Menai Bridge
Before launching your craft it is vitally important for your own personal safety and the safety of others that you take the time to read carefully the Rules & Regulations as set out by Gwynedd Council. Please adhere to these rules and regulations at all time.
Menai Bridge village, and launch location are literally minutes from either Menai Suspension Bridge, or Britannia Bridge on the A545.
Launching from here offers the wide, fast flowing Menai Straits (pic. 2), the coastlines of the mainland and Anglesey, passage under both historic bridges, as well as access to the Llyn Peninsula in one direction, and Llandudno’s Great Orme in the other.
The slipway here (pic. 1) is of good, wide concrete construction, and available at all states of tide. There is a free gravelled trailer park (pic. 4) halfway down the slipway; but please be aware that it FLOODS frequently at high tide, so you may not want to leave your trailer there if skiing on a rising tide. 7 metres and above is when it is sure to flood, but wind against tide and big swells can mean flooding at lower heights.
*BE AWARE THIS STILL HAPPENS REGULARLY TO VEHICLES LEFT IN THE TRAILER PARK. PLEASE READ YOUR TIDE TABLES*
Directions
(from A55)
Continue along the A55, crossing the straights on The Britannia Bridge. Take the 1st exit (j8A) onto the A5/ A545 signed Menai Bridge & Beaumaris. Continue along the A545 until you reach the Menai Bridge roundabout. Continue straight over and into Menai Bridge village. By the Post Office you will see Water Street on your right. Take this turn, and it will lead you past Porth Daniel Watersports and on to the Porth y Wrach slipway.
Useful Information:
GPS co-ordinates
53.13.415
004.09.678
Nearest Fuel: Shell Filling Station, Menai Bridge
Local Hazards & information
*Please adhere to the posted 8 Knot speed limits within the moorings and in the immediate area of the slipway at this location. There is a small group of residents living alongside the water, who do not like power craft use and regularly log complaints/photographs & video’s with Anglesey Council.
Continued multi-agency efforts are being made to try and better integrate power craft use with the local community in this area. Most recently, this has led to the drawing up of the “Menai Strait Code of Conduct“. This advisory/ educational leaflet is available online & also from the Slipway Wardens. To access the Code online, please click on the red link above & scroll down to the bottom of the page, to access the PDF file.
Currents in the Straits can be VERY strong! Please take care when launching and recovering your ski as it may be more difficult than you are used to.
Due to the strong currents and eddies that occur down tide of the bridge supports, we strongly advise that you DO NOT ski too close to the support structures of either bridge. You may incur substantial damage to your ski, or injure yourself. You also need to be aware of “The Swellies”, which are an infamous part of the Straits. They are formed by massive submerged rock formations, between the two bridges. Unless riding on a rising/ high tide, these rocks can be a serious navigation & collision hazard. Please take a look at the area during low tide, or Google search images of “The Swellies” before launching here for the 1st time.
Useful Contacts:
Coast Guard (Holyhead) : 01407 762051
VHF Channels : 14/16
Anglesey Maritime : 01248 752435
In an Emergency: Call 999
