Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

8°C

Swell today

Direction WSW, height 0.1 metres, period 9.9 seconds, significant wave height of 0.2 metres.

Haven position?

52° 36.916' N, 009° 6.802' W

Where is that position?

Approaching Foynes yacht club pontoon and moorings.

What are the initial fixes?

The following waypoints will set up a final approach:

(i) Shannon Entrance Initial Fix
52° 32.528' N, 009° 46.944' W
Shannon Entrance - Ballybunnion North Cardinal Marker Lt Buoy, VQ Fl. Racon 6m

(ii) Foynes Harbour Initial Fix
52° 37.180' N, 009° 8.022' W
400 Metres west of the west cardinal mark on the transit into Foynes.

Please note: Initial fixes only set up their listed targets. Do not plan to sail directly between initial fixes as a routing sequence.

What is the story here?

Foynes Harbour lies 22 miles from the mouth of the River Shannon in a channel between Foynes Island and the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary. The very busy commercial shipping town provides an excellent anchorage with moorings plus a club pontoon that accommodates visitors.

Foynes provides complete protection from all winds and may easily be described as the most sheltered location upon the Shannon Estuary. It offers safe access as it is well lit and all dangers are well marked. Although subject to the challenges of the Shannon currents, it can be approached at all points of the tide, night or day. The harbour may be entered either from west through the main deep water channel or from northeast buoyed channel.

Please note in strong winds south through west to northwest there are bad races during the ebb tide at the Shannon entrance. There is a 3kn ebb stream through the Foynes anchorage. Due to the greatly increased commercial shipping the anchorage for visit¬ing yachts is limited.

Why visit here?

Foynes (Faing in Irish) is a small town with a population of 606 as of the 2006 census. It is the uncontested best anchorage in the Shannon Estuary making it ideal for the visiting yachtsman.

Furthermore as the Shannon Estuary is approx 50 miles long it is nearly impossible to traverse it on one tide. Hence Foynes is one of the stop off points that is not far off the beaten track where a good nights sleep and a bite to eat can be had.

Foynes is noteworthy for having been, in the early years of aviation, the last port of call on the eastern shore of the Atlantic for flying boats. Surveying flights for flying boat operations were made by Charles Lindbergh in 1933 and a terminal was begun in 1935. The first transatlantic proving flights were operated on July 5, 1937 with a Pan Am Sikorsky S-42 service from Botwood, Newfoundland and Labrador on the Bay of Exploits and a BOAC Short Empire service from Foynes with successful transits of twelve and fifteen-and-a-quarter hours respectively. Services to New York, Southampton, Montreal, Poole and Lisbon followed, the first non-stop New York service operating on June 22, 1942 in 25 hours 40 minutes.

All of this changed following the construction and opening in 1942 of Shannon Airport on flat bog land on the northern bank of the Estuary. Foynes flying-boat station closed in 1946. A college for the learning of the Irish language was opened in the former terminal in 1954. The Port Trustees purchased the building in 1980 and the Flying Boat Museum leased a portion in 1988.

One of Foynes's main claims to fame is the invention there of Irish Coffee. This came about, it is said, in order to alleviate the suffering of cold and wet passengers during its aviation days in the 1930s and early 40s. The Foynes Flying Boat Museum contains much memorabilia from that era, including the original radio and weather room, along with its equipment and a full-size replica Boeing 314 flying boat.

Extracts with thanks to Wilkipedia

How to get in?

The initial fix will take you to the Ballybunion North Cardinal that marks the mouth of the Shannon. The area is approximately 11 miles wide lying between Loop Head and Kerry Head and you should give both heads a good berth.

Loop Head Lighthouse - Fl (4) 20s, 23M - position: 52° 33.672’N, 009° 55.938’W

As noted above, strong winds south through west to northwest can cause bad races during the ebb tide at the Shannon entrance. The ebb tide sweeps out in a south-westerly direction. If you have to enter enduring the Shannon ebb tide or foul conditions the best point of entry is on the north shore to the east of Loop Head. This area is free of off-lying dangers, affords some swell protection and avoids the strongest run of the tide.

The inner entrance to the river lies between Kilcredaun Head, with a lighthouse, to the north and Ki1conly Point on the south where the entrance narrows to approximately 1.75 miles wide.

