Ardglass Harbour

Ardglass HarbourHarbour0-5.60581645478666754.24226893359656Contacts:- Harbour Master VHF #12, #16 tel 028 4484 1291 8am to 5pm Mon to Fri Phennick Cove Marina VHF #M #80 tel 028 4484 2332 or 07711 232525 This harbour is the only all weather, all tides (?) harbour between Howth and Bangor and provides a working base for a small fleet of fishing vessels which crowd into the harbour at the end of the day. There is a fish processing plant on the South Pier which is conspicuous from the approach. There are doubts about the "all tides" claim in respect of the marina as depths around the NE end of the detached mole may be less than advertised (see below) The harbour has three basic areas; the fish dock which occupies the inside of the South Pier, the marina which is tucked into the Western corner behind a detached breakwater and the inner harbour, which dries, in the North West corner. Between the South Pierhead and the detached mole is Churn Rock marked with an SCM, boats entering the fish dock leave it to Starboard whilst those proceeding to the marina leave it well to port. The inner harbour is seldom used except for a few flat bottomed angling boats. There has been some sort of harbour here since early Norman times but it wasn't until the Tudors that it began to grow into a major seaport on Ireland's eastern seaboard. The present day harbour was completed in Victorian times, earlier development having been severely damaged just after Victoria came to the English throne. Much of the early fortifications and architecture can still be seen around Ardglass which is now mainly a dormitory town for Co Down whilst the harbour still has a large fish processing base. Positioned just five miles to the South of the entrance to Strangford Lough this is an ideal spot to hold for a favourable tide in the narrows at Killard Point. If you set course outside the harbour here at five hours before HW Belfast and achieve 5kts you should arrive nicely in the window to make an entry to Strangford Lough AC0633 Ardglass and Killough Harbours, AC0044-0 Nose of Howth to Ballyquintin Point, SC 5612.3A & B, Imray C62 (has an Ardglass Harbour Plan)None known but HM should be raised on #12 before entry. Once past the South Pier inbound for the Marina the channel narrows and has rocks and shallows close to either hand. All the navigation marks within the harbour are not shown on AC0633.but they adhere to the standard format of reds, greens and cardinal marks and should be followed religiously even though the turn to port into the marina appears to be "the long way round". Note that the armouring around the end of the South pier extends out for quite a distance and is marked by a pole. Entry is difficult in SE gales. HW is Dover +0025. MHWS 5.2m MHWN 4.2m MLWN 1.7m MLWS 0.7mBefore making an approach contact the HM on VHF #12 to advise him that you want to come in..... .... and then call the Marina on #80 to be allocated a berth appropriate for your draft. If deep drafted you would be wise to seek advice from the HM on the depth of water available around the corner into the marina. If coming from the South, care should be taken to identify Ardglass correctly; you would not be the first to swan into Killough Bay from the South mistaking it for Ardglass. Ardglass Bay is much less conspicuous than Killough Bay but it does have its unmistakeable high South Pier. There are no off-lying hidden dangers and if it's a nice day there's no need to plod all the way out to the initial fix, just stay well clear of the end of the South Pier foundations (probably marked by a pole) and turn in towards the harbour when the white lighthouse on the end of the North pier begins to open. If coming from the North as you weather Phennick Point and its shoals you can make for the end of the South Pier until you run into the harbour on 311(T). After that, depending on who you believe, there are a number of buoys marking the safe channel within the harbour; some of these are shown on AC0633, some are not. The SCM shown on the charts is the mark on the Churn Rock; the buoyage into the marina channel starts with an ECM followed closely by a PHM after which the channel into the marina is buoyed and easy to follow. There are a number of Cardinal marks on the top of tall poles scattered around the