Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire marina (Dublin)

jack_hank

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Hi All,

First post here so please stay with me on this one.

Myself and a few members of my family are now proud owners of a 52ft cruiser. Relative inexperience on boating but between us we have a little. Waiting on coastal skippers course towards end of year but we want to plan a longer trip over to Dublin from Holyhead marina.

Is this too difficult to undertake without having the coastal skippers course? Should we wait until this is all done? Does anybody have any good tips who may have done this trip before? We have taken the boat out a few times, but not on an overnight trip. She has been checked over and both engines are sound and working great as well as all other safety features (Radio/Life raft etc). Boat is up to spec and ready to go.

Any recommendations/tips would be welcomed as we are relative newcomers. As you can imagine we have itchy feet to get on the open sea and make a longer trip than remaining close to the marina/dock!

Thanks in advance
 

hlb

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Dam. Just answered and got cut off.

Greetings.

No idea how much you know, or how little. You will have to make your own mind up.

Holyhead to Dublin, about 65 miles. There are some sand banks Dublin side, which I suggest you go round. Good practice if nothing else.

I presume you have a plotter and some way of backing it up if it fails??

Read a chart, plot a course manually if you have to??

Recon you should write your Lat and Long down, every half an hour. Then at least you know where you are.
 

Philiz

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Welcome. Is this your first boat then? It's a big un if it is!
Good advice from HLB who's done a lot of cruising and probably done this trip more times than he cares to remember. Can't help with the trip as we've not done it yet, don't know what the 'little experience' is you have between you but presume you someone is capable of writing out some form of passage plan and can use paper charts to navigate you to your destination should the plotter fail. You should also have a VHF license and you'd be wise to carry a back up VHF in case the main set fails. Log your journey with the Coastguard but don't forget to let them know when you've safely arrived. Make sure you're familiar with all on board systems.

Good luck, I'm sure Kwackers will be along shortly to give you the benefit of his knowledge and experience of the area.
 

SAB

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Hi - I hope it's OK for me to chip in here as it's my first post too.

We did this trip in the opposite direction a few years ago. I remember the sand banks as mentioned above. If I recall correctly, there is a lighthouse marking the end of one of them and a gap to the north of it which we went through (don't rely on this, check on a chart).

I remember some crew becoming totally debilitated by sea sickness. You can get some heavy swells, so factor this possibility in.

Also expect to encounter some high speed craft, so make sure you know the 'rules of the road'.
 

hlb

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Just a small point Phil. Logging your journey with the coast guards is pointless, they will not do anything. You must tell some third party your ETA. Then, if they are concerned and they ring the CG, some thing may happen. Other wise it will not.

VHF licence, yes you should. However my Ex had one but used to put the mouth piece in her ear.

We are just having a laugh about a trip to Ireland about 20 years ago. Think I'd just been to the bog.

On my way back, there's a bloke blabbing on.

We are the seismic survey vessel ........ Towing six miles of cable.......... Will the mobo, pos ........Lat....Long, please reply. Ex put the mic to her ear and said. Pffff, ssssg.

Bloke says. Will you spell your name phonetically . EX says PPPOOOPPPA GIIII.........

I says, give it here. Looks at the radar screen, fitted the week before and thinks, daft bugger, we passed ahead of him, at least half an hour before.

Says look, it's called Poppa Gill. Horrible I know. But yerrle have to work the spelling out, yerself. I said I'd only had the radar a week, so a bit confused.

Strange thing was, on the way back, again the haunting voice.

We are the seismic survey vessel ........ Yacht pos......... Your about to go over out cable. Yacht, Yacht, Yacht............Silence. Dunno about the yacht.
 

deborahann

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hlb's better half ! we went over last year, the ferries are so frequent coming and going from Holyhead, that gives you some comfort, as mostly you can see one. Nearby Howth is lovely and well worth a visit.
 

jack_hank

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Thanks

Thanks for the replies so far, it's very much appreciated. There are 3 family members who own the boat including myself. It's definitely a big boy but two engines on a boat this size make all the difference so it's very manouverable and fairly simple to operate. Great first time purchase, just couldn't turn it down! Have plenty of on board equipment, got maxsea on the laptop, radar, on board gps system, auto pilot etc etc so it's all there. Any other good software for the laptop you would recommend?

VHS Licence is being done by one of us asap and is booked.

How reliant can we be on maxsea navigation and gps? If well planned should it be a simple trip?
 

hlb

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Never heard of Maxsea, Gps is fairly reliable. There should be, nothing goes wrong Throw the lap top over board, it's not fit for sea. Though ok for house hold sort of stuff.

The question is, what happens if all power fails, can you stil get there.??
 

