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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° 49.438' N, 005° 45.160' W

Where is that position?

This anchorage is within Larne Lough and off Islandmagee’s western shore. The position is immediately south of the small spit of headland extending south from Ballydowan upon the lough’s eastern shore.

What is the initial fix?

Half a mile north of the harbour and approximately 200 metres East of Larne No. 1 Light buoy (starboard hand) Green buoy, Q (3) 10s. The waypoint is upon the alignment of 184.3°(T) that leads through the centre of the entrance channel.

What is the story here?

Mill Bay is located inside Larne Lough upon the northeast coast of Ireland. It is a secluded anchorage two miles southwest of the busy commercial port where a boat may anchor off a drying pier.

Mill Bay is situated inside the enclosed and protected waterway of Larne Lough making it a good anchorage. However, being located in the southeast corner of the Lough, it is somewhat exposed to a fetch that can develop across the large expanse of water to the northwest. Larne Harbour may be accessed day or night, at any stage of the tide and in all reasonable conditions. However the trek down to the anchorage requires attentive navigation as once south of the port area there are few if any navigation aids.

Why visit here?

Mill Bay is a small pier with a cluster of houses overlooking Larne Lough. It offers another secluded anchorage hidden away behind the gentle gradients of Islandmagee’s western shore deep within the Lough’s sheltered waters.

Cruisers that anchor here have the added benefit of a friendly family run cosy country style pub with an extensive bar snack menu featuring local produce. Reportedly, there is a mussel and oyster farm located in the harbour where produce may be purchased directly from the owner including crab and lobster.

How to get in?

APPROACHING FROM LARNE HARBOUR
Larne Harbour is situated at the entrance to Larne Lough with port installations on both sides. Use the Larne Harbour entry for guidance on how to approach the harbour from the Irish Sea and enter the Lough.

After entering the harbour and Lough a vessel should continue south past Ballylumford Power Station and its pier, between the L-shaped ‘A’ wharf and No.7 buoy and then along the western shore of Islandmagee. Here the eastern shore of the inner Lough will be found to be covered by a gravelly foreshore that dries up to 200 metres off. Outside of this there is a 200 metres wide channel that carries 6 metres of water for half a mile, then 4 metres falling to 2 metres abreast of Mill Bay.

The anchorage of Ballydowan is first encountered approximately a mile and a half from the main harbour and will be easily located by the local boats moored there. Mill Bay resides half a mile further along and 2 metres will be found in the channel all the way although it shallows in the final approach to the bay.

The pier at Mill Bay dries out entirely beyond the pier at low water Springs. Boats drawing up to two metres should keep at least 300 metres away from the pier. Boats drawing 1.5 m or less may come in as close as about 100 metres off the end of the pier. There is good holding in both locations and very little tidal flow. Landing can be made at a slip on the north side of the bay.

There are more anchorages in the Lough than we have posted and especially so for shallow draft vessels that can take to the hard. Although the Lough presents a large surface at high water the rest of it consists mainly of drying flats and shoal banks of fine muddy sand, particularly so on the west side.

What are the tides here?

Today's local tide estimates are based on High Water Belfast +0004
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 Dover +0100, Belfast + 0005
MHWS 2.8m MHWN 2.5m MLWN 0.8m MLWS 0.4m

Tidal streams are negligible at Mill Bay

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 is a slip and a pier but little else. A friendly pub services the small population that surround the harbour in a cluster of about 50 houses but there are no shops. The small village of Mullaghboy, one mile away, has basic provisions to service its population of about 300 people and a café that also serves good food. Most everything else is available in nearby Larne harbour.

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. There are also all weather and inshore lifeboats at Larne.

Other useful contacts in this area:
Port of Larne
VHF: Ch. 14 'Larne Port Control' Phone: +44 28 872179.
Portmuck Harbour Master: Terence Stitt
Telephone no: +44 28 93382549 (days); E-mail: terence_stitt@hotmail.com
Doctor: +44 28 275331; Police +44 28 272266

Any security concerns?

Never a problem known to have occurred in Mill Bay.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

British Admiralty 1411 ‘Irish Sea - Western Part’ and 2724 ‘North Channel to the Firth of Lorne’ scale 200,000:1 plus 2198 ‘North Channel - Southern Part’ scale of 75,000:1 is a good planning chart for the area. The key detail chart is British Admiralty 1237 ‘Larne Lough and Approaches’ scale of 10,000:1. Also Imray chart C62 – ‘Irish Sea’ Chart C64 ‘Belfast Lough to Crinan and Islay’ plus Northern Ireland Ordinance Survey No. 9 at a scale of 1:50,000 for inland details.

With thanks to:

Terence Stitt, Portmuck Harbour Master.

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