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Ballycastle
Courtesy Flag
Flag, Red EnsignWaypoint
55°12.40N, 006° 14.10WCharts
AC 2798-0 (Lough Foyle to Scanda Island), AC 2494-3 (Ballycastle), SC 5612 (Carlingford Lough to Loch Foyle), Imray C64 (North Channel)Rules & Regulations
Skippers must contact the harbour on VHF channel 80 before enteringHazards
Extreme currents, overfalls etc. See Approach sectionTidal Data Times & Range
HW Dover -0450 Springs and Dover -0200 Neaps; MHWS 1.2m MHWN 0.9m MLWN 0.9m MLWS 0.3m; The tidal stream outside the harbour runs West from 3hrs before HW Dover to 2hrs afterThis 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
Contacts:
Harbour Master VHF Channel 80, tel 028 2076 8525
Ballycastle is a harbour which tends to be overlooked by the Almanacs and Pilot Books which is not unsurprising given the tides and currents in Rathlin Sound. On the other hand it is ideally placed for the cruising sailor who likes to proceed in comfortable day hops of between 25 to 30 miles; this puts it within range of Glenarm on the East coast of Antrim, Port Ellen on Islay and Lough Foyle to the West.
The challenge is to arrive at Rathlin Sound at the optimum state of the tide!! ... read more
Approach
There is a large rock (more an islet) off Kinbane Head two miles up the coast to the NW of Ballycastle which is at the confluence of meeting tidal eddies. The whole of Rathlin Sound from Carrickarade Island in the West to Fairhead in the East is affected by extremes of currents, overfalls and eddies. The tidal streams can reach 6kts at springs and 4kts at neaps. Headlands especially can have heavy overfalls and round the corner off Torr Head the springs can run up to 9 knots
On the face of it the approach to Ballycastle is simple; one comes round Fair Head from the East or outside Carrickmannanon Rock from the West and makes for the Initial Fix just to the West of the harbour entrance and makes one’s way in from there.
In reality the situation is very different, especially if a Spring Tide is running; get it wrong and you could spend six hours going backwards... even on engine!
Remember also, that around all the main headlands when the streams are at their worst there are considerable overfalls and eddies. Having said all that; at High and Low Water Dover the inshore currents are mild and it is only two or three miles to Ballycastle from either Fair Head or Carrickmannanon Rock; so if you pick your time right there should be no problems. The cruising sailor should not be put off by the dire warnings in the Almanacs and Pilot books; yes, if you venture into the Sound with a F5 against the worst of the tide you can expect an extremely rough passage but, other than that, a well found boat on a well planned passage has nothing to fear. Detailed information on the tides in Rathlin Sound can found in our article at: ... read more
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