid a pilgrimage to the Trust's first piece of land, Dinas Oleu and then a pleasant diversion to the Frenchman’s Grave.  On our way, we explored the higgledy-piggledy fishermen’s-cottages, a number of which were donated by Fanny Talbot to John Ruskin's Guild of St George where he embarked on his brief but influential idealistic experiment.

 Sitting on the centenary viewpoint, which I was involved with building in 1995

Go to Day 6

Day 4: Another day in paradise: Porthdinllaen to Pwllheli

 

Morning light at Porthdinllaen

One of the pleasures of this trip is that we get to see familiar places from an unfamiliar aspect, and at an unfamiliar time of day.  And so it was with our emergence on deck at about 5:30am, breathing in the chill morning air and admiring the houses of Porthdinllaen, which were reflecting the warm pink dawn glow. 

Soon we spotted our next passenger-colleague, Laura Hughes, the Trust's Llŷn Coastal Ranger, strolling down the hill to the beach.  Our duty this morning was to convey her to her first meeting of the day, at Aberdaron.  We passed a succession of some of the loveliest NT coastal places, such as Porth Gwylan, Porthor, Porth Llanllawen and eventually, Braich y Pwll at very end of  Llŷn.

Lowri at the helm in the Bardsey Sound

 The infamous Swnt Enlli, Bardsey Sound was thankfully as calm as I'd ever seen it as we motored through just before the end of slack water and the 'tidal gate' slammed shut.  Laura's unusual commute to work completed, we had a look around Porth y Swnt, the Trust's interpretation of Llŷn rich environment and cultural traditions before enjoying a perfect afternoon's sail - accompanied by a fresh north-easter and pods of bottlenose dolphins - past superb NT coast all the way to Porth Ceiriad, where we anchored for a late lunch.

Later, after supper at Traeth Llanbedrog, we rowed ashore for a pint in the Glyn y Weddw, where we were joined by Richard Tudor, three-times skipper in the world’s toughest yacht race, the round-the-world challenge going westward, regarded by sailors as the wrong way.  

 

Yachtsman Richard Tudor

A couple of pints and a few fascinating tales later, we rowed through choppy waters to Capercaille which was having a hard time repeatedly grounding with a sickening judders as the waves swept past.  

Eager to avoid a most unpleasant night in the swell, we motored to Pwllheli marina, finally coming along side a pontoon at 3am, after some testing night-time navigation, 20 hours after we got up at Porthdinllaen. 

Go to Day 5

Day 3: Things that go bump in the night: Greenfield to Porthdinllaen

I woke up with a jolt at 3am with a fleeting sensation of buoyancy followed by a juddering bump.  We had planned to rise at 4am, but the tide had already reclaimed the acres of sands on which we had been marooned.  

So with only 3 hours of fitful sleep, we were soon retracing yesterday's passage through the line of buoys out into Liverpool Bay; the first light of dawn casting a crimson wash beyond the Wirral.

Graig Fawr, the isolated Trust-owned limestone crag above Prestatyn, glowed in the early sun as we followed a course back past the Great Orme, with Parc farm, our most recent Neptune Coastline Campaign funded acquisition. 

Llandudno and the Great Orme, with Parc Farm at it's summit

It was then on to Point Lynas, Anglesey's north-east extremity and around the mostly-unspoilt and wild north coast, including a good view of Dinas Gynfor, the Trust's second Welsh property, donated in 1913.

Borth Wen brikworks & Dinas Gynfor

In an attempt to catch up with ourselves after our unplanned stop on the Dee, we motored on in an attempt steal a march over the contrary tide race around Trwyn Carmel, before its force increased beyond the capability of all but the most powerful boats.  

We only just made it, spending about an hour crawling forward at full revs at the rate of about half a knot per hour until we escaped the tide's clutches into the calmer waters of Porth Swtan, where a film crew from S4C Newyddion 9 were waiting for us.

Bryn Jones, Ynys Môn Ranger

Bryn Jones, the Trust's Ynys Môn Ranger for the last 25 years, joined us for the next section, through the shipping lanes around Holyhead, around the spectacular seacliffs of South Stack and onwards to the heavenly hidden sandy cove of Porth Dafarch. 

South Stack

Porth Dafarch - where we dropped off Bryn

With the evening sun lighting the Caernarfonshire hills we cut straight across Caernarfon Bay to Porthdinllaen, arriving at 10pm in a stiff breeze, all three of us too tired to take the dinghy the short distance to the front door of the Ty Coch Inn.