central reef shown on AC0633 some of which appear on the chart as faint vertical lines.You may be confused by this on your first entry; it's no problem in daylight, just take it easy, leave everything red to port, green to starboard and make sure you know your ECMs from your WCMs and which side to pass them on!! At night it has been reported that the sector light is difficult to pick out from the town lights behind it, so what the others are like is likely to be the same and it would be unwise to make your first visit here after dark. The buoyed channel into the marina is given as dredged to 3.3m but a few years ago a vessel drawing 1.5m ran aground abeam the No4 buoy at LWS with a tide prediction of 0.7m. How close he was to that buoy is not reported, but in any case, watch your echo sounder and give all buoys a respectable offing. The suspicion that all is not as it seems in the vicinity of the ECM and the PHM at the NE end of the detached mole in the middle of the harbour was further evidenced in the summer of 2013 when a vessel drawing 1.83m grounded there on a 0.4m tide. Update spring 2015. The marina says that the channel all the way into the marina was dredged to a least depth of 6.5 feet in the summer of 2014 and there were no reports of groundings that summer so our cautions about depths may no longer be relevant - but you never know!! There is seldom a berth in the fish dock for a yacht.... .... but if you need diesel you may have to take your boat round there for delivery by tanker. There's not much room to anchor anywhere in the harbour so you will have to go in to the marina where the pontoons have water and shore power. The berths vary in depth from 1.7m to 3.2m and it is reported that it's fairly tight They are charging £30.00 for a 10 metre boat per day in 2021 - I get the feeling that the prices are extrapolated from that on a very rough basisAll the normal marina facilities are available, including showers (£1) and a laundrette. Fuel can be got in cans from the garage on Ardglass Road to the NW of the Marina or you may be able to arrange diesel delivery with the HM. The marina has WiFi and there is a slip available for trailer sailors at £3.00 per launch and £3.00 per recovery. As would be expected there are engineers in the town who look after the fishing boats so you should be able to get small repairs done. In the town there are plenty of shops for provisions. There are many pubs and restaurants but none which merit special mention so best ask the locals for recommendations. We have been told by several yachties that the Golf Club welcomes non members and is an excellent place to eat. For other ideas Eating Out Restaurants & Places to Eat in Ardglass 2022 - Tripadvisor Pubs Ardglass pubs and bars; pubs in Ardglass,0Ardglass HarbourChart of Ardglass Harbour showing Initial Fix Chart of part of the east Coast of Ireland Visichart of Ardglass HarbourArdglass Marina from Western cornerArdglass Marina at low waterArdglass from the bay off the Golf CourseArdglass Marina at High waterArdglass looking SouthBuoyage at the entrance to the marinaMarina showing the Cardinal marks around the Central ReefEntrance to Ardglass showing the AIS markerEntrance to the MarinaMarina from the West ShoreCentral Reef from the Fish DockSCM on Churn RockEntrance to the Fish DockArdglass (Phennick Cove) MarinaMarinaArdglass (Phennick Cove) Marina19 Quay StArdglassDown PatrickBT30 7SACounty DownIrelandUK054.2621548-5.6072157Ardglass (Phennick Cove) Marina19 Quay StArdglassDown PatrickBT30 7SACounty DownIrelandUKArdglass (Phennick Cove) Marina028 4484 2332028 4484 2332NIFPO Storeshttp://www.nifpo.co.uk/Chandlery/Chandlery.htmlNorthern Ireland Fish Producers Organisation runs three ships chandlers; one here at Ardglass, one at Kilkeel and one at Portavogie. They service the fishing industry but much of their stock is applicable to yachts and general DIY.NIFPO StoresThe HarbourBT30 7SDArdglassCounty DownUK054.2598588-5.5992508NIFPO StoresThe HarbourBT30 7SDArdglassCounty DownUKNIFPO Stores028 44842144028 44842144Coburn Marine EngineeringSpecialist marine engineer available at Ardglass marina. Breakdown service available call 07717183028. New engines supplied and installed. Coburn Marine Engineering26 Myra RoadStrangfordBT307JXDownpatrickDownUK054.363322-5.6405061Coburn