Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

12°C

Swell today

Direction SW, height 0.0 metres, period 9.9 seconds, significant wave height of 0.2 metres.

Haven position?

51° 31.484' N, 009° 32.520' W

Where is that position?

Shull harbour pierhead.

What is the initial fix?

This waypoint is on the harbour’s 346°(T) in-line leading though the entrance. It is approximately 500 metres to the south east of Bull Rock, that lies in the entrance, and half way between Copper Point Lighthouse and Joan Salters rock off Coosheen Point. It is the convergence point of Long Island and Castle Island Channel plus Castle Grounds approaches.

What is the story here?

Schull Harbour is a south facing bight located on Ireland’s southwest corner, behind Long and Castle Islands on the peninsula that leads out to Mizen Head. The harbour offers an anchorage with sturdy moorings but it is also possible for short periods to come alongside the busy pier or raft up to a fishing boat.

Although somewhat open to the south Schull Harbour gains a large degree of southerly protection from Long Island and in most reasonable conditions offers good protection. However it can be uncomfortable if a strong swell is running into the bay or with a southerly or south easterly gale it is untenable. On the other hand it is more comfortable than Crookhaven in easterly and westerly winds. Supported by markers and night lights the open harbour affords straightforward access on any state of the tide night or day.

Please note that a rock, marked by a light beacon, guards the centre of the entrance. It may be passed on either side but the eastern side is marginally the wider of the two and supported by leading lights for a night entry. There is also a shallow rock in the harbour near the mooring area. Protection from a southerly gale can be found immediately outside the entrance and to the north of Long Island, a distance of a mile and a half from Schull pier.

Why visit here?

Schull, pronounced Skull, derives its name from the Irish Scoil Mhuire believed to have originated from a medieval monastic school of which no trace remains today. The area’s history dates back to the prehistoric when it was a centre for bronze and copper mining that was extracted from the southeast slopes of the overlooking 407 metres (1339ft) Mount Gabriel.

Today it is a remote picturesque fishing town that is regarded as one of West Cork's most popular tourist destinations. As such it comes to life during the summer months when a large number of tourists and yachtsmen visit. This is catered for by a wealth of activities to enjoy including a variety of water sports, pony trekking, walking in the wonderful countryside, with plenty of wildlife flora and fauna and archaeology to explore. There are many pubs and bars that provide a variety of music, and several fine restaurants for that all important good meal. The area is particularly notable for a number of local cheese making farms that make for an interesting visit plus Schull hosts Ireland’s only Planetarium with Star Shows throughout the summer.

Most of all Schull is a centre for a wide variety of waterborne activities such as windsurfing, kayaking, scuba diving, and sea angling trips by boats operating off the pier. There is a thriving local diving club that welcomes visiting divers, plus canoeing with boats available for rent and tuition can be supplied if required. It is also the home of a very active sailing club and visiting yachtsmen are invited to take part in their organised events including the Schull Regatta. This is now the high point of a weeks racing, colloquially known as ‘Calves Week’, that is recognised as a major event in the Irish racing calendar. This is held during the week following the August Bank Holiday weekend. Another annual event that is held during the second week of July is ‘The Fastnet International Schools Regatta’. Attracting young sailors from all over Europe and beyond it holds an excellent reputation within the international sailing community.

Schull is truly a lovely spot with much to offer the visiting yachtsmen. It should be considered one of Ireland’s southwest corner’s ‘must visits’.

How to get in?

The ‘Route: Cork Harbour to Mizen Head coastal description’ provides approach information to the suggested Initial Fix. Vessels approaching from the east should select the westbound sequenced description; vessels approaching from the southwest round to northwest should select the eastbound sequence; southern approaches may use either description.

Access to Schull Harbour is straight forward as it is in the inner reaches of the bay, that affords some protection from a seaway, and is the convergence point of Long Island and Castle Island Channels for inshore visitors.

