Sailing in Northern Ireland?

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Andrew E

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Originally from N. Ireland, but I've been living and sailing in the Solent area for the past 7 years. I love it here, but thanks to house prices and the cost of everything else I've decided to up sticks and move back to County Down, the boat included (I hope).

I'm interested to know what N. Ireland is like from a sailing perspective? Where are the best places to sail from/to? Where are places to avoid? Where are the good overnight and day anchorages? How many good sailing days are there per year etc?

From Belfast, Scotland looks to be 6-7 hours away, Isle of Man 8-9 hours away and Strangford Lough looks like a good day trip away. The choice of marine services in N. Ireland seems very limited. The North Channel is treacherous at the best of times, e.g. it's no Lake Solent.

I've been offered a berth in Bangor Marina for about £1300 cheaper than what I'm paying in Southampton. Carrick are probably offering them even cheaper than that!

The family are encouraging me to sell the boat in Hampshire and buy one in Ireland but I'm not too keen on that idea as the choice of boats in Ireland is quite limited.

Has anybody made a similar relocation from the Solent and how did they find it?
 
When I was boat buying some years ago I developed the view that boats were considerably cheaper in N&S Ireland and eventually boat a boat in Houth that would normally sell for £20K in the uk for £9.6K. Some years later a pal also bought a boat from Strangford Lough for about 60% of UK price.
Depending on your boat type you might find it has a higher value in the Solent than Eire also the waters are generally a bit more hostile than much of the S Coast UK so a heavier tougher boat may be better, unless racing is your thing?
 
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I've not sailed in Northern Irish waters but I've done a lot of diving there. Conditions are pretty reasonable for sailing through much of the year provided you keep an eye on the forecast: we dived year round although winter dives were often moved to more sheltered locations if the weather turned bad between planning and execution. The North Channel has a deserved bad reputation but then the English Channel needs to be treated with respect doesn't it? There's some lovely sailing to be had round the coast and as you've noted the Isle of Man, Scotland and Anglesey are all within a days sailing.
You reckon on settling in County Down. Why not look at Portaferry Marina or a swinging mooring in Strangford Lough? A good deal closer to home than plugging your way round Belfast to get to Bangor or Carrick. You have to take the tides into account getting in and out of Strangford but the Lough itself is lovely and offers quieter sailing than outside of the weathers iffy.
As to selling and buying, I'd hang on to what you've got: you know the boat and are (presumably) happy with it. Taking it round to your new sailing grounds will be a great trip and you avoid the hassle and expense of the sale/purchase process. Even if you don't want to make the trip yourself, getting a delivery crew won't cost a fortune and you could invite yourself along for all or part of the trip without the worry of having to stick to a schedule: you can simply jump ship and leave the delivery crew to finish the job if you have to get away.
 
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There is nothing really scary about the N Channel, wind over tide can be a problem sometimes but most of the time you can use the tide to your advantage, most N. Ireland boats will head across at least once a year many much more often. Good boats tend to be dearer in N. Ireland because there is less choice and the folk coming over the border to buy have the recent advantage of the exchange rate. A lot of the sterling prices for S. Irish boats on the web looking cheap have not been brexited unless they came on the market recently. Dogs do not usually depreciate so fast because it costs a lot less to keep them afloat or ashore.
Most sailing in N. Ireland involves going to Scotland, cruising up the W. Coast or racing to Tarbert, Croabh or Portpatrick. The N. Irish coast has a bit of a shortage of cruising destinations compared to Scotland but the racing in Belfast Lough is good. Strangford Lough is a strange place to sail but pretty to visit. RUYC is a bit stuffy but Ballyholme yacht club is very active and welcoming. Any boat that copes with the English Channel and Brittany will do fine.
Why anyone who has managed to escape would choose to abandon democracy to go back is baffling, the place is still controlled by criminals and even N. Down is not entirely immune, and while property values really fell in 2008 you can get trapped by low priced assets. However compared to the Solent you will need a lot less money for nearly everything and socially N. Down may not seem all that different, but if you have only been away 7 years you know all that.
From Bangor, Campbeltown is 7 hours, Gigha is 11 in a 30+ footer, Tarbert is about the same. However when it does blow hard from the South the N. Channel, Mull of Kintyre can be uncomfortable with wind over tide which can sometimes means you may be forced to delay a return passage.
Check on draught issues if considering Carrick marina.