Gavin at the helm of Capercaille heading for Porthdinllaen

Go to Day 4

Day 2: Tide, time and dolphins - Trident safely delivered

The wind rose in the night and led to an uncomfortable anchorage alongside Ynys Seiriol.  I heroically delivered a live radio interview at 6:55am whilst trying to settle my stomach.  After a quick breakfast - which I'm pleased to say wasn't 'donated to Neptune' - we set sails and headed off in a brisk force 4-5, averaging 5.5 knots

The highlight of the trip so far awaited us as we rounded the Great Orme.  We were spotted by a pod of about a dozen bottlenose dolphins, who approached us to ride our bow wave, and performed spectacularly, leaping out of the water and crisscrossing the bows.

Five hours later we were standing on Greenfield dock slipway for photos and radio interviews: Bob proudly brandishing the trident; John casting anxious glances at the tide.  We'd already had to take some rapid decisions as we negotiated the shallow waters of the Dee estuary - including seeking the advice Mostyn Dock harbourmaster by phone -  which resulted in the change of landfall from Flint to the less risky Greenfield.  

John, Bob and Richard, at Greenfield.  Capercaille with Gaven on board in the distance

We knew we had minutes to spare before we missed the tide.  As soon as we were back onboard we weighed anchor and headed off only to ground on a sandbank half a mile down the estuary, by the more famous beached vessel, the rusting Duke of Lancaster at Aberkan.

  Ah well, time and tide wait for no man, not even the National Trust.  Log in tomorrow to see how we get on.

Nice place to park.  Waiting for the 4am tide.

Go to Day 3

Day 1: Castle, pier and hidden gem: Bangor to Ynys Seiriol

I'm writing this to the sound of thousands of seabirds calling from the nearby cliffs of Ynys Seiriol (Puffin Island), and every now and then the doleful moans of the seals drift over from the rocks.

We've anchored in the lee of the island and whilst Bob and Gavin chat up topside, John is cooking supper and I've a few minutes to reflect on the day.

After family farewells and a hectic hour ferrying provisions to Capercaille, we cast off from the mooring, unfurled the Genoa to 'cut a fine jib' for Richard the cameraman, who was positioned at the end of the pier.

John Whitley (Skipper), me, Bob Smith and Gavin Foulks

As soon as we were under sail, John cut the engine and we picked up speed, heading for our first sail-past property, Penrhyn Castle. Excited conversation lulled and stopped, leaving just the satisfying slap of waves and flap of canvas.  After a while, a smile spread across John's face and he muttered, "I can't believe that we've actually started."  It's been a busy few weeks for us all.

Heading onto Capercaille with the last of the provisions

Gavin waves as we motor past Bangor pier

But we'd only gone about half a mile when we suddenly lurched to a halt.  Our course to get a view of the castle was taking us over the sandbanks of Traeth Lafan and we realised that with barely a mile behind us, we'd actually run aground.  John reassured us that we'd just 'kissed the sand' and that we were on a rising tide.  Sure enough, a few minutes later we were buoyant again and phoning Sarah at Penrhyn Castle to get a photo of us.

Sails Around Wales yacht hoves into view, with Pen y Gogarth, the Great Orme, in the background

Back in the deep water channel, we headed for Ynys Seiriol, then past the familiar lighthouse and onwards to our second NT coastal property, Fedw Fawr, on the limestone of Anglesey's east coast. Bob dropped anchor and we went ashore with the dinghy.  It seemed appropriate that this most overlooked of the Trust's coastal places was our first visit. In my experience, the harder to find the place is, the more wonderful it is once you get there.  And Fedw Fawr is one of the best examples of this principle.

Bob ready to drop anchor, with White Beach, Fedw Fawr ahead.

Bob and John with Capercaille at anchor

So with the sound of seabirds and seals drifting over from the cliffs of Ynys Seiriol, and the far off Orme glowing in the evening sun, we round off the beginning of our adventure with a hearty meal.

Go to Day 2

We're Off!

We set sail at about 12:30pm from near Bangor Pier and are now sailing off Penrhyn Castle.

Thanks to Sarah Johnson for dashing out to get this photo of us as we tack on our way towards Ynys Seiriol / Puffin Island.  I'll post photos of the launch later.

Gales change plans for launch

This was meant to be the scene tomorrow (Sunday).  Capercaille sailing past Plas Newydd, the first of over a hundred special NT places on the Welsh coast, as we were being saluted by our colleagues from the font lawn.
 
But alas it's not to be.  This photo will have to suffice for now.  With gusts approaching a full gale, John wisely decided not to attempt the passage through the Menai Strait's treacherous Swellies to an uncertain anchorage at Felinheli.  Conditions must have been bad, as I have it on good authority that John is sometimes seen going out into a choppy sea when less courageous yachtsmen are heading for port.

So tomorrow's launch will be at Siliwen, by Bangor Pier at about midday.  Why not head to the end of the pier to wave us off on our Sails Around Wales adventure?