Ireland Pilot Books - recommendations

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Gwylan

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It's in the title really.

It has been decreed that we will forsake perfidious Alba and her fickle weather and variable gastronomy for the the more certain shortcomings of the entire emerald isle.

Suggestions for pilot info for everything from Buncrana, or nearby, to Kinsale - probably going to be more than one, but which one.

Also suggestions, hints and words of wisdom to help build an itinerary most welcome
 
You are going to have a great time..

We went clockwise with the first stop in Carickfergus followed by a quick stop in Bangor to fill up with diesel - which lasted 3 or 4 days, hard to remember exactly....
It just got better and better.

Mind you, we rushed it, only having 6 weeks free. We plan to go back soon, take a decent amount of time and do it properly as we missed so much the first time round.
 
Definitely the Irish Cruising Club pilots are essential. For the west coast 'Cruising the Wild West Way' Daria and Alex Blackwell is worth having on board. The coast from Baltimore to Dingle is wonderful, you could spend a summer exploring.
 
coaster63 said:
https://eoceanic.com/sailing/harbours/europe/ireland.

for online planning ,just click on map area then open each port title for complete info . excellent site
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This is excellent!! Thanks for posting this, I hadn't come across this until today - what a great resource, I'm heading that way in June and have got the Ireland Cruising Club pilot book + a bunch of Imray charts, but this site gives great extra detail, nice.

Realise I need to change my piccy, am sailing the Ireland coast (not motorboating it)
 
rotrax said:
Dont miss Derrynane.
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sadly I did miss it. it was dead low tide when I was near the entrance, breezy. The directions in the ICC pilot are very clear but my chartplotter didn't show a detailed chart, nor did the Imray paper chart, so I didn't attempt it. Is there a detailed chart for Derrynane?
 
Disappointed that you gave up on Scotland after only one season, though last year was particularly dreich.
I am fully confident that we are going to have a great summer with several consecutive dry sunny days sometime within the next decade.

Good luck with Ireland, you will enjoy it, the Irish Cruising guides are almost as conservative as the CCC ones. Allow plenty of time for Cork and Kerry, don't be tempted to skip a harbour just because it is a short hop.
 
ColinR said:
....... Is there a detailed chart for Derrynane?
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First, I must declare an interest - I wrote the Wiley Cruising Companion for Southern Ireland (Kilmore Quay to Kilrush). That was about 10 years ago.
It is still available on Amazon and in my local Force 4. [But I no longer have a financial interest]. There are four pages on Derrynane including a sequence of photos describing the entry (as it was then - be sure to check the latest info). At the time the best chart I found was AC2495.

My intro read
"Derrynane (Darrynane on Admiralty charts) encapsulates the uniqueness of a South-West Ireland
cruise in one harbour and is not to be missed. The Atlantic, the offshore islands, the rudimentary pilotage,
rocks nearby that have never been called less than ‘scary’ by new visitors and glorious scenery at the
seaward end of the ‘Ring of Kerry’ all combine to make this a harbour thoroughly worth all the crucial
planning and orientation! The reward is a well protected anchorage surrounded by sandy beaches
and close to good hospitality but few facilities......"

I wrote the book intending that a first time visitor would not feel intimidated by any of the 100 harbours on that coast. Having said that, Derrynane will always be remembered as an entry because my mate was clenching everything as we went in and convinced he could reach over the side and touch some of the rocks. Well worth it though.

Also
a)make sure the charts you use west and north of the SW corner are on the same datum as your chartplotter.
b) top up with fuel at every possible opportunity
Have a great trip - It is marvellous sailing
Bob
 
All getting more interesting and probably challenging. Also an element of mission creep. Kilmore as a destination is morphing into Dingle or somewhere.

To do that I need a safe refuge and connection to an airport to get me to the UK. This to meet some domestic obligations and enable a free shuttle.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for the heads up on the datum thing.

Suffered on that with a little boat moving. The captain had bought a plotter off eBay, plugged it in and set off. Tried to sail us in the dark into Mousehole whilst aiming for Newlyn.
 
On our last years cruise we liked Derrynane so much we visited twice-going North and on the way back.

During the first visit we took the inflatable kayak ashore at Guiness time and walked to the pub.

Got chatting to the only other customers, a German couple on a motoring tour. A dapper chap entered and said " Oh good-plenty of room for the musicians!"

The band turned up for the regular Wednesday night session, and very good they were too. There were 21 people in the bar, including the band and the Barman. You could not have squeezed anyone else in.

By the time we got back to the kayak it was as black as a preachers hat, so we played find the boat for a few minutes!

During the return visit we regularly saw an otter during twilight, on the hunt. On one occaision he came up with a fish only to be dive bombed by the gulls who were intent on stealing his meal. Real Attenborough stuff!

A lovely spot.
 
Gwylan said:
.....To do that I need a safe refuge and connection to an airport to get me to the UK. This to meet some domestic obligations and enable a free shuttle. Any suggestions?
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Not quite sure what you mean, but from the south coast, the following are ways I've done the transfer:-
Dreadful: Kilmore Quay - taxi to Rosslare - Bus on Ferry to Wales and on to points east en route to London.
Reasonable: Kilmore Quay - Taxi to Wexford - Train to Dublin - Fly
Best: Kinsale - bus/taxi a short trip up the road to Cork airport - Fly
Characterful: Dingle - long but enjoyble taxi trip to Shannon airport- Fly
 
RIBW said:
Not quite sure what you mean, but from the south coast, the following are ways I've done the transfer:-
Dreadful: Kilmore Quay - taxi to Rosslare - Bus on Ferry to Wales and on to points east en route to London.
Reasonable: Kilmore Quay - Taxi to Wexford - Train to Dublin - Fly
Best: Kinsale - bus/taxi a short trip up the road to Cork airport - Fly
Characterful: Dingle - long but enjoyble taxi trip to Shannon airport- Fly
Click to expand...

There's also Kerry (Farranfore) Airport between Killarney and Tralee. There aren't a lot of flights but you might be lucky and find one that suits you.
 
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