Kilcredaun Head Lighthouse - White tower Fl 6s 41m 15M - position: 52° 34.809’N, 009° 42.613’W

From there on up to Foynes and beyond the main channel is marked by buoys and transits. Here is a useful list to help you identify most of the primary markers with positions for the outer estuary markers:

Ballybunion North Cardinal Lt Buoy -VQ Fl. Racon 6m - position: 52° 32.528’N, 009° 46.944’W

Kilstiffin Red Can Lt Buoy - Fl R 3s - position: 52° 33.801’N, 009° 43.843’W

Kilcredaun W Lt Buoy - Fl (2+1) R 10s - position: 52° 34.440’N, 009° 41.196’W

Tail of Beal West Card Lt Buoy - Q (9) 15s - position: 52 34.393’N, 009 40.746’W

Carrigaholt Red Can Lt Buoy - Fl (2) R 6s - position: 52° 34.921’N, 009° 40.504’W

Beal Spit W Card Lt Buoy - VQ (9) 10s - position: 52° 34.820’N, 009° 39.972’W

Beal Bar N Card Lt Buoy - Q - position: 52° 35.181’N, 009° 39.222’W

Doonaha Red Can Lt Buoy - Q (3) R 5s - position: 52° 35.460’N, 009° 38.493’W

Letter Point R Can Lt Buoy - Fl R 7s - position: 52° 35.440’N, 009° 35.884’W

Asdeer Red Can Lt Buoy - Fl R 3s - position: 52° 35.093’N, 009° 34.545’W

Rineana Red Can Lt Buoy - Q R - position: 52° 35.593’N, 009° 31.241’W

Scattery Island Lighthouse - W Tower Fl (2) 7.5 s, 15m, 10 M - position: 52° 36.347’N, 009° 31.067’W

Then further inshore

Carrig Green Cone Lt Buoy - Fl.G 3 s.

Tarbert Tanker Jetty - 2 FG Vert E and W extremities

Tarbert White Tower - ISO WR 4 s 6m,14-10 M (R from 277° to 287° Front, Iso 2 s, 13m, 3 M. White Bn)

Ballyhoolahan Pt. Leading Lights - in line 128° Front Iso WR 4 s , 13m, 3 M. White Bn Rear, Iso 5 s, 18m, 3 M R Shore to 072°

Garraunbaun White Beacon - Fl WR 10 s 16m, 8.5 M (R Shore to 072°
W thence to 242°, R thence to shore, R sectors cover Long and Carrigeen Rocks Bw)

Rinealon Point Bn - Fl WR 10s, 4m. 2M


West entrance to Foynes

The west entrance is the primary commercial channel and is well marked with lights and leading lights. By day follow the markers guiding a passage down the middle of the channel, or by night follow the ‘East Jetty’ leading lights into harbour.

Leading Lights in line = 106°; Front, Barneen Point, BW Bn. Iso WRG 4 s. / Rear, New Quay, Black & White Beacon. Oc 4 s. 16 m.10M

Please be aware there is shoal water extend¬ing off both the island and the shore upon approach. From Poultallin Point, off the south shore it extends out 200 metres and this is marked by the Poultallin Point marker.

Poultallin Point Green Cone Lt buoy - Fl (3) G 6 s to the south of the entrance.

Likewise from Battery Point upon the west end of Foynes Island where the shoal with rock in its southern edge runs out 400 metres. This is marked by two buoys, the Battery Point West Card and the inner Carrigeen red can.

Battery Point West Card Lt buoy - Q (9) 15 s to the north of the entrance.
Carrigeen Red Can Buoy Fl Q R 7m 2Ms.

It is worth pointing out that the West Cardinal will appear counter intuitive at this point, as in making entry you are effectively making a westerly course towards a West Cardinal. The marker is pointing towards the shoal extending west of the island that you will enter to the south of the shoal.

The next marker you will see is the Colleen Point marker and the channel is clear once passed these buoys.

