Cardiff Bay

[Rinker]

For those of you who like to trail to new grounds Cardiff Bay is worth a visit. There is an excellent slipway at Channel View Leisure Centre at Jim Driscoll Way, which is owned by the City council , where launching and parking cost £11 (including a £5 deposit) . The Bay itself is quite sheltered with no speed limit when clear of the rivers (Taff and Ely) Both Rivers can be explored for a short distance The Taff into the City Centre past the Millenium Stadium, The Ely past the white Water centre
and Cardiff Marine Village onto some narrow but quite secluded spots. The main attraction is Mermaid Quays where you can tie up to the pontoons with a pay and display machine which is again very reasonable. There are also overnight berths available. Mermaid Quays is very busy in the summer months with numerous bars and restaurants (the Cosmo oriental buffet is a favourite with a lunchtime eat as much as you can for £6.99) You will be spoilt for choice with Italian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, American, Traditional and good old Harry Ramsden all within 100m of the berths. There is plenty of accomodation available including the bay front St Davids and the popular chain hotels. The beautiful Millenium (again) Centre and a bowling alley, nightclub and multiplex are again within a few hundred metres and if you are a Dr Who or Torchwood fan then you are exactly where a lot of it is/was filmed.
The Bristol channel is freely accessed at all states of tide through the Barrage locks with Penarth and Barry Island (Gavin and Stacey) a short distance to the West. Weston Super Mare is a short hop accross the channel with Flat Holm and Steep Holm Islands of interest. The Victorian seaside town of Penarth is just outside the Barrage locks and due to it's Eastward facing beach it is sheltered from the prevailing South Westerlies , it is home to Penarth waterski club and has been the venue for many international waterski events. The club is still very active and have the sole permission to ski in Cardiff bay on designated days.
I would highly recomend you put Cardiff on your must visit list

[Zygnema]

Did my first night time navigation back from Cardiff to Portishead with a couple of the lads from work it was a little bumpy when we left Portishead in the afternoon .We had a great time in one of the restaurants there but had not properly listened to the weather forecast and I had only been power boating for a couple of weeks.Anyway the wind had got up and all we could see in the dark as we left the barrage lock was a vista of White horses ,bearing in mind we are in a 5.5 mtr rib.After about an hour Cardiff was still only a couple of miles behind us ! We eventually got nearer to the English coast which was more sheltered
Got back to Portishead just in time (near midnight ) for the last lock of the tide and just in time to prevent the staff at the Marina reporting us missing ! The lads only come out in the daytime now.
We are now much better prepared and will go back again soon and it was fun for me not sure about the lads though !!

Zygnema

[T 15]

going again to Cardiff Bay ( CYC ) in August ( Fri 12th > Mon 15th ) for our classic speedboat rally, think its a great location.

the pic in my avatar was taken in Cardiff Bay.

This year the main rally event for the public will be on Sunday 14th based around Mermaid Quay.

[Rinker]

T15,

I was about in the bay last year and took a few snaps of some of the boats, I've had a quick scan but none of yours though.

I tried to get some shots of the boats in action but the patrol boats kept us clear. Any way as i now know how to post pictures I'll put a few up , you may recognise some.

[T 15]

thanks for the pics......


you missed me.............

well you can get some pics of me this August.............


if you about in August, come over & say Hi..........