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Bangor Harbour & Marina

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Overview





Bangor is located on the northeast coast of Ireland close inside and on the southern shore of Belfast Lough. It offers a large-scale, full-service marina staffed twenty-four hours a day, which is located in the centre of a principal town.

Bangor is located on the northeast coast of Ireland close inside and on the southern shore of Belfast Lough. It offers a large-scale, full-service marina staffed twenty-four hours a day, which is located in the centre of a principal town.

The marina provides complete protection behind substantial breakwaters. Deep and with no off-lying dangers, it affords safe access night or day, at any stage of the tide and in all reasonable conditions with strong northerly winds presenting its single point of challenge.
Please note

Regular fast ferries travel in and out of Belfast Lough. A good watch must be maintained if crossing the entrance to the lough and a vessel should be prepared to be struck unexpectedly by the wash at all times.




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Keyfacts for Bangor Harbour & Marina
Facilities
Water available via tapDiesel fuel available alongsidePetrol available alongsideGas availableMini-supermarket or supermarket availableExtensive shopping available in the areaSlipway availableLaundry facilities availableShore power available alongsideShore based toilet facilitiesShowers available in the vicinity or by arrangementHot food available in the localityPublic house or wine bar in the areaMarked or notable walks in the vicinity of this locationCashpoint or bank available in the areaPost Office in the areaInternet café in the areaInternet via a wireless access point availableDoctor or hospital in the areaPharmacy in the areaChandlery available in the areaTrolley or cart available for unloading and loadingMSD (marine sanitation device) pump out facilitiesHaul-out capabilities via arrangementBoatyard with hard-standing available here; covered or uncoveredMarine engineering services available in the areaRigging services available in the areaElectronics or electronic repair available in the areaSail making or sail repair servicesBus service available in the areaTrain or tram service available in the areaRegional or international airport within 25 kilometresCar hire available in the areaTourist Information office availableHandicapped access supportedShore based family recreation in the area


Nature
Marina or pontoon berthing facilitiesBerth alongside a deep water pier or raft up to other vesselsQuick and easy access from open waterNavigation lights to support a night approachSailing Club baseUrban nature,  anything from a small town of more 5,000 inhabitants  to a large cityHistoric, geographic or culturally significant location; or in the immediate vicinity

Considerations
Note: strong tides or currents in the area that require considerationNote: harbour fees may be charged

Protected sectors

Current wind over the protected quadrants
Minimum depth
3 metres (9.84 feet).

Approaches
5 stars: Safe access; all reasonable conditions.
Shelter
5 stars: Complete protection; all-round shelter in all reasonable conditions.



Last modified
December 2nd 2022

Summary

A completely protected location with safe access.

Facilities
Water available via tapDiesel fuel available alongsidePetrol available alongsideGas availableMini-supermarket or supermarket availableExtensive shopping available in the areaSlipway availableLaundry facilities availableShore power available alongsideShore based toilet facilitiesShowers available in the vicinity or by arrangementHot food available in the localityPublic house or wine bar in the areaMarked or notable walks in the vicinity of this locationCashpoint or bank available in the areaPost Office in the areaInternet café in the areaInternet via a wireless access point availableDoctor or hospital in the areaPharmacy in the areaChandlery available in the areaTrolley or cart available for unloading and loadingMSD (marine sanitation device) pump out facilitiesHaul-out capabilities via arrangementBoatyard with hard-standing available here; covered or uncoveredMarine engineering services available in the areaRigging services available in the areaElectronics or electronic repair available in the areaSail making or sail repair servicesBus service available in the areaTrain or tram service available in the areaRegional or international airport within 25 kilometresCar hire available in the areaTourist Information office availableHandicapped access supportedShore based family recreation in the area


Nature
Marina or pontoon berthing facilitiesBerth alongside a deep water pier or raft up to other vesselsQuick and easy access from open waterNavigation lights to support a night approachSailing Club baseUrban nature,  anything from a small town of more 5,000 inhabitants  to a large cityHistoric, geographic or culturally significant location; or in the immediate vicinity

Considerations
Note: strong tides or currents in the area that require considerationNote: harbour fees may be charged



Berthing  +44 28 9145 3297      +44 7764 313383       bangor@boatfolk.co.uk     boatfolk.co.uk/bangor-marina/      Ch.11 & 80 [Bangor Marina]
Position and approaches
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Haven position

54° 40.007' N, 005° 40.372' W

In the approach to the entrance close southwest of the North Breakwater pierhead where a large red pillar beacon stands Iso R 12s 9m 14 M

What is the initial fix?

