North coast of Donegal

Sea Change

Sea Change

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Anybody here know about options for anchoring, moorings, etc along the north coast of Donegal? We've actually sailed that part of the world many years ago but we didn't explore up any of the longer loughs.
For context, I'm looking at long term (1-2yrs) storage options for a boat which is not UK VAT paid, so not too bothered about cruising area etc.
 
What are the general rules on laying a mooring in that part of the world?
Back home (Scotland) you just identify a suitable bit of water and, assuming it's not already under the control of a harbour authority or moorings association, you follow the procedure to drop a mooring (advert in the paper etc) and pay the Crown Estate £80 a year, and you're good to go.
And in practice, outside of busy places like Oban or the Clyde, most people seem to skip most of the above and proceed directly to the 'drop a mooring' bit.

Looking at the charts I can see lots of potential mooring locations up the top of the sea loughs. Some of these have fish farms marked on the charts or visible on Google. So there's no lack of space, but I don't know what the Irish equivalent of the crown estate is. I presume they got rid of that a while back!
 
Sea Change said:
Back home (Scotland) you just identify a suitable bit of water and, assuming it's not already under the control of a harbour authority or moorings association, you follow the procedure to drop a mooring (advert in the paper etc) and pay the Crown Estate £80 a year, and you're good to go.
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A bit more expensive than that now! You pay marine Scotland for the application (about £75) then wait for many weeks where they seem to do nothing*, then pay the Crown £110 per annum (and probably another fee to Marine Scotland every six years?).

*like many government bodies they have confused “target response time” with “minimum waiting time”!
 
I never sailed there but certainly kayaked up the sea loughs. Can't remember it looking good for mooring. Some strong tides.
 
dgadee said:
I never sailed there but certainly kayaked up the sea loughs. Can't remember it looking good for mooring. Some strong tides.
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Not good in what way? The tides?

What I've got my eye on is the upper reaches of Mulroy Bay. There are several anchorages marked on Navionics.
 
Sea Change said:
Not good in what way? The tides?

What I've got my eye on is the upper reaches of Mulroy Bay. There are several anchorages marked on Navionics.
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Fast tides at narrows, mud, sand, flat rock. On Navily only one lower reach anchorage I can see (Rosapenna). Up Broadwater none. It seems more fast RIB country than sailing boat suitable, as far as I remember. But last time I was there kayaking would be 15 years ago. Lovely location.
 
dgadee said:
Fast tides at narrows, mud, sand, flat rock. On Navily only one lower reach anchorage I can see (Rosapenna). Up Broadwater none. It seems more fast RIB country than sailing boat suitable, as far as I remember. But last time I was there kayaking would be 15 years ago. Lovely location.
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There are anchorages marked at
Dundooan
Rosapenna (Fanny's Bay)
Glinsk Bay
Millstone Bay
Cranford
Milford
Rosnakiel

Some of these might be impractical due to poor shore access, but I can compromise on that. I'm not going to be popping out for day sails.
There's a 19m bridge to access the upper reaches, which would complicate timing for us.

Looking around on Google maps it does look beautiful. Very remote.
 
Sea Change said:
There are anchorages marked at
Dundooan
Rosapenna (Fanny's Bay)
Glinsk Bay
Millstone Bay
Cranford
Milford
Rosnakiel

Some of these might be impractical due to poor shore access, but I can compromise on that. I'm not going to be popping out for day sails.
There's a 19m bridge to access the upper reaches, which would complicate timing for us.

Looking around on Google maps it does look beautiful. Very remote.
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As I said, I've never sailed there so would not tell you not to do it. Quite the opposite. But Wikipedia outlines what I remember:

"Mulroy Bay is the most convoluted of the marine inlets in north-west Ireland. It is approximately 12 km long in a north-south direction. The entrance to the bay is a narrow embayment leading to a winding entrance channel 10 km in length. This channel varies in width and depth, with three significant narrows only 100–150 m across, where the current reaches maxima of 3-5 knots. It opens into the Broad Water, an open shallow sea lough 8 km from north to south and 2.5 km from east to west, generally less than 20 m in depth and with many small rocky islands and islets."

Good for sea kayaking.

Yes, the bridge was built with EU money, I believe, and probably used by two tractors a day. Ireland did well out of EU development funds (and pork barrel politics). Wikipedia again:

"His support for the 1997 Ahern government led to the construction of the Harry Blaney Bridge, which opened in 2009 to link the Rosguill and Fanad peninsulas across Mulroy Bay in north County Donegal."
 
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