Moorings in North Wales coast

This stretch of the North Wales coast runs east from the Conwy estuary, past Llandudno on the Creuddyn peninsula and the resorts of Rhos-on-Sea and Colwyn Bay, to Rhyl and on towards the Point of Ayr, where the Dee estuary opens into Liverpool Bay. The leisure moorings on this stretch are in two council-run harbours, at Rhyl and Rhos-on-Sea.

Rhyl's harbour, known as Foryd Harbour, lies at the mouth of the River Clwyd, which becomes tidal where the Elwy joins it and then runs through a narrow estuary to the Irish Sea. Denbighshire County Council runs the harbour, with staff on duty every day of the year. A rebuild gave it new pontoons and quay walls and a 65 metre launching slipway, usable for about two and a half hours either side of high water. The Pont y Ddraig foot and cycle bridge, opened in October 2013, crosses the harbour and opens for boats on request to the harbour office, although it stays shut in winds of Force 7 and above. The 1932 Foryd Harbour Bridge carries the road across the river to Kinmel Bay.

The harbour dries, with a drying height of 4 metres above chart datum, so a boat kept here over low water must be able to take the ground. The approach channel is marked by red port-hand beacons, and tidal streams in the channel and harbour can run at more than 3 knots. Rhyl offers 8 metre and 10 metre moorings and serviced and non-serviced pontoon berths on annual terms, plus visitor nights, and demand is high enough that there is a waiting list.

Further west, Conwy Harbour Authority, part of Conwy County Borough Council, looks after moorings behind the breakwater at Rhos-on-Sea as well as its main harbour in the Conwy estuary. The authority describes the Rhos moorings as sheltered, with easy access to the open sea and around six hours of use on each tide. The council also runs public slipways at Porth Eirias in Colwyn Bay, where a watersports centre teaches sailing and power boating, and at Venue Cymru in Llandudno.

Moorings on the North Wales coast are therefore mainly drying moorings and pontoon berths at Rhyl and breakwater moorings at Rhos-on-Sea, with the marinas of the Conwy estuary a short passage to the west.