The Menai Strait, and Beaumaris.

An hour or so after leaving Caernarfon, we approached the first of the bridges that span the Menai. The Swellies are located between this and the next bridge. Among the information given to us by the marina at Caernarfon were some pilotage notes written by the official Menai Pilot, these give various transits and leading lines to avoid the numerous rocks and ledges which add extra danger to the already severe turbulence caused by the rapid tidal stream - slack water last only 10 minutes at springs, and the initial acceleration is 1Kt every 10 minutes thereafter, with peak rates of 6 or 7Kts !

This is the main mark for the 'Swelly Rock' - ignore at you peril ! Also doubles as a Cormorant perch !

We were soon through the danger area, and under the second bridge, Bangor and it's pier was soon on our starboard side, and shortly afterwards we could see Beaumaris in the distance.

The anchorage at Beaumaris is in an area scoured out of a generally shallow expanse of sand. The shallows are used for the cultivation of mussels, and in fact the mussel business off Beaumaris is the largest in the British Isles. Fairly substantial boats trawl up growing mussels, and then pump them overboard into deeper water where they grow on. This process is repeated several times until the mussels are ready to be harvested.

This is the view of Beaumaris from the anchorage with a telephoto lens eye view of the castle ( below ).

After a comfortable night 'on the hook' we needed to decide on our next destination. We wanted to look at Conwy, but the tides were starting to get less favourable for our next destination, Liverpool. In the end we decided to go straight to Liverpool. The main channel passes between Angelsey and Puffin Island ( yet another tide race ! ). The lighthouse helpfully warns "No Passage Landward" - No Kidding !!!

We had a rather lumpy passage out towards Liverpool, but made good time, in fact we had to heave too for about an hour to ensure we didn't arrive too early for the marina lock opening - at least this meant we could eat our supper in relative comfort as we were swept up towards the Mersey entrance at about 2.5 Kts.