Colleen Point Green Bn - QG 2m, 2M

As you progress in you will pass the Colleen Point beacon and then you should see a 250 metre long yacht club pontoon and landing slips to the west of the town on the starboard side. The pontoon can accommodate approximately 8 visiting boats, 4 club boats, the club crash-boat and 12 dinghies. All other boats are kept on swinging moorings on the southeast side of Foynes Island. Yacht owners are advised to con¬sult the HM as there may be spare moorings.

Alternatively you may anchor there, in stiff mud, close as possible to the more southerly moorings so as not to obstruct vessels using the east entrance - buoy the anchor. In strong northwest to southwest winds it is best to anchor east of Gammarel Point.

East entrance to Foynes

The east requires more care than the western entrance and is much shallower - 2.1m at its shallowest to the northeast of Foynes Island. The approach is through a channel that resides between extensive mudflats and rocks on each side of two buoys.

The northeast approaching should be on a line of bearing 215° of Saint Senan's, Hospital in Foynes - an easily identifiable flat-roofed building to the south of the railway station.

Leave ‘Long Rock Green Cone buoy’ to port entering, then 400 metres further on the ‘Elbow Rock Red Can buoy’ to starboard. Continue on 100 metres towards the East Jetty and the channel is clear to make towards the moorings or the pontoon.

What are the tides here?

Today's Dover tides — High waters: 10:33, 22:54, Low waters: 05:34, 17:58 ^{From Tide Times}

HW Dover -0515 Dover, +0050 Galway
MHWS 5.2m MHWN 4.0m MLWN 1.8m MLWS 0.3m
Spring range 4.9, neap range 2.2

Shannon Entrance
The flood (in going) stream starts at +0100 Dover at 2.5kn
The ebb (out going) stream starts at -0515 Dover at 4kn

Once inside stream rates vary at different points of the estuary. If you take it that the flood starts approximately 5 hours before, and the ebb 1 hour after HW Galway this will be a good simplification for the Foynes passage. At Foynes the current runs through the harbour in line with the channel; spring rate in each direction is 3kn

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?

Water is available on the quay and you will find all the services of a small town with a busy commercial port, restaurants, bars, doctor, post office, garage, petrol, diesel oil, grocers, butcher etc.

The yacht club pontoon has the usual facilities during the season including a modern clubhouse with bar, dance floor, toilets and showers. There is a wintering compound for 30 yachts and a launching slip. Foynes is about 25 miles west of Limerick city on the N69 and a regular bus is available.

In general I have found the Foynes town folk very accommodating. On one occasion they had stopped serving for the evening when I arrived and they still got a good meal to us with a bottle of wine. The boat club is not always open but I have always been made very welcome when it is. On the occasions that there has been no one at the club I have always sent on my dues by post and received a thank you note and my receipt later.

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:
Foynes Harbour Master: VHF frequency: Ch 16, 11, 14, 68, 71
Telephone +353-69 73103, +353-87 2560427
Outside of office hours +353-87 2542266
Email marineops@sfpc.ie
Foynes Yacht Club, Cooleen Point, Foynes, Co. Limerick, Ireland.
Tel: +353 69 65162 Email: info@foynesyachtclub.com
Pontoon & Yacht Club: VHF watch in summer Ch.6 & M. 069-65641.

Any security concerns?

Never an issue known to have occurred at Foynes.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

For Shannon navigation the large scale Admiralty Chart 1819 ‘Approaches to the River Shannon’ scale of 1:50,000 covers the approaches. Then 1540 ‘River Shannon - Shannon Airport to Limerick’ scale of 1:12,500, 1547 ‘River Shannon - Kilcredaun Point to Ardmore Point’ scale of 1:20,000 including Kilrush Creek 1:10,000, 1548 ‘River Shannon - Ardmore Point to Rinealon Point’ scale of 1:20,000, 1549 ‘River Shannon - Rinealon Point to Shannon Airport including Foynes Harbour’ scale of 1:20,000 - Foynes Harbour 1:7,500.

Imray C55 ‘Dingle Bay to Galway Bay’ scale of 1:170,000, Ordinance Survey of Ireland, Discovery Series Map ref No. 63 / 64. Scale 1:50,000. The Pilot ’Sailing Directions - Irish Cruising Club - South and West Coasts of Ireland’’ covers this in great detail. Information, maps etc. on Shannon navigation is available from the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland.

With thanks to:

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

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