East Coast Ireland from Milford?

Tim Good

Tim Good

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Crossing to Ireland from Milford Haven and then up Scotland via Dublin.

Has anyone any good recommendations for harbours, anchorages etc along there? Wexford seems the most likely place to cross to but doesn't appear to be all that nice from general reading?

Thoughts?
 
The above is fine.

Wexford is also really nice-if you can get in! Phil the Kilmore Quay and Wexford HM gave us a chart of the 5 mile shallow channel into Wexford. He had re-bouyed it the week before. He had to correct it 6 days later as the channel had changed!

Our boat only drew 1.3 metres so it was fine for us. Also another Island Packet owner gave us free use of his mid river mooring just above the Ballast Island that was not in use at the time. The alternative was leaning against the harbour wall or a mussel boat.

Wexford town was lovely, nice small independant shops, a world class Opera house with a senic resturant-we could see our boat on the mooring while we had a meal-and a really friendly boat/sailing club.

Arklow has some new HM pontoons in the old fishing harbour-entrance on the Port side-which were 10 Euro a night last year. Showers if required in the lifeboat station. These pontoons are on the wrong side of the river for the supermarket though.

Have a great trip.
 
I would cross to Kilmore Quay, then Arklow and Howth.

Then consider crossing to IOM - Castletown, Peel and back to Bangor. Then Bangor to Troon. Did that trip in reverse.

I suppose alternatives, staying on the East coast, include Carlingford and Portaferry. Will leave that to the locals to comment
 
Ardglass (cheap fuel) Bangor (Solent Class marina, links to airport and Belfast) Glenarm (basic but friendly, free washing machine in 2014) Ballycastle (great buzz/facilities. Good for bus to Giants C)
 
In Spring tides you get an enormous lift from the tides in the Irish sea. Arklow is well possible from Milford.There are, I understand, some new pontoon berths in the shipyard basin Port side, after the entrance channel opems up and allows a view upriver to the Sailing Club pontoons Starboard side.Depths may get a bit shallow towards the upriver part of these club moorings.There is a marina to starboard with a narrow access channel opposite the Shipyard basin, a sort of crossroads really.Water quality is suspect in the river, wash your mooring warps in fresh and beware of licking fingers!The long awaited Sewage treatment plant might be under construction by now, EU are giving out merry hell, and I cannot say I blame their irritation as the town of Arklow has mushroomed due to good links to South Dublin areas, with little regard for the effects of house effluents on the habitat.
Shelter is good almost everywhere once inside, but the entrance needs care if the wind is in the NE or E sectors, but say over F6.
Once rested up, one has a choice of Wicklow, a bit commercial, and lately, a new facility at Greystones, a lovely village atmosphere here.
Thence to Dun Laoghaire, use Marina or negotiate with one of 4 clubs for a visitors berth.Frequent Electric trains to Dublin City about 25 mins journey time.
It is perfectly possible to visit Dublin itself, careful to keep out of the channel, as ships might only have a metre under them in certain conditions.
And so on, the only real niggle is the loss of the lovely blue/green atlantic water of Kilmore Quay, instead the Irish sea having a somewhat sombre tone to its waters, although a big cleanup in recent years has restored many species and its often home to porpoise and seals now, and the shoals of fish which sustain these likeable mammals.
 
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Crossed to Rosslare from MH last year. Not a place of beauty but decent shelter (and free) if wind has no N or E. Wexford is a lovely town but hard to access with +1.5m draft. Arklow fish dock now has yacht pontoons but poorly managed...heavy cormorant fouling but HM is never present so good value. Local whelk fisherman gave us an electricity token plus an entertaining evening. I liked it but don't expect MDL marina standards.
 
Most of the recommended routes are a cruise in themselves. If the destination is Scotland you can reach either Gigha or Craighouse, Jura in about 9-11 hours (depending on boat and springs or neaps) from the Belfast Lough marinas with the tide under you. Leave after the start of the ebb, timing it to reach the Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse at low water, you will have 2-3 knots of assistance most of the way and go round when it is slack and more comfortable, going north from there you will be down to boat speed but the tide will build, but here less than 2 kts. I am not knocking a visit to Glenarm or Ballycastle if you have stacks of time, (more pubs in Ballycastle than any where north of it) but anyone based in Bangor or Carrickfergus heads straight for Scotland because the tide takes you north so a shame not to use it for the crossing rather than going across it from further North.
You also miss the North Channel traffic separation, though if you meet more than one ship in it it is a busy day.
I recommend rounding the Mull close too, rather than out in the channel, you can spit on the cliffs before you run out of depth.
 
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Milford -> Arklow (Best steak I ever tasted) -> Dun Laoghaire (or Howth) --> Carlingford Lough -> Ardglass -> Portaferry (Strangford Lough) -> Ballydorn -> Strangford -> Bangor -> ??

Don't rush it. There is a risk though in visiting Strangford Lough. People often don't want to go any farther.

Kilmore Quay is OK but a bit of a detour.
 
rotrax said:
Arklow has some new HM pontoons in the old fishing harbour-entrance on the Port side-which were 10 Euro a night last year. Showers if required in the lifeboat station. These pontoons are on the wrong side of the river for the supermarket though.
Click to expand...

Shhhh. Don't tell them Pike... It was a lovely stay and the supermarket is a nice stroll across the bridge.
 
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