Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

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Swell today

Direction N, height 0.0 metres, period 0.0 seconds, significant wave height of 0.2 metres.

Haven position?

54° 26.930' N, 005° 37.905' W

Where is that position?

100 metres east of the pontoon.

What is the initial fix?

Approximately 200 metres east of the Limestone Rock beacon Q.R.3M. It is on the 318° line of bearing off a converted windmill, situated 4 miles to the northwest, that leads to Ringhaddy Sound from here - as noted on the Admiralty chart.

What is the story here?

Ringhaddy Sound is located upon the northeast coast of Ireland, upon Strangford Lough’s western shore, to the west of Islandmore. It is a beautiful and popular mooring ground with some club visitor pontoons.

The Sound offers complete protection from all conditions. However wind against tide in a strong northerly, and to a lesser extent southerly, may be a little uncomfortable.

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 quiet and beautiful anchorage offers complete protection with all the resources of Ringhaddy Cruising Club immediately to hand.
The privately owned old quay was most likely built in the early part of the 19th century. It is one of the best examples of a medium-sized quay in Strangford Lough that remains from the time. Islandmore is now inhabited all the year round and has signs forbidding landing which is unfortunate.
Ringhaddy is another typically stunning location in this island-studded sea Lough offering a boatman another chance to enjoy some of the country’s finest scenery.

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.

After entering Strangford Lough proceed up the deep waters of the eastern side of the Lough to the Ringhaddy Initial fix. This is situated approximately 200 metres east of the Limestone Rock beacon Q.R.3M. This beacon marks the eastern point of a rock Pladdy that covers after 4 hours of flood tide and there are an additional two perches marking the western and northern points.

From there track in on the 318° line of bearing off a conspicuous circular building, that is a converted windmill, along with two white leading marks near the shore that lead into Ringhaddy Sound.

One mile in and the route closes to about 500 metres to pass between the unmarked Brownrock Pladdy and Brown Rock to the port or south side. Both cover at half tide where only seaweed may be visible. However a small grass island close to the south called Black Rock is visible making the former easy to position. On the starboard or north side is the Verde Rocks that are marked by a perch.

The route then continues in south of Pawle Island and then close south of Eaglehill Point at the south end of Islandmore. A vessel should stand well off Eaglehill Point shore as a ledge extends around the south of the island.

When Ringhaddy Sound opens up swing round to starboard and steer north. Keep clear of southwest end of Islandmore as a single rock resides approximately 50 metres offshore of the wooden summer house and just south of the jetty. Following the line of yacht moorings avoids this.

Afterwards it is advisable to favour the east side of the sound to avoid a spit that extends half way across the sound from the western shoreline. The spit reaches in a south eastward direction from the point where you will see a stone building and jetty.

From here track up mid-channel avoiding the bays as they shoal. Likewise take care not to foul upon the moorings that fill the entire length of the Sound behind Islandmore.

Holding is good in the deep waters of the sound if you get the anchor in. However, with a bottom of rock and weed, this may be challenging plus it could come loose in the alternating currents that run up to three knots. This makes it advisable to come alongside the pontoon and enquire if there is a spare mooring available. Although there are no official visitor moorings in the Sound, Club members are welcoming and may be able to identify private moorings for temporary use.

Visiting yachts from outside the Lough are welcome to come alongside the club pontoons for short periods, even a day or two by arrangement. The pontoons have 1.8 metres or less at LWS with a bottom of soft mud.

There is an old stone pier that is 300 metres further north that is difficult to come alongside but may prove useful. The bottom of the quay is hard on the north side and dries at low water enabling a vessel to dry out here. The quay and entry road are in private ownership so road access is restricted.

Please note the area between Pawl Island and the Black and Brown Rocks have an awkward seaway in wind-against-tide conditions. Ringhaddy Sound may also be entered and exited upon its north side 400 metres west of Green Island.

What are the tides here?

Today's local tide estimates are based on High Water Belfast +0202
Today's Belfast tides — High waters: 00:06, 12:25, Low waters: 06:03, 18:18
Today's Dover tides — High waters: 00:05, 12:22, Low waters: 07:13, 19:27 (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
Up to 3.0 Kn in Ringhaddy Sound

What facilities are available?

There is a concrete slip and Ringhaddy club has a number of pontoons where water is available. Between the old quay and the pontoons there are privately owned facilities for hauling out that should only be thought of in situations of distress. As mentioned above a vessel can dry out against the north side of the old quay. The area is remote from any village and as such there are no supplies available here.

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:
Ringhaddy Cruising Club
Ringhaddy Road, Killinchy Tel:+44 (0)28 97 541158
Police: +44 4461 5011, Medical Clinic +44 4461 3016

Any security concerns?

The Ringhaddy Cruising Club grounds are a secured area.

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.

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How can I get this offshore?

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Alternatively print this page's text, illustrations and photos, but without the internet menu, layout, backdrops and Google maps, or economise upon printer consumables and print this page with text only, to get a hardcopy of this location.

What other useful information is available?

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’.



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