Launching sea craft at Porthdinllaen

Register your sea craft  

Before launching or using sea craft at Porthdinllaen you will need to register your craft with Gwynedd Council. The registration process aims to ensure safety on the water.  

It’s a way of keeping track of vessels launching in Gwynedd and ensures that the owner of a vessel can be contacted, if required.   

All power boats and jet-skis launched in Gwynedd must be registered with Gwynedd Council and have either a seasonal or daily launching permit. All vessels less than 10 HP must also register. 

Register and launch a power boat / jet-ski (llyw.cymru)

Follow launching protocol  

• There is no vehicle access to the beach at Porthdinllaen village (near the Ty Coch). The access point for launching is at the bottom of Lon Bridin, Morfa Nefyn (near the National Trust car park). 

• Launch as close to the access point as practically possible. 

• No vehicles to head down the beach to the left. 

• Trailers to be neatly located to the right of the access point if tide allows. 

• Vehicles to be removed from the beach and access point (can be parked at the NT car park, if there is space available). 

• Pay launching fees (see full details below) to the Assistant Harbour Master located in the cabin near the beach access point. Please note we currently only accept cash. 

• Adhere to the 4-knot maximum speed limit inshore of the yellow buoys and within the moorings (or within 100m of the coastline if buoys are not present). 

• Maintain a wakeless speed within 50 metres of another personal watercraft, boat, dock, swimmer, skier, angler, fishing equipment, or shoreline. 

Follow the Marine Code  

Porthdinllaen is home to an array of special and diverse wildlife, including one of the largest seagrass meadow in Wales, a vital habitat for young fish, which also helps stabilise the shoreline, store carbon and filter the water.  

Please help minimise the impact to wildlife by following the Marine Code. 

Download the Gwynedd Marine Code 

Launching fees  

There are two options available. You can register your craft with Gwynedd Council for £70 and pay the Statutory Harbour Authority (National Trust) a daily launch fee of £22 each time you launch.  

To help avoid unmanageable numbers of sea craft and ensure consistency, the daily fee is set at the same level as all local authority run slipways in Gwynedd and Anglesey. 

Alternatively, you can purchase an annual launching permit from Gwynedd Council which includes registration and as many launches as you like across Gwynedd for £180.   

Your support helps us keep Porthdinllaen special  

The daily launch fees we collect go towards the management costs of the harbour at Porthdinllaen, including staff costs, mooring devices, pollution control kits and maintenance.  

The craft registration and seasonal launching permit fees go to Gwynedd Council maritime service and help fund beach wardens, buoys, harbours, blue flags etc. 

If you have any thoughts on the current set-up or future changes, please email porthdinllaen@nationaltrust.org.uk