# Menai Straits



## danube4 (Aug 20, 2005)

Rushie, You asked if anyone sailed the Menai Straits. I sailed up and down the Swellies, Liverpool-Caernarfon,Two or three times a month,1954.
Used to go through the Swellies Day or Night. Never had a pilot.
Very scarey place in the dark knowing about the rocks and currents.
Photos and bit of info, My gallery pages 10-11.
Barney.


----------



## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

Cheers Barney,

Poor old HMS Conway, a fine ship she was, and to last so long was amazing.

What cargoes did you used to take into Caernarvon, and where from mate..?

Cheers,

Rushie


----------



## danube4 (Aug 20, 2005)

Hi Rushie, Used to load cattle food from Bibbys Liverpool, Can't remember which dock. We would go past the Ormes Head, round Puffin Island and up the Straits to Cappers Quay Caernarfon. Reload Granite Stone from Trefor, Penmaenmawr, or Llandullas. For Preston or Liverpool.


----------



## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

Cheers,

Only Llandulas survives.....Caernarvon, Trefor and Penmaenmawr all gone. Penmaenmawr quarry still supplies around 10 train loads of granite per week.

Cheers,

Rushie


----------



## danube4 (Aug 20, 2005)

*Menai Straits.*

Sorry to hear those places finishing, there never was much work in those area's. Must be bad now. Was it Penmaenmawr were the trucks of granite came down the mountain for a couple of miles?. What happend to Caernarfon, Did it silt up. Pics of Castle from Cappers quay. The straits is a great place for catching Mackerel.


----------



## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

Hi Barney,

Yes Penmaenmawr quarry is absolutely huge, the rockface must be a good 1000ft up and around 2-3 miles away now.!

It was either in the late 60's or early 70's when a German (?) coaster got blown from the jetty on to the beach during a storm. They managed to get all the crew off safely...including a local "lady" who had been invited on board.!

Not sure about Caernarvon. I suppose one of the biggest expoerts was slate, and that industry just died. The fuel berth was on the Straits, down towards the railway station and goods yard...that too now all gone.

Thanks for the pictures. There's a superb website of ships and seafarers of the Lleyn Peninsula run by one of the members of this website - 

www.rhiw.com

Well worth a visit...enjoy..!!

Cheers,

Rushie


----------



## danube4 (Aug 20, 2005)

Hi Rushi, Thanks for all the info. It could get pretty rough around that coast. I used to enjoy that trip,it was great in the summer.
The Rhiw site is very good and interesting. He has a good pic of the Cristo, in coasters

All the best. Barney


----------



## price (Feb 2, 2006)

I visited Port Dinorwic in 1968 on the 'North Trader' ex 'Edenside'. We spent a relaxing couple of days there, including a weekend, loading boxed, dressed slate for St. Malo. The cargo was expertly stowed by a group of local retired mariners. I can remember seeing one of the Llandudno boats, the 'St. Trillo' in the dry dock, preparing for the summer season, like us she was also powered by Crossley Diesels.
I know that slate continued to be exported from Port Dinorwic for a little time after our visit but I am unsure when it ended. Likewise I have been un able to discover the ultimate fate of the 'North Trader', I doubt if she had long to go when I left her later that year. Bruce. (*))


----------



## danube4 (Aug 20, 2005)

Bruce, Try: riversea.tugtalk.co.uk/memories/edenside1941.htm

Photo of Edenside, and history untill she was broken up. If you have any trouble let me know. I have all the info and photo. Barney.


----------



## price (Feb 2, 2006)

Thankyou for the info Barney,
Not only did I find information regarding the North Trader in this site but in addition, information concerning the fate of a number of other vessels I had sailed on in the same column. Amazing. I am very surprised to see that the 'old girl' survived until 1995, she must have had some loving care somewhere along the way. Thanks again. Bruce.


----------



## danube4 (Aug 20, 2005)

Bruce. Nice to hear you found What you wanted.
All the best. Barney.


----------



## BrianP (May 9, 2007)

*Shipping accident at Penmaenmawr*

rusyie,
you will find an account and pictures of the ship Reithi Muller at www.penmaenmawr.com/shipping
Regards,
BrianP


----------



## ddraigmor (Sep 13, 2006)

We towed the 'Gem' off (Robertson's Glasgow) with the 'Afon Las' in the late '80's. Ships seemed to go aground quite a bit at Llandulas.

Jonty


----------



## Trader (Jul 1, 2005)

Glad to see that Llandulas is still going. Loaded there several times with the "Amethyst" and "Emerald" (Robertsons of Glasgow) for Odda in Norway in the 60's. Loaded a couple of times at Penmaenmawr in the 50's on the "Farringay" for Preston and Manchester. Happy days.

Trader.


----------



## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

I remember listening to the calls put out by the Rethi Muller on my Dad's, now mine, old valve radio which had "Trawlers Band".

This was about 1968 as he was living at home then. I asked if we could go and see the ship ashore, but in those days, Penmaenmawr was a long way away from Holyhead. My Dad was also a Coastguard in those days.


----------

