1.5M Waves In My Drascombe Lugger Through Puffin Sound!

Welcome to my first ever sea adventure in Lulu, my trusty Drascombe Lugger.
We have an early start dfrom Conwy in Wales to catch the high tide, so we can use the ebbing tide all the way from Conwy, through the Puffin sound and on to Moelfre in Red Wharf Bay.
I have a local with me in the shape of Norman who's circumnavigated Anglesey many times so i'm in safe hands, although Lulu takes care of both of us as we sail through some pretty big waves on our way.
We stop for a lovely sunny and clam lunch, waiting for the tide to turn and then we take advantage of the wind and set all 3 tan sails and head back to Conwy, this time passing over the north of Puffin Island.
What a day. I think I had all the emotions today. definitely scared at a few points but Lulu just sailed on and hardly a drop of water came over board.
Hope you enjoy the ride and the new style of video which i'm just doing for these special trips on the sea!
00:00 Intro
02:30 Launching
03:49 The route
04:38 Leaving Conwy
06:00 Waves building
07:58 Playing with the outboard
08:41 Collision course!?
09:49 Passing the Menai
12:43 Puffin Sound Ahoy!
13:00 1.5M Waves through the sound
15:37 Calmer seas
16:50 Anchoring for lunch
18:49 A lovely lazy, sunny lunch!
22:10 Weighing anchor
22:32 Sails hoisted!
25:33 Visiting a bigger boat!
26:45 Running Eastward
27:39 Wind gone, we motor home
28:30 Looking for the Fairway Buoy
29:28 Navigating Conwy Bouyage at low tide!
32:49 We made it!
🌐 My new website: sailingwithdave.com
❤️ Comments are open, ask anything you want in the comments section!
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[@ianseddon9347]

Superb - my youth revisited 50 years on! A beautifully made film, thank you Dave.

[@SailingWithDave]

Haha. I'm playing catch up and in many ways i'm living my sailing youth right now so glad it sparked a few memories for you!

[@fibber2u]

Puffin Island done: can't wait for Tierra del Fuego. Great Video

[@jinksomiabodyart3189]

Such a feel good video, thank you. Strong winds.

[@SailingWithDave]

Many thanks for the kind comment. Hopefully i'll be doing more videos like this in season 4!

[@anotherangleUK]

Brilliant video and super narration bringing us along on the journey. Somehow the Lugger looks so much at home out on the open water. Looking forward to more of this content. Phil.

[@fat_tommo_goes_boating]

All we need is a coastliner passing and it would be perfect content 😂

[@anotherangleUK]

@@fat_tommo_goes_boating Agreed, looks nice in those parts.

[@SailingWithDave]

Hi There. Yes I was very impressed and it was a good idea to go with someone else, a lot more experienced. The boat handled those waves very well, but on my own, they may well have beaten me!!!

[@ganlyb]

My friend's dad used to take us out on the big Atlantic rollers off the side of hook head in wexford. These rollers were above the height of the lugger master. It was fabulous

[@SailingWithDave]

Oh yes thats a crazy feeling. In the attempt to circumnavigate Anglesey, we turned after the wreck on Caernafon bar, sailing over "Middle sands" and up to the Cardinal marker south of Landy Island without incedent. Norman later asked me what I thought about the 3M rollers coming in over there. They came out of nowhere. I do remember losing sight of his mast actually and yoyu can see them on the video, although the video never gives the waves justice. "I hardly thought about them" I said to Norman. He replied, "They were breaking 20M further in where I was"!!!

[@HELIFAN1]

Very impressive, Dave! Worth the waiting. Beautiful environment, challenging waves and epic editing. The looks on your face are priceless. Looking forward to your next adventure 👍

[@SailingWithDave]

Many thanks. Yes it was pretty amazing getting onto the open sea at last. Hope the editing was OK. I am learning a new set of skills with video editing!!

[@DinghyCruisingKingfisher]

Congratulations Dave, great to see you go up a level! Lulu is looking great. Josh

[@SailingWithDave]

Cheers Josh. Thanks for the comment. Definitely a level up for me, I think the boat took in her stride!!!

[@joewilliams5396]

The Journey and music was fantastic, great Job.

[@SailingWithDave]

Hi Joe. Glad you like it. I did a few little editing courses and thought I would put them into action. More to come!!!

[@davidnavin6285]

Finally, you did it! Nice one Dave, and Lulu.. I really want to get on the sea myself now but I've a load of work to do 1st (dratt's) It'll take me a week just to sew 2 reefs into my main, still, it is only mid January yet and the sea isn't as forgiving as it will be in a few months. Thanks Norman!

[@SailingWithDave]

Hi David, Many thanks and yes definitely get out onto the sea if you can. It was amazing and to be honest has left me wanting a lot more!!! The Lake is shrinking faster than it ever was now!

[@davidpoots8362]

Lovely trip and you having survived the overfalls at Puffin Island you can feel heroic.

[@SailingWithDave]

Hi David. Many thanks and yes they were a bit crazy for me but Norman didnlt flinch and the boat was fine so I guess we were OK!!! I think we had a bit of wind over tide there.

