Northern Ireland, North coast

[Spyro]

I'm off this Friday for a few days, if weather conditions are right I'm considering Visiting Northern Ireland . Can anyone recommend places to visit or avoid along the North coast. I'll be leaving from Clyde Marina any tips on passage planning?
Thanks in advance.

 

[theforeman]

rathlin island worth a couple of days visit. the sea bird colonies at the west end are quite spectacular.
you want to arrive at slack water ( unless you like a wee bit of excitement, that is /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

 

[Spyro]

Any advice on anchorages or moorings?

 

[earlybird]

In the harbour is best for Rathlin, about 2m depth, or anchor just outside, but watch for shallows. There is hardly any tidal range. Portrush, pontoon, is OK if you like seaside towns, Colraine, 2 small marinas, if you like rivers.

 

[opalcutter]

Hi,
Glenarm!, fairly new marina but a little isolated, nice walks cafes etc. Excellent jeweller, makes his own stuff and you can watch. Rathlin or Ballycastle one behind the other. Nice bar and wildlife on Rathlin. Ballycastle typical little Irish seaside town but marina is of a good standard. Lovely walks and beach. Sail on up to Portrush passing Carrick-a-reed ropebridge and Giants Causeway. Portrush is a busy seaside town this time of year with good resturants, pubs etc. Great beaches and surfing. Sail on round to Portstewart or up the Bann to Coleraine. Watch the bar mouth!!! Coleraine marina is handy est to the town, ask for Ricky. Coleraine largest town on the NW coast. Or sail on past all of these into Lough Foyle and up to Londonderry/ Derry. And then there is Donegal but that would be another holiday. I know, I live here. PS if it rains stay at home.. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[dunedin]

Rathlin certainly interesting - in many senses. Believe it now has pontoons so don't need to squeeze into inner harbour

 

[mick]

Morton's chip shop, Ballycastle. Scallops and chips, does it get any better?

 

[Dyflin]

If you haven't got this, you'll miss out the best bits. Edited by a fellow Scot.

 

[Kylora]

I'm sure that you'll already have read 'Fairwinds' around Ireland .

Ash

 

[Spyro]

Thanks Ash, I hadn't but I have now. Still waiting on updated forecasts for the weeknd and early next week. We only have 5 days and next Tues looks like easterlies at the moment so might not fancy heading back if that is the case.
Tarbert may be getting another visit.

Ian

 

[Ubergeekian]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm off this Friday for a few days, if weather conditions are right I'm considering Visiting Northern Ireland . Can anyone recommend places to visit or avoid along the North coast. I'll be leaving from Clyde Marina any tips on passage planning?
Thanks in advance.

[/ QUOTE ]
Rathlin's a dump: think grotty run-down council estate on windswept island. Useful as a sheltered anchorage, but not worth going ashore, in my opinion.

Carnlough is nice, and Portpatrick is just a short hop away.

 

[Gordonmc]

Sanda Island is a good off-point for the North Channel crossing and the received wisdom seems to be to start an hour after high water to catch the West flowing tide. I think this is more suited to going round the Mull and North. For NI I would go at slack water high to get you over before the tide turns foul.
The waters off Tor Head are a nightmare as the tide flows through the channel between the mainland and Rathlin. Keep well off the shore. The Irish cruising guide is a good reference, I only got one after reaching Ballycastle!
Ballycastle is a tidy little marina... the chippy at the top of the slipway was owned by the harbourmaster's family.
Diesel is avalable from a road tanker by appointment. The truck had broken down when I was there so there was none to be had.
The Maori is a good eatery.

 

[Quandary]

Last Wednesday night we decided to move our boat from its early season berth at Ardrishaig to the other end of the canal. We went down to Portavadie, (2 hrs) very impressed with the pontoons and the new restaurant with a staff to table ratio of 1-1. Not much else around there though and Tarbert is still more sociable despite the new finger pontoons On Thur. we went to Campeltown, (5hrs) and spent three nights on the pontoon with 18-28 kts. from the S.E. while boats kept coming in complaining of lack of wind in the N. Channel. Sun. morning we eventually motored to Rathlin in less than 8kts S.E. (5hrs) left at H.W. Dover to pass through R. Sound after H.W. Dover plus three. Had to motorsail but showing 9 knots + most of the way even though it was toward neaps. Rathlin to Port Ellen on Monday was a great sail but less speedy cross tide with only about 1-1.5kts. of help (4.5 hrs) Craighouse yesterday was 4 hrs motoring in a scorcher, while it took another 3.5 hrs to Crinan this morning in zero wind. All the passages were quick not because of good wind but tidal assisted. Portavadie is a high quality marina in a semi industrial setting with little to see around it, Campeltown is the rather isolated and backward town it has been since the fishing declined and distilleries closed, but the people are friendly and it has some interesting walks. Rathlin harbour has a very noisy metal decked pontoon now, with about 2m. at low water (about 1m. tidal range) On Sunday every rib. in Ballycastle was there but the island is a bit tidier now and the restaurant in the Manor House is a bit pretentious and can't cope with more than a few customers, so book early. The harbour setting is great though but the Council run showers are rubbish and filthy. Port Ellen is also improving, the beaches are cleaner and the extended pontoons were busy but the main reason to go is the distillery tours. I did enjoy the smell coming from the maltings chimney as they were making some peaty stuff. Craighouse has re-organized the pontoons, and there is a fast ferry (12 person rib) to Tavyallich but the food in Jura Hotel was disappointing though they have yachty showers and allow camping (and football) on their front lawn.
A good trip and easy to do, the North Channel is fine up to force 5, particularly if you have wind and tide together. Glenarm Marina is not really good for Campeltown because it across the tide with no advantage and the inshore passage from Glenarm to Ballycastle around Torr and Fair Head is in the strongest tide rips so needs resonable weather. However it is a really good starting point for a fast trip to Gigha, aim to be off the Mull of Kintyre at L.W. but allow for at least 2.5 kts. of tidal assist. I like Ballycastle, dislike Carnlough and Larne but Belfast Lough is much closer than it looks because of the tides. (7 hrs. from Campeltown to Carrickfergus but nearly 9 from Lamlash)
The north coast of Co. Antrim needs a good tidal atlas as the flows are so strong that wrong timing can add 60% to journey times. But definitely go, you will enjoy it, listen to the weather forecast but real gales are very few and short lived at this time of year. The Clyde C.G. forecast for the N. Channel is often a Beaufort point higher than what you encounter.

 

[Spyro]

Thanks for that Quandary, good info.