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Pwllheli Harbour/ Marina (Hafan Pwllheli)

Your Comments: 4 Read or add your comments

Courtesy Flag

Flag, Red Ensign

Waypoint

Near RW Safe Water Mark 52:53'.02 N 004:23'.08 W

Charts

Admiralty, 1512, 1971

Rules & Regulations

Unknown

Hazards

No particular hazards in the close approaches. Entrance channel silting badly, see navigation photos

Tidal Data Times & Range

HW = Dover -0300 MHWS 5.0m, MHWN 3.4m, MLWN 1.9m, MLWS 0.5m (links)

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General Description

Pwllheli is an important market town, and the unofficial capital of the Llyn Peninsular. It's a well-known Seaside resort, with two Blue Flag beaches. The harbour was improved in the late 90s to form Hafan Pwllheli, a large Marina with over 400 berths for vessels up to 80ft. A monitored and dredged channel provides 24-hour access for boats of moderate draft (1 m at MLWS).

A full range of facilities has been developed to cater for yachtsmen/ motorboaters with a choice of boatyards, marine specialists and repair options all close at hand. Shelter is good in Tremadoc Bay which is protected to a great extent by Sarn Badrig (St Patrick's Causeway). This makes Pwllheli one of the few harbours in the Cardigan Bay area that can be entered in almost any conditions. As a bonus it is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Snowdonia National Park is nearby.

Bearing in mind it's resort status, the town offers a wide range of cafes, pubs and restaurants as well as a huge market on Wednesdays. Transport connections are reasonable.

The Marina was developed by Gwynedd Council with help from the EEC, and is unusual in that it is publicly owned. A bold move that has no doubt paid off. ... read more

Approach

If approaching from the South attention needs to be paid to St Patrick's Causeway (Sarn Badrig) which projects into the sea 11 miles and has plenty of drying patches which are mainly rock or stone, and not to be trifled with.

It projects from Mochras Point, being steep to on its southern side and more shoal to the north. It's south-westerly extremity is marked by a westerly cardinal buoy, "Causeway" (Q(9)15s), and passing seawards of this clears the danger. Alternatively there is an inshore route, the East Passage that could be used by the intrepid Mariner for a few hours either side of high water. ... read more

Berthing, Mooring & Anchoring

Call the Marina on VHF channel 80, callsign Hafan Pwllheli, to arrange your berth, or telephone 01758 701219.

Berth where directed by Marina staff. ... read more

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Your Ratings & Comments

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4 comments

Entrance Channel update April 2013

Written by Bryant | 22nd Apr 2013

The channel into the harbour area still has not been dredged. It is going to be scraped to remove raised areas within the channel during May 2013 and this will take just a couple of days. The main dredging will take place in the autumn of this year BUT the dredging will start at the inner basin, will then dredge the marina area and will then move to the channel. It is estimated that the dredging of the channel won’t start till around early 2014. I took my boat out at low water 20/04/13 (approx 11.30 local time) and the tide tables gave a depth of 2.2 metres. The air pressure was 1035 which gives a compression below standard of 220cms giving an approximate depth of 2 mts. My boat draws 1.5 mts (5 foot) and the channel is dredged to 0.59 below chart datum. The shallowest depth registered below my keel was 0.5 mts and this was close to the marina nearly opposite the tidal-gauge post near the fuelling pontoon. As stated before, keep very close to the “trot” moorings to stay in the deepest water, and follow the “trots” right round to the marina. Keep a very wary eye on your depth gauge if going to the fuelling pontoon. The shallow area mentioned before by the very first tidal-gauge post when entering the channel didn’t register when I passed over it.

Vegable

Update to additional information

Written by vegable | 9th May 2012

This last Easter the outer row of pylons (trots) have been removed so that the channel is now following the outgoing river bed. The green floating starboard buoys have also been moved further across the channel. The change isn’t immediately noticeable and hasn’t noticeably altered the passage through, but has made a big difference in depth. My boat has a 5’ (1.6m) draft and was able to go up the channel at LW + 2hrs (LW tide depth 0.2m) with what looked to be 1m clearance below the keel. The depth guage near the entrance read just on 3 metres. The shallowest area now is just beyond the 1st depth gauge situated near the entrance.
The whole channel is due to be dredged in September 2012.

1 of 1 people found this helpful

Tom Webb, around Britain on a 21' Beneteau 2011

Written by Tom Webb Sailing | 31st Oct 2011

14/8 – Pwllheli – Pwllheli is a large commercial marina that also runs a water sport centre, because of this the facilities are fantastic and very clean and modern, the marina is very well sheltered and there is plenty of space to pull up although it’s worth radioing well in advanced to ask directions to you berth as it is quite confusing. When entering the channel is very well marked all the way to the marina.

Additional Information to Pwllheli Harbour & Marina Entrance

Written by vegable | 12th Sep 2011

The main channel has been neglected over recent years and is silting up. Having witnessed RIBs stuck at low water springs I strongly suggest that the entrance chanel is assessed for navigation purposes as being dry at chart datum. There is a drying sandbank opposite the office entrance to Partingtons Yard (approximately a third of the way down the channel on the port side) and at this point mariners are advised to be as close to the "post-moorings" as possible. Stay within the channel buoys but mariners should be closer to the porthand buoys rather than the floating starboardhand buoys. The sandbank originates from the starboard side of the channel almost adjacent to the 2nd floating green starboard bouy and it is encroaching across the fairway. Continue to pass along-side these moorings until the channel widens always following the channel bouys. The depth guages are accurate.

1 of 1 people found this helpful