Contacts: Drogheda HM   VHF #11   tel  +353 (0)4198 38378 ;     +353 (0)86254 7827 (mobile)

Drogheda is a large town standing astride the River Boyne 5 miles from its mouth. It has a busy port facility with a cement works and a container terminal at Tom Roe’s Point, both of which are down river from the viaduct crossing the river to the East of the town.  The main port area is on the North bank of the river just upstream of the viaduct which, with an air draft of 27m, should not cause a problem to the average cruising yachtsman; however the footbridge a couple of hundred yards further up the river will be impassable to a masted yacht and even a fairly small river cruiser.  There are no specific facilities for visiting yachts but it is likely that you will be told to berth in the port area just underneath the bridge. ... read more

The approach to Drogheda up the River Boyne is interesting but well charted and marked so should cause very little problem once the outer channel marks have been identified. Any wind above Force 5 from the Easterly quadrant will make the entrance dangerous for any yacht, especially on an ebb tide coming out of the river.

There is a lead in sector light (known as the South Bull) with a narrow white arc on the 270°T bearing which is clearly visible in daylight.  The Initial Fix is quite a way out on the centre line of the approach but this is deliberate to keep you well clear of that rock off the Lyons Light (South side of the entrance).

The light on the North side of the entrance is called the Aleria light and, when approaching from the East, the sector light will appear in the middle of the 50 meter gap between the Aleria light and the Lyons light at the entrance. The Port Authority insists that shipping running up to Drogheda call them on #11 before entering the channel and visiting yachts should do so also in order that their movement be co-ordinated with the larger vessels transiting to the Container terminal or cement works.

Once through the entrance between the training walls the deep channel is well marked, though you should note that the marks lie outside the dredged channel(see photos); it sweeps round gently to starboard before straightening and arcing slowly all the way round to a SW and then WSW reach beneath the viaduct into the centre of the town and the port. At Burrow Point there is an old disused jetty where it would be possible to tie up for a night but there are absolutely no facilities here and access to it from the land is controlled. ... read more