Houth????
 
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Thanks for the replies.

I should have mentioned it earlier but the boat is a Westerly Griffon 26 bilge keel and I certainly don't race her. It's a tough little boat and she should be capable of making frequent passages to Scotland. I suppose the tidal races in the North Channel are somewhat akin to the Portland Race? I suppose with careful planning, most of it can be avoided?

With regards to selling the boat, I know I'll struggle to sell an old Westerly in N.Ireland. She's in great condition though, loads of mod cons but I imagine there's a limited market for that sort of thing in Ireland?

Do I sell her in the Solent and get close to what I paid for her a year ago, or take her to N.Ireland but struggle to sell her in 4-5 years time. I want my next boat to be a Moody 31 Mk II or a Westerly Fulmar 32. Moving to N.Ireland allows me buy a property and save money for my next boat purchase.
 
I'd echo Quandary's comments.
County Down is ideally placed for exploring the Irish Sea, and just a couple of tides away from the Western Isles. There are people who'd give an arm for that. (OK, and plenty who wouldn't).
The sailing's great, the scenery splendid.

The obvious choices for a 'home' berth near Co Down are Bangor, as you mention, or possibly Carrickfergus, on Belfast Lough.
Donaghadee, just south of there. I think there's a forumite (guessing by his name), from there. Harbour and small marina, lively sailing club.
Further south there's Strangford Lough - plenty of places, including Quoile which is lovely and well-spoken of. Moorings, harbour berths, pontoons.
Ardglass, just south of the entrance to Strangford. Bit of a dump but sound on pontoons.
Then several places on Carlingford Lough, N & S of the border, choice of moorings, harbour berths or marina pontoons.

Howth, and elsewhere near Dublin, is perhaps a bit far.
 
I kept a boat in N Wales for several years and never visited Northern Ireland, bypassing it via IoM to Scotland.
Spent two weeks sailing the Irish east and north coast last year, from Arklow to Portrush, and saw what I'd missed. A great sailing area and I found the club and marina at Carrickfergus particularly welcoming.
 
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Next years cruising plans include Ireland. North and South. Donegal has some gems I've seen from the land that I'd like to explore properly.

A few years back I spend 6 weeks sailing round Ireland and that only whetted my appetite to go back.

For longer next time.
 
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Andrew E said:
I should have mentioned it earlier but the boat is a Westerly Griffon 26 bilge keel and I certainly don't race her. It's a tough little boat and she should be capable of making frequent passages to Scotland. I suppose the tidal races in the North Channel are somewhat akin to the Portland Race? I suppose with careful planning, most of it can be avoided?
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You have more options with a bilge keeler, but it really depends where you're going to live as to where best to keep the boat. Bangor is the most expensive marina in NI and also the highest quality of service. Carrick is a little cheaper and not as well run. There's also Belfast Harbour itself, but it can be a long drag in and out if doing weekend sailing.

Donaghadee itself can be quite exposed at times - search on YouTube for a few videos. I've never tried Copelands Marina but I've stuck my head in from landward and it seems ok.

A good few clubs in Strangford Lough with decent moorings and facilities. The entrance is famous, but OK if you plan for it. If trapped outside Ardglass isn't to far away, although entering in a strong SE'ly can be an experience itself.

IIRC, Portpatrick is 23NM from Bangor, Stranraer 37NM, Peel 46NM & Campbeltown 49NM. Add about ten miles if sailing from Belfast, so probably Portpatrick is your only easy weekend round trip on the Scottish side. Plenty of smaller harbours up and down the coast for a boat of your type.

I sailed in the Solent for ten years. The big advantages of NI is more space and friendlier boat owners. The main disadvantage is there being further between ports, so if the weather gets up you may still have three or four hours to go. You normally don't book, whether in marina, pub or restaurant.

If you miss the Solent experience you can always head up the Ayrshire Coast for a few days for a bit of a reminder.

The North Channel does funnel the wind so it's often higher than something like XCWeather forecasts if the wind is close to following the channel. And strong tides. But it is possible to plan around that. Only Rathlin Sd and Strangford Ent will trump Portland Race, but there are races to be had around the Copelands, Mulls of Galloway & Kintyre, Corsewell Pt and even Muck Island at times. Although not as well documented as down south, they are reasonably easy for an experienced sailor to plan for.
 
