Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

5°C

Swell today

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

Haven position?

52° 9.500' N, 006° 54.250' W

Where is that position?

Off the beach in the middle of the anchoring on the 3 LWS metre contour.

What is the initial fix?

This waypoint is 1000 metres northwest of the shoreline.

What is the story here?

Lumsdin’s Bay lies upon Waterford Harbour’s eastern shore approximately 2.5 miles northeast of Hook Head lighthouse on the west side of the Hook peninsula. It is a remote and picturesque anchorage.

This is an exposed anchorage that you would use as a day anchorage, in settled conditions, or a lunch time stop. It would not be usable in anything with a strong westerly component but excellent in anything easterly or settled conditions.

Seaward access is completely unhindered as it resides very close to the 2.5 nautical mile wide Waterford Harbour estuary entrance. The bay is approximately one nautical mile off the channel free of off lying dangers.

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.

Why visit here?

This is a lovely secluded beach to land a dinghy and let the family loose to play and swim. It also offers an excellent anchorage to wait out a tide.

The historic Loftis Hall is a walk from here but there are no immediate facilities available to you save enjoy the area at hand. Three quarters of an hours walk takes you to Hook Lighthouse that has an excellent visitor centre.

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.

Follow the Hook Peninsula’s western shoreline up to the initial fix. Loftus Hall, a sizable estate upon the headland to the southwest of the anchorage, provides a very good coastal mark to let you know that you are approaching the bay.

From the initial fix you can come into Lumsdin’s Bay bearing southeast. You will clearly see the pictured farmhouse over the beach and the small drying pier and slip. Find a nice spot to anchor in sand.

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, mean level 2.4.
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?

This is a secluded bay with no facilities save for a good landing beach and a footpath, or old cart track, that takes you to the road. The village of Fethard On Sea is a one hour walk where good provisions can be found.

What emergency contacts are there?

Dublin Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC)
VHF Ch 83, with relay aerials at Carlingford (04), Wicklow Head (02), Rosslare (23) and Mine Head (83). CGR is always called on a working channel. Emergencies are worked on 16, 67 and working channel. Alternatively phone 999 (free) Emergency Gardai (police) / Fire / Rescue.

Contact Dunmore East Harbour Master's Office Tel +353 51 383166 VHF Ch 16 when manned as this is used by the Waterford Authorities
Port of Waterford Harbour Master 051-74499.VHF ch.16 and 14

Any security concerns?

You are most likely to be completely alone at this beach and away from any interference.

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:

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

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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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