Criccieth is situated on the south coast of the Lleyn Penninsula in North Wales. It is on Tremadoc Bay which is an offshoot of Cardigan Bay. As it faces south it is exposed to the prevailing winds. The town has no harbour. Two bays are separated by a prominent headland on which there is a castle. A stone breakwater in the east bay offers some protection and boats can be launched down the shingle beach. This is where the Lifeboat Station and the launching ramp can be found. About two miles to the west of the castle a small river, the Dwyfor, empties into the sea. Small boats up to 35' were moored here and there are records of small brigs being built at Aberkin which is about a mile and a half inland. This harbour is only accessible at high tide.

The nearby harbour of Portmadoc was opened in 1825. Entrance to this port was over a very dangerous bar and into the combined estuaries of the Dwyryd and Glaslyn rivers. The berths, where slate from the quarries at Blaenau Ffestiniog was loaded, were situated on the western side of the estuary where the Glaslyn had been diverted by the construction of an embankment (y "Cob"). Pwllheli was also a busy harbour and much older with a maritime history going back to mediaeval times.

The combination of the lee shore, the bar at Porthmadog and St Patricks Causeway (a finger of foul ground which dries in places at LW) called for skilfull seamanship on the part of the early mariners. The first ships built at Pwllheli, Portmadoc and Borth y Gest (also within the estuary) were snows and brigs which were not the most handy vessels. This was perhaps a contributory factor in the adoption of the schooner rig in the area. The ships would anchor in St Tudwal's roads until tide and wind were favourable for entry. Later a steam paddle tug was purchased which greatly improved matters.

Between Criccieth and Porthmadog lies Black Rock Sands. This is a very busy tourist area and in the summer months is packed with campers, caravaners and day trippers. Many bring speedboats and jetskis but unfortunately often have little experience of the sea.

I would appreciate any information or anecdotes about the Pwllheli, Barmouth and Abersoch lifeboats as this section tends to be biased towards my home town of Criccieth.

Os sefwch ar ben castell Cricieth â gwynebu'r ddê fe gwelwch hôll Bae Tremadog ond Trwyn Cilan. Mae'r bae yn cornel gogledd dwyrain ô Bae Ceredigion. I'r chwith mae'r tîr yn teuddu î'r dwyrain at gêg yr afon Glaslyn, wedyn ddê, heibio Harlech â Mochras î'r Bermo. Ar y llaw dde mae'r arfordir yn ffurfio rownd î'r gorllewin, heibio'r afon Dwyfor, Pen y Chain, Abererch, Pwllheli ag Abersoch î'r ynysoedd St Tudwal.

Ô Mochras y mae bys ô cerrig ym ymestyn allan deng milltir i'r dde 'orllewin. Y mae hwn yn sychu yn lleoedd ar gwaelod y llanw. Enw'r greigle peryglus yma yw Sarn Badrig.

Yn y dyddiau llongau hwylio, pan nesau â Brydain Mawr, 'roedd y capten yn dibynu am secstant â mesuro dyfnder y dwr i penderfynu ei safle. Mewn tywydd temystlog 'roedd hwn ddim yn haws. Ar ol cyrraedd y lledred cywir 'roedd rhaid newid cwrs i rhedeg i fynny'r Sianel. Ambell tro methodd nhw â ddallgeibwyd i'r Mor Iwerddon neu Bae Ceridigion lle fe'u ddryllwyd ar Sarn Badrig. Mae rhai llongau, yn rhwym i Lerpwl, wedi ddryllo ar ôl cangymeru yr oleu ar Ynys Enlli am un â'r arfordir Iwerddon â hwylio bell i'r dwyrain ô'i cwrs cywir. Am mlynyddoedd 'roedd yr unig siart ô'r bae yn celwyddog â ddim yn ddangos y sarn ô gwbl.

'Roedd llongau Porthmadog â Bwllheli yn hwylio mewn lle peryglus, hefo'r gwynt ar y lan rhan mwyaf ô'r amser â ddim lle ô cysgod neu cysur heblaw'r angorfa tu ôl i ynysoedd St Tudwal. Collwyd llawer ohonynt ar y sarn neu y traethau rhwng Bwllheli â'r Bermo.

Ar wahanol amseroedd sefydlwyd gorsafoedd badau achub yn y Bermo, Porthmadog, Cricieth, Pwllheli ag Abersoch. Er i cannoedd boddi yn y bae, achubwyd llawer ô forwr gan y dynion dewr yma.

Rhwng Cricieth a Porthmadog y mae Traeth Graig Ddu. Y mae hwn yn lle brysur iawn hefo ymwelwyr. Yn yr haf y mae llawer o cychod yn y fan yma yn cael eu defnyddio gan pobl, mae'n anfodus i dweud, heb wybodaeth am y mor.

• Click here for my history of the Criccieth Lifeboat (unofficial site)
• Click here for the Official Criccieth Lifeboat Station Website
• Click here for my Tremadoc Bay wreck database (over a hundred and fifty incidents)
• Click here for an old chart of St Tudwal's Roads