Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

15°C

Swell today

Direction N, height 0.0 metres, period 0.0 seconds, significant wave height of 0.5 metres.

Haven position?

53° 23.647' N, 006° 4.012' W

Where is that position?

Howth harbour east pier light tower. A 13 metre tall white and red beacon at the end of the harbour’s northernmost breakwater F1. (2) W.R. 7.5 sec 13m W12M.

What is the initial fix?

This waypoint sets up a final approach from the southeast (south around Irelands Eye). The Howth buoy is the first marker for the channel into Howth Sound Starboard hand F1.G 5 sec. Please note if approaching from the north keep outside of Rowan Rocks east cardinal Q - (3) 10 sec.

What is the story here?

Howth is an artificial harbour that lies to the north of Dublin Bay on the far side of the Howth peninsula that juts out into the Irish Sea. The harbour is situated beneath the rocky island of Ireland’s Eye that lies just offshore. It is centre for fishing and yachting that has excellent pleasure boat facilities and is very popular with sailing craft.

Howth affords complete protection and offers safe access in all conditions, night and day. It can accommodate all vessels but for very deep draft make note to stay centre channel on the marina approach at low water springs.

Please note the issue a visiting yachtsman may encounter with Howth is the popularity around sailing events that may overwhelm the club’s visitor berthing capabilities. It is advised that you get in touch with the club marina if you are planning to visit the area. Care should also be taken when a swell is running in the sound with East/SE gales.

Why visit here?

Howth is a highly popular yachting centre with very good facilities that host many regattas and it has an attractive surrounding cruising area. In addition to this the village itself is located 15 km (9 miles, the ninth milestone is in the village itself) from Dublin city centre, with excellent public transport connections. This is an ideal location to attend to boat work, provision and / or explore not alone Howth but Dublin itself.

The area has many local attractions for the visiting yachtsman. Howth was a trading port from at least the 14th century, with both health and duty collection officials supervising from Dublin. The current harbour was built in the early 1800s to accommodate packet-steamers (postal service ship). However, due to silting, the harbour required frequent dredging to accommodate the packet and eventually the service was relocated to Dún Laoghaire.

The marina at Howth Yacht Club can trace its origins back to 1895, and today it has the largest yacht-club membership in Ireland whilst combining the modern with the traditional.

Howth Castle Gardens and the Transport Museum are well worth visiting along with the opportunity to dine in one of the good seafood restaurants in the town. There are many walks on the Hill of Howth, where at the summit spectacular views encompass all of Dublin Bay and beyond. The Martello tower overlooking Howth harbour is now opened as a visitor centre.

With easy access, excellent protection, copious facilities and Dublin a DART ride away, Howth has just about everything a visiting yachtsman could want.

How to get in?

The Harbour may be approached from the seaward to the east between the Howth Peninsula and Ireland's Eye. Alternatively those approaching from the north may access the harbour via Howth Sound between Baldoyle Spit and Ireland’s Eye. The best approach is the eastward from the sea.

This eastern access is very clear cut as you simply follow the buoys in keeping all marks to starboard. The first is Rowan Rocks East cardinal buoy, southeast of Irelands Eye, then Howth Buoy starboard hand F1.G 5 sec, to the south of Irelands Eye, and finally South Rowan Buoy Q.G. starboard hand (in the sound North of harbour entrance).

Rowan Rocks buoy - E cardinal Q - (3) 10 sec position: 53° 23.877N 6° 03.269W
Howth Buoy - Starboard hand F1.G 5 sec position: 53° 23.727N 6° 03.593W
South Rowan Buoy - Starboard Hand Q.G position: 53° 23.790N 6° 03.941W

At night a Light House marking the north end of the new breakwater extension; beacon F1. (2) W.R. 7.5 sec 13m W12M (the harbour location waypoint used above) provides a white sectored light that leads through the passage clear of Rowan Rocks.


If approaching through Howth Sound there is a line of bearing off the Martello Tower seen through the heads of the piers that leads in on 159 degrees. This may be difficult to see due to the amount of buildings infrastructure in the harbour area. If you cannot locate the transit keep half mile off the west side of Ireland’s eye in circa 2.5 metre LWS channel. Keep an eye on your depth sounder to make certain you are not coming inshore and proceed with caution. As you come closer you should be able to see the tower come into line with the outer end of the pier.

Caution, if you draw more than 1.8m you should not enter through Howth Sound at low water after a strong easterly gale has developed a swell.

Upon final approach do not turn into the harbour until it is well open and enter near West Pier head - Fl. G. 3s 7m 6M, keeping an eye out for departing fishing vessels. A speed limit of 4 knots is in force in the Harbour and Marina area.

Once inside the harbour it is divided into two halves where pleasure craft should take the east side or Port hand Q. The pleasure boat area is separated from the fishing fleet based in an adjoining inner harbour. There you will find swinging moorings and a marked channel into the Yacht Club marina enclosed within the inner harbour.

The marina’s dredged channel entrance is clearly marked with a series of green and red spar markers. It is important to keep between these poles as the harbour dries on either side at low water. As noted above if your vessel has a deep draft stay in the middle at low water Springs. Prior to arrival, intending visitors are requested to have contacted Howth Marina so that a berth may be allocated to them. On arrival register at the Marina Office at the top of the Marina bridge.

The West side is the trawler basin entered between two bull noses marks Starboard hand F1.G 3 sec. Pleasure craft are not accommodated in Trawler Basin. The Harbour Master controls movement and berthing within the harbour. Anchorages at Howth may be found to the west of the west pier head.

What are the tides here?

Today's local tide estimates are based on High Water Dublin (North Wall) -0010
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 + 0025, Dublin (North Wall) -0006, mean level 2.4
MHWS 4.1m MHWN 3.3m MLWN 1.3m MLWS 0.5m

Tidal direction in Howth Sound – in line with channel direction:
Dover +0500, Dublin +0430, NW going, achieving 2 knots
Dover -0100, Dublin -0130, SE going, achieving 2 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?

From a boating perspective lift-out, repair, fuel, provisioning, chandlery general shopping etc are all available. Howth is a major yachting centre and it has virtually everything.

Fresh water is available in the Club Marina Electricity at pontoon, toilets and showers and water, plus diesel is available 24 hours a day. Local shops, supermarkets and restaurants will cater for food supplies.

Howth is at the end of a regional road from Dublin City and is one of the northern termini of the DART suburban rail system. It is served by Dublin Bus. Dublin international airport is very close to Howth and a short taxi ride away.

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:
Contact Harbour Master's Office: Captain Raja Maitra VHF Ch 16/11 when manned
Tel: +353 1 8322252 and +353 86 3814926 at most times (office situated Northern End of Auction Hall).
The Marina Office maintains a 24 hour listening watch on Ch M ( 37A ) and Ch 80
Tel: +353 1 83292777 e-Mail- marina@hyc.ie

Any security concerns?

Access to the Clubhouse or Marina is gained by using the intercom system located at the main entrance and the Marina gate and security keys.

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 including Howth at a scale of 1:7,500 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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