Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

14°C

Swell today

Direction SSW, height 2.7 metres, period 9.9 seconds, significant wave height of 3.1 metres.

Haven position?

52° 11.354' N, 010° 22.607' W

Where is that position?

Ballynagall pierhead Fl.R.3s 4m 3M

What is the initial fix?

This is set on the 50 metre contour just outside the middle of the mile wide entrance to Smerwick Harbour.

What is the story here?

Smerwick Harbour resides on the west coast of Ireland and is situated immediately east of the renowned Three Sisters coastal peaks upon the Dingle peninsula’s northwest corner. It is an open picturesque bay that offers several anchoring possibilities along with secure moorings.

The harbour provides a tolerable anchorage in the summer but is wide open to conditions from north-northwest round to north-northeast and subject to swell. However if conditions are not excessive a vessel can move around the harbour to find protection from the northwest through south to the northeast. Access is straightforward as the deep open bay has a mile wide entrance and is clear of any outlying dangers.

Please note the bay should be avoided in winter as it is very exposed to the heavy ground swell that rolls in uninterruptedly from the Atlantic Ocean.

Why visit here?

Smerwick was originally a Viking settlement and its name originates from the Norse words ‘smoer’ and ‘wick’ meaning ‘butter harbour’. Although denoted as Smerwick on charts the area is now officially known by the Irish name ‘Ard na Caithne’, meaning ‘height of the arbutus’ or strawberry tree. Technically the name Smerwick lost all legal standing under the 2004 Place Names Order that was applicable to Gaeltacht Regions.

Before the Vikings arrived, the south and east of Smerwick Harbour was a cradle of an early Christian civilisation that dated from the late 6th and early 7th centuries.
Countless buildings of archaeological interest can be found here. The early Christian Gallarus Oratory with its Visitor Centre, plus nearby Kilmalkedar Church, the An Riasc monastic site, at Carrigveen, Dún an Óir, Irish for the ‘Fort of the Gold’, an Iron Age Promontory fort located, are major attractions. The latter Dún an Óir carries a morbid history from the 1580 Siege of Smerwick.

A year before James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald landed a small Papal invasion force here in July 1579, initiating a revolt against English rule called the second Desmond rebellion. He was killed only a month afterward but his action unleashed a war that lasted three years.

On 10 September 1580 a following expeditionary force of 400–500 Papal soldiers, Spanish, Italian and Basque commanded by Sebastiano di San Giuseppi landed in Smerwick. Desmond, Baltinglass and John of Desmond made an effort to link up with the expeditionary force but English forces under Ormonde and Earl Grey blocked them. Prompt naval action by Richard Bingham then blockaded the Papal force’s ships in the bay at Smerwick and took them. San Guisseppi had no choice but to retreat to the fort at Dún an Óir. The defences of the fort were hastily strengthened and the very well-armed defenders saw off some initial attacks by Ormonde.

On November 5th, a naval force led by Admiral William Winter arrived at Smerwick Harbour. He replenished Grey's supplies and landed 8 heavy naval artillery pieces. Two days later, on November 7th, Grey arrived at Smerwick with 800 troops and laid siege to the garrison. The invading forces were geographically isolated and cut off by Mount Brandon on one side and the much larger English force on the other. The English forces began the artillery barrage on Dún an Óir on the morning of November the 8th. This rapidly broke down the improvised defences of the fort. After a three-day siege, commander di San Giuseppe surrendered on November 10th 1580 without condition.

The following morning, an English force entered the fort to secure and guard armaments and supplies. Grey then sent in teams to execute the prisoners. Grey's own account went‘Then put I in certain bands, who straight fell to execution. There were six hundred slain. " Grey's forces spared those of higher rank, "Those that I gave life unto, I have bestowed upon the captains and gentlemen that hath well deserved... " According to the folklore of the area, the execution of the captives took two days, with many of the captives being beheaded in a field known locally in Irish as Gort a Ghearradh, the ‘Field of the Cutting’, their bodies later being thrown into the sea. The field where the heads were buried is known as Gort na gCeann, the ‘Field of the Heads’. In the early years of the 21st Century many skeletons have been revealed with the effect of coastal erosion. A memorial to the executed stands in the bay today.

Smerwick Harbour’s sad massacre is balanced by a moment in 1927 where it featured in the advancement of science and human endeavour. Then Sybil Point and ‘The Three Sisters’ were to provide a key milestone in aviation history. They were the first geologic feature that the almost exhausted Charles Lindbergh first sighted on his epic solo trans-Atlantic flight. They provided the key landmark he needed to secure his achievement.

Today Smerwick Harbour is thought to be the most beautiful in all of Cork and Kerry. Likewise bounded by the villages of Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, Baile na nGall the area is what has been known as the Fíor-Ghaeltacht, or true Gaeltacht, where the Irish language is spoken by everyone. This provides this remote area with not alone a great beauty but the local people with a special and unique charm. It is truly a heaven for hikers and anyone who has any interest in ancient Irish culture.

From a boating perspective Smerwick Harbour is an ideal staging point to get set up for an early tide through Blasket Sound. Also going north, having made a late passage through the sound, it provides a setup point for a departure to the Arran Islands at first light without having to worry too much about the strong tide in the sound.

How to get in?

The ‘Route: Sybil Point to Loop Head coastal description’ provides approach information to the suggested initial fix. Vessels approaching from the south should select the northbound sequenced description; vessels approaching from the north should select the southbound sequence; either description may be availed of for the River Shannon description as far as Limerick.

