Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

4°C

Swell today

Direction SSE, height 1.9 metres, period 0.0 seconds, significant wave height of 2.6 metres.

Haven position?

54° 49.000' N, 005° 46.087' W

Where is that position?

This anchorage is upon the southern shore of Larne Lough. The position is that of the disused small basin upon the western side of Magheramorne Point where a cement works operated in the past.

What is the initial fix?

Half a mile north of the harbour and approximately 200 metres East of Larne No. 1 Light buoy (starboard hand) Green buoy, Q (3) 10s. The waypoint is upon the alignment of 184.3° that leads through the centre of the entrance channel.

What is the story here?

Magheramorne Point is located in Larne Lough upon the northeast coast of Ireland. It is a secluded anchorage two miles within the Lough alongside an old disused cement works where there is a club and a popular local mooring area.

Magheramorne Point is a good anchorage. It is very well protected from all conditions save from the north where it might become a little choppy and uncomfortable. Larne Harbour may be accessed day or night at any stage of the tide in all reasonable conditions but the trek down to the anchorage requires normal navigation. Once outside the port area navigation aids are scarce and good visibility is required for the transits that lead through the dredged channel to Magheramorne.

Why visit here?

Magheramorne is a small village on the western shore of Larne Lough. The settlement is dominated by the disused quarry and Blue Circle Cement Company works.

For over two hundred years coasters came and went at a steady rate importing and exporting various cargoes for the cement works. After the quarry was worked out the kilns continued the production of cement well into the 1990s and Magheramorne was still used by shipping. The berth finally closed in 2002.

The two hundred years of industrial quarrying and cement production has taken its toll on the Magheramorne landscape and those landing will see many remnants of better days scaring the yard. However plans are afoot for a major development here that include 450 environmentally-friendly homes, restaurants, retail units, a community centre, a hotel, a harbour-side tourist point with viewing tower, boating facilities, a chandlery, and much more. So perhaps Magheramorne story may take another direction.

Today it is an anchorage to escape the hustle and bustle of Larne. Set away upon the sheltered southern waters of Larne Lough yet with handy public transport into the town and the facilities of the local club.

How to get in?

FROM LARNE HARBOUR Larne Harbour is situated at the entrance to Larne Lough with port installations on both sides. Use the Larne Harbour entry for guidance on how to approach the harbour from the Irish Sea and enter the Lough.

After entering the harbour continue south past Ballylumford Power Station and its pier, between the L-shaped ‘A’ wharf and No.7 buoy and then along the western shore of Islandmagee. Here you will find the eastern shore of the inner Lough is covered by a gravelly foreshore that dries up to 200 metres off. Outside of this there is a 200 metres wide channel that carries 6 metres of water for half a mile, then 4 metres falling to 2 metres abreast of Mill Bay.

When approaching Ballydowan, where moored local boats will be visible, look to the southern shore. The disused Magheramorne Point cement works should be visible just under a mile to the south. Close west of the cement works you should see the closing alignment of two leading marks.

Front Mark - triangle pointing up on telegraph pole, 9 metres position: 54° 48.928’N, 005° 46' 049’W

This is situated on the foreshore close west of the cement works basin. The rear mark has a downward pointing triangle, elevation 12 metres, set back 60 metres from the front mark.

Once in line, at 176.5°, this leads through the old harbour’s dredged channel with a least depth of 2.4 metres on the alignment. Half way down the transit a small artificial islet, that is a bird sanctuary, will be passed about 100 metres to starboard.

Many moored local craft to the west of Magheramorne Point will be found closer in. Anchor to the north of the moorings in depths according to draught. Landings may be made at a wooden jetty situated near the transit marks.

Please note Magheramorne closed to commercial traffic in January 2002 and any buoys marking the channel were removed in August 2004.

There are more anchorages in the Lough than we have posted and especially so for shallow draft vessels that can take to the hard. Although the Lough presents a large surface at high water the rest of it consists mainly of drying flats and shoal banks of fine muddy sand, particularly so on the west side.

What are the tides here?

Today's Dover tides — High waters: 11:11, 23:32, Low waters: 06:21, 18:43 ^{From Tide Times}

High Water Dover +0100, Belfast + 0005
MHWS 2.8m MHWN 2.5m MLWN 0.8m MLWS 0.4m

Tidal streams outside of Hunter Rock run in line with the general direction of the coast. Inside Hunter Rock the streams gradually shift to run across the entrance to Larne Lough. In the channel the ebb and flood approximately start at LW and HW Dover, running in the direction of the channel at a maximum rate of 3kn.

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 is a concrete slip and a clubhouse ashore with all facilities including showers. Magheramorne is a small village where buses are available to Larne, a distance of 5 kms, plus there is a hotel half a mile away. Magheramorne is located 3 kms south of Glynn along the main A2 Shore Road.

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. Auxiliary coastguard stations and lifesaving appliances are maintained at Portmuck and Larne.

Other useful contacts in this area:
Port of Larne
VHF: Ch. 14 'Larne Port Control'
Phone: +44 28 872179.
Blue Circle Boat Club
Tel: +44 28 2827 3569
Address: 100 Shore Rd, Magheramorne, Larne, County Antrim BT40 3H
Doctor: +44 28 275331; Police +44 28 272266

Any security concerns?

Never a problem known to have occurred in Magheramorne.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

British Admiralty 1411 ‘Irish Sea - Western Part’ and 2724 ‘North Channel to the Firth of Lorne’ scale 200,000:1 plus 2198 ‘North Channel - Southern Part’ scale of 75,000:1 is a good planning chart for the area. The key detail chart is British Admiralty 1237 ‘Larne Lough and Approaches’ scale of 10,000:1. Also Imray chart C62 – ‘Irish Sea’ Chart C64 ‘Belfast Lough to Crinan and Islay’ plus Northern Ireland Ordinance Survey No. 9 at a scale of 1:50,000 for inland details.

With thanks to:

Terry Crawford, local boatman of many decades.

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