Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

14°C

Swell today

Direction WSW, height 0.0 metres, period 9.9 seconds, significant wave height of 0.3 metres.

Haven position?

51° 28.975' N, 009° 22.474' W

Where is that position?

Baltimore town pier.

What is the initial fix?

This waypoint is quarter of a mile due south of the entrance, midway between Beacon & Barrack Point in the white sector of the lighthouse.

What is the story here?

Located in Ireland’s southwest Baltimore is a natural mainland harbour tucked in behind Sherkin, Spanish and Ringarogy Islands. It is a fishing port and a busy yachting centre providing an anchorage and the ability to temporarily come alongside.

The harbour provides complete protection from all sectors although winds from southeast round to southwest cause a ground swell that increases in rough weather. It offers safe access at all tides, night or day in all reasonable weather conditions from the primary and preferred southern entrance. The harbour may also be reached from the northwest, coming in around Hare Island and north of Sherkin Island via The Sound. Although more than workable, this requires careful pilotage between islands and rocks.

Please note, although well marked with cardinal and buoys, there are rocks in the middle of the inner harbour plus fringing rocks off both points of the southern approach.

Why visit here?

Baltimore, in Irish Dún na Séad is an Anglicisation of Irish words Baile an Tí Mhóir meaning "Town of the Big House". The town's name is pronounced differently than the Baltimore in the USA, being Bal-timore rather than Ball-timore. The Irish-language name is derived from the O'Driscoll castle, Dún na Séad or "Fort of the Jewels" that overlooks the town. It has been recently restored and is now open to the public.

The harbours history has always been dominated by the sea, so much so that in 1631 many of the population were carried off by Algerian pirates, never to be seen again. This event became known as the ‘Sack of Baltimore’ and reminders of the bleak incident still exists such as in the form of local pub names ‘The Algiers Inn’. Another foreign connection, according to local myth, is that Napoleon obtained his famous white mare from the Baltimore area.

The harbour's unusual landmark ‘Baltimore Beacon’, locally known as “Lots Wife”, has an interesting backdrop. Today the large stone structure is used to identify the entrance for those who approached from the south. It was originally built after the 1798 rebellion by order of the British government. The marker was then part of a series of lighthouses and beacons dotted around the Irish coast to form a warning system for invasion or uprising. Situated approximately a mile’s walk from the pier the view from its location makes it well worth a visit.

Baltimore attracts many visitors from within Ireland and the population booms in summer months. This is largely due to the large number of summer homes that have been built here in the last decade. To service these visitors the town boasts several bars, pubs, restaurants and hotels, many of them offering local seafood, and they range in style from traditional to modern. All have a warm welcome and a great pint in common. A regular feature of the pubs is live music that creates a very good atmosphere.

Most activities in and around Baltimore have a maritime flavour, such as sea angling and kayaking where the West Cork coastline has a host of creeks and inlets to explore. Baltimore has also become a very popular venue for snorkelling and scuba diving, due largely to the number and variety of shipwrecks in the bay, including a World War Two submarine (the U-260) and the bulk carrier the Kowloon Bridge.

For those who want a change from water based activities the spectacular surrounding countryside and nearby islands have some great walks. Whether you are looking for strenuous exercise or just a quiet stroll the magnificent coastal scenery makes the perfect backdrop. Organised walking festivals take place from Baltimore twice a year, but if you prefer the action to come to you there are other regular festivals and events throughout the season.

All this makes it a very popular port of call for yachts cruising the southwest coast or indeed as a first landing point on passage across the Atlantic. In fact Baltimore has all the hallmarks of being created for sailing. This was well noted in Peter Somerville-Large's, 1928 - , very celebrated account of an exploration of west Cork’s ragged coastline by bicycle, ‘The Coast of West Cork’. In it he wrote that the area is “one of the best and safest sailing grounds for boats in the British Isles” and he was more than accurate as the harbour has several unique attributes.

Baltimore’s large natural harbour provides a totally safe anchorage for visiting yachts having moorings, pontoon berths plus practical shore facilities that include chandleries, marine repair services, and the all-important grocer's shop for reprovisioning. It is also an ideal base to explore the surrounding sheltered waters of Carbery's Hundred Isles and Roaringwater Bay that provide a variety of harbours and secluded anchorages for a unique experience of inshore cruising. Here you may cruise for miles without venturing into the open sea should you not want to. Finally these waters are a great place to view marine wildlife at close quarters thanks to the numbers of whales, dolphins and marine animals that pass close inshore off this corner.

How to get in?

