Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

15°C

Swell today

Direction SE, height 0.1 metres, period 0.0 seconds, significant wave height of 0.2 metres.

Haven position?

53° 16.380' N, 006° 5.280' W

Where is that position?

In the anchorage area.

What are the initial fixes?

The following waypoints will set up a final approach:

(i) North Approach Dalkey Sound initial fix
53° 16.750' N, 006° 5.730' W
This waypoint is in the channel half a mile northwest of the anchorage.

(ii) South Approach Dalkey Sound initial fix
53° 16.140' N, 006° 5.240' W
This waypoint is in the channel 400 metres south of anchorage.

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?

This anchorage is in Dalkey Sound alongside the uninhabited Dalkey Island. The island resides 300 metres offshore from Sorrento Point, at the north end of Killiney Bay, and is 2.5 nautical miles south of the entrance to Dún Laoghaire harbour. It is an interesting small grassy island with a Martello tower, the ruins of fortifications and an ancient church.

This exposed anchorage is good in westerly and easterly conditions and has the benefit of good holding. It is best avoided in brusque conditions from the northwest through northeast, and southwest through southeast, as winds funnel through the sound making it uncomfortable. This is particularly the case when you have wind over tide conditions as the funnelling effect is equally applicable to tides that reach as much as 1.5 to 2.5 knots in the sound.

The approach is straightforward, virtually clear from the south but with offlying rocks to identify northwest of the islands. If you favour the Sorrento point steep-to shore side of the sound on approaching and in the sound you will avoid these as all dangers that are alongside the island.

Please note Dalkey Island is not a place you would leave a boat unattended for long periods due to the strong tides and funnelling winds. Nor by its nature, with only the small island to visit, does it lend itself to leaving a boat unattended.

Why visit here?

The uninhabited Dalkey Island (Deilginis in Irish, meaning "thorny island") is an area of 9 hectares (22 acres). The island walk plus the views of Dublin Bay from both the Martello Tower and the ruined forts are well worth getting the dingy out.

The island is visibly steeped in history. Artefacts excavated from the island such as Mesolithic Bann flakes, Neolithic hollow scrapers and Bronze Age arrowheads, now housed in the National Museum in Dublin. All are evidence of the island’s occupation from the Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age. Settlers continued to use the site through the Iron Age and Early Christian period. There is equal evidence the island was used as a Viking base. The ruined stone church was built in the 9th/10th Century and was probably abandoned when the Vikings used the island as a base to form part of the busiest port in the country at that time.

The ruins of another church named after St Begnet with a lintelled doorway feature of the period prior to the twelfth century. The bellcott high on the gable is likly to have been added in the fifteenth century. This was altered by the addition of a fireplace on the east side when builders used it as living quarters while building the Martello tower and gun battery in 1804.

A promontory fort was located at the northern end of the island, its presence still visible today in the form of a ditch. This was bolster, as mentioned, when in 1804 the British Admiralty erected the exceptionally large Martello Tower, one of eight dotted along the Dun Laoghaire coastline, and gun battery as an early warning Napoleonic defensive device. The current entrance is an insertion that leads directly into the magazine - the original entrance was higher up and required a ladder. The gun battery constructed at the same time is built into the granite cliffs on the southern tip of the island.

How to get in?

Approaching from the North or South you come in between Dalkey Island and Sorrento Point where there is a clear passage with eight metres of depth through the fairway. Favour the mainland’s steep-to shoreline side of the sound as any dangers in this route are on the Dalkey Island side.

Approaching from the south please note the foul area south west of the Island. Here a reef extends 50 metres along the shore from opposite the southern fort to approximately halfway along the coast to the Martello Tower. Be aware that there is a drying rock at LAT close to the south of the landing steps where you haul out. North of the steps another reef 0.6 metres depth runs out 70 metres from the shore.

Approaching from the north you need note the rocks extending six hundred metres to form the northwest ridge of the Island. Rocks known as Maiden (or Carraig Rock), Clare Rock and Lamb Island are all parts of this ridge some of which are only visible at low tide.

Be aware of the tide funnelling through the sound when coming in as they can reach up to 1.5 to 2.5 knots. There are often overfalls caused by the reconnection of tide runs that wrap around the island just off Sorrento point.

Anchor in 2.5 metres LWS to the north of the islands mid point. Land at the slipway on the northwest corner and haul out. Alternatively there is a little cove just alongside the slipway and the beach (west of St. Begnet church) that may be used for the top two thirds of the tide.

What are the tides here?

Today's local tide estimates are based on High Water Dublin (North Wall) -0004
Today's Dublin (North Wall) tides — High waters: 01:29, 13:57, Low waters: 07:23, 19:27
Today's Dover tides — High waters: 01:04, 13:22, Low waters: 08:17, 20:33 (From Tide Times)
Dover +0042, Dublin (North Wall) -0003, mean level 2.4
Rise: 4.1 – 3.4 metres springs, 1.5 - 0.6 metres neaps
MHWS 4.1m MHWN 3.4m MLWN 1.5m MLWS 0.7m
Dalkey Sound’s tidal direction turns on:
Neaps: Dublin high & low water -0130 achieving 1.5 knots
Springs: Dublin high & low water -0200 achieving 2.5 knots

The latest monthly Dover Tides and Cobh 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 Leinster 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. Carlingford 04, Dublin 83, Wicklow Head 02, 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 on the island.

What emergency contacts are there?

Dublin Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) VHF Ch 83 covers the area from Carlingford Lough to Youghal. Carlingford (04), Wicklow Head (02), Rosslare (23) and Mine Head (83) 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. Dublin (MRSC) may be contacted directly on +353 1 662 0922/3

Other useful contacts in this area:
Dun Laoghaire Port operations VHF Ch.14, Tel. +353 1 2808074

Any security concerns?

Never a known issue to have occurred at Dalkey Island.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

British Admiralty 1411 ‘’Irish Sea - Western Part’, Scale of 200,000:1, 1415 ‘Dublin Bay’ scale of 1:25,000 and 1468 ‘Arklow to the Skerries Islands’ Scale of 100,000:1, Imray C61 St Georges Channel, C62 Irish Sea (overlap at Dublin Bay) and Discovery Ordinance Survey map 50 covers this area. ’Sailing Directions - Irish Cruising Club - East & North Coasts of Ireland’ provides an excellent pilot for this area.

With thanks to:

Charlie Kavanagh - ISA/RYA Yachtmaster Instructor/Examiner - navigation and sail training available - details here: http://www.sailsoutheast.com

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