[@richardallen2091]

great video Dave , I really enjoyed it , a very sensible idea to take someone along with you with lots of experience ,

[@SailingWithDave]

Thanks Richard. Definitely good having Norman aboard. I'm not sure what I would have made of those waves going through the sound if I was on my own so it was nice to have someone there who could show me how good the boat is.

[@etap123456]

what a amazing video.... 👍👍🤗🤗🤗

[@SailingWithDave]

Well thankyou very much for that. I have a few more of these to come!

[@stuartmenziesfarrant]

Excellent to see you out on the briny Dave! Proper dinghy cruising commences! Looking forward to more adventures in the lugger. Well done with that swell, a little too much for my Wanderer to cope with I think.

[@SailingWithDave]

Cheers Stuart. Wait and see the next trips where I sail along with a Wanderer. A great boat. Very quick in light winds!!!

[@mutley192]

well that was worth the wait, well compiled video and narration and loved the music score as well. Lulu certainly handled the conditions well, not being seasick is an art , ive fed the fish many a time , including at national events lol look forward to the next

[@SailingWithDave]

Cheers Mate. Yes it was pretty cool and I think Norman said not keeping active when running can result in a bot of the old sea sickness. I was fine after taking the helm and motoring again. Maybe you come and join us next season!!!

[@mutley192]

in lulu yes @@SailingWithDave

[@fat_tommo_goes_boating]

Well done Dave. Lulu won't give up before you bottle it and that's how it should be. The sea is always different, the same part can change in minutes, which is part of the fun. I get seasick at times too, sometimes I'm not sick for a year the suddenly will be 2 trips in a row, then it will disappear again. I gave up trying to understand it 😂

[@SailingWithDave]

Cheers Tommo. You're definitely right about that. Going through the Puffin sound, I was definitely unsure, whereas Norman, who has gone round Angelsey many times, was just chilling!!! The boat was fine too. Not one drop of water came over the bow during those waves.

[@andyomullane558]

Great video. I did my competent crew up there years ago. It’s called the swellies for a reason….😅

[@SailingWithDave]

Hi Andy. Did you do that at Plas Menai? You see their yacht pass a-stern of us as we leave the Conwy bouyage. The big waves we had were going through Puffin sound, just up from the dreaded "Swellies". We had a mid-tide, wind over tide there so the boat did really well. I have yet to conquer the swellies but this season coming (season 4) that will be different!!!

[@andyomullane558]

@@SailingWithDave it was out of Conway over 20 years ago. A great experience

[@davidweaver516]

Look at her go ❤

[@SailingWithDave]

Haha, yes I must say I was very impressed with Lulu. She handled those waves magnificently.

[@ShoeProtestorGrrrr]

Great video. Can I come next time?

[@SailingWithDave]

Hi There. So I am planning in for Season 4 now and hoping to do a few more DCa and Drascombe rallys in this one. I will try and publish what the plan is and you're welcome to join.

[@roberteastwood9886]

That moment when you turn the engine off and it all goes silent...

[@SailingWithDave]

Hi Robert. I know exactly the point you mean. Yes it was lovely and at that point we were sailing for real. Was a shame about the slight lack of wind. Just means we have to do it again!!!

[@user-fu9vj9ix3g]

Sea state of 3.5 out of 5 for a Drascomb.

[@SailingWithDave]

I agree, although those waves were large, they were bigger for me than the boat. She just rose up and pover them and hardly a spot of water came over the bow. A genuinly seaworthy little boat!

[@user-fu9vj9ix3g]

@@SailingWithDave That boat is an All-Time great design. Just the right length-to-beam ratio, generous freeboard anf flare, not too heavy, bobs over high waves like a cork. Had the wind been higher, and the waves breaking, you would have been wet for sure. Get an electric pump that self activates. Cheers from Puget Sound, Washington State, USA. 👍

[@SailingWithDave]

@@user-fu9vj9ix3g Yes, defnitely not a great idfea goiung through Puffin sounf with wind over tide, but all was well. In fact I have just fitted an electric bilge to Lulu and it is amazing!!! Not self activated but I can add a switch if I need to. WIll definitely help to bail water without havong to worry about pumping whilst tring to sail.

[@user-fu9vj9ix3g]

@@SailingWithDave 👍

[@johnodonnell9180]

1.5 m waves? Perhaps 1.5 ft.

[@SailingWithDave]

Hi John, some of them were definitely 5 feet. They were 3 feet higher than the bow before the boat rose above them. That's why it was a very good idea to take someone experienced with me. Had I been on my own, i'm not certain what I would have done. Maybe try to turn back and end up with them on my beam. Unfortunately the camera never gives the wave size proper justice, and I guess when you consider the camera is probably 3 or 4 feet up from the trough of the waves so they never look as big, but I can tell you for certain they were 5 feet.

[@johnodonnell9180]

No where near 1.5 mtrs. We all had to start somewhere and it is wise to build experience in good conditions when making the transition from lake to sea. The motor cruise kept clear in ample time. It was really not ‘last minute’ but judgements will improve with experience. The music was rather melodramatic but it reflected your sense of achievement and perfectly valid for that reason but on a video for public view?