The following Bangor Harbour Initial Fix will set up a final approach:
54° 40.230' N, 005° 40.330' W
400 metres north of the North Breakwater pierhead at the entrance where a large red pillar beacons stands Iso R 12s 9m 14 M. A bearing of due south leads into the harbour entrance from here.


What are the key points of the approach?

Offshore details are available in the northeast Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Malin Head to Strangford Lough Route location.

  • From the north pass Black Head and the Cloghan Jetty to starboard.

  • From the east pass north of Mew, Lighthouse and Copeland Island keeping them well clear to port.

  • From the south, with a favourable tide, pass between the south side of Copeland Island and the mainland coast through the well-marked Donaghadee Sound shipping fairway.

  • Belfast Lough's navigable area is free of dangers and Bangor Bay has no obstructions.

  • Round the North Breakwater to port, its western side, proceed in and then turn hard to starboard to come in behind the Pickie Breakwater where the marina is situated.


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 Bangor Harbour & Marina for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
  1. Ballyholme Bay - 0.8 nautical miles E
  2. Groomsport - 2 nautical miles ENE
  3. Helen’s Bay - 2.2 nautical miles WNW
  4. Port Dandy - 4.5 nautical miles E
  5. Chapel Bay - 4.7 nautical miles E
  6. Cultra - 5 nautical miles W
  7. Donaghadee Harbour - 5.1 nautical miles ESE
  8. Whitehead - 5.2 nautical miles NNW
  9. Copelands Marina - 5.2 nautical miles ESE
  10. Carrickfergus Harbour & Marina - 5.5 nautical miles WNW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
  1. Ballyholme Bay - 0.8 miles E
  2. Groomsport - 2 miles ENE
  3. Helen’s Bay - 2.2 miles WNW
  4. Port Dandy - 4.5 miles E
  5. Chapel Bay - 4.7 miles E
  6. Cultra - 5 miles W
  7. Donaghadee Harbour - 5.1 miles ESE
  8. Whitehead - 5.2 miles NNW
  9. Copelands Marina - 5.2 miles ESE
  10. Carrickfergus Harbour & Marina - 5.5 miles WNW
To find locations with the specific attributes you need try:

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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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What's the story here?
Bangor town and marina
Image: Michael Harpur


Bangor Harbour and town is situated on the southeast side of Belfast Lough and at the head of Bangor Bay. Bangor is a large resort town that is the third most populous settlement in Northern Ireland. It is fronted by a 560-berth marina, which is the largest marina in Ireland and the headquarters of several sailing clubs. The marina has been awarded five gold anchors under the Yacht Harbour Association scheme and it is a well-known, frequently used and highly regarded sailing centre.


Bangor Marina is highly regarded and is the largest in Ireland
Image: Michael Harpur


Visiting yachts are welcome to Bangor Marina which has a minimum depth of 3.3 metres LAT in the outer harbour approaches. This reduces to 3.0 metres LAT in the approach to the northernmost pontoons which have the same depth. The inner pontoons have a minimum depth of 2.0 metres LAT.


Making arrangements in advance is essential
Image: Michael Harpur


All visiting vessels are required to contact the Marina office and advise them of their intentions before entering the harbour. Contact the marina via VHF Ch. 16, 11 & 80 [Bangor Marina] (a continuous watch is maintained on Ch. 11), Landline+44 (0)28 9145 3297, Mobile+44 (0)7764 313383 , E-mailbangor@boatfolk.co.uk and their website External link. The harbourmaster and marina share the same office and the Harbour Master can be contacted by VHF Ch. 11 [Bangor Harbourmaster ] and by the same landline.


Yacht making its way to a designated berth in Bangor Marina
Image: Michael Harpur


The marina receives many visitors and it is best to have a berth secured before commencing the final approach. Moreover, once inside the harbour, the helmsman will be too occupied finding a berth to manage a VHF dialogue so it is efficacious to have made all arrangements in advance. No anchoring is permitted around Bangor Harbour but Ballyholme Bay, 1 mile east, offers an excellent anchorage in offshore winds.


How to get in?
The southern shore of Belfast Lough approaching Bangor
Image: Michael Harpur


Convergance Point Use northeast Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Malin Head to Strangford Lough Route location for seaward approaches. The Donaghadee Sound Route location provides tidal optimisations for vessels approaching from near south and Bangor to Dublin Route location from further south.


