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Annalong Harbour, County Down, Ireland

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Harbour position?

54° 6.496' N, 005° 53.697' W

Where is that position?

At the position of the light OC. WRG. 5s 8m 9M

What is the initial fix?

The following waypoint will set up a final approach:

Analong Harbour Initial Fix
54° 6.485' N, 005° 52.847' W
Half a mile east of the harbour entrance, in the middle of the white light sector.

What LWS draught is available?

1.5 metres (4.92 feet).

What are the tides and weather here?

High Water Dover -0500, Belfast + 10 minutes
Tidal range: Springs 5.3 – 0.7 metres; Neaps 4.4 - 1.9 metres.

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 considerations are there?

Analong Harbour is located on the northeastern coast of Ireland at the mouth of the Annalong River, approximately eight miles northeast of the entrance to Carlingford Lough. It is a small tidal boat harbour used by fishing boats that has a pontoon for pleasure craft. Analong is however subject to silting and is best suited to shallow draft vessels.

The harbour offers good protection except in strong onshore winds where there can be a surge when its storm board is open. Access to the harbour and its inner basin is straightforward.

A vessel should not approach Analong Harbour in any developed onshore conditions.

How to get in?

From the Annalong Harbour initial fix track into the harbour from the east.

On closer approach you should see the short breakwater extending seaward from the northeast corner of the basin. A light stands at the head of the breakwater and three red vertical lights are illuminated if the harbours surge gate is closed.

Vessels carrying a draft of 1.5 metres or more should not anchor off here until at least two hours after low water. Indeed the area outside the harbour is frequently used by local fishing boats who anchor off and in settled conditions it could be a good option.

Enter as slow as possible keeping very close to the north of the breakwater wall. Then follow the outside wall of the basin along to the surge gate to avoid the rocky foreshore on the opposite side.

Continue through the surge gate and slowly along the wall to the inner basins entrance where there is a little more space. The basin is entered through a narrow nine metre wide entrance gap at the basin’s northern end. This requires a hard swing to port turning the vessel due south to enter.

Once inside the single basin 90 metres long and 25 metres wide double back along the northwester wall where you will find a 20 metre long pontoon with a reported depth of 2.6 metres LWS alongside.

However the harbour is subject to silting and occasionally dredged. Dredging can be subject to the local council’s fiscal constraints so depths may vary and it would be best to access the conditions as you experience them.

Elsewhere the harbour dries making it more suitable for vessels that can take to the hard. However the basin has depths of 3m at half tide and six metres at high water.

What facilities are available?

The town of Annalong lies mostly south of the harbour and has a population of almost 2,000. Hence most all basic provisions and necessities are immediately available including a post office and fuel. There is also a pub overlooking the harbour aptly named the 'Harbour Inn'. Electricity and fresh water are available at pontoon and showers nearby. There is a small launching slip 200 metres north of the 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. Nearby Kilkeel lifeboat station operates an inshore B class Atlantic 21 lifeboat.

Other useful contacts in this area:
Nearby Kilkeel’s Harbour Master
VHF Channel 12 or 14
Tel: +44 28 417 62287

Why visit here?

Annalong name is thought to have been derived from raids made by Viking long boats - from the Irish: Áth na Long meaning "ford of the ships". In the early Christian period the raiders would have been able to shelter in the slot that is the mouth of the Annalong River where the harbour exists today.

The current harbour dates back to the early 1800s and was built to support the exportation of dressed Mourne Mountain granite. Local masons built up such expertise that in time different types of granite was imported to be cut and polished in Annalong. Consequently the harbour was enlarged to receive schooners carrying granite back and forth to English cities.

It was also use to import materials to build the nearby dam at the Silent Valley which is the primary drinking water reservoir for Belfast city. Then a purpose built standard-gauge railway was built from Annalong to transport the reservoir’s construction material.

One of the key attractions for a visiting boatman is the old and highly picturesque cornmill on the quayside. Built in the early 1800s and operated until the 1960's. The complex contains a grain-drying kiln three pairs of millstones. Utilising technology two centuries old, it is powered by a four metre waterwheel plus a 1920's Marshall 'hot-bulb' 20hp engine. The mill finally fell into disrepair when operations ceased in the 1960s but after it was acquired by Newry and Mourne District Council in 1983 it was restored and reopened in 1985.

Today it is one of Ulster's last working watermills and a major attraction. It contains an exhibition on windmills and waterpower featuring guided tours. Visitors can see the production of flour and oatmeal and grind their own corn or have a browse at the exhibition on milling.

Annalong is a picturesque and secure harbour situated at the foot of the awe inspiring Mourne Mountains. With the mill, plus many old cottages and houses in the harbour area, Annalong is a worthy visit for any touring boatman.

Any security concerns?

Annalong Quay has a security gate.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

British Admiralty 1411 ‘Irish Sea - Western Part’, Scale of 200,000:1, SC 44 ‘Nose of Howth to Ballyquintin Point’ scale of 1:100,000. Imray chart C62 – ‘Irish Sea’. ’Sailing Directions - Irish Cruising Club - East & North Coasts of Ireland’ provides an excellent pilot for this area.

How can I get this offshore?

If you are receiving a mobile signal you can access all of our information via a standard mobile phone internet browser. We provide a streamlined version of the site at www.liyfs.com, which is a shortcut to our 'Lite' site called Lite.InYourFootSteps.com, that is simplified and optimised for speed. Here are the phonetics to pass the address on via VHF: WWW.LIYFS.COM, I SPELL... LIMA... INDIA... YANKEE... FOXTROT... SIERRA... DOT.COM. Similarly, if you have limited or expensive internet capabilities, you may switch to the 'Lite' site www.liyfs.com for faster more efficient access.

Alternatively you may print a hard copy to have aboard. Either print this page with 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.

With thanks to:

Thomas Cunningham - Harbour Master for ‘Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission’

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