Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

5°C

Swell today

Direction S, height 1.6 metres, period 0.0 seconds, significant wave height of 2.0 metres.

Haven position?

54° 20.952' N, 005° 32.636' W

Where is that position?

Upon the alignment track of the Cross Roads anchor beacon and the Tully Hill white pillar beacon where it intersects the nine metre contour.

What is the initial fix?

Two miles out from the Angus Rock Lighthouse, a white tower with a red top Fl. R. 5s 15m 6M. It is situated upon the 323° leading line provided by the tower in-line with the Cross Roads anchorage beacon that is a grey stone pillar. It is just over half a mile southwest of the Strangford Light buoy (safe water marker L Fl.10s) and it leads into the Lough’s preferred East Channel.

What is the story here?

Cross Roads is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, upon the western shore of Strangford Lough’s narrows. The location offers a little-used traditional coaster anchorage where cruisers stay-aboard in a quiet location in the middle of Strangford Narrows.

Cross Roads provides a good anchorage that is protected from most all winds save from the general ‘Narrows’ exposure, northeast – southeast, with very secure holding out of the main tidal stream. Within ‘The Narrows’ it would require a force six or more from the exposed quadrants to make a location become uncomfortable as there is little or no fetch.

Although the entrance to Strangford Lough and ‘Narrows’ are well marked, access requires careful navigation owing to exceptional currents. Consequently an approach should be timed to be around slack water, in daylight with a vessel that has adequate and reliable power. This said, although the entrance and narrows are challenging they are well marked. If the tides are respectfully worked, Strangford Narrows are easily managed by day and Cross Roads resides upon a well marked transit immediately adjacent to the main channel.

Please note that Strangford Lough should be avoided in any strong onshore winds. Heavy breaking seas will be encountered one and a half miles southeast of the entrance. Worst of all is a southeasterly on an ebb or rise where furious standing waves and overfalls will result. A notably dangerous situation can occur if exiting into these conditions as it will not be possible to turn back against the tide to regain safe water and a vessel will be pushed out into the overfalls. Special attention should also be paid when approaching the car ferry crossing from Strangford to Portaferry. With strong currents carrying the vessel it is difficult to judge relative paths and closing distances.

Why visit here?

Cross Roads is an historic ‘Narrows’ commercial shipping anchorage for many reasons. It offers direct and immediate access, is out of the Narrows currents with good deep water holding whilst lying just outside the Strangford Harbour fees area. Today it is an interesting location to await a tide or spend a night in an out-of-the-way location. It also provides an opportunity to anchor in ‘The Narrows’ itself.

Arriving in long boats and broaching these fast flowing waters here the Vikings bestowed the name Strangfjörthr or ‘place of strongcurrents’. This five miles long, five hundred metre wide (at its narrowest point) and up to 60 metres deep area is a natural phenomenon all of itself. The twice a day tidal rise of more than three metres pushes 350 million tonnes of water at up to 4 metres a second though this deep constricted channel every six hours.

This made it the perfect location for the world's first commercial tidal power station. Located in the centre of ‘The Narrows’ further north of Cross Roads and about 500 metres south of Portaferry the 1.2 megawatt underwater tidal electricity generator is powerful enough to power up to a thousand homes. Yet the turbine has a minimal environmental impact, as it is almost entirely submerged, and the rotors turn slowly enough that they pose no danger to wildlife.

Another feature of ‘The Narrows’ is ‘The Routen Wheel’. It resides immediately north of Cross Roads and approximately 500 metres south of Rue Point where the outgoing tidal streams attains its fastest rate of 7.5 knots at springs. This is a series of whirlpools, boils and swirling waters, which is caused a ledge extension from the point and pinnacles of rock on the seabed. The ‘Routen Wheel’ will be a clearly identifiable seething surface rip and is much more turbulent on the ebb tide than the flood. Boatmen should be caution approaching this area of Strangford Narrows.

All of which add up to make the ‘Narrows’ an extraordinary sailing and boat handling experience. More importantly the ‘Narrows’ is the gateway to Strangford Lough a marine nature reserve of unparalleled beauty that provides a boatman with magnificent world heritage cruising in unspoilt surroundings.

How to get in?

Small vessels cannot enter or leave Strangford Lough against the tide and for a first time visit it is advisable to approach on slack water. Local knowledge is required to negotiate the ‘Narrows’ at night so a first visit should be in daylight. As slack water only happens twice a day, and most likely once in daylight, planning the approach to work the tides is essential. As a minimum you should plan to enter with flood and leave with ebb.

