Special Events

Early May Bank Holiday Cruise in Company

Saturday 3rd to Monday 5th May, 2025

For skippers & crews lucky enough not to be working on Friday 2nd May an option is for boats based at Caernarfon or Felinheli to spend the night at anchor either at Abermenai or Llanddwyn Island, depending on the wind direction and cruise route. HW Caernarfon on Friday 2nd May is at 1352 4.2M

For the cruise itself Plan A is to spend Saturday night at anchor at Moelfre and Sunday night at anchor at Cemaes Bay returning to home berths on Monday.

In the event of N’ly or E’ly winds Plan B is to spend Saturday and Sunday nights at anchor on the W coast of Anglesey at a couple of Trearddur Bay, Rhoscolyn, Silver Sand Bay & Rhosneigr with perhaps Sunday night at Pen Y Parc returning to home berths Monday afternoon.

Given that it’s Bank Holiday with “eateries” likely to be busy my thoughts are that, wherever we end up, we have a beer or two in a pub ashore on Saturday and Sunday evenings and return on board to eat. If we are at Cemaes Bay or Pen Y Parc on Sunday afternoon a BBQ on the beach might be possible.

Daytime High Water tide times are:

  Caernarfon Holyhead Liverpool
Saturday 3/5 1511 4.7M 1437 4.6M 1616 7.9M
Sunday 4/5 1629 4.0M 1659 4.4M 1726 7.4M
Monday 5/5 1754 3.9M  1824 4.3M 1845 7.2M

As usual plans to be firmed up nearer the time and communicated via the RWYC WhatsApp Cruising Group.

Geoff Hilditch
RWYC Cruising Captain
Yacht Aslan

RWYC Summer Cruise Plans for 2025

Leaving Caernarfon Saturday 31st May

Cruising from the Club this summer looks likely to be more fragmented than in recent years as some boats are planning to head to Brittany via the Scillies, some to Scotland whereas my favoured plan is to head down to West Cork and County Kerry. 3 plans are all tailored so that those who can only be away for 2 or 3 weeks will be able to come along for part of the way before turning for home or join in part of the way through the cruise.

Plan A

is another cruise down the East coast of Eire at least as far as the Baltimore, Cape Clear Island & Crookhaven areas, hopefully proceeding round into Bantry Bay or further for those with more time.

The plan would be to leave Caernarfon prior to HW (4.6M at 1359) on Saturday 31/5 and spend the night at anchor either at Porth Dinllaen or on the W coast of Anglesey depending on wind direction and then cross over to Arklow on Sunday 1st June.

If the wind is fresh Easterly I may opt to head for Dun Laoghaire or Greystones as the first port of call as entry into Arklow in those conditions is not recommended. The chain of banks that run offshore down the East Coast of Ireland from Dublin Bay in the North to close to Rosslare in the South are a significant hazard and crossing them should not be attempted so passage plans must be made to pass between them. Tides run strongly, often diagonally, across the banks so this should be allowed for. Wherever I end up on the Sunday evening I’d have a “rest day” on the Monday.

After that the plans are largely going to be determined by the wind direction and strength, bearing in mind the tidal gate between the Tuskar Rock and Carnsore Point and the need to pass there as near as possible to slack water and definitely not with the tide running against the wind. Hopefully the weather Gods will be kind and give us winds that allow stops after Arklow and then Kilmore Quay to include some of:

  • Dunmore East
  • Youghal
  • Cork
  • Oyster Haven

with the plan of reaching Kinsale by Saturday/Sunday 7/8th June. Kinsale is a lovely, if busy, town with the choice of 2 marinas or a variety of anchorages and would be the “turn for home” point of those on a 2-week cruise.

For those continuing further possibilities for overnight stops include:

  • Courtmachsherry
  • Glandore
  • Castletownsend
  • Baltimore – likely the “turn for home point” for those away for 3 or 4 weeks.

After that Cape Clear Island, Schull and Crookhaven are all worth a visit before rounding Mizen Head and heading for Bantry Bay to visit some or all of Bantry, Glengarriff, Adrigole & Lawrence Cove on Bere Island. If conditions allow I’d like to sail past the Skelligs, via Dursey Sound & on to Valentia Island before probably turning for home. For those in boats able to take the ground Dungarvan, between Youghal and Hook Head, is a great spot with all round shelter and pontoon berthing right in the town centre so is worth a call on the way back.

Plan B

is another cruise to the top of Northern Ireland and on to the Western Isles of Scotland. The plan would be to leave Caernarfon around 1130 on Saturday 31st May and spend the night at anchor at either Moelfre or Cemaes Bay before crossing to either Port St Mary or Peel, Isle of Man on Sunday 1st June before sailing North spending nights at some of:

  • Ardglass
  • Bangor/Carrickfergus
  • Glenarm
  • Ballycastle (likely the “turn for home point for those on a 2 week cruise)
  • Church Bay, Rathlin Island
  • Port Ellen
  • Loch Tarbert, Jura
  • Oban (likely the “turn for home” point for those away for about 3 weeks)

If conditions allow, I’d like to continue further North up the Sound of Mull and around Ardnamurchan Point to visit some of the Small Isles and Skye.

Plan C

(in the event of the weather looking unsettled and unsuitable for A or B)

In reality there could be a few Plan C’s but one possibility would be to initially cruise the Eastern part of the Irish Sea with stops at some of

  • Liverpool
  • Piel Island
  • Whitehaven
  • Kirkcudbright
  • Isle of Whithorn

before then hopefully crossing over to Northern Ireland either via the Isle of Man or Portpatrick and then heading further North. Destinations and plans to be communicated on the RWYC WhatsApp Group as we go along, with boats free to join in or leave the cruise to suit themselves with maybe a few “key locations” agreed in advance as places for all boats to try and meet up.

Geoff Hilditch
Yacht Aslan
RWYC Cruising Captain