Dublin

Tidal Streams:
The ebb and flow through St George's Channel bends into and round Dublin bay with streams of between 1.5kts and 2.5 kts at Springs.

Along the South shore the stream runs North from Dublin HW +0315 and South from Dublin HW -0310. Along the North shore the stream runs NE for nine hours turning NE at 0315 after HW Dublin and SW 0015 before HW Dublin.

Around the Baily of Howth watch out for the overfalls caused when the outbound stream runs into the main St Georges stream.

In onshore winds there can be quite a chop at the entrance to the entrance channel when the tide is ebbing out past Poolbeg Light and meets the cross stream around the bay.


The first thing to note about the approaches to Dublin are the two TSS; one at the Northern end of the Burford Bank and one at the Southern end. If you include with this the Burford Bank itself then you can see that the direct approach from the East is a non starter as a passage plan.

The only departure point on the UK mainland which this affects is Holyhead and you should not plan to follow the rhumb line from Holyhead to Dublin but to veer off to the North or South to avoid the Burford Bank and the TSS. In all probability you'll let the flood take you North of the direct line and then come back down on the ebb into Dublin Bay via the Baily of Howth and the problem becomes a not-a-problem as long as you don't end up on the Bennet Bank.

From the North or South you just weather the headlands at the Baily of Howth (possible overfalls) or Dalkey Island. You can go through either Dalkey Sound or Muglins Sound in good visibility if you wish but coming up from somewhere like Arklow the course outside the Muglins is less than half a mile further than through Dalkey Sound.

Around about this stage you should establish comms on #12 with Dublin Port Radio and be listening carefully for any instructions they may have. They request that your R/T calls are kept to a minimum required for vessel safety.

Depending on the state of the tide you can make your way directly to the Poolbeg light or err on the side of caution and parallel the channel from the No 3 or No 4 buoy further out. If you are coming up from the South, theoretically (see below), you will have to cross the channel to the North side before you enter the main harbour; you need to pick your moment and do this at right angles. Remember that the big ships are on a schedule and will have at least 10kts overtaking speed on you so that if they are hull up they'll be on you in no time at all (especially those high speed cats which run across from Holyhead).

Dublin VTS will expect you to remain just outside to the north of the buoyed channel all the way in (there's plenty of water but pass close North of the N0 11 buoy and stay close South of the North Bank Tower at LWS) It is not permitted to enter the docks under sail; you should pass Poolbeg light under engine.

Once you have passed the North Bank Light you should be planning to cross to the South side of the channel to avoid the Ro-ro ferry terminals on the North bank. It's then just a case of watching out for any movement at the Container terminal on the South Bank and making for the Poolbeg Marina which is the only viable option for visiting yachts.

Practical application of the Rules

Having said all that, you will note that they slip in a note in their regulations to say that, outwith the channel markers, Rule 9 does not apply. Take that back to the chart and you will see that there is plenty of water at the entrance for one to pass through the entrance without entering the channel - on either the North side or the South side. And that is what happens at a practical level; if you are coming from the South, remain outside the channel and transit close to the channel but outside it all the way as far as their No 14 buoy and then buoy hop to the marina. If coming from the North, come in along the North side of the channel and get clearance from the VTS to cross to the South side before Poolbeg Light. We are told that the peak times for large ships is between 0800 and 1000 in the morning and at about nineish in the evening.