Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

11°C

Swell today

Direction SSW, height 0.1 metres, period 9.9 seconds, significant wave height of 0.5 metres.

Haven position?

52° 14.426' N, 006° 58.336' W

Where is that position?

The pierhead at the entrance.

What is the initial fix?

This waypoint is 600 metres south by southwest of the Waterford Channel Number 1. starboard-hand marker (Fl.G.2s on a bearing of 009°T). It is directly east of Creadan Head, upon the eastern side of the Waterford Channel where at night you will see the Dunmore East leading lights alternate white/green.

What is the story here?

Passage East is a small a small harbour in seven nautical miles inside Waterford Harbour. The harbour completely dries and if you plan to stop here you need to be able to take to the mud.

Small craft may anchor to the NW of the harbour but the berth is uncomfortable due to the tidal streams and it makes any dinghy work highly difficult. In addition to this the channel runs close to the West bank here, as it does all the way to Hell Point, so it is easy to swing out and encroach upon the shipping channel. As a result many boats that do anchor have been moved on across the estuary to the Seedes Bank by the Waterford harbour master. This is a much better anchorage and with the ferry coming back and forth up to 300 times a day in the summer this is less of an inconvenience.

The harbour is however good and access is straight forward as it is alongside the well marked main Waterford shipping channel.

Please note a potential race can develop at the harbour entrance where the estuary tide meets the sea in rough conditions. Prepare for a turbulent time on the entry if there is a strong south easterly blowing into an ebb tide. In extreme conditions, such as a south easterly force 8 on an ebb tide, it can be particularly bad and it would be best avoided until the tide turns. Also do not be tempted to cut the octahedral lighthouse, locally know as the spider, across from Arthurstown pier.

Why visit here?

Passage East is a small, friendly fishing village based around two open squares.
The village is built beneath a high escarpment with small squares, streets and three main quays: Boathouse Quay, Hackett's Quay and Middle Quay.

For the passing sailor it has good pubs and a reportedly good Chinese restaurant. There is a ferry that passes back and forth to Ballyhack in Wexford which leads to Rosslare Europort. On the Passage East side is Waterford International airport is less than 10 KM away and Waterford itself is a short twenty minute taxi ride.

Passage East was at one time fortified to command the passage of shipping up and down the river and as such is steeped in history. It was here that Strongbow came ashore in 1170 to consolidate the Anglo-Norman foothold in Ireland, with Henry II landing in 1171. A year later King James departed Ireland from Passage East after his Battle of the Boyne defeat.

It is now a peaceful, charming fishing village. History has left behind a distinctive architecture, huddled between the rocky outcrop and the river, that makes it well worth a visit.

How to get in?

Once Hook Head Light House has been identified check the chart for the location of the race.

Hook Head Lighthouse - Fl 3s 46m 24M position: 52° 07.300’N 006° 55.700’W

The race is at the harbour entrance where the estuary tide meets the sea in rough conditions. At deck level the strong race will be clearly visible, a very short chop with the water dark green to seaward and light green / pale blue inside and this colouration is particularly visible in sheltered waters. When the tide is on the ebb the chop is much shorter, in the flood the wave length is longer and much easier. In extreme conditions, such as a south easterly force 8 on an ebb tide, it can be particularly bad and it would be best avoided. Once past the race, and inside the harbour, the seaway quickly calms and Waterford Harbour offers good depths for the pleasure sailor. From there you follow the marked channel up to the anchorage.

Be careful not to cut the octahedral lighthouse, locally know as the spider see picture across from Arthurstown pier, as you approach Passage East. This area is shallow and dries out so it is important that you keep to the east of this marker.

The tide runs strong in this area and it needs to be factored into your transit. On springs it can reach up to 3 knots off Creadan Head but this decreases out to midchannel. Mean Spring tide at Cheek Point, just North of Passage East, at the confluence of the rivers Suir and Barrow, is about 3.9 m and mean neap range is approximately 1.9 m.

What are the tides here?

Today's local tide estimates are based on High Water Cobh +0021
Today's Cobh tides — High waters: 07:36, 19:53, Low waters: 01:41, 13:56
Today's Dover tides — High waters: 01:04, 13:22, Low waters: 08:17, 20:33 (From Tide Times)
Dover -0535, mean level 2.4 metres.
MHWS 4.1m MHWN 3.2m MLWN 1.3m MLWS 0.4m

Outside the entrance of Waterford Harbour
West going stream begins -0100 Dover or (+0450 Cobh)
East going stream begins at +0515 Dover (-0120 Cobh).
The external spring rate not exceeding 1 kn

Inside the Waterford Harbour estuary:
The flood begins at +0210 Dover (-0425 Cobh).
The ebb tide at -0505 Dover (+0045 Cobh).
Strong tides of up to 3 knots inside the estuary following the channels

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?

Passage East has no facilities apart from the quays, pubs and small shops.

What emergency contacts are there?

Dublin Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) VHF Ch 83 covers the area from Carlingford Lough to Youghal. Carlingford (04), Wicklow Head (02), Rosslare (23) and Mine Head (83) 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. Dublin (MRSC) may be contacted directly on +353 1 662 0922/3

Other useful contacts in this area:
Contact Dunmore East Harbour Master's Office Tel +353 (0) 51 383166 VHF Ch 16 when manned as this is used by the Waterford Authorities.

Any security concerns?

As the harbour completely dries, any passer by can walk out and access your vessel. It is best that you clear the decks and fasten the vessel down if leaving it unattended.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

Admiralty Chart 2049 ‘Old Head of Kinsale to Tuskar Rock’ scale of 1:150,000 covers this sailing area. The key chart for Waterford Harbour area is Admiralty Charts 2046. This covers Waterford Harbour at a scale of 1:25,000, with details of Waterford Port - scale of 1:7,500, continuation of the River Barrow to New Ross - scale of 1:25,000, New Ross - scale of 1:10,000 and Dunmore East Harbour - scale of 1:5,000.

Imray chart C57 and Discovery Ordinance Survey map 76 also cover this area. The Pilot ’Sailing Directions - Irish Cruising Club - South and West Coasts of Ireland’’ describes sailing this area in great detail.

With thanks to:

John Carroll, Ballyhack, New Ross, Co. Wexford.

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