Smerwick Harbour is entered between east most of The Three Sisters and the 29 metres high Dunacapple Island, about 1 mile northeast, that forms the west point of the entrance. About 0.8 of a mile to the northeast of Dunacapple Islet is Ballydavid Head. A prominent 251 metre high conical hill, on which stands a signal tower, is situated close east northeast of the head. Within the harbour there are two prominent well-lit 126 metre high radio masts standing on the eastern shore.

Some sunken rocks called the Black Rocks reside between Dunacapple Island and the shore, 600 metre to the east, making it dangerous to attempt the passage inside them. There are also two or three more rocks outside Dunacapple Island, one just to the west of the island, but being so close as to be almost lost in the surf that constantly breaks on this exposed shore. So it is advised to stay well clear of the islet.

The Smerwick Harbour initial fix is set just outside the mile wide entrance. From a depth of 50 metres here the bay gradually shoals to its head, a distance of two miles to the south, and is quite free from hidden danger throughout. As such a northern approach to Smerwick Harbour is clear.

A common Smerwick Harbour error for visiting vessels is to anchor near the middle, where the holding ground is bad and exposed to the north. The best protection from the prevailing south westerlies may be found anchored close to the west side of the bay. Being entirely open to the north and a large wide open bay it can be very roly elsewhere. Worse, in the south round to east portions of the bay the swell tends to wrap around ‘The Three Sisters’ headland and end up at right angles to the prevailing wind. In all but very settled conditions this makes for a roller of a night in any of these locations.

A popular anchorage is abreast of Smerwick village in the area called Smerwick Roads. This is close to the west shore, 0.7 mile south of the East Sister, with the entrance point bearing 019°, where good holding in mud will be found. A more attractive anchorage is off the first little beach on the west side before coming to the old boat harbour at Ballinrannig. Although the harbour holding ground is mostly indifferent there is sand here with good holding with a slip to land at on the north side of the beach. There are no facilities ashore, save for a guest house near the slip, Dún an Óir, is a short walk from here.

At the opposite, east side of the bay, there is the small village of Ballynagall known locally as Ballydavid. It has a new pier that extends out from rock into sand with a floodlight and a flashing red light at its head Fl.R.3s 4m 3M. Depths of 0.5 metres low water springs are available at the outer end and it provides some measure of shelter from northwest winds and swell. However due to the ground swell it would only be practical to come alongside and berth temporarily at high water in settled conditions. The area surrounding the pier has a rock bottom makes it a dangerous place to be caught on a falling tide with a ground swell.

There are four visitor moorings available just south of Ballynagall Point.

Smerwick Harbour – position: 52° 11.00’N, 010° 21.40’ W

The moorings are rated to 15 tons and are large, coloured bright yellow and labelled VISITOR.

In southerly winds an anchorage to the south of the bay to the west of Carrigveen in about 2.5 metres with good holding in sand.

The small Dunacapple Islet, with its sunken rocks lying between the islet and the shore on the east side of the entrance, partially protect the harbour from northeast winds. In moderate to strong northeast to easterly conditions shelter may be found tucked into the small bay at the northeast corner of the harbour.

This resides to the south of Ballydavid Head off the mouth of the Feohanagh River. This river is more a stream that enters the head of the little bay through a marsh. Anchor in the middle of the bay in approximately six metres as further inshore there are reefs and isolated boulders that extend out to the 4 metre area of the bay. Land at Dooneen Pier, otherwise known as ‘the old pier’, situated at the south side of the bay. Please note that there are lobster pots between the anchorage and Dunacapple Island.

What are the tides here?

Today's local tide estimates are based on High Water Cobh -0047
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 -0107sp, -0027np MHWS 3.8m, MHWN 2.8m

Tidal streams run in line with the direction of the coast and across the entrance to Smerwick Harbour
Dover – 0100, Cobh + 0450, Northeast going, spring rate of 1 to 1.5 kn
Dover + 0500, Cobh - 0135, Southwest going, spring rate of 1 to 1.5 kn

Between the Blasket Islands and Kerry Head, the currents set in the direction of the coast and across the entrances of Smerwick Harbour, and Brandon, Tralee, and Ballyheige Bays. The current setting northeast begins about 5 hours after HW at Galway and the opposite current about 1 hour 20 minutes before HW at Galway. The spring velocity in both directions is 1 to 1.5 knots.

What facilities are available?

There are few facilities on the west side. About 2 km walk from the southwest anchorages there are shops, restaurants and pubs at Ballyferriter. Ballynagall has a shop with some fresh provisions, a pub, telephone and bus service all a short walk from the pier. At Carrigveen there is petrol beyond the sand hills. Dooneen Pier has a restaurant close by.

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.
Fenit Port Manager VHF 14 & 16 phone: +353 86 1276602
Marina VHF 14 Ch 16, 14 or 80 (mob) +35397460516

Any security concerns?

Never a problem known to have occurred in this remote region.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

The large scale Admiralty Chart 2254 ‘Valentia Island to River Shannon’ scale of 1:150,000 covers this area. Admiralty 2789 ‘Dingle Bay and Smerwick Harbour’ Scale of 1:60,000, including ‘Continuation of Castlemaine Harbour’ Scale of 1:60,000 and ‘Smerwick Harbour’ Scale of 1:40,000 covers Smerwick and the Blaskets. 2790 Ventry and Dingle Harbours Scale of 1:15,000 covers the ‘Blasket Islands’ Scale of 1:37,500 in more detail. Imray C56 & C55 scale of 1:170,000 overlap here. Ordinance Survey of Ireland, Discovery Series Map ref No. 70 Kerry, scale 1:50,000.

With thanks to:

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

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How can I get this offshore?

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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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