Marine Engineering26 Myra RoadStrangfordBT307JXDownpatrickDownUKCoburn Marine [email protected]@btinternet.com02844881420Brendan O'Hare2013-10-13T04:55:00+01:00Stormbound for 3 daysWe spent 3 days here in May 2013. We ate well at the very friendly golf club, Aldo's restaurant and also at the really excellent Chinese. A huge helping of scollops! A golfer we met at the club owned the oil business and sorted us out for diesel. There is a fish factory just out the road (10 min walk) and the owner is a yachtsman. We got 2 huge bags of really fresh monkfish, plaice and some type of flounder for £30. There was a very friendly pub in the square, the name of which escapes me. We had heard about the shallow patches near the entrance so avoided low water entrance/exit. The marina staff were friendly and the facilities of a good standard. We passed 3 pleasant days there waiting for the winds to settle, the rain to stop and the temperature to rise. Life could have been worse.-1Neil Braine2012-01-04T12:32:00+00:00Great Marina and Warm WlecomeI visited Ardglass Marina during August 2011 while undertaking a single handed charity sail around the Irish Sea. Attempting port entry at night is daunting at the best of times, but this one was particularly eye opening as the fishing fleet were very busy at this time of the year. However it is well marked and ok if you take time, slow down and keep a sharp eye for the markers. It is also advisable to study the Almanac, Chart, Irish Sea Pilot to gain a good understanding of the hazards, markers and orientation of the marina before attempting an entry. I received a very warm welcome from the marina staff the next morning and enjoyed a pleasant two day stay. The facilities are good and there are plenty of places to eat and drink in the village. I would thoroughly recommend a visit to this attractive and friendly harbour.-1Ailish II2012-08-07T23:02:00+01:00Ardglass - very welcomingVisited Ardglass in July 2012 and was bowled over by the place and the welcome. Entrance was very easy as it is well buoyed. Pontoons are easy to access and the welcome from everyone was terrific. Our thanks to local sailor Gordon who very kindly ran us in his own car in to Downpatrick to try to get a bus connection - outstanding kindness. At low tide your boat looks as though it is floating in a big puddle but access is 24/7 though. Eat at the Ardglass Golf Club. Great welcome and a beautiful meal in a beautiful building with a beautiful view - indeed the view from the seat in the Gents loo over the shore and sea towards the Isle of Man must be one of the best views in Ireland. Really recommend a visit if you are in this part of the world.-1Don Thomson2017-04-27T12:13:00+01:00UPDATE APRIL 2017I reviewed these notes in April 2017. There were no changes except to the price. New chats have been uploaded-1hatatfatcat2024-09-06T17:06:00+01:00Update September 2024Pretty much as stated except the main building has had a bit of an upgrade, showers (best showers in Ireland allegedly and I was impressed) are free i.e included in the mooring fees, and there is a motor home parking area now also. Really excellent facilities laundry room, kitchen, place to chill out and even a small library. We arrived, having pre booked, at 7pm in the evening and couldn't raise any response by radio or phone so just picked a berth and they were fine with that next morning. 8.5m boat cost £54.80 for 2 nights. Great place to visit and very friendly.-1shootthewave2013-02-27T15:04:00+00:00ardglass marinaArdglass marina is an accident waiting to happen. EDITOR: We have removed much of this comment, as it's local politics rather than helpful to the visiting yachtsman-1shootthewave2013-08-31T15:39:00+01:00another grounding at ardglass marinaThere was another grounding at ardglass marina yesterday. A yacht sent out a panpan distress call to the coast guard. Please do not try to enter the marina at low water.-1Liam O'Connor2016-08-16T23:13:00+01:002016 visit....a very pleasant wee town.I enjoyed two visits to Ardglass this Summer, enroute from Waterford to Campbeltown & on the way back. As my Westerly Centaur only draws 3ft I had no difficulties. Fuel is close by, as the local garage/supermarket is only a few hundred yards up the street (to the right). Nice pub enroute - strangely you would hardly know it was a pub from the outside. Forgotten the name. I'll be back.