Over the years I have pottered around the northern Irish coast a bit.

North Channel. I won't say nothing to worry about, but watch the tides. They are strong, but so are the tides in the western Solent (I sailed in the Solent for 40 years). I wouldn't say they are any worse. TSS off the NE point of Ireland, between it and the the Mull of Kintyre. Watch out for Rathlin Sd - this does need care.

Glenarm is a nice spot, but small. Easy day's sail from here to Jura and access to the coast up to Oban/Tobermory.

+1 for Howth.

Can't comment on boat prices.

I endorse the comments about the western side of Ireland (I kept my boat there for a couple of years).

Tidal streams in the entrance to Strangford Lough are horrendous.
 
Westerly Griffon BK sounds ideal for Strangford Lough. And as others have said plenty of places to visit north, south and east from there.

Big decision is choosing the best location for family, work and home. If these fit NI then the sailing should be fine.

Sailing up could be a great opportunity IF you have the time to choose your weather window. We really enjoyed visiting the South West of England, Isles of Scilly etc en route, before making a direct line for Ireland. And enjoyed visiting most places on the East coast of NI thereafter.
But even if this was too much of a challenge, I suspect a 26 foot bilge keeler could be road transported quite cheaply to somewhere either in Wales or the Clyde ready for an easy hop across to NI
 
Minchsailor said:
Over the years I have pottered around the northern Irish coast a bit.

North Channel. I won't say nothing to worry about, but watch the tides. They are strong, but so are the tides in the western SolentI wouldn't say they are any worse Watch out for Rathlin Sd - this does need care.

Tidal streams in the entrance to Strangford Lough are horrendous.
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Please forgive my selective edit of your post and I'll confess I have no knowledge of the western Solent but agree for Strangford and a lot of places in common with strong tides, they can be friend or foe.
Get it right with the tide and weather and they are pussy cats.

Get it it wrong and there lies a tale of woe for the pub after, but not much worse for a well found boat, which you should be in anyway...
 
In the good ol days before they started building roads and motorways, Dalriada was a kingdom that stretched from Coleraine to Oban, if you wanted to go anywhere you waited until the tide was right then jumped in your birlinn and shot off to your destination, then in the 19 th. century they started building roads in Co. Antrim and L'derry, the Argyll folk never really bothered so the transport infrastructure here is such that you can still sail too many places faster than you can drive. There are not so many birlinns about now and not many slaves to row them up wind, but a modern yacht with a wee diesel engine should have no problem. Think about the tidal streams as a travelator that you jump on, after six hours it reverses so you jump off again, but with splits like the Mull of Kintyre, 11 hours of favourable stream is often available. From Campbeltown to Ballycastle is about four hours on an ebb tide, it is about 13 hours in a BMW.
 
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I bought my last 2 boats from the Hamble because they were a lot cheaper than the same examples in NI.
and I mean ALOT CHEAPER. and sailed them home to Strangford Lough were I have a swinging mooring 200 yards from the club slip and is serviced annually for £99.
Boats in NI always seem to have a higher asking price, maybe because there are fewer available.
Take a week to sail up here in the summer and you have a built in holiday.
Enjoy.
 
Thanks for the replies again.

You guys are selling the place well, who needs the Solent!

The only two marinas I'm considering are Bangor and Carrick with my preference being Bangor marina.

I plan to sail the boat over from the Solent in March/April next year. I will be doing most of it single handled, so I will spilt it up into 60nm legs. Thinking something like.

Southampton - Weymouth
Weymouth to Torquay
Torquay to Plymouth
Plymouth to Falmouth
Falmouth to Newlyn
Newlyn - Padstow
Padstow - Milford Haven
Milford Haven - Wexford
Wexford - Dun Laoghaire
Dun Laoghaire - Carlingford
Carlingford - Bangor

I will most likely get someone to come along for the Padstow - Milford Haven - Wexford passage. Perhaps if that person is experienced enough opt to skip Milford Haven altogether.
 
Andrew E said:
Milford Haven - Wexford
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You've got the right sort of boat for Wexford, but it is pretty tortuous. With luck, someone with recent local knowledge might be along.
Suugest you consider Arklow as an alternative/additional option.
(There was a quite comprehensive thread on Arklow, and particularly the old fish dock, just a month or so ago.)
 
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