The ‘Route: Cork Harbour to Mizen Head coastal description’ provides approach information to the suggested Initial Fix. Vessels approaching from the east should select the westbound sequenced description; vessels approaching from the southwest round to northwest should select the eastbound sequence; southern approaches may use either description.

Baltimore’s narrow 400 metre wide southern entrance is not easily made out at any distance from the cliffs. But on closer approaches the conspicuous white beacon at an elevation of 50 metres on the eastern Beacon Point, locally known as Lot’s Wife, plus a white lighthouse on the western Barrack Point, with sectored lights; Red 168° - White 294°-038°, clearly point out the entrance.

Barrack Point – light tower Fl (2) WR 6s 40m W6M, R3M position: 51°28.330’N, 009° 23.650’W

Once these points have been identified the approach to the Baltimore Harbour initial fix, situated a quarter of a mile south of the Baltimore Harbour entrance, will easily be made. The entrance channel is deep, with a least charted depth of 6.2 metres, and approximately 80 metres wide, between a rocky ridges extending from Barrack Point and Beacon Point. Keep well off the western side on approach. The area, to the south of the Barrack Point Light House, has an outcropping of rocks extending almost 150 metres south with Wilson Rock, HW 0.1 metre, awash at its southernmost point.

Proceed through the centre of the entrance continuing north to leave the Loo Rock marker, a starboard Light Buoy Fl.G.3s, on the eastern side of the entrance, to starboard. The rock is located in a north-easterly direction from the buoy, nearly one-fourth of the distance across from the eastern to the western points, and uncovers at low water spring tides.

Loo Rock – starboard buoy Fl G 3s position: 51° 28.438'N, 009° 23.458'W

Within the entrance a conspicuous ruin of an abbey will be seen on Sherkin Island with a road leading down to the quay to Abbey Strand where the island ferry docks.
Caution: A good look out should be maintained for the ferry that crosses from Baltimore to Abbey Strand. This crosses every hour in summer and every two hours in winter so it may cross your path on entry.

The harbour itself is situated one mile north of the entrance. The principal dangers within the harbour are the Quarry, Lousy, and Wallis Rocks.

Quarry Rock, is 400 metres northeast from the Loo Rock, with 1.8 metres over it at low water. Lousy Rocks, half a mile within the entrance, and near the middle of the harbour, uncover on last quarter ebb, and are marked by a conspicuous 12 metres high south cardinal beacon on the south-eastern rock. The ground is both foul and shallow for about 200 metres to the north and west of the perch, but the eastern side is clear. Wallis Rock is a small patch nearly midway between the Lousy Rocks and the town quays of Baltimore, slightly nearer to the former. At low water there are 1.8 metres over it. Its position is marked on its south side by a port hand light buoy.

There are other ledges of rocks in different parts of this harbour, but their contiguity to the shoreline, or distance from the anchoring grounds, makes a description of them unnecessary but Admiralty 3725 will make these clear.

Once past the Loo Rock marker proceed north until the submerged Quarry Rock is passed, and the pier appears round the Connor Point headland. At this stage lay off a course of 060° following the east coast to leave the Wallis Rock buoy to port. Beware extensive moorings in this area.

There are a wealth of anchorages in the harbour area, especially so to the north of the entrance. To mention but a few the preferred anchorage is to the north or west of the north pier of the harbour in about 1.8 metres avoiding the track of the Sherkin ferry. In boisterous north-westerly conditions Church Strand Bay, beyond the RNLI slip, is preferred, in strong westerly’s there is a good anchorage in the separately covered haven of Sherkin Island, just off the slip by the ruined Abbey.

The port consists of a small basin, which partly dries, between the stone quay of the North Pier and 50 metres distant South Pier. It may be possible to come alongside the North Pier. The south side of the North Pier has up to 1.3 metres and the north side of the North Pier has up to 2.1 metres. The South Pier’s northeast side dries to 0.5 metres at its inner end. Depths increase to 1.5 metres at the pierhead. A pontoon is set in place off the south pier from April to September catering for up to 20 yachts in 2.4 metres.
The northwest end to Baltimore Harbour may also be entered and exited from the south half of Long Island Bay through The Sound. The approach, between the islets and rocks at the head of the bay is narrow and intricate and requires good visibility for pilotage. The ‘Routes; Baltimore Harbour North Entrance’ entry shares a set of waypoints for this approach.

What are the tides here?