Offshore approaches, from the west or southwest, that intend to enter Schull by the eastern channel, between Long Island and Castle island, should range along the southern side of Long Island. Give Long Island’s southern shoreline a berth of half a mile or alternatively keep Crookhaven’s Streek Head open of Goat Island, until the summit of Mount Gabriel, two miles north of Schull with two white radomes, opens of Copper Point. Then haul up towards the channel between Long and Castle Islands. The channel is readily pointed out by Copper Point Lighthouse, situated on Long Island Point, and 900 metres southeast-by-east, by the Amelia Rock starboard hand light-buoy that marks the rocks to the west of Castle Island.

Copper Point Lighthouse - Q(3)10s 16m 8M position 51° 30.250’N 009° 32.063’W

Amelia Rock - G Lt buoy Fl. G. 3s position: 51° 29.979’N 009° 31.461’W

Approaches from Long Island Channel should keep the Cush Spit marker to the south.

Cush Spit - Q position 51° 30.304’N 009° 33.017’W

From the Schull Harbour initial fix the transits should appear in line. The transits, with leading lights Oc 5s, are at the head of Schull Harbour and consist of a 5 and 8 metre high white masts positioned 91 metres apart. They are difficult to distinguish by day.

Front Leading light - Oc 5s 5m 11M; 51°31.693’N, 009° 32.410’W

Once located track in on 346°(T) for the entrance as marked on the charts.

The harbour is entered between Coosheen Point and Skull Point, about half a mile apart, that is divided in half by Bull Rock. The Bull Rock covers at half-tide, when its position is pointed out by a port hand light beacon. The rock runs off to north by northeast for about 100 metres.

Bull Rock – iron beacon Fl (2) R 6s position: 51° 30.758’N 009° 32.205’W

Bull Rock may be passed on either side. The preferred approach is the 200 metres wide channel on the eastern side, between Bull Rock and the rocky ledges that extend nearly 150 to 200 metres from Coosheen Point. A berth of at least 200 metres off the Coosheen Point side is recommended. Those electing to enter on the west side of Bull Rock should make note of Baker Rock that resides 300 metres north of Schull Point. Baker Rock is awash at low water but after that the western shore of the harbour is clear.

Once within the harbour, depths decline from 10 metres at the entrance to 3 metres at the head of the harbour. The village of Schull is situated on the western side near the head of the harbour. A conspicuous disused chimney stands on a hill on the east side of the harbour.

A small pier will be seen off the village at the northwest corner of the bay, usually lit by street lights all night, with a depth of 1.5 metres alongside the seaward end. The head and north side of the pier is in constant use by fishing boats whilst the south side is utilised by the Clear Island tourist boat. On occasions it may be possible to come alongside for short periods.

Visiting boats may anchor in 3 metres 200 metres southeast of the pier but take care not to impede the approach channel south-southeast of the pier. Anchor in sand and mud with good holding but it can be subject to kelp. As such it is advised that the anchor should be well dug in with engine.

There are 12 visitor moorings available south of the pier below the modern holiday village.

Schull moorings – position: 51° 31.500’N 009° 32.300’W.

The moorings are rated to 15 tons and are large, coloured bright yellow and labelled VISITOR.

All anchored and moored vessels should carry a light throughout the night. Beware unmarked isolated rock with 0.5 metres over it close to the visitors´ buoy.

What are the tides here?

Today's local tide estimates are based on High Water Cobh -0028
Today's Cobh tides — High waters: 06:31, 18:48, Low waters: 00:38, 12:54
Today's Dover tides — High waters: 00:05, 12:22, Low waters: 07:13, 19:27 (From Tide Times)
MHWS 3.2m MHWN 2.6m MLWN 1.1m MLWS 0.4m; ML 1.8; Duration 0610
More accurately HW Cobh –0040sp, -0015np, or alternatively +0610 on Dover

What facilities are available?

