Portpatrick Harbour Advice Please

[dewent]

Planning on sailing south from Firth of Clyde to Isle Of Man over the bank holiday weekend. I am thinking about using Portpatrick as a stop over. Our yacht length is 13.5m and draft 2.2m It will be almost a spring tide low water will be 0.2m at 20:30. I am a bit concerned about a entering a strange harbour on a falling tide. Does anyone have some knowledge of how hard/difficult it could be for us to get in for the night?

 

[earlybird]

You should be OK, but with 2.2m draught, I'd keep to half tide minimum. Essential you identify and stay on the leading marks, there will be a strong cross-tide on approach.
There is usually a red plastic buoy to mark half-tide rock in entrance , keep it 4 or 5 metres to port , but don't stray to far otherwise you will ground on the sandy beach. There's sometimes a green buoy to help.
At BH weekend, you are likely to have lots of Irish boats for company, Don't expect a quiet night!
Re. depths, I'm not very up-to-date, and there might have been dredging in the entrance.
Stranraer might be less stressful, esp. in a brisk westerly.

 

[Tex]

There are leading marks for final approach which can be a bit difficult to spot until quite close. Orange mark on gable of white building and similar lower mark on inner sea wall. Entrance has been dredged to accommodate new RNLI lifeboat, reportedly to 2m. As stated above stay close to the "half tide" mark (orange bouy), to port on way in, and turn into inner harbour as soon as entrance to it opens.
Check depth when alongside as some silting of inner harbour suspected.
Stranraer means a one hour trip up/down loch not ideal if on a limited timeframe.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Stranraer means a one hour trip up/down loch not ideal if on a limited timeframe.

It's gone all posh though - the marina that is, not the town. And lovely Lesley the harbour master is as lovely as ever.

 

[lpdsn]

Planning on sailing south from Firth of Clyde to Isle Of Man over the bank holiday weekend. I am thinking about using Portpatrick as a stop over. Our yacht length is 13.5m and draft 2.2m It will be almost a spring tide low water will be 0.2m at 20:30. I am a bit concerned about a entering a strange harbour on a falling tide. Does anyone have some knowledge of how hard/difficult it could be for us to get in for the night?

I was in in the spring with 2.1m draught and had more than enough depth. As other posters have said, get the leading line lined up as quite a cross-tide. The buoy to be left to port is round. First time, safest not to leave entry much after half tide. You get close to the rubble of the old breakwaters as you go in, so important to stick to the line. Don't keep too far away from the port buoy as there's a shelving beach to starboard.

This video will give you some idea of the layout. Port buoy mentioned is more pinky-orange than the video shows.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2qJT5D7sNU

They did a lot of dredging for the RNLI, whose lifeboat is kept outside the inner harbour now. Dredging includes a stretch to starboard when you go into the inner harbour so best to tie up alongside that wall. I went well in and had no problem, but I don't know if it goes as far as the corner.

Ladders are protected by fenders running up & down wires either side. Warn your crew that they might come face to face with the local birdlife as they climb the ladders & they shouldn't forget to hang on if they get a shock.

Friendly harbourmaster. Good pubs. Swell if heavy weather from the SW.

 

[lpdsn]

It's gone all posh though - the marina that is, not the town.

Does that mean they've washed/shovelled the seagull droppings off the visitor's pontoons

 

[JumbleDuck]

It's gone all posh though - the marina that is, not the town. And lovely Lesley the harbour master is as lovely as ever.

Nothing short of serious thermonuclear activity and rebuilding could make poor old Stranraer posh, I'm afraid.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Nothing short of serious thermonuclear activity and rebuilding could make poor old Stranraer posh, I'm afraid.

I did say the marina and not the town! The town has got a proper old fashioned hardware shop so that's good enough for me.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Does that mean they've washed/shovelled the seagull droppings off the visitor's pontoons

The council have built a shiny new harbour office and bogs. It's known as Lesley's Palace.

 

[Seajet]

If and when you do get into PortPatrick, the Crown Hotel / pub is the place to go, wonderful steak or surf n turf.

The Fernhill just up the the hill does great food too, a bit more genteel.

Sorry I can't offer pilotage suggestions except treat the place with respect - a serious looking narrow rocky entrance, I only visited by road.

 

[[119605]]

Does that mean they've washed/shovelled the seagull droppings off the visitor's pontoons

They must have put the visitor's pontoons in since I was there 2 weeks ago - none then.
Edit: Sorry, I thought you were talking about Portpatrick. OP should be OK, but be aware that with strong SW to W winds there is a big swell in the inner harbour and a risk of touching bottom with his draft at LW springs.
Jim