Today's local tide estimates are based on High Water Cobh -0015
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)
More accurately Cobh -0025sp, -0005np, or alternatively -0605 Dover;

MHWS 3.5m MHWN 2.9m MLWN 1.4m MLWS 0.6m ML 2.1; Duration 0610

Tidal streams enter and leave the harbour through both the south and northwest entrance, The Sound, meeting and separating near Lousy Rocks.

Between Cape Clear and Fastnet Rock the tides are estimated to be:
Dover +0215 East (Cobh-0420)
Dover -0400 West (Cobh+0150)
Spring rate approximately 2 to 2.5 kn maximum. Watch out for confused tides and eddies off Blananarragaun.

What facilities are available?

Fuel and water are available on the new pier where a summertime temporary jetty is set in place to cater for yachts. There is a chandler and small boat yard in the area where it may be possible to leave a boat. There is one hotel many pubs and restaurants available plus showers at Baltimore Yacht Club Baltimore Sailing Club situated at the head of the basin and open in the summer.

General stores are available but may be limited. You can however catch a bus to take you to the larger provincial town of Skibbereen (approximately 10km) where a wider range of provisions are available.

Ferries sail from Baltimore to Schull further along the coast, to Sherkin Island, and to the more remote Cape Clear Island. Do note that Sherkin Island also has a good pub and restaurant.

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:
Baltimore Harbour Master - Telephone 087 235 1485
VHF Ch.16 & 09
RNLI Lifeboat - Telephone 028 20 143 or 0208 20174
Gardaí / Police 028 20102
Ambulance 028 21677
Skibbereen Medical Centre 028 23456
Skibbereen Hospital 028 21677

Any security concerns?

Never a security issue known to have occurred in Baltimore.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

The large scale Admiralty Charts 2424 ‘Kenmare River to Cork Harbour’ Scale of 1:150,000 covers this area. 2129 ‘’Long Island Bay to Castlehaven’’ and 2184 ‘’Mizen Head to Gascanane Sound’’ Scale of 1:30,000 provide detail. Finally Admiralty Leisure Folio SC5623 Ireland - South West Coast, Bantry Bay to Kinsale. Imray C56 ‘Cork Harbour to Dingle Bay’ scale of 1:170,000. The Discovery Series Sheet Number 88, scale of 1:50,000, covers the shore.

With thanks to:

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

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How can I get this offshore?

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Alternatively print this page's text, illustrations and photos, but without the internet menu, layout, backdrops and Google maps, or economise upon printer consumables and print this page with text only, to get a hardcopy of this location.

What other useful information is available?

RTE provides a highly simplified national and provincial outlook. More detail can be found from Met Éireann’s (the Irish National Meteorological Service) eastern Atlantic 24 hour synoptic, the current Irish sea area forecast and Irish observations.

The UK Met Office also provides a shipping forecast plus visible satellite and infrared satellite imagery to enable close observation of approaching frontal systems. This movement information makes it easy to predict when a weather event will affect a location thus providing an accurate estimate as to when the typical Irish sharp veer, off the back of a cold front, will arrive. Another useful resource is the 21st Operational Weather Squadron that provides Atlantic and European synoptics.

XC Weather provides a local view of wind conditions direct from and array of reporting station manned along the British Isles. Three hour historical info plus expected wind direction and strength for the next couple of days are available on this site and it is possible to interpolate between stations.

Wind guru is an international surfing site that provides a view on eighty five beaches around the coast of Ireland. It offers wind and wave information plus meteorological data such as temperature, wind speed and direction. The sites wind, wave height and direction information enables a good picture of a seaway, wave against wind or tide etc., to be understood.

Whilst off-line national weather information is broadcast as follows:

Coastal radio stations (VHF Channel)
Weather forecast at 0103 and thence every 3 hours updated every sixth.
Cork 26, Bantry 23, Valentia 24, Shannon 28, Clifden 26, Malin Head 23, Dublin 83, Wicklow Head 87, Rosslare 23, and Mine Head 83.

RTE Radio 1 Sea area forecast: 24 / 48 hour outlook and gale warnings rounding the country in a clockwise direction from headlands to headland.
FM 88.90 MHZ or MW 567khz/529m and 729khz/412m.
Weekdays 0602, 1253, 1823, 2355; Sundays 0633, 0755, 0855, 1253, 1823, 235

BBC Radio 4 Sea area forecast:
LW 198khz/1525M. VHF92.4/94.6MhZ
Daily 0048, 0535 (0542 on Sundays, 0556 Saturdays), 1201,1754.

Precise monthly Dover, Dublin, Cobh, Limerick, Rosslare, Sligo, Bangor, Donaghadee, Derry, Portrush tides are posted by the National Environmental Research Council.



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