Kawasaki

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Hi All,

We have taken the boat out a few times, but not on an overnight trip.

Thanks in advance
Welcome to the Forum jack_hank.
It's just over 50 miles from Your berth to Dublin.
Actually not a difficult trip.
Not as challenging as circumnavigating Anglesey
You have no tidal gates to worry about.
You can leave Holyhead at any state of the tide and arrive in the Dublin area similarly.
You mention you 'plan' to go to Ireland.
That's the vital word 'Plan'.
So the Plan should be.
Make sure you have enough fuel etc etc etc etc.
Make sure you have the drinks cabinet well stocked, for use on arrival of course!
Check weather reports
As we know these can be slightly iffy:rolleyes:
Obviously you don't want to go if it's going to blow.
The prevailing Westerlies we see round here will make it uncomfy after you leave the Breakwater but handily enough you are heading that way and when you near Ireland it may become more sheltered.
Tides and current.
The water is 'busier' closest to Anglesey.
The area around Dublin has more 'slack water' during the tide cycle
So in effect the bit leaving and arriving back to Anglesey is where the sea might be more uncomfortable!

Rough guide.
Out the Marina
Turn left after you leave the breakwater and steer 290 deg for about 3 miles which will clear you of the overfalls of the Stacks
Then left hand down a bit again at 260 deg and put the kettle on.
On approaching Dublin or Howth or Dunleeri (they say Welsh is;) difficult) or whichever Port you intend to go watch for Kish lighthouse and a couple of South Cardinals.
These mark the area known as Kish Bank
No probs if you arrive there at the correct time and state of tide.

Don't rely on electricarry nav aids totally
Familiarise yourself with paper charts
No need to be an expert with them, it just is a just in case.
Plus if you' pour over' them first it familiourises you with the trip and can put a perspective on the cruise that a plotter or a puter can't.

Plus a chart won't just switch itself off.

As hlb said ,I was replying but got cut off'!

So you draw a line on your chart.
From a point just outside the Breakwater at about the course I mentioned.
To roughly 53. 21. 50 deg N
04. 42. 20 deg W
Then draw another un to Dublin at about 260deg.
Then mark the chart at a few intervals and read off the lat an long.
Then you can check these on the way with your gps etc.
Even if the leccies pack up (which is not going to happen is it);)
At least you will know roughly where you are because you will know how far you have travelled at your cruising speed and the direction intended.

What's the boat jack?
What is your cruising speed?
Anyway, it's not a difficult trip and a nice one to start you off on your boaty adventures.
Do a plan and enjoy.
 

CameronSnell

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Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire

Hi Jack
My instinctive answer to this is: If you feel that you need to ask about a trip like this on the forum, and use the word 'inexperienced' in your question, then I would strongly suggest that you take an experienced person with you to guide and hold your hand. Everything can look simple and straightforward on paper or plotter, and in most cases fairly safe.... a 3m wave to the experienced is small, but to the inexperienced it's huge and scary. And the last thing you want is to frighten your friends and family off of boating, coz they will never go out with you again if they get scared. Take someone experienced with you.
Cameron
 

jack_hank

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Thanks for the detail Kawasaki, that's great. Cameron I think you're right about taking an expert along. We plan to do this anyway. We had a few friends who I'm sure we can persuade. The boat is a Bruce Roberts design, waverunner 52. Thanks for all your help, I'll ensure that I plan well and hopefully we will enjoy our maiden voyage and learn a huge amount along the way!
 

whisper

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Thanks for the detail Kawasaki, that's great. Cameron I think you're right about taking an expert along. We plan to do this anyway. We had a few friends who I'm sure we can persuade. The boat is a Bruce Roberts design, waverunner 52. Thanks for all your help, I'll ensure that I plan well and hopefully we will enjoy our maiden voyage and learn a huge amount along the way!

I think it would be adviseable for some of you to read the RYA's Day Skipper books - definitely the Theory one and hopefully the Practical one.
They will give you a basic idea as to what is involved in such a trip.
 

Searush

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One final comment (probably too late as usual) I wouldn't head for Dublin. The Liffey is narrow & busy with lots of big stuff & extra regulations etc. Stay slightly to the N (avoiding the Kish for starters!) and go into Howth marina. You are handy for the DART (Dublin Area Rail Transport) link into the city centre & the marina is a much better & safer berth. Also a much prettier entrance round the back of a couple of small islands too.
 

jack_hank

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Thanks for the comments, will consider the safest passage and plan around what we feel comfortable with. Likely not to make trip till at least mid October so plenty of time to learn and plan. Plus plent of work to be getting on with on the boat in the meantime!!
 
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