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Today's local tide estimates
High water: ,
Low water: * Coming soon
High water: ,
Low water:
Local weather
NW Force 3, Overcast, 7°C
Swell today
Direction W, height 3.8 metres, period 9.9 seconds, significant wave height of 3.9 metres.
Summary
A completely protected location with careful navigation required for access.
LWS draught
3 metres (9.84 feet).
Shelter See it »
Completely protected.
Nature (summary)
Anchorage, moorings, landing by tender, jetty, edifying, scenic.
Facilities (summary)
Tap, public houses.
Haven position? See it »
51° 45.650' N, 010° 8.900' W
Where is that position? See it »
Near the reported position of Darrynane Harbour’s three visitor moorings in the anchorage.
What is the initial fix? See it »
The following Darrynane Initial Fix waypoint will set up a final approach:
51° 45.248' N, 010° 9.772' W
1000 metres southwest of the entrance on the leading lights.
Why visit here?
Darrynane (Doire Fhíonáin) ‘Fíonán's oak wood’, that is now more popularly spelled Derrynane, lies amidst some of the most spectacular scenery in Ireland. It is a popular water leisure location for sailing, water skiers or for families to enjoy a lovely fine sand beech that shelves gently into crystal clear water.
The harbour makes for a great anchorage that is relatively easy to enter and I have sat out a gale here in flat water. There is a pub that serves food during the summer months a couple of hundred yards from the old pier and beach. There is another pub a good hours walk inland that also serves simply excellent food and you should ask for directions if you spend time here.
Historically Darrynane is perhaps most famous for being the ancestral home of Daniel O'Connell who resided in Darrynane house about a 600 metre walk beyond the quay. Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847), known as ‘The Liberator’, or ‘The Emancipator’, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the nineteenth century. He campaigned for Catholic Emancipation - the right for Catholics to sit in the Westminster Parliament, denied for over 100 years - and Repeal of the Union between Ireland and Great Britain.
Daniel O’Connell’s house is now open to the public. Situated on 120 hectares of scenic parklands, the House displays many relics of O'Connell s life and career and is well worth a visit. Although Daniel O’Connell was buried in Dublin his family burial plot is on Abbey Island. A plaque can be found with some info surrounding the family grave.
More recently Damian Foxhaul of round the world fame came from here and started his sailing here. He was the first Irishman to win a round the world race.
How to get in?
From the south you can pass on either side of Moylaun Island and head for the initial fix. Approaching from the north you should keep well offshore until the leading marks come in line as there is foul ground extending from Carrigsheehan called the Muckiv Rocks - awash at high water but always showing.
From the initial fix you will pick up the two conspicuous white leading beacons on the shore opposite to the entrance - Front - Oc W3s 10m 4M, - Rear - Oc W3s 16m 4M. These provide the harbour entrances 034° leading line. You should see them clearly from the initial fix as they are both well kept and easy to see.
Line up on the transits from 1000 metres out and follow it closely in to avoid rocks close either side; the Bulligmore Rock just south of the transit and the Muckiv Rocks to the north.
Once you approach the entrance it gets very narrow but is nonetheless straight forward as the transit takes you between two rocks that are always visible – see photograph. The southwest most of these rocks is Middle Rock lying close to the northwest end of Lamb Island.
When 100 metres past Middle Rock alter course off the leading line to starboard as the transit passes very close to Halftide Rock on the northwest side of the channel. Here the track turns off the transit to the northeast for a short distance to pass midway between a red topped beacon (close east of Halftide Rock) to port and a black topped beacon to starboard on Lambs Rock (close north of Lamb Island).
This is a key turn and as you can see in the below photograph the port beacon is off the transit. It is tempting to stay on transit that passes too close to Halftide Island so it is essential that you turn to starboard here. The concrete beacons have a distinctive shape and you should aim to pass between the flat vertical faces – again see photo from inside the harbour.
Once 100 metres past Lambs Rock you can turn to the southeast towards the anchorage so that you pass between Lambs Rock beacon and to the south of the Odd Rock beacon ( a third beacon inside the harbour to the northeast Lambs Rock beacon).
There is a dangerous covered rock that is well charted on the north side of the anchorage. It never dries and has 0.9 metres over it at LWS and you should make note of it upon the chart.
Head 400 metres down the harbour to the southeast taking a centre, or tending to the south side of the channel, to avoid that covered rock, to the harbours three visitor moorings.
Darrynane Harbour moorings – position: 51° 45.600’N, 010° 08.800’W
The moorings are rated to 15 tons and are large, coloured bright yellow and labelled VISITOR.
Anchor in this area, clear of the moorings that are often oversubscribed, where you will find excellent holding in sand. There is a quay here at the southeast end of the harbour that dries. You may land at the quay or at the adjacent sandy beach.
There is a new quay below the leading lights that dries and is targeted at landing fishing catches at high tide. You could come alongside at the end of the pier temporarily at high water but it would not be advisable with any swell or to plan to stay alongside.
What are the tides here?
Today's Dover tides — High water: 09:09, 21:36, Low water: 03:55, 16:22 From Tide Times
HW Cobh –0119sp, -0039np
MHWS 3.6m MHWN 2.7m MLWN 1.2m MLWS 0.4m
The latest monthly Dover Tides and Cobh 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 Munster 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. Cork 26, Bantry 23, Valentia 24. 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 is very little in the way of facilities or supplies here. Water is reportedly available from a privately owned tap near the east quay. Basic stores may be obtained from Caherdaniel that is about two miles away that has a very good restaurant. Milk can be obtained from Keating's Hotel about 0.5 miles. About some 300 metres along the road from the quay, there is a friendly bar. There is no fuel available in the immediate area.
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
Any security concerns?
Never heard of a problem but in the last few years the beach is crowded with people particularly at the weekends. Also there is now what I believe a sailing school there and I now take more time turning dinghies over hiding paddles when going for a walk etc.
With thanks to:
Burke Corbett, Gusserane, New Ross, Co. Wexford.
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.