Donaghadee Sound as seen from Donaghadee Harbour
Image: Michael Harpur


Southern Approach Vessels arriving from the south may either come up outside the Copelands group or through Donaghadee Sound which is situated between the mainland and the Islands. Donaghadee Sound Route location is the normal route for leisure craft making along this coast when tidal streams, which can attain 4.5 knots in places, are favourable.


The Copelands Group and Copeland Sound
Image: © Brian Mason


Otherwise, it is best to stay outside the island group and avoid Copeland Sound, the cut between Copeland Island and Lighthouse plus Mew Islands. This is on account of the two challenging and unmarked rocky shoals called Platters and Ninaen Bushes.

South Briggs Cardinal
Image: Rossographer via CC BY SA 2.0
Continue northwestward to pass at least 250 metres clear of the area to the north of Orlock Point and well east of Belfast Lough’s Briggs North Cardinal Buoy located 2½ miles from the Foreland Buoy. The Briggs cardinal marks a dangerous South Briggs reef extending from the shore that dries to 0.6 metres.

Briggs North Cardinal – Q position: 54° 41.182’N, 005° 35.732’W

Once past the group, the run into the initial fix is straightforward across Belfast Lough’s open navigable waters that are free of dangers. However, keep a watch out for Club Racing Buoys whilst crossing Groomsport Bay. Keep off Ballymacormick Point and Luke's Point; the eastern and western headlands of Ballyholme Bay immediately east of Bangor Bay itself. Reefs extend from both headlands and it is advisable to keep 500 metres off Ballymacormick Point, which is particularly foul, and 250 metres off Luke's Point whilst closing on Bangor Harbour’s initial fix. A sharp lookout should also be kept for Racing Marks whilst crossing Ballyholme Bay.


Black Head Lighthouse
Image: Tourism NI


Northern Approach Vessels approaching from the north will find few hazards from Larne to the south. Deep water will be found close to the shore with no dangers encountered 300 metres from the rocks. The coast to Black Head, the northern extremity of Belfast Lough marked by a lighthouse, presents a steep perpendicular black basaltic cliff.

Blackhead Lighthouse - Fl 3s 45m 27M position: 54° 46.016’N, 005° 41.338’W

South of Black Head the entrance to the Lough opens 6¾ miles wide between the headland and Orlock Point on the south. Its navigable area is free of dangers with an average depth of 11 metres.


Black Head as seen from Bangor
Image: Michael Harpur


Bangor is 6 miles south of Black Head and there is little in the way save for the Cloghan Jetty which is past abeam 2 miles southward. This jetty extends out from the north shore for more than a ½ mile and is lit at the end FlG 3s 2M. A good mark is to pass to the seaward of the green Cloghan Jetty buoy QG situated a ½ mile beyond the end of the pierhead. he final length akes a vessel across the unimpeded waters of Belfast Lough.


Vessels passing clear of the Cloghan Jetty
Image: Bangor Art via CC BY SA 4.0


When crossing Belfast Lough the south shore will appear comparatively low and unremarkable except at the bluff at Grey Point which is a 23-metre high point. Bangor’s harbour walls plus the towns dominating steeples will be highly visible whilst tracking down onto the initial fix.


Bangor’s harbour walls and the towns steeples are highly conspicuous
Image: Michael Harpur


Initial fix location From the initial fix the Eisenhower Breakwater with the red concrete pillar, Red Light. Iso R 12s 9m 14M, at its head will be clearly visible. As the initial fix draws closer Bangor Bay will be found to be clear of obstructions and approachable from all directions.


The entrance to Bangor Harbour
Image: Michael Harpur


The entrance to the Harbour is between two grey concrete breakwaters. The northmost Eisenhower Breakwater extends west-northwest from the eastern side and the Pickie Breakwater behind that extends 120 metres from the western shore. Expect to find two unusual dolphins standing off the head of the Pickie Breakwater that carry its lights on fixed Green poles, 2F. G (vert) 3M on the outside.


The two dolphins standing off the head of the Pickie Breakwater
Image: Michael Harpur


Round the head of the North Breakwater passing it to port, then continue between the two breakwaters until the marina entrance opens on the starboard side enclosed behind the Pickie Breakwater and Central Pier, lit by a QW at the pierhead.


The marina opening between Central Pier and Pickie Breakwater
Image: Michael Harpur


Round the dolphins standing off the head of the Pickie Breakwater and turning sharp to starboard (southwestward), leave the green pole Fl. G. 3s to starboard continuing into the well-lit marina.
Please note

Vessels carrying a draft should stay in the middle at low water.



