Best Anchorages — East Ireland & South Coast

2–4m · Alarm: 75m

Kilmore Quay is a picturesque thatched fishing village on the SE Wexford coast — one of the most charming harbour communities in Ireland. The village retains its whitewashed thatched cottages and a genuine working fishing harbour character. The Saltee Islands (5nm offshore) are one of Ireland's most important bird sanctuaries — home to enormous colonies of gannets, puffins, razorbills and guillemots, and are accessible by ferry in season. Kilmore Quay is a convenient staging port between Waterford and the Tuskar Rock passage to/from Wales. The maritime museum aboard the lightship Guillemot (moored in the harbour) is excellent. Tuskar Rock lighthouse (10nm E) is the key waypoint for the Irish Sea crossing.

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3–7m · Alarm: 80m

Passage East is a charming whitewashed village on the west bank of Waterford Harbour — a beautiful and historic anchorage at the gateway to the Three Sisters rivers (Suir, Nore and Barrow). The village has a car ferry crossing to Ballyhack (Hook Peninsula) and is a classic cruising stop on the SE Ireland coast. The mudflats and estuary are outstanding for birdwatching. Dunmore East (5nm south) is a picturesque fishing village with excellent seafood restaurants. Waterford City (9nm upriver) is Ireland's oldest city, founded by the Vikings in 914 AD — its Viking Triangle heritage district and Waterford Crystal are major attractions. The estuary is a significant commercial waterway — Waterford Port handles container and bulk carrier traffic.

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3–7m · Alarm: 80m

Glandore is perhaps the most beautiful village anchorage in West Cork — a tiny, perfect harbour enclosed by wooded hills and accessed through the famous 'Adam and Eve' rock passage (the classic instruction to Irish cruising yachtsmen: 'avoid Adam and hug Eve'). The village perches on the north shore with colourful houses reflected in the calm water. The Union Hall village is directly opposite across the narrow harbour. Glandore's mild microclimate supports sub-tropical plants and the harbour is surrounded by lush vegetation unusual for Ireland. Jonathan Swift was inspired by the nearby Drombeg Stone Circle. The ICC Sailing Directions are essential for the approach through Adam and Eve.

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3–7m · Alarm: 80m

Baltimore is the principal cruising hub of SW Cork — a vibrant small town facing the string of offshore islands (Sherkin, Clear, the Fastnet Rock) that define the southwesternmost tip of Ireland. The harbour provides good shelter and the town has all the facilities a cruising yacht needs: fuel, water, chandlery, provisions and excellent restaurants and pubs. Ferries to Sherkin Island (5 min) and Cape Clear Island (45 min) depart regularly. The famous Fastnet Rock — the 'Teardrop of Ireland' — is visible 12nm offshore in clear conditions. Baltimore was the site of the infamous 1631 Baltimore Sack when Barbary pirates carried off 109 inhabitants into slavery. The Fastnet Race fleet (RORC, biennial in odd years) passes close by. Excellent whale watching (minke, fin, humpback) off the SW Cork coast in late summer.

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2–6m · Alarm: 80m

Schull is West Cork's most celebrated sailing village — a vibrant, bohemian small town on the Mizen Peninsula that comes alive in summer with sailors, artists and Irish weekenders. The town has excellent provisions, chandlery, fuel and a wide range of excellent restaurants, cafes and pubs. The famous Schull International Documentary Film Festival (August) brings the town to life. Fastnet Rock (15nm south) is visible from the harbour in clear conditions. Mount Gabriel (407m) with its radar domes rises immediately behind the town. Schull is typically the last provisioning stop before Crookhaven and the Mizen Head for westbound yachts, and the first stop coming east.

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3–7m · Alarm: 80m

Dunmore East is a charming fishing village at the entrance to Waterford Harbour — one of Ireland's most photogenic working harbours, with characteristic thatched white cottages clinging to the hillsides above the harbour. The village is one of the most visited on the SE Irish coast, with excellent seafood restaurants, friendly pubs and a beautiful clifftop walk to the lighthouse. Dunmore East is a key arrival and departure port for yachts crossing from Wales (Milford Haven is 55nm SE) and the traditional first stop for Dublin-bound yachts coming from the south. The Haven Walks (cliff path) offer outstanding views over Hook Head and the approaches to Waterford.

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3–7m · Alarm: 80m

Castletownshend is West Cork's most perfectly preserved village — a hill village of extraordinary character, its one steep street running down to the waterfront where two ancient sycamore trees grow incongruously in the middle of the road. The village is perched above a beautiful, sheltered harbour (Castle Haven) that provides outstanding anchorage in almost any conditions. The ancestral home of Edith Somerville (co-author of the 'Irish R.M.' stories, written with her cousin Violet Martin) overlooks the harbour — the literary tradition continues in the village. Mary Ann's Bar (one of Ireland's most famous sailing pubs) is at the waterfront and has been welcoming sailors for generations. The anchorage is referenced in the tips for Glandore (7nm east) and is a natural companion stop.

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