In Your Footsteps

Click the logo for the 'Lite' search page.

« Previous

West of Jackdaw Island, Strangford Lough, County Down, Ireland

This is a minimised 'Lite' page, want to see the real page?

Today's local tide estimates
High water: 00:43, Low water: 06:58
High water: 13:17, Low water: 19:15

Local weather
ENE Force 5, Patchy light rain, 8°C

Swell today
Direction S, height 0.1 metres, period 9.1 seconds, significant wave height of 1.0 metres.

Summary
A good location with attentive navigation required for access.

LWS draught
2.4 metres (7.87 feet).

Shelter See it »
Sheltered: E, SE, S, SW, W
Unprotected: N, NE, NW

Nature (summary)
Anchorage, landing by tender, secluded, strong tides.

Facilities (summary)
Walks.

Haven position? See it »
54° 22.968' N, 005° 36.538' W

Where is that position? See it »
200 metres west of Jackdaw Island.

What is the initial fix? See it »
The following Chapel Island & Jackdaw Islands Initial Fix waypoint will set up a final approach:

54° 23.368' N, 005° 35.970' W

On the small 8.8 metre contour patch approximately 300 metres north of Chapel Island.

What is the story here?
Chapel and Jackdaw Islands are located on the northeast coast of Ireland within Strangford Lough. These are the first islands to be reached coming west out of Strangford Lough’s Narrows. This anchorage is to the west of Jackdaw Island, the smaller of the two islands.

This is a good anchorage offering all round protection except for north round to north westerly winds but it offers particularly good protection from southerlies.

Normal navigation is required when traversing any of Lough’s eighty square nautical miles of shallow basin. The Lough is a completely enclosed waterway but there are a number of drying patches and shoals known as pladdies, some of which uncover whilst others never appear, throughout the Lough. When these are near a principal boating channel or route they are typically marked by poles or beacons. Currents are another complicating factor of the inner Lough. Although not as strong as in the ‘Narrows’ they do not run true in the Lough and tend to take a vessel off course. All of which necessitate some attention to navigation and detailed chart work in daylight.

However this is more than manageable as once a boat is out of the fast-running tidal channel to the south, the more gentle waters around the islands that gave this Lough its old Irish name Lough Cuan, meaning sheltered haven, is a pleasure to sail.

Why visit here?
This is a snug anchorage where a boat can take in views across the island-dotted Lough to the west or to the mistily distant Mourne Mountains to the south.

From a sporting perspective this is the ideal location to take in come club racing. The much used racing mark No.11 (Jackdaw) is located nearby and, with the sun behind, it is the perfect place to watch the action.

One may also land and go for a walk on Jackdaw or indeed Chapel Island from here. Please note that Jackdaw is an important nesting site for terns in the spring and should be avoided at this time.

Likewise on a quiet day, tucked away from it all behind uninhabited Jackdaw, it is easy to immerse oneself in the peaceful location. In such a place, as the location is very little changed, it is easy to cast the minds eye back a thousand years to when Viking boats passed north of here. In 1002, and subsequently again in 1149, the sleek long boats came cutting through the Loughs peaceful waters, sharp-eyed crews tense with the anticipation of imminent battle and monastic plunder; bent on Quoile Abbey.

How to get in?
Use the entries for Strangford Harbour, Audley’s Roads or Portaferry for guidance on how to approach from the Irish Sea and pass through the five nautical mile long fast-running tidal ‘Narrows’. Any of these lists of directions will guide a boat up through the ‘Narrows’ to the inner Lough.

Having entered Strangford Lough make for the Chapel Island & Jackdaw Islands Initial Fix. This places you 300 metres north of Chapel Island where you can clearly see both islands. Pass around Jackdaw Island and feel your way you’re your preferred debt to anchor in shale with good holding.

