Cruising In Ireland

[CruisingIreland]

Have you sailed in Ireland?
I have organised a not for profit cruise in company, called The Gathering Cruise, along the Irish coastline for July 2013. A maximum of 100 yachts from the around the world will enter. They can join the cruise at any point from Dublin to Dingle (or Galway to Kinsale for our transatlantic visitors), with a big party in Kinsale for the participants and any visiting friends. It's gonna be a great get together . Check it out on www.thegatheringcruise.ie
I am passionate about the Irish coastline and it would be great to find out if any of you have been sailing here and what the most memorable port or anchorage was. Please share your stories.

[SaucySailoress]

I just got back from your website, and from there I popped over to like your FB page as well, cos I want a signed copy of this:

100 likes and all names will go into a draw for a signed copy of Damian Foxall's book Ocean Fever. Spread the word on The Gathering Cruise.

Oh, and Ireland? Awesome place. I went to the Cork Jazz Festival maybe twenty years back - awesome people, awesome beer, and awesome moonlight. Can't remember much else... except that I got back to work afterwards three days late.

[S/V Alchemy]

I would love to source a webpage or other resource that could tell me the depths and whether or not there are harbour bars in various smaller Irish harbours. I would like to visit Clonakilty some day by boat, and while I am prepared to go to a drying harbour, I would like to tie up without unnecessary running aground.

I find depth resources a little scarce in Ireland (outside of charts, of course) when compared to those of Britain.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by CruisingIreland

Have you sailed in Ireland?
I am passionate about the Irish coastline and it would be great to find out if any of you have been sailing here and what the most memorable port or anchorage was. Please share your stories.

Sadly only the northern coastline, but fab memories of Portrush and Port Stewart. Trips across to Rathlin Island plus fish and chips on the harbour of Ballycastle. Those cliffs on the North Atrim Coast are specatacular, 600 ft straight into the sea from memory. County Down also has some really quaint little harbours and Strangford Lough is not to be missed and a great dive if scary dive

Pete

[CruisingIreland]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

I would love to source a webpage or other resource that could tell me the depths and whether or not there are harbour bars in various smaller Irish harbours. I would like to visit Clonakilty some day by boat, and while I am prepared to go to a drying harbour, I would like to tie up without unnecessary running aground.

I find depth resources a little scarce in Ireland (outside of charts, of course) when compared to those of Britain.

Hi There
You are in luck. I am working on a new resource as part of The Gathering Cruise. www.gatheringcruise.ie is a web site to give information about a non profit sailing in company from Dublin to Dingle and as part of that we are collating information about the anchorages, moorings and marinas of Ireland.
The site won't get too technical on nav but stick to simple details of port accessibility and infrastructure. So hopefully it will give you what you want. The site currently only tells you about the cruise, but searchable port detail will be up before end of April - keep an eye out. If you have an example of a site on britain that is giving you the level of info you refer to please send on the link. FYI - Clonakilty does dry out and is rather muddy, and "not deep enough for a yacht to lie afloat at LW" (quoted from South and West Coasts of Ireland Sailing Directions) Ring Pier is suitable for your dinghy and their are many small boat moorings there, not sure of yacht access there though. The guide warns great care in entering cos of the sand bar. Hope this helps and hope to see you on our beautiful coast soon

[CruisingIreland]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Sadly only the northern coastline, but fab memories of Portrush and Port Stewart. Trips across to Rathlin Island plus fish and chips on the harbour of Ballycastle. Those cliffs on the North Atrim Coast are specatacular, 600 ft straight into the sea from memory. County Down also has some really quaint little harbours and Strangford Lough is not to be missed and a great dive if scary dive

Pete

That is a stretch I haven't done myself yet, but is on the list South West is my home ground - little sheltered harbours, tin roof pubs, the Fastnet of course, uninhabited islands with abandoned villages - all ready for you to explore. Keep an eye on the cruise web site for descriptions of passages, images and port info - all gonna be up soon. The Gathering Cruise - a chance to spread the word about how wonderful the coastline is here. As previous post mentioned, it is hard to get a feel for ports without buying the charts and it is great to get an idea before investing. See you here soon.