Harbour Information (use the

icons to find out more)

This site is designed for slower, roaming broadband connections, like you would get at sea, so it needs JavaScript enabled. You have JavaScript turned off so you will not be able to expand the sections below
Click here to show the fully expanded version

Charts & Images

Holyhead Harbour

Your Comments: 2 Read or add your comments

Courtesy Flag

Flag, Red Ensign

Waypoint

Breakwater End 53:19'.87 N 004:37'.13 W

Charts

Admiralty 2011, 1413

Rules & Regulations

Unknown

Hazards

TSS in Entrance, Ferries inc HHS

Tidal Data Times & Range

HW = Dover -0040 MHWS 5.2m, MHWN 4.4m, MLWN 2.0m, MLWS 0.7m

This site is designed for slower, roaming broadband connections, like you would get at sea, so it needs JavaScript enabled to expand the text. Click here to show the fully expanded version

General Description

Holyhead is an absolutely huge harbour, and provides an excellent port of refuge in virtually all conditions. It is strategically placed for those planning to hop across the Irish Sea.

The breakwater that protects the New Harbour was completed in 1873, and encloses a large area of sheltered water. Various ferries and fast cats regularly use Holyhead, connecting with Dun Laoghaire in Ireland. Ferry activity is kept to a completely different side of the port, and apart from sharing the entrance approaches the yachtsman or motorboater should have no problems. ... read more

Approach

Any kind of approach from the North will find the small craft mariner having to contend with Carmel Head and the Skerries.

To seawards of Carmel Head is an extensive area of rocky shoals, shallow patches, tidal races, overfalls and other dangers that no right minded small craft Mariner would want to involve himself in. The Skerries is the outlying stack of rocks and these are well marked by The Skerries Lighthouse (Fl(2)10s.36m.20m). This Lighthouse also displays Iso.R.4s.26m.10M in such a way that this light covers the dangerous shoals to the north-east of it.

More pilotage directions: ... read more

Berthing, Mooring & Anchoring

Mooring options include anchoring, Holyhead Sailing Club moorings, or the Holyhead Marina. Full details are now provided including visitors prices.

If intending to use the swinging moorings provided by Holyhead Sailing Club call the "Club Launch" on VHF channel 37 (M1) as you're approaching. The club moorings are off the beach in front of the club premises and adjacent to the new Marina. The normal hours for this service are 9 AM to 9 PM, and 11 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.

The launch will meet you and guide you to a mooring. If the launch doesn't respond for any reason pick up an empty mooring, make a note of its number and wait for assistance. ... read more

read

Facilities

read

History

read

Eating, Drinking & Entertainment

read

Find local marine businesses

Your Ratings & Comments

Have your say

2 comments

Tom Webb, around Britain on a 21' Beneteau 2011

Written by Tom Webb Sailing | 31st Oct 2011

12-13/8 – Holyhead –I arrived in Holyhead after a 15 hour night upwind sail from Peel, It always pays to remember that the Skerries has an incredible rip tide that I battled with for a good 4 hours, once nearing Holyhead there is plenty of large ferries and shipping to look out for but monitoring the VTS on channel 14 gives you a clear idea of traffic movement. The marina is hidden behind quite a few mooring buoys which can be difficult to navigate in the dark, once inside the marina is another very well sheltered marina with plenty of space, the people In the office are full of advice and are very helpful. The facilities are one of the best on the trip, you get your own private room with shower, bathroom with space!

Entry into Holyhead

Written by dononshytalk | 7th Apr 2011

This is not a place for the faint hearted! When the tide is full flood I think there is a very heavy back eddy between the North Stack and Holihead Pier. I came round the South Stack with speeds coming up to 9 knots on the GPS, which continued until I turned towards the pier off the North Stack - I then hit a back eddy which reduced my speed of advance to less than two knots. This would have been ok if it hadn't been for the fact that I had a following sea and a beam wind - I couldn't turn into wind to reef for fear of being turned on me beam ends - so I ended up surfing down steep seas, very over sailed - the log showing 6,7 and 8 knots whilst the GPS was still showing less than two knots. The mistake was that I knew I was over sailed as I passed the North stack but had thought that with a mile and a half to go I could manage by just cheating the main sail - it was only going to take twenty minutes at the speed I was doing through the water - then I hit the back eddy. It was an hour and a quarter of extreme anxiety - I was very afraid that I was about to lose the tiller to weather helm or the mast to the wind - and that was with everything flying!

The trick in this bay is to sight a temporary transit as soon as you can see the pier head - or match the GPS course made good with the bearing of the pier head ( put it in as a way point) - the course to steer can be 45 degrees off the course made good.

1 of 1 people found this helpful