What are the tides here?
Today's local tide estimates are based on High Water Belfast +0202
Today's Belfast tides — High water: 11:15, 23:31, Low water: 04:56, 17:13
Today's Dover tides — High water: 11:14, 23:30, Low water: 06:06, 18:22 (From Tide Times)
High Water Strangford Quay Dover +0147 springs, 0157 neaps
MHWS 3.6m MHWN 3.1m MLWN 0.9m MLWS 0.4m
Local high water Dover +0145 or 2 hours 15 minutes after high water at Belfast

Inside the Lough tides decrease significantly
6 Kn between Strangford & Portaferry
4 Kn at Ballyhenry Island
1.5 Kn at Don O’Neill Island

The latest monthly Dover and Dublin (North Wall) tides courtesy of the National Environmental Research Council. Printable monthly tides for Dublin, Dunmore, Cobh, Galway, Belfast are available from the ISA.

The national weather forecast, Met Éireann and BBC shipping forecasts, plus a very simplified Ulster tourist outlook. From an Atlantic perspective a 24 hour North Atlantic synoptic chart that you may ‘right click’ and save to your hard disk. Met Éireann’s Eastern Atlantic chart and the BBC’s surface area forecast plus visible satellite images for Ireland and Northeast Atlantic from Met Éireann. Wind observations, XC UK & Ireland, Windguru wind & wave reports, and Windfinder where you can determine a forecast time. Coastal radio stations (VHF Channel) Weather forecast at 0103 and thence every 3 hours updated every sixth. Dublin 83, Wicklow Head 87, Rosslare 23 and Mine Head 83. Radio broadcasts on RTE 1 (89.1FM) 0603, 1253, 1655 and 2355.

A free tidal range prediction application for windows, a simple tide monitor plus the rule of twelfths are available in inyourfootsteps.com shared ‘experience’.

What facilities are available?
There are no facilities upon Chapel and Jackdaw Islands or in the surrounding area.

What emergency contacts are there?
Belfast Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC). Operational Area: Northern Ireland/ Irish Republic Border, Lough Foyle to Northern/Irish Republic Border Carlingford Lough. Belfast Coastguard (MRSC) VHF Ch 16, liaises closely with IRCG. Emergencies are worked on 16, 67 and working channel.

Alternatively, or if ashore, phone 999 and 112 and ask for ‘Marine Rescue’. Police, Fire and Rescue are also available on this number. Belfast (MRSC) may be contacted directly on +44 2891 463 933. An inshore lifeboat is maintained at Portaferry.

Other useful contacts in this area:
Strangford Harbour Master (at ferry terminal)
VHF Channel Ch 12, 14, 16, M
Tel:+44 28 4488 1637

Portaferry Marina
VHF Channel Ch. M2, 80
Tel: +44 28 4272 9598

Killyleagh Yacht Club
Tel:+44 28 44 828250

Police: +44 4461 5011, Medical Clinic +44 4461 3016

Any security concerns?
Never a problem known to have occurred around the isolate Chapel and Jackdaw Islands.

What navigational resources are available for this area?
The key detail charts are British Admiralty 2156 ‘Strangford Lough’, scale of 37,500:1. and for the ‘Narrows’ 2159 ‘Strangford Narrows’, scale of 12,500:1, including ‘Strangford’, scale of 5,000:1. Imray chart C62 – ‘Irish Sea’. Northern Ireland Ordinance Survey No. 21 at a scale of 1:50,000.

With thanks to:
Brian Crawford, local Strangford Lough boatman of many decades.

Show images

Please note inyourfootsteps.com makes no guarantee of the validity of this information, we have not visited this haven and do not have first-hand experience to qualify the data. Although the contributors are vetted by peer review as practised authorities, they are in no way, whatsoever, responsible for the accuracy of their contributions. It is essential that you thoroughly check the accuracy and suitability for your vessel of any waypoints offered in any context plus the precision of your GPS. Any data provided on this page is entirely used at your own risk and you must read our legal page if you view data on this site.