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eOceanic has been made aware of this haven. We are looking for a sailor with first-hand experience to provide their direct personal insights so that we may complete our write up. In advance of this we have posted these preliminary research notes. Do you know this location? Please contact us or click the 'Report a Mistake or Omission' button below to help share this location with the sailing community.


Gorteen Bay, also known as Gurteen Bay, is a small inlet off the Big Sound on the approaches to Galway Bay, situated approximately midway between Golam Head and Slyne Head about two miles west of Roundstone, on the west coast of Ireland. This beautiful bay with its lovely beach sits below Mount Erisberg and offers an anchorage off a small village, with the oportunity of a dinghy landing on the beach.

Gorteen Bay, also known as Gurteen Bay, is a small inlet off the Big Sound on the approaches to Galway Bay, situated approximately midway between Golam Head and Slyne Head about two miles west of Roundstone, on the west coast of Ireland. This beautiful bay with its lovely beach sits below Mount Erisberg and offers an anchorage off a small village, with the oportunity of a dinghy landing on the beach.

The shelter in the bay is tolerable given that the inlet is open to the prevailing winds and is subject to any swell running outside, making it only comfortable for an overnight stay in still conditions. The access to this fine weather anchorage is straightforward, but most of the coast to the west of Roundstone is low and rocky and is encumbered by outlying dangers offshore.



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Keyfacts for Gorteen Bay
Facilities
Marked or notable walks in the vicinity of this location


Nature
No fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationAnchoring locationBeach or shoreline landing from a tenderScenic location or scenic location in the immediate vicinity

Considerations
None listed

Protected sectors

Current wind over the protected quadrants
Minimum depth
2 metres (6.56 feet).

Approaches
4 stars: Straightforward; when unaffected by weather from difficult quadrants or tidal consideration, no overly complex dangers.
Shelter
3 stars: Tolerable; in suitable conditions a vessel may be left unwatched and an overnight stay.



Last modified
May 30th 2017

Summary

A tolerable location with straightforward access.

Facilities
Marked or notable walks in the vicinity of this location


Nature
No fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationAnchoring locationBeach or shoreline landing from a tenderScenic location or scenic location in the immediate vicinity

Considerations
None listed



Position and approaches
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Haven position

53° 22.429' N, 009° 57.359' W

this is the position at the anchorage in Gorteen Bay

What is the initial fix?

The following Gorteen Bay initial fix will set up a final approach:
53° 19.807' N, 010° 1.144' W
this is the position in the North Atlantic Ocean midway between Wild Bellows Rock and Croaghnakeela (Deer Island)



Not what you need?
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Below are the ten nearest havens to Gorteen Bay for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
  1. Roundstone Bay - 1.9 nautical miles NE
  2. Bertraghboy Bay - 5.2 nautical miles ENE
  3. Bunowen Bay - 6 nautical miles WNW
  4. Clifden - 7.2 nautical miles NNW
  5. Clifden Boat Club - 7.6 nautical miles NNW
  6. Mannin Bay - 7.7 nautical miles NW
  7. Kilkieran Bay - 8.6 nautical miles ESE
  8. Dinish & Furness Islands - 9.9 nautical miles SE
  9. Fahy Bay - 11.3 nautical miles N
  10. Kiggaul Bay - 11.6 nautical miles SE
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
  1. Roundstone Bay - 1.9 miles NE
  2. Bertraghboy Bay - 5.2 miles ENE
  3. Bunowen Bay - 6 miles WNW
  4. Clifden - 7.2 miles NNW
  5. Clifden Boat Club - 7.6 miles NNW
  6. Mannin Bay - 7.7 miles NW
  7. Kilkieran Bay - 8.6 miles ESE
  8. Dinish & Furness Islands - 9.9 miles SE
  9. Fahy Bay - 11.3 miles N
  10. Kiggaul Bay - 11.6 miles SE
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Chart
Please use our integrated Navionics chart to appraise the haven and its approaches. Navionics charts feature in premier plotters from B&G, Raymarine, Magellan and are also available on tablets. Open the chart in a larger viewing area by clicking the expand to 'new tab' or the 'full screen' option.

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How to get in?
Route location The 'Loop Head to Slyne Head' coastal description provides approach information to the suggested initial fix. Vessels approaching from the south should select the northbound Route location sequenced description; vessels approaching from the north should select the southbound Route location sequence; western approaches may use either description.


Why visit here?
The name Gorteen derives its name from the Irish Goirteen meaning small plot or field. Gorteen Bay lies back to back with its western neighbour Dogs Bay and the beaches to these two crescent shaped bays were formed by a sand spit and tombolo which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean and which now seperates them. Gorteen Bay and Dogs Bay beaches are two of the most beautiful in the west of Ireland and being situated only 2 miles from the picturesque holiday resort of Roundstone they are very popular with tourists and locals alike.

Gorteen is the larger of the two beaches and is closer to Roundstone, but both have crystal clear water and are well sheltered from currents making them very safe for swimming and other water based activities including surfing, and they are also a wonderful destination for walking. Gorteen Beach is naturally protected by the headland to the south which makes it an ideal location to drop anchor, take the dinghy for a landing on the beach, and enjoy a sheltered picnic off the boat.

Gorteen Bay and Dogs Bay make up one of the finest stretches of coastline in Connemara offering uncompromising views of Mount Errisberg and the surrounding countryside, and together they form an internationally important ecological habitat and environment. The sand forming the beaches is not comprised of traditional limestone, but is made entirely of fragments of sea shells from tiny sea creatures known as foraminifera, which gives them a pure white colour.

There are no facilities at this location, but Roundstone some 2 miles up the road has most things you would need.


What facilities are available?
There are no facilities at this location.


With thanks to:
inyourfootsteps.com site research














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Please note eOceanic makes no guarantee of the validity of this information, we have not visited this haven and do not have first-hand experience to qualify the data. Although the contributors are vetted by peer review as practised authorities, they are in no way, whatsoever, responsible for the accuracy of their contributions. It is essential that you thoroughly check the accuracy and suitability for your vessel of any waypoints offered in any context plus the precision of your GPS. Any data provided on this page is entirely used at your own risk and you must read our legal page if you view data on this site. Free to use sea charts courtesy of Navionics.