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squiz
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Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3073
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16th June 2018
Windsurfing: Llanfairfechan Wind Direction: SW Wind Stength: 20/25 Surf / Sea State: lumpy then smooth Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: cloudy/rainy start then sunny periods. Max Speed: 29.27 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 38.20 (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)
Saturday 16th June – windsurf **** Llanfairfechan –cloudy/rainy start
then sunny periods.
F2 282 Ride with Tushingham Lightning 6.5 – wind SW 20 to 25 mph
29.27 knot max., 27.83 knot ave., 17.52 knot hour, 23.79 knot mile, 70.80
km., 17.06 knot alpha.
Our fifth night in the lovely and very friendly Llanfairfechan we are
treated like one of the locals now:) The forecast always looked good for a
sail today before we explore the hills again. A good night, a few strong
gusts at bedtime which calmed down fortunately last evenings sun had
disappeared replaced by cloud. We are sheltered here but the wind looked
light so Mag again did her exercises on the beach. Then we moved up to the
free carpark by the small boat compound with it’s easy access to the
launching ramp and grass to rig. We saw Steve Carter on the way who said
with the wind in the South it is offshore and gusty but it was supposed to
swing SW by the afternoon and he was hoping to sail then after going to an
archaeological open day on Anglesey. We got our prime parking spot and I
unloaded my gear while Mag made the porridge. There were loads of fishermen
by the sea wall, dog walkers, mums and kids in wetsuits and people
generally enjoying the weekend, the café was busy too but then the rain
started and lasted on and off until at least 2.30! I checked the wind
several times it looked sailable even if a huge wind shadow in front of the
ramp but there was nobody else windsurfing and I am not going out in the
rain! We just relaxed in the van watching the fishermen get wet, they are a
hardy bunch in these parts wearing t-shirts and kids in the sea, we had fun
listening to Graham Norton and then a top Golden hour of 1973 including
‘The Groover’ by my favourite T.Rex:) Local windsurfer, who we later
learned was Julian, arrived with the rain at its heaviest and was in no
hurry to rig. Then the sun actually made I,t the 20 mph southerly turned SW
and dropped! Steve returned from a damp Anglesey and we debated about
windsurfing, Julian rigged for the expected wind a 6m, while after much
indecision, I nearly went for 7.8, in the end rigged 6.5 again. I was glad
I did as the wind had freshened considerably by now. At 3.15 Mag took a pic
of Julian and me before setting off on a 5 mile walk up the coast to
Penmaenmawr (try pronouncing that! ) and I was on the water by 3.30
following Julian all the way over to the tip of Anglesey but didn’t land
as a bit of a wind shadow but good planing all the way despite the very
lumpy sea, to be honest this is one of the worst places I have ever sailed
for lumpy sea but the tide had changed and was going out which seems to
rough it up! I had some fun in the sun going for an hour and a mile and was
pleased with the result:) I came in after a 1 hour 20 minutes but Mag was
still out walking so I headed out as she approached, returning along the
prom. With the tide dropping you have to be careful as it gets shallow and
a couple of miles out the water coloured up so I dropped in and found I was
in waist deep water, a bit surreal being so far offshore but you could
stand and admire the wonderful scenery all around:) I whizzed back in for
my waterproof camera and headed out to Dutchman’s Bank to take some pics.
It took me three attempts to find the shallow water but got some OK shots.
I then tried to take some handheld video, not easy in a lumpy sea in 25
knots of wind! I found some flat water, quickly put the camera down my
wetsuit, bearing off and getting 28 knots - my best for here so I then
spent an hour sailing way offshore in smooth water taking care not to get
too close to the bank and missed 30 knots by a whisker. I had it all to
myself as Julian and Steve had packed up but it gets dark late here so I
had plenty of time. Getting knackered now and when the plastic covering on
my harness line broke it was time to call it a day and headed ashore even
if I did have a bit of a walk back to the van as the tide was well out now.
Turned into a top day in the end beating all my previous speeds for here.
As I was changing Julian took Mag to the small sailing club so she could
fill up our water bottles, then we had the most delicious carbonara. With
the van loaded we drove to the Co-op and then up the A 55 to
Abergwyngregyn, taking the single track, dead end road up into the wilds
hoping to stay the night in the small carpark. When we got there it was
full, a couple of cars had just arrived with some youngsters heading up
into the mountains with camping gear. An outdoor centre van with a couple
of young ladies in was waiting, then their clients arrived and they left
leaving a nice sheltered spot by a stone wall:) The ground slopes but we
get fairly level and we should have a quiet night up here if only the wind
would drop! Tomorrow we hope to walk to Llyn Anafon a small mountain Lake
and apparently very pretty!
Photo Gallery Here
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