Lough Foyle and Port of Londonderry inc. Foyle Marina

Contacts
H M Foyle Port (at Lisahally) Bill McCann. VHF Channels 16,12 & 14 with Traffic & Nav info on Channel 14. Tel: 028 7186 0555.&

Visiting Vessels should contact 'Foyle Port Harbour Radio' on VHF Ch14 when in the channel advising of your intention to berth at the Marina - instructions will be given.

Lough Foyle is a large expanse of water stretching 13miles from Magilligan Point to the River Foyle at Culmore Bay and, at its widest point 6miles from the Donegal coast to the mudflats off Ballykelly. There is a well marked channel down the Donegal side which is used by large ships importing and exporting from Londonderry Port at Lisahally opposite Culmore Bay.

There are no harbours or anchorages on the wide SE side of the Lough until one is inside the River Foyle itself. On the Donegal side there are a couple of harbours; Greencastle and Moville, both of which are utilised by small fishing boats but have room for visiting yachts; Greencastle is an especially convenient spot for a stopover during a cruise along the North Coast of Ireland and you will find a friendly welcome there. There is a small pier at Carrickarory which is taken up by fishing boats but does have room outside for anchoring, as does Moville, but both of these anchorages are in the run of the tide which make them a) uncomfortable and b), a long row from the shore against the tide! Further along the Lough where it narrows into the River there is a sheltered little bay in behind the point to starboard opposite the old oil and chemical jetties. This is Culmore bay; it's a pleasant anchorage, out of the main tideway, with a pub and small shop at its Western end (Ballynagard) serving a small community. You'll often find other yachts there waiting to catch the next flood up to Derry as the river is a shoally affair and best taken on the rising tide.
The North West shore of the Lough is in County Donegal which is in the Republic of Ireland and the South East shore is County Londonderry (UK) and the two meet in the mudflats at Muff. There are no border restrictions or Customs Posts in place (2022) as both countries are part of the Common Travel Area (1922) reaffirmed by the "Memorandum of Understanding" (2019) but if you intend cruising these waters with a pet it would be sensible to ascertain the rules in force before leaving your home port.

From an historical point of view the region has been steeped in conflict since Viking times; Londonderry (shortened to "Derry" by the locals) is famous for its siege in 1689 when the apprentices in Derry locked the gates against the Jacobites and the city then withstood the ensuing siege until relieved by forces loyal to King William of Orange 105 days later. Derry celebrates that siege annually to this day, the city walls and artefacts are proudly maintained and the visitor can spend many hours exploring Derry and its history. During WWII Lough Foyle was a focus for the Atlantic War, the City Airport is an old Royal Naval Airbase (RNAS Eglinton), there were two Coastal Command Airfields on the SE shore of the Lough, both of which are now disused airfields. Today's Port of Londonderry at Lisahally was originally a small abandoned shipyard which the Admiralty was refurbishing. This refurbishment was accelerated during the Atlantic campaign and it became a hugely expanded deep water port with a tanker farm, an ammunition depot, accommodation etc all of which was scaled down after the war but has been modernised over the years to its present standard so that now the visiting yachtsman should be prepared to encounter freighters or cruise ships at any time during his passage along the Lough.