Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

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Swell today

Direction SSE, height 1.9 metres, period 9.9 seconds, significant wave height of 2.3 metres.

Haven position?

52° 14.715' N, 006° 58.163' W

Where is that position?

Immediately outside the harbour entrance so you may look in access the tide and see if you would like to proceed.

What is the initial fix?

This waypoint is 600 metres south by southwest of the Waterford Channel Number 1. starboard-hand marker (Fl.G.2s on a bearing of 009°T). It is directly east of Creadan Head, upon the eastern side of the Waterford Channel where at night you will see the Dunmore East leading lights alternate white/green.

What is the story here?

Ballyhack is a small fishing village and ferry terminal situated upon Waterford Harbour’s eastern shore, approximately eight miles north of Hook Head lighthouse and directly across from Passage East. The small harbour and immediate vicinity dries out completely at low water and boats planning to stay here need to take to the mud or come alongside the wall at high water.

Ballyhack offers complete protection from all winds. Access is straightforward as the bank is adjacent to the Waterford Commercial Harbour channel that is marked by fully lit buoys and transits all the way.

Please note a potential race can develop at the harbour entrance where the estuary tide meets the sea in rough conditions. Prepare for a turbulent time on the entry if there is a strong south easterly blowing into an ebb tide. In extreme conditions, such as a south easterly force eight on an ebb tide, it can be particularly bad and it would be best avoided until the tide turns. Also please factor currents, in the order of 3 knots on springs at the estuary and 4 knots in the narrows as you approach Ballyhack into the approach.

Why visit here?

This is a good place to come ashore to get basic provisions a few strides from the pier. The pub in Ballyhack also now serves good bar food with outside tables available to overlook the comings and goings of the ferry and the estuary.

It is also worth landing in Ballyhack to visit the historical 15th Century Crusader Castle – see photo. It is thought to have been built around the 1450 by the Knights Hospitallers of St. John. It is partially restored and now houses a display dealing with Crusader history, Norman nobility and medieval monks. The castle was used as a holding centre for prisoners awaiting transportation to the colonies. Visitors can visit its dungeon, murder hole, effigies and oratory.

How to get in?

Once Hook Head Light House has been identified check the chart for the location of the race.

Hook Head Lighthouse - Fl 3s 46m 24M position: 52° 07.300’N, 006° 55.700’W

The race is at the harbour entrance where the estuary tide meets the sea in rough conditions. At deck level the strong race will be clearly visible, a very short chop with the water dark green to seaward and light green / pale blue inside and this colouration is particularly visible in sheltered waters. When the tide is on the ebb the chop is much shorter, in the flood the wave length is longer and much easier. In extreme conditions, such as a south easterly force eight on an ebb tide, it can be particularly bad and it would be best avoided. Once past the race, and inside the harbour, the seaway quickly calms and Waterford Harbour offers good depths for the pleasure sailor.

From there it is simply a matter of following the channel up to the Ballyhack. Be careful not to cut the octahedral lighthouse, locally know as the spider – see picture. As can be seen this area is shallow and dries out so it is important that you keep to the east of this marker.

There are a few berthing options to consider with Ballyhack. First there is the inner basin with it west-southwest facing entrance. On springs you can find up to 1.5, and neaps 0.6 metres inside with depth increasing somewhat as you move towards the entrance.

The two other alternatives are to come alongside the north and south walls. Although the entire area dries out five metres from the harbour and then shelves steeply into the channel you will find an extra metre of water on the outside walls. This provides more shore time for tidal visitors. There are however a couple of notes that you must be aware of planning to come alongside either of these walls - most of which are visible on the below Google map if you zoom in to the maximum.

The ‘Dock’ or north wall extends further than it appears. The final five metres of the wall have had the top knocked off it and the remaining stump gets covered from half tide up so do not come straight onto it or clip the end. You can come alongside either side of this wall and dry out on mud.

The outside of the south wall provides the best depth in Ballyhack just inside of the ferry pylons. However it is boxed in by the ferry slip upon the south end. Hence it is best approached on a flood tide so you can power into the current and not get pushed down upon the slip.

Also when approaching the inner basin of the south wall please be aware that there is a slip that wraps around it on both sides coming out the front. Entering or leaving the basin or coming alongside you need to factor in two metres for this obscured slip. Finally although you can dry out on either side of the north wall, you cannot dry out on the outside of the south wall as the bottom is made up of uneven rock.

There is another pier to the immediate south of Ballyhack but this is privately owned and clearly sign posted as such.

What are the tides here?

Today's Dover tides — High waters: 11:11, 23:32, Low waters: 06:21, 18:43 ^{From Tide Times}

Dover -0535, mean level 2.4 metres.
MHWS 4.1m MHWN 3.2m MLWN 1.3m MLWS 0.4m

Outside the entrance of Waterford Harbour
West going stream begins -0100 Dover or (+0450 Cobh)
East going stream begins at +0515 Dover (-0120 Cobh).
The external spring rate not exceeding 1 kn

Inside the Waterford Harbour estuary:
The flood begins at +0210 Dover (-0425 Cobh).
The ebb tide at -0505 Dover (+0045 Cobh).
Strong tides of up to 3 knots inside the estuary following the channels

What facilities are available?

There is a good pub and small shop at Ballyhack. Passage East also has a pub that offers food. If you do not fancy the tide with your dinghy you may take a foot passenger ride across on the car ferry or power across and day anchor at Passage East.

Waterford Airport is within 15 KM offering schedule flights to the UK and mainland Europe.

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:
Dunmore East Harbour Master's Office: VHF Ch 16 when manned
Tel +353 51 383166
Port of Waterford Harbour Master: VHF ch.16 and 14
Phone: +353 51 74499, Mobile +353 87 7931705

Any security concerns?

There are no reported security issues in the area. However if leaving the vessel unattended please secure the vessel.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

Admiralty Chart 2049 ‘Old Head of Kinsale to Tuskar Rock’ scale of 1:150,000 covers this sailing area. The key chart for Waterford Harbour area is Admiralty Charts 2046. This covers Waterford Harbour at a scale of 1:25,000, with details of Waterford Port - scale of 1:7,500, continuation of the River Barrow to New Ross - scale of 1:25,000, New Ross - scale of 1:10,000 and Dunmore East Harbour - scale of 1:5,000.

Imray charts C57 and C61 overlap in this area plus Discovery Ordinance Survey map 76 covers the land area.

With thanks to:

John Carroll, Ballyhack, County Wexford, Ireland.

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How can I get this offshore?

If a mobile signal is available you can access all of our information via a mobile phone's internet browser. We provide a 'Lite' site, Lite In Your Foot Steps using the shorter initials www.liyfs.com, that presents our data in a simplified, speed optimised format. Similarly, if an internet connection is limited or expensive, switching to the 'Lite' site enables faster and more efficient access.

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?

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’.



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