The inner entrance to the marina
Image: Michael Harpur


Haven location Proceed along the inside between Pickie Breakwater and the ends of pontoons 'H', 'G' and 'F'. Then turn hard to port to continue between 'F' and the western shoreline.


Bangor Marina Pontoon Plan
Image: Michael Harpur


Once the third Fl.G Light comes starboard abeam turn to port for pontoon 'E' where the visitor's berths are typically located on the south-facing fingers. Alternatively, berth as directed by the berthing master.


Vessels alongside the Central Pier in the outer harbour
Image: Michael Harpur



The outer harbour is used for commercial traffic but with the Harbour Master's permission yachts may lay alongside the North Breakwater and/or the northeast side of the Central Pier in the outer harbour for a short period of time. The vessel should not be left unattended in the outer harbour and should be prepared to move at short notice if requested.


Why visit here?
Bangor, in Irish 'Beannchar' derives its name from the Gaelic but the precise origin remains uncertain.


The remains of Bangor Abbey today
Image: Tourism NI


The ancient Gaelic text 'Táin Bó Fraích' provides a legendary explanation for 'Trácht Bennchoir' 'Bangor strand'. Two warriors 'Fróech' and 'Conall Cernach' returned from France to the bay to land a herd of cattle belonging to 'Fróech'. 'Conall's' much-loved servant, 'Bicne mac Láegaire', died on the boat and they called the bay, Bangor Bay today, 'Inber mBicne' after his name. When they subsequently landed the cattle ashore they all shed their horns. Thus the area was given the name 'Trácht mBennchoir', 'Trácht', meaning 'strand', 'benn', 'horn', plus 'cor' meaning casting; 'the strand of the horn casting.


The present day Bangor Abbey
Image: Tourism NI


Others believe the name is derived from a combination 'Beanna', the Irish for 'cliffs', and ancient Norse for 'horned bay', as the shape of Bangor Bay resembles the horns of a bull. Another line of thought believes the name to be derived from the word 'beann' which can mean 'horn', 'point' or 'peak' thought to indicate the sharp rocks around the shoreline. Alternatively, this could also refer 'benn' a 'prong' with the second element being 'cor' meaning the 'act of putting, placing; setting up'. This could have 'beannchar' describing the area within the enclosure of a defensive barrier of prongs surrounding a monastic site. This could very well refer to the monastery of Bangor founded by St Comgall marked by the present Church of Ireland's 'Abbey Church' at the head of the town.

Stain glass depiction of St Columbanus at the Abbey of Bobbio
Image: Public Domain
The only thing that is clear from all the uncertainty is that Bangor has a long and illustrious history that is steeped in legend. Physical evidence of ancient occupation comes in the form of Bronze Age swords unearthed here in 1949. There are the remains of twenty-five 'raths', ancient Irish forts, around Bangor with the largest being at 'Rath-Gael' that covers two acres and is surrounded by a double vallum. But it is the Christian period where Bangor shone as a location for learning and scholarship.

Centuries before Belfast was ever heard of, Bangor was known all over Europe for the great College and the beautiful Abbey Church. St Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland, had a vision filled with angels whilst resting here and the location became named 'The Vale of Angels' thereafter. In AD 555 St Comgall, a soldier who laid down his sword, made that vision real by establishing Bangor Abbey on the site and in so doing provided the foundation for the town. He presided over the forestry for fifty years, and when he died his body was enshrined within its walls.

Sometime after, the great School of Learning was established and in the process of time, it became one of the most eminent of Europe's missionary institutions in the Early Middle Ages. Many persons of distinction and rank sent their young men to be educated in Bangor College and it sent out its Celtic missionaries to the British and European mainland. Most notable amongst these is Columbanus who was born around 540 in Leinster and spent 25 years under Comgall. Around 590, he was allowed to go on pilgrimage, travelling through Britain, Gaul, and Burgundy. There, he established numerous monasteries, including at Annegray and Luxeuil. Expelled in 610, he went to Italy, settling at Bobbio, in the Apennines, where he built yet another monastery and developed what would become one of the more influential early monastic rule. The missionaries of Bangor appear throughout medieval literature as a force for good fully realising St Patrick's vision of the 'Vale of Angels'.

The harbour quays today
Image: Bangor Art via CC BY SA 4.0


The Abbey and College