The planned August Bank Holiday round Anglesey was partly foiled by the 
weather. With everyone suffering from cabin fever, we decided on a 6 am start on the Saturday morning. It was the right decision, as four boats left the marina in calm seas with a beautiful sunrise for a back drop. The trip to Porth Wen was perfect with hardly a ripple on the sea. Anchoring in the bay gave us plenty of time for a bacon butty (they always taste better out doors on a nice day), followed by an exploration of the old brick works. As a bonus, a trip round the headland in the dinghy let us explore some of the rocky coast line close up.
The forecast for the day was not good, so late morning we headed back for the safety and shelter of the Menai Straits. The highlight of the trip back was when we were joined by a pod of dolphins - two of them were so close I thought they were coming to join me on board. Why is it that you never have the camera close at hand when you need it? By the time we were back in the Straits, the wind had built up with some choppy seas around Beaumaris. The journey up to Port Dinorwic was uneventful with the waters around Menai Bridge and the Swellies being calm. Overnight though, the winds increased to a force 8 accompanied by the traditional Bank Holiday rain.
Sunday saw most people disillusioned by the weather but the day turned out to be warm and sunny, if not a little breezy. Abermenai Point, however, was sheltered and allowed us to get ashore for the obligatory BBQ. As the tide changed, the sea became a little rougher but with a following sea, the trip back to Port Dinorwic was stress free.
Monday was a typical Bank Holiday with strong winds and rain. On the trip back one of our party was flagged down in the Conwy Channel by a small RIB asking directions to Beaumaris. The waves were about 6 feet and tossing the little boat about. There were two occupants - a young man wearing a thin waterproof and NO life jacket and young girl was wearing a life jacket and what appeared to be a pale blue hoody. They were finally persuaded that the sea was no place to be on a day like this and they finally followed us back to the safety of the Conwy estuary.
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