Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

8°C

Swell today

Direction S, height 1.7 metres, period 9.9 seconds, significant wave height of 2.0 metres.

Haven position?

51° 36.244' N, 008° 50.921' W

Where is that position?

Inside the harbour in 1.4 metres as marked on the Admiralty chart.

What is the initial fix?

This waypoint is on the five metre contour, half a mile out from the green perch indicating ‘Wind Rock’ and the harbour entrance. It is equidistant from Muckruss Head and Ring Head in inner bay. The perch lies on a bearing of thirty degrees from this waypoint.

What is the story here?

Clonakilty Harbour, resides in the northwest part of Clonakilty Bay between Muckruss Head and Ring Head. The inner harbour itself is largely taken up by Inchydoney Island that was once an island and is now linked to the mainland by two causeways. To the northeast of Inchydoney Island resides Clonakilty Harbour, or Ring, where a boat can anchor although it almost completely dries at low water save for a few channels.

Once you are inside it a good anchorage as a vessel is protected from all quarters save from strong south westerlies at high water where it can be felt. It has however very good holding in mud.

Getting in however requires highly involved navigation. The entrance is via a narrow channel on the east side of Inchydoney Island. The channel has a controlling depth of 0.6 metres on the entrance bar at low water and 0.2 to 1.7 metres in the channels thereafter. Hence this harbour is only realistic for powered vessels with drafts of a metre or less that, ideally, could take to the ground. Deeper draught vessels and, certainly those operating without power, should realistically keep clear of Clonakilty.

Furthermore you will have to work the channels by eyeball navigation and, if need be, a lead line. The entrance to the harbour is marked by a green (cone topmark) perch marker indicating ‘Wind Rock’ but from there on there are no further markers. As a result the harbour should only be visited in very settled conditions and, due to the limited depth and markings, on a half flood tide.

Please note that in any strong conditions with a southerly element you can expect heavy seas to break on the bar making entering or leaving the harbour impossible.

Why visit here?

Ring as can be seen in the photography is a beautifully quiet abode for the visiting yachtsman. To reward those who dared the entry channel it has two public houses one of which serves very good food.

Nearby Clonakilty (or in Irish Cloich Na Coillte sometimes Cloch Na gCoillte often referred to by locals simply as Clon) is a small town that lies behind Inchydoney Island approximately 2 – 3 km away, has all amenities should you need them.

The village is situated about 55 minutes drive to the west of Cork City it has 10,000 permanent inhabitants that swells by as much as 20% during the summer season’s tourist influx. The centre of the town is picturesque with meticulously maintained shop & pub fronts. All are painted in bright colours and often further decorated with hanging baskets of greenery. The town’s Roman Catholic Church is a beautiful piece of architecture comparable with that of Cobh. Likewise the surrounding countryside is picturesque and hilly primarily under dairy farming and is the home to the annual Clonakilty Agricultural Show. As a consequence the area is known for its world famous black pudding and yogurts.

Historically the area is notable as the birthplace of Michael Collins, leader of the IRA and later the Free State movement, which campaigned for independence from the United Kingdom around 1900-1921. He is widely regarded as one of Ireland's leading historical figures and the recent subject of an internationally successful movie by Neil Jordan based upon his life. He was killed during the Irish Civil War and a statue of Michael Collins was erected near Emmet Square in 2002.

Though Clonakilty is a small town, it has a buoyant social scene. Most of the pubs offer some form of music and entertainment to suit all tastes. This ranges from traditional groups, local bands, karaoke, well-known Irish and international musicians and entertainers. During sailing season you will find live entertainment most every day of the week.

Finally, the Inchydoney beach, that you concernedly passed in the channel, is one of the finest beaches in the country. It is a Blue flag beach with two vast stretches of sand, separated by a spur called the Virgin Mary’s Bank. That, plus the facilities of the extensive hotel above make it a very worthwhile dinghy run.

How to get in?

Clonakilty Bay is 9.25 nautical miles wide with a high rocky shoreline that lies between Galley Head and Seven Heads or Leganagh Point, the most southerly of the Heads (the seven heads name is a shortening of Seven Castles Head). The centre of the bay is free of dangers but those planning entry into the harbour should note the positions of the following fringing rocks round the inner harbour:

Off the eastern shoreline:
Pollock Rock - position: 51° 34.750’N 008° 46.670’W
Sloop Rock - position: 51° 35.233’N 008° 47.900’W
Sheep Rock - position: 51° 35.480’N 008° 50.140’W
Off the western shoreline.
Anchor Rock - position: 51° 34.800’N 008° 51.700’W

Ideally you should visit by land beforehand; it is less than twenty minutes by road from Courtmacsherry, and if possible also find some current local advice as the sands in the area continually shift.

From the listed waypoint you will see the conspicuous Inchydoney Island Lodge and Spa Hotel on Inchydoney Island and Ring Head. Then as you approach on a bearing of 30 degrees a perch (green, cone topmark) on Wind Rock that dries 0.5m:

Wind Rock - perch position: 51° 35 .677’N 008° 50.986‘W

Due to the limited draft and markings it is best to enter during the second half of the flood stream. Stay in tight to the perch at the entrance as the beach stretches almost entirely across from Inchydoney Island on the west side. Continue to feel your way up approximately 75 – 100 metres off the Ring shore for approximately a mile until you arrive into South Ring.

Anchor in the channel 400 metres south of the South Ring pier where you should find 1.4 to 1.7 metres at low water. Alternatively, if you can take to the ground at low water you can lie alongside the drying quay at Ring.

What are the tides here?

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

Nearby Glandore is Cobh -0020sp, -0030np
MHWS 3.7m MHWN 3.0m MLWN 1.4m MLWS 0.7m

Clonakilty tidal streams can be strong
Dover +0020 (Cobh +0610) In-going stream
Dover -0555 (Cobh –0005) Out-going stream
Outside the harbour
Dover +0215 East (Cobh-0420) East going
Dover -0345 West (Cobh+0205) West going
Spring rate approximately 1.5 kn, tides inside the bay are negligible.

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 are few facilities available at Ring but nearby Clonakilty will have most anything you need.

Clonakilty is located 45 minutes on the main N71 through West Cork from Cork City
and is approximately 40 minutes from Cork International Airport. The airport has regular scheduled flights to Dublin, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt to name some of the destinations it serves.

Bus Éireann operates an extensive bus service to and from the town throughout the day and there are numerous private bus, hackney and taxi operators providing a 24-hour service in the town and out to Ring.

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 an issue known to have occurred to a vessel at Ring.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

Admiralty 2092 ‘Toe Head to Old Head of Kinsale’ Scale of 1:50,000. Imray C56 ‘Cork Harbour to Dingle Bay’ scale of 1:170,000. The Pilot ’Sailing Directions - Irish Cruising Club - South and West Coasts of Ireland’’ covers this in great detail.

With thanks to:

Anthony McCarthy, local yachtsman.

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