We describe the approach to the East Channel that is the principal approach into Strangford Lough. It is east of Angus Rock Lighthouse and approximately midway between Killard Point and Ballyquintin Point. Although there are other channels and short cuts they are not covered here and not recommended for strangers to the area.


The Strangford Lough Initial Fix is approximately two miles out from the Angus Rock Lighthouse, white tower with a red top, and approximately five miles from Strangford Creek.

Angus Rock Lighthouse - Fl. R. 5s 15m 6M position: 54° 19.843’N, 005° 31.520’W

It is just over half a mile southwest of the Strangford Light buoy (safe water marker) and leads into the Lough’s East Channel.

Strangford Light buoy - L Fl.10s position: 54° 18.626’N, 005° 28.689’W

From the initial fix you may come straight in upon the 323° leading line provided by the tower, in-line with the Cross Roads anchorage beacon that is a grey stone pillar situated approximately a mile and a half behind upon the western shore – please note Angus Rock tower obscures the Cross Roads beacon when the transit is directly in line.

The route takes you past St Patrick's Rocks, half a mile away on the port side, marked by a red beacon (that is unlit at night).

St Patrick's Rocks - Red Beacon position: 54° 18.584’N, 005° 30.937’W

Then past Bar Pladdy South Cardinal, 400 metres to starboard, off Ballyquintin Point.

Bar Pladdy South Cardinal – Q(6) +L Fl. 15s position: 54° 19.344’N, 005° 30.501’W

When the north end of Portaferry town comes open to the west of Bankmore Hill, located at Rue Point, you are in the East Channel. The route then turns slightly eastwards taking a north by northwest direction. This aligns the 341° leading light beacon off Dogpoint (front; Oc(4)G.10s, 2 metres high red beacon) and Gowland Rocks (rear; Oc(2)G.10s, 5 metres high white stone beacon, green top). Take this new bearing and leave Angus Rock Lighthouse, 300 metres to port, and Pladdy Lug, upon which stands a large pile beacon made up of glazed white tiles, 500 metres to starboard.

Pladdy Lug – position: 54° 19.826’N, 005° 30.812’W

Continue upon this track until Kilclief Castle, upon the western shore, bears 265° when the ‘Meadows Shoal’, an area with just over 2 metres of cover, has been safely passed to port.

From there take a midchannel up the ‘Narrows’ until the alignment of the Cross Roads anchor beacon upon the western shore with the Tully Hill white pillar beacon (above upon the hill 1000 metres to the west) is reached.

Track in to the inner bay on the 260.5° alignment of the beacons paying careful attention to steerage when passing from the main tidal streams of the fairway into the comparative slack water of the inner bay.

Anchor in a depth to your preference where you will find excellent holding in muddy gravel that is out of the ‘Narrow’ tidal streams.

Cross Roads is a stay-aboard anchorage as there is no place suitable for landing.

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 Strangford Quay Dover +0147 springs, 0157 neaps
MHWS 3.6m MHWN 3.1m MLWN 0.9m MLWS 0.4m

Strangford Narrows Tidal Streams
Flood starts Dover -0345, Belfast -0330
Ebb starts Dover +0215, Belfast +0230
Attainable speed: East Channel, in-going 5 kn; out-going stream 7.5 kn at springs. Streams are almost simultaneous throughout the narrows and the period of slack water is very short as the tides reverse. The stream runs in line with the Narrows except to the north of Angus Rock where the flood and ebb run northwest and southeast respectively.

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?

Cross Roads is a stay-aboard anchorage with no where to land and no local facilities.

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. An inshore lifeboat is maintained at Portaferry.

Other useful contacts in this area:
Strangford Harbour Master (at ferry terminal)
VHF Channel Ch 12, 14, 16, M
Tel:+44 28 4488 1637
Monday to Friday (9am-5pm)

Portaferry Marina
VHF Channel Ch. M2, 80
Tel: +44 28 4272 9598
Mobile: +44 7703 209 780
barholm.portferry@virgin.net

Strangford Sailing Club Tel:+44 28 44 86404
Police: +44 4461 5011,
Medical Clinic +44 4461 3016

Any security concerns?

Never a problem known to have occurred in Cross Roads.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

British Admiralty 2156 ‘Strangford Lough’, scale of 37,500:1. The key detail chart for the ‘Narrows’ is 2159 ‘Strangford Narrows’, scale of 12,500:1, including ‘Strangford’, scale of 5,000:1. Imray chart C62 – ‘Irish Sea’. ’Sailing Directions - Irish Cruising Club - East & North Coasts of Ireland’ provides an excellent pilot for this area. Northern Ireland Ordinance Survey No. 21 at a scale of 1:50 000.

With thanks to:

Brian Crawford, local Strangford Lough boatman of many decades.

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