-1Don Thomson2015-03-16T10:06:00+00:00Update 2015These notes were updated by Don in March 2015. The channel into the marina was dredged in the spring of 2014 and we have provided the latest Admiralty Chart of the harbour which was mentioned in the text of our original entry. They will be increasing prices for 2015 and now charge for shore power & showers.-1Don Thomson2013-11-01T09:13:00+00:00Update 2013These notes were reviewed on 1st November 2013 by Don Thomson. Since our original entry (which already drew attention to the discrepancies on charted depths) there have been more groundings and I have included further warnings in the notes. It would appear that the original soundings were incorrect and there has been a recent Admiralty survey which, it is hoped, will correct this. At the moment the Marina advises deep draft vessels not to make an approach an hour either side of LW. (The grounding this summer were at the lowest LWS of the year) Other than that I have updated the prices to the 2013 rates, noted the presence of the slip and addition of WiFi to the facilities.-1Old Man of The Sea2013-02-27T19:16:00+00:00Ardglass Marina - disabled boat owners & users NOT welcomeI can concur with the last poster. People with disabilities have very reasonably asked for adjustments in access arrangements at the marina & we have to report here that the management not only have refused to make (DDA) adjustments they have actually refused to even reply to disabled persons correspondence ! EDITOR... again this is not really the place to air local politics-1Macboatmaster2018-07-18T23:50:00+01:00ArdglassThinking of visiting and will update if I do Found this on a web search https://eoceanic.com/sailing/harbours/114/ seems particularly detailed - indeed better than the one on the Ardglass Marina site https://ardglassmarina.com/ Macboatmaster By Don Thomson (Editor). This the old "inyourfootsteps" site. It has been much improved over the years. We at vmh tend not to put in a lot of touristy stuff but I do envy their photographic cover!-1Old Man of The Sea2013-04-12T14:17:00+01:00The Cardinal Mark is STILL out of positionThe Cardinal Mark is STILL out of position, in fact it's STILL sitting in the boat yard. ! Presently replaced by a pink mooring buoy ............so be warned-1Old Man of The Sea2013-04-03T13:31:00+01:00Cardinal mark - out of positionThe Cardinal Mark is out of position, in fact it's sitting in the boat yard. ! Mariners be warned!-1shootthewave2013-08-30T10:24:00+01:00ardglass marina is NOT 24/7 ACCESSMy yacht [6 ft draft] and another both grounded when leaving ardglass marina on 22/8/2013.It was on a low spring tide.This happened between the east cardinal mark and the first port hand mark. A sand bank has built up as it has not been dredged since the marina was created 18 years ago. It was 50 minutes before we were able to move.I have advised the mca about this, as any yacht entering this marina at low water and a ground swell will be put at serious risk.-1Zig Zag Westerly2013-08-13T08:49:00+01:00A little gemBrought a Westerly Centaur over from England last summer, stayed at Ardglass for 2 months prior to moving boat to permanent mooring at Warrenpoint. Found the local boaters very welcoming and helpful, and Fred ( Marina caretaker ) always most helpful. Ardglass is highly recommended. Saw visiting boats from Spain, France, Norway and Denmark, as well as ones closer to home. Excellent shower/cooking/relaxing facilities. A welcome awaits in local pubs, and the food at the Golf Club ( no membership required ) is first class, with very reasonable prices. Look nowhere else to eat. I'll be back again and again.-1Don Thomson 32022-07-22T09:08:00+01:00UPDATE JULY 2022No changes-1Don Thomson 32021-06-14T10:33:00+01:00Update Early Summer 2021I reviewed these notes in June 2021. Nothing has changed since we last wrote, not even the price-1Don Thomson 32019-04-25T12:26:00+01:00Update Spring 2019These notes were reviewed in April 2019. Prices seem a little arbitrary and they no longer charge for electricity. I've uploaded new charts. The ECM at the entrance to the marina was blown away in the March gales but will be replaced shortly.-1Error fetching data: Access Denied