Rathlin Island

[Rigger]

Hoping to visit next week on passage from N Wales to Western Isles. Have been to Ballycastle before and found most welcoming.Fancy giving Rathlin a try.Any tips re holding,when to avoid etc. would be most welcome. Thanks in advance.

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[Spacewaist]

Quite protected in the harbour with OK holding and a warm welcome ashore. Plan to go there myself in a couple of weeks.

It sits at the conflunce of three tidal streams and the sea can be quite agitated off Rue(??) Point. Relatively straight forward approach but you'll need a pilot book, (e.g. the ICC Sailing Directions) because you'll need to pick a transit and steer down it rather than steer a course.

PS You might want to stop off at Sanda Island for lunch, (just south of the Mull of Kyntire (Sp?))

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[claymore]

If you are coming up from Bangor direction and have been into Ballycastle before then you'll know that if you miss the tide it will be hard work getting across so make sure you don't miss the tide! The information in both the Irish Cruising and Clyde Cruising pilots tells you all you need to know about anchoring

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Claymore<font color=purple>
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[starboard]

A good stopping off point for you on your passage north is the new marina at Glenarm. I stopped there last year and very nice village with a few pubs and very friendly marina. About 11 miles north of Larne. Hope to get to Rathlin myself this summer.

Paul.

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[Sybarite]

Don't forget to visit the cave of Bruce and the spider fame...

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[Ubergeekian]

It's a dump. Nicely sheltered, but not somewhere you'd want to go ashore, or even look at the shore. A sort of desolate sea-side version of Cumbernauld...

But to be positive, I've been into Carnlough, and that's a nice spot.

Ian

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