Contacts
Harbour Office              VHF # 14   tel no + 353 (0)1 2801130  
Dun Laoghaire Marina  VHF #M     tel no +353 (0)1 2020040  
National YC        tel no +353 (0)1 2805725  
Royal St George YC                        tel no +353 (0)1 2801811  
Royal Irish YC       tel no +353 (0)1 2809452  
DL Motor YC       tel no +353 (0)1 2801371  
National Irish Sailing Club     tel no +353 (0)1 2844195  

The first thing to note about Dun Laoghaire is its size; you will still have half a mile to go to the marina after you’ve passed through the harbour entrance.  This is the home to three sailing clubs, a motor yacht club and sailing school as well as an 820 berth marina. There are moorings in the bight of the East Pier, between the West pierhead and the Western Marina Breakwater and inboard of that breakwater all the way through to the old harbour. On top of that the terminus of the Holyhead HSS Ferry is in the middle of the harbour and they have priority over every other craft in the harbour.

So, you get the picture, it’s a very busy harbour which is home to just about everything that can float (though wind surfing and kiting is banned) and you will have to pick your way through carefully and be aware that an anguished yell of “Starboard” may not have the desired effect on a youngster (or oldster) in a Topper. You think I’m joking? Zoom in on the present Google Earth picture of the harbour and you can see a small group of single sail boats in line astern with their mother hen in a rib circling them anxiously while a power boat bears down on them!

Whilst there is no rule against proceeding under sail in the harbour you have to bear in mind that in light winds you may have to move out of the way of an HSS at short notice so act accordingly.

There are four types of large power boat using the harbour all of which have right of way over other users; HSS ferries, vessels working with the Commissioners of Irish Lights, ships of the Irish Navy and the Lifeboat. 

The ones you will be most concerned with are the Stenna Line HSS ferries; they travel at 40kts until they have to reduce to 8kts 600m from the entrance to the harbour and to do that they just drop off the plane and seem to stop dead, creating a considerable wash doing so.  Once in the harbour they have to turn round and enter their berth stern first; there are no tugs to assist in this so they need a lot of room and sometimes may have to pull out and start again! It is essential to give them enough room; don’t cut across their bow or stern and do make your intentions amply clear by your movements because if the skipper is at all anxious about what you’re up to he’s entitled to complain, and will. 

Also be aware of the fact that, en route, the HSS are travelling up to ten times faster than you so that the HSS that is just hull up (4 or 5 miles?) as you are approaching the harbour will be with you in 7 to 8 minutes so a race for the entrance will have only one winner. If all that is not enough warning, there are three lights which flash simultaneously when there is large ship movement taking place, one on each seaward corner of the Stenna terminal building and a repeater on the East pierhead; all large ships will also give a short blast on their siren to announce their arrival at the harbour entrance as well as just before leaving their berth. ... read more

Visitors may berth alongside at the marina or at one of the various yacht clubs but they all expect sufficient notice of your intention.  The marina charges 3.60 Euros pm/night and electricity is sold on a card. You may assume that the yacht clubs will also charge for berthing unless your club has reciprocal arrangements with them. ... read more