Photographs © John H. Luxton 2008

BALMORAL is seen at Menai Bridge Pier late in the afternoon of July 20 after completing an Anglesey coastal cruise. It had been intended that day to operate a "Round The Island" sailing however, due to adverse sea conditions brought about by the strong westerly winds the previous day the planned itinerary was modified and the BALMORAL sailed from Menai Bridge to Caernarfon before returning "under the bridges and cruising the south, east and northern coasts as far as Wylfa, before returning to Menai Bridge, The present pier dates from 1969 and replaced the previous structure, which dated back to the Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company. Berthed alongside BALMORAL is Vosper Thornycroft's PRINCE MADOG which is chartered to the University of Wales department of Ocean Sciences.