Post by sophieba on Sept 11, 2016 16:15:10 GMT 1
June 2016 we visited the following ports on the east coast of Ireland, Courtown, Arklow, Wicklow, Dunlaoghaire, Colntarf, Howth and Wexford. We found Wexford Bay to be a good anchorage and managed to get shelter there in both northerly and north westerly strong winds but it would not be suitable in any easterly wind. We found the passage into Wexford relatively easy to follow, providing you followed the buoyage rather than the chart, and passed the Bar buoy a little before 2 hours before high water [almost a neap tide]. We were accompanied by a fin keel boat drawing 1.8m but they did have to wait a little for the final entry to port. We called them on the radio when our depth went down to 1.6m. We left Wexford 2.5 hours before high water and on the advice of local fishing boats kept close to the port markers.
Neither Wicklow nor Courtown appeared to have harbour masters or anyone collecting harbour dues - but there were also no facilities although Wicklow sailing club made us welcome and offered us the opportunity to view on screen the progress of the boats on the Around Ireland race - which we had seen setting off on our passage from Arklow to Wicklow.
As we progressed along the coast we found a lot of difference in the timing of tidal currents relative to high and low water but taking local advice managed to avoid the worst of a foul tide going south from Wicklow by keeping close into the shore [obviously avoiding the sand banks].
Neither Wicklow nor Courtown appeared to have harbour masters or anyone collecting harbour dues - but there were also no facilities although Wicklow sailing club made us welcome and offered us the opportunity to view on screen the progress of the boats on the Around Ireland race - which we had seen setting off on our passage from Arklow to Wicklow.
As we progressed along the coast we found a lot of difference in the timing of tidal currents relative to high and low water but taking local advice managed to avoid the worst of a foul tide going south from Wicklow by keeping close into the shore [obviously avoiding the sand banks].