Facilities include water from a tap at the root of the pier, chandlery, laundry and ice. Showers are available at one of the hotels by Harbour Master arrangement who will also help with diesel and petrol arrangements - via cans from five miles distant Ballydehob. Gas from the town. There is a slip that dries at LWS and a place to land for tenders sail repairs. A boatyard with storage, slips, boat launching facilities caters for repairs and maintenance work. There is also very active Sailing Club also in the harbour.

Schull village, situated on the west side near the head of the harbour, offers visiting yachtsmen many facilities, with a variety of shops including grocers, butchers, bakers, delicatessen/coffee shops, an excellent book shop, and local craft shops. There is also a Bank and a Post Office and a local bus service to Cork (a distance of approximately 100km). Throughout the summer daily ferry trips leave the harbour pier taking visitors on trips to Sherkin Island, Cape Clear, Fastnet Rock and several smaller islands in the bay.

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

Other useful contacts in this area:
Schull Harbour Master +353 27 28136 +353 86 1039105. No VHF
Garda +353 27 28111; Dr 28311; ? +353 27 50133.
Water Sports Centre +353 27 28554

Any security concerns?

Never an issue known to have occurred in Schull Harbour.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

The large scale Admiralty Charts 2424 ‘Kenmare River to Cork Harbour’ Scale of 1:150,000 covers this area. 2129 ‘’Long Island Bay to Castlehaven’’ and 2184 ‘’Mizen Head to Gascanane Sound’’ Scale of 1:30,000 provide detail. Finally Admiralty Leisure Folio SC5623 Ireland - South West Coast, Bantry Bay to Kinsale. Imray C56 ‘Cork Harbour to Dingle Bay’ scale of 1:170,000. The Discovery Series Sheet Number 88, scale of 1:50,000, covers the shore.

With thanks to:

Burke Corbett, Gusserane, New Ross, Co. Wexford.

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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?

RTE provides a highly simplified national and provincial outlook. More detail can be found from Met Éireann’s (the Irish National Meteorological Service) eastern Atlantic 24 hour synoptic, the current Irish sea area forecast and Irish observations.

The UK Met Office also provides a shipping forecast plus visible satellite and infrared satellite imagery to enable close observation of approaching frontal systems. This movement information makes it easy to predict when a weather event will affect a location thus providing an accurate estimate as to when the typical Irish sharp veer, off the back of a cold front, will arrive. Another useful resource is the 21st Operational Weather Squadron that provides Atlantic and European synoptics.

XC Weather provides a local view of wind conditions direct from and array of reporting station manned along the British Isles. Three hour historical info plus expected wind direction and strength for the next couple of days are available on this site and it is possible to interpolate between stations.

Wind guru is an international surfing site that provides a view on eighty five beaches around the coast of Ireland. It offers wind and wave information plus meteorological data such as temperature, wind speed and direction. The sites wind, wave height and direction information enables a good picture of a seaway, wave against wind or tide etc., to be understood.

Whilst off-line national weather information is broadcast as follows:

Coastal radio stations (VHF Channel)
Weather forecast at 0103 and thence every 3 hours updated every sixth.
Cork 26, Bantry 23, Valentia 24, Shannon 28, Clifden 26, Malin Head 23, Dublin 83, Wicklow Head 87, Rosslare 23, and Mine Head 83.

RTE Radio 1 Sea area forecast: 24 / 48 hour outlook and gale warnings rounding the country in a clockwise direction from headlands to headland.
FM 88.90 MHZ or MW 567khz/529m and 729khz/412m.
Weekdays 0602, 1253, 1823, 2355; Sundays 0633, 0755, 0855, 1253, 1823, 235

BBC Radio 4 Sea area forecast:
LW 198khz/1525M. VHF92.4/94.6MhZ
Daily 0048, 0535 (0542 on Sundays, 0556 Saturdays), 1201,1754.

Precise monthly Dover, Dublin, Cobh, Limerick, Rosslare, Sligo, Bangor, Donaghadee, Derry, Portrush tides are posted by the National Environmental Research Council.



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