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Swell today

Direction N, height 0.0 metres, period 0.0 seconds, significant wave height of 0.4 metres.

Haven position?

54° 24.460' N, 005° 38.200' W

Where is that position?

300 metres offshore in a depth of around six metres.

What are the initial fixes?

The following waypoints will set up a final approach:

(i) Holm Bay Initial Fix
54° 24.110' N, 005° 37.400' W
In the middle of the 600 metre gap between Barrel and Long Rocks that leads into Holm Bay. It is located in a 12 metres contour and less than 2 miles away from the entrance to the inner Lough.

(ii) Killyleagh Initial Fix
54° 23.573' N, 005° 37.537' W
Between Barrel and Skate Rocks that are marked by perches. It is set on the useful transit marked on the Admiralty chart keeping Portaferry pier open upon Chapel Island. Bear west from here for Killyleagh.

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?

Holm Bay is located upon the northeast coast of Ireland, close north of Killyleagh, upon Strangford Lough’s western shore. It is an open bay to the south of Taggart Island where it is possible to anchor or pick up visitor moorings.

Holm Bay is a good anchorage with westerlies or north-westerlies but it is uncomfortable in anything from south round through east to northeast.

Normal navigation is required when traversing any of Lough’s eighty square nautical miles of shallow basin. The Lough is a completely enclosed waterway but there are a number of drying patches and shoals known as pladdies, some of which uncover whilst others never appear, throughout the Lough. When these are near a principal boating channel or route they are typically marked by poles or beacons. Currents are another complicating factor of the inner Lough. Although not as strong as in the ‘Narrows’ they do not run true in the Lough and tend to take a vessel off course. All of which necessitate some attention to navigation and detailed chart work in daylight.

However this is more than manageable as once a boat is out of the fast-running tidal channel to the south, the more gentle waters around the islands that gave this Lough its old Irish name Lough Cuan, meaning sheltered haven, is a pleasure to sail.

Why visit here?

Holm Bay is another quiet location in a Lough that offers endless anchoring opportunities in an area of outstanding beauty. Holm Bay, locally pronounced Home Bay, is largely used to await the latter half of the flood tide to enter East Down Yacht Club.

Somewhat of local interest, you may notice a house above a double boat house to the south is called "Fools Penny". It is so named as a caveat to drinking generosity. The Lady who built it was a publican and built the house on the tips she received.

How to get in?

Use the entries for Strangford Harbour, Audley’s Roads or Portaferry for guidance on how to approach from the Irish Sea and pass through the five nautical mile long fast-running tidal ‘Narrows’. Any of these lists of directions will guide a boat up through the ‘Narrows’ to the inner Lough.

Having entered Strangford Lough there are two approaches to Holm Bay. The first is to use the Holm Bay Initial Fix that is to the north of Barrel Rock or, alternatively, come south of Barrel Rock to the Killyleagh Initial Fix and enter from Holm Bay from the south and then approach the inner pool.

The first approach is the most direct route, a distance of just under 2 miles, from the Lough’s entrance and it is an approach into Holm Bay between Barrel and Long Rocks. Barrel Rock, uncovers at low water and is marked by a perch plus normally has racing Mark 4 close by. This route is most likely to take a vessel directly over McLaughlin Rock that has a chart Datum of 2.7 metres and is unlikely to be an issue to most cruising vessels – nevertheless please take note of this upon the chart and make special note of an outcropping to the southwest of Long Rocks.

The southern approach to Holm Bay is described by the Killyleagh Initial Fix between Barrel and Skate Rocks that are both marked by perches. Skate Rock, to the south of Barrel, uncovers at four hours of ebb plus normally has a racing mark K close by. This approach has a useful transit to help pass between the Barrel and Skate rocks. Look astern upon approach and keep Portaferry pier open upon Chapel Island and you will find the Killyleagh Initial Fix is on this transit indicated on the Admiralty chart between the rocks. Once Barrel rock is passed (stay well clear) turn for Holm Bay – please not the position of Mill Rock with a marker beacon off the shore.

Once in Holm Bay (locally pronounced Home Bay) there are three clearly marked visitors’ moorings or one can choose to anchor.

What are the tides here?

Today's local tide estimates are based on High Water Belfast +0202
Today's Belfast tides — High waters: 01:11, 13:24, Low waters: 07:09, 19:27
Today's Dover tides — High waters: 01:04, 13:22, Low waters: 08:17, 20:33 (From Tide Times)
High Water Strangford Quay Dover +0147 springs, 0157 neaps
MHWS 3.6m MHWN 3.1m MLWN 0.9m MLWS 0.4m
Local high water Dover +0145 or 2 hours 15 minutes after high water at Belfast

Inside the Lough tides decrease significantly
6 Kn between Strangford & Portaferry
4 Kn at Ballyhenry Island
1.5 Kn at Don O’Neill Island

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?

There are no facilities in Holm Bay save for the moorings. ‘East Down Yacht Club’ (EDYC) located inside Taggart Island, half a mile away, has good facilities for both cruising and racing boats with a nine acre site, that includes a modern clubhouse, a caravan and camping park, car parking, a boat-park and slipway. Fresh water is available on the pontoon but no power.

A mile to the south is Killyleagh, the largest town upon the Lough with a population of almost two and half thousand the town, that has good shopping plus a basic chandlery, garage, bank, taxis and buses. It is situated on the A22 road to Downpatrick that is a sizable town that serves as a commercial and administrative centre for the locality.

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:
East Down Yacht Club, Comber Road, Killyleagh,
Tel:+44 28 44 828375
Web: http://www.edyc.co.uk/
Killyleagh Yacht Club
Tel:+44 28 44 828250
Police: +44 4461 5011, Medical Clinic +44 4461 3016

Any security concerns?

Never a problem known to have occurred at Holm Bay.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

The key detail charts are British Admiralty 2156 ‘Strangford Lough’, scale of 37,500:1. and for the ‘Narrows’ 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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