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Today's local tide estimates
High water: 04:20,
Low water: 10:52
High water: 16:42,
Low water: 23:17
Local weather
NNE Force 5, Patchy light drizzle, 8°C
Swell today
Direction NNW, height 1.3 metres, period 8.5 seconds, significant wave height of 1.6 metres.
Summary
A completely protected location with safe access.
LWS draught
3.3 metres (10.83 feet).
Shelter See it »
Completely protected.
Nature (summary)
Marina, anchorage, alongside pier, night lights, sailing club, watched over, urban, edifying, fees due.
Facilities (summary)
Water hose, tap, diesel alongside, petrol alongside, gas, fuel by jerry can, slipway, electricity, waste disposal, laundry, supermarket, toilets, showers, hot food, public houses, cashpoint, post office, internet café, doctor, pharmacy, chandlery, marina cart , marine engineering, rigging services, electronic repair, sail repair, bus, tourist information, walks, handicapped access, family recreation.
Haven position? See it »
52° 8.183' N, 010° 16.589' W
Where is that position? See it »
This is the position of the west breakwater’s pierhead. Two fixed vertical 5 metre red lights will be seen here for a distance of two miles.
What is the initial fix? See it »
The following Dingle Harbour Initial Fix waypoint will set up a final approach:
56° 6.210' N, 010° 15.520' W
This is one mile south of the entrance to Dingle Harbour. A course of due north from here will lead into the entrance situated inside of Reenbeg Point and Beenbane Point.
Why visit here?
Dingle, in Irish An Daingean is a busy fishing port located about 49 kms west of Tralee. This is a Gaeltacht region where the Irish language is spoken by almost everyone and is rich in music and dance.
Following the Norman invasion the town was developed as a port and by the 16th century was one of Ireland’s main trading ports exporting fish and hides and importing wines from Europe. The French and Spanish fishing fleets used the town as a base and connections with Spain were particularly strong to such an extent that in the 16th century the parish church was rebuilt under Spanish patronage and dedicated to Saint James of Santiago de Compostela.
In 1583 following the ending of the Second Desmond Rebellion, which was against English rule in Ireland, Queen Elizabeth directed that a royal charter be granted to incorporate the town as a borough and to allow for the construction of town walls, and traces of these walls are still visible today.
The English language version of the town’s name was originally dropped in 2005 with the Irish language name An Daingean to be used in future. The change was particularly controversial as locals feared it would affect the local tourist industry and some locals took matters into their own hands and spray painted Dingle over the Irish version of the name on road signs etc.
Today Dingle has much to offer tourists and lots to attract sailors ashore; it has a number of pubs, restaurants and cafes creating many opportunities to hear traditional Irish music. A major attraction for visitors is the chance to see a bottlenose dolphin that has frequented the Dingle harbour area since 1984 who has been given the name Fungi. He regularly shows up for tour boats that go out to meet him and visiting boatmen are most likely to have already met the friendly dolphin at the entrance. There is a bronze sculpture of Fungi in the town.
The vistas surrounding the naturally sheltered harbour are spectacular, mountains, sea cliffs, sea birds, sea life and water-sport enthusiasts enjoying the safe protected waters make getting out into the environment a must in Dingle area. There are also some very interesting locations in the immediate surrounding area from which Dingle Harbour makes an ideal base.
The Blasket Centre in Dun Chaoin, on the tip of the Dingle Peninsula, celebrates the story of the Blasket Islanders, the unique literary achievements of the island writers and their native language and tradition. Great Blasket was abandoned in 1953 as a result in the decline of its once vibrant population. Other places of interest include the Gallarus Oratory for history lovers, a religious site of ancient church ruins built over 1,000 years ago; or for energetic walkers take an organised walk up Mount Brandon, or in Irish Cnoc Breanainn, on the northern edge of the Dingle Peninsula; Irelands second highest mountain at 925mtrs/2775ft. Or for the more active family, in less than pleasant weather, there is Ireland’s largest indoor rock climbing wall and outdoor high ropes course. Dingle has got something for everybody.
How to get in?
The ‘Routes: Mizen Head to Sybil Point coastal description’ provides approach information to the suggested Initial Fix. Vessels approaching from the north should select the southbound sequenced description; vessels approaching from the south should select the northbound sequence; other approaches may use either description.
From the Initial Fix, located a mile south of the entrance, turn north and make for the entrance situated between Reenbeg Point and Beenbane Point.
Caution: Vessels approaching Dingle Harbour from the west should not try cut this initial fix. It is essential to keep at least a mile from the north shore of Dingle Bay to the west side of the entrance to Dingle Harbour as foul ground runs out from the shore here. Crow Rock, that is covered on high water springs and dries to 3.7 metres, lies on the outer part of the foul ground. Colleen-oge Rock, with 1.8 metres of water over it, resides about half way between it and the shore to the northeast. There is also a detached head, with 2.4 metres of water over it, residing 100 metres west-southwest of Crow Rock. As best seen on Admiralty 2790, the line of bearing 024° of the light on the northeast side of the harbour entrance, open southeast of Reenbeg Point, provides a clearing line for these dangers.
From the initial fix the entrance will be initially hard to define for those unfamiliar with the location. Two structures on the outer heads greatly assist in defining the entrance. The first is a white light¬house within the entrance and on northeast side.
White lighthouse – Fl G3s 20m 6M position: 52° 07.306' N, 010° 15.505' W
The latter is Eask Tower, with a fingerpost pointing east, located 0.85 mile west-southwest of the entrance upon the 188 metres high summit of Carhoo Hill.
Having passed between Reenbeg and Beenbane Points a berth of 100 metres clears any inshore dangers approaching the inner entrance channel. The narrow channel, situated immediatly west of the white lighthouse, leads northwest for a distance of about half a mile.
Keep slightly to port of centre of channel in the inner end of the channel to avoid the rocky eastern foreshore. A drying reef, marked by Dingle Outer Light buoy (starboard hand), extends 150 metres from Black Point, immediately opposite Flaherty Point. Black Point may be easily identified by the square old Lough Tower situated 400 metres northwest of the light.
Beyond Flaherty and Black Point the inner harbour opens up. At high water it presents a magnificent landlocked basin surrounded by lofty hills. However with the falling tide a large portion of it uncovers and what remains is very shallow except for the channel to the harbour and marina, situated on the north shore. Continue northeast of Flaherty Point and enter the dredged channel between the entrance light buoys (lateral) about 800 metres away.
The 40 metre wide channel is dredged to 2.6 metres LAT and is buoyed all the way to the two breakwaters of the inner harbour. From a position north of Flaherty Point the entrance channel initially runs in a north-westerly direction for about 700 metres almost along the south coast of the harbour. Once the southern transit is aligned it then turns north onto the transit, or by night onto the leading lights and light buoys, for a distance of just over half a mile to Dingle Pier.
The southern transit, supporting the narrow north leg of the dredged channel, consists of two poles in field on the south shore of the harbour – about three quarters of a mile from the light tower. They are situated 100 metres apart with black and white diamonds Oc. White 3s.
Once in-line come starboard and keep the alignment astern on 182° (T) to continue up the final leg of the dredged channel to the harbour. Ahead a sectored light on west side of Main Pier will be seen all the way.
Sectored Light - Oc RWG 4s 13m 2M position: 52° 08.335' N, 010° 16.525' W
The harbour is divided into two basins by a central Dingle Pier. The east basin is used by fishing boats and has a depth of 5 metres. The west basin has a depth of 2.6 metres and has an 80 berth marina 20 of which are visitor berths. The basins are enclosed by two wide breakwaters. The east breakwater extends from the shore to the east of the fairway and about 1 mile south of the head of Dingle Pier. It has 2 fixed vertical green lights at its head. The west breakwater lies close west of the first and has 2 fixed vertical red lights at its head. When past the western breakwater pierhead turn to port into the marina.
The marina watches Channel 80 continuously so a night approach is welcome. Berth as directed by the marina master. Shallower draft vessels may anchor between 200 to 400 metres south-southwest of the pierhead in MLWN depths of 1.9 metres or less.
What are the tides here?
Today's local tide estimates are based on High Water Cobh -0056
Today's Cobh tides — High water: 05:16, 17:38, Low water: 11:48,
Today's Dover tides — High water: 11:14, 23:30, Low water: 06:06, 18:22 (From Tide Times)
More accurately HW Cobh -0111sp, - 0041 np, or alternatively +0540 on Dover
MHWS 4.0 m MHWN 3.2m MLWN 1.0m MLWS 0.0m
ML 2.1m; Duration 0605
Tidal streams in the entrance to Dingle Harbour reach a spring rate of 2.5 (kn) and begin at the following intervals from HW Cobh and Dover:
Cobh +0530 in going, -0045 out going
Dover -0020 in going, +0550 out going
Within the harbour there is little tidal stream.
What facilities are available?
Dingle has ample shops and amenities to cater for a population of about 2,000 including art and craft shops, restaurants, pubs, supermarket, laundrette, internet cafe, post office, bank, tourist information centre. The marina is in the centre of the town so all facilities are available in the immediate vicinity.
The marina offers water, gas, alongside diesel (that can also be supplied by cans along with petrol to the Marina), trolleys for loading, electricity, showers, toilets, are all available to the visitor berths. Harbour fees are applicable. Electronic repairs, marine engineering repairs, chandlery, a slipway and sailmaker in the area. A bus service operates to Tralee and from hence all major national towns.
What emergency contacts are there?
Valentia Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) VHF Ch 24 & MF 1752 kHz covers this costal area. Cork (26), Mizen (04), Bantry Bay (23), Shannon (28) and Galway (04) provide relay stations. Coastguard Radio is always called on a working channel. Emergencies are worked on 16, 67 and working channel.
Alternatively, or if ashore, phone 999 or 121 (free) and ask for ‘Marine Rescue’. Gardai (police), Fire and Rescue are also available on this number. Valentia (MRSC) may be called on +353 669 476 109
HM telephone 066-9151629, Email dinglemarina@eircom.net Communications: VHF Ch.16 and CH 80 and via Valencia Radio.
Other Useful Contacts
HM: +353 66 9151629
Marina: +353 87 9254115, e-mail, dingle@eircom.net, VHF Channel 80
Valentia Radio (Ch 24 28) will relay urgent messages to Dingle HM.
Any security concerns?
Never a problem known to have occurred to a vessel in Dingle Harbour.
What navigational resources are available for this area?
Admiralty Chart 2789 ‘Dingle Bay and Smerwick Harbour’ scale of 1:60,000, including ‘Continuation of Castlemaine Harbour’ Scale of 1:60,000 and ‘Smerwick Harbour’ Scale of 1:40,000 covers this area. Admiralty Chart 2790 ‘Ventry and Dingle Harbours’ scale of 1:15,000 covers the ‘Blasket Islands’ Scale of 1:37,500 provides more detail.
Imray C56 & C55 scale of 1:170,000 overlap here. Ordinance Survey of Ireland, Discovery Series Map ref No. 70 Kerry, scale 1:50,000.
With thanks to:
Gareth Thomas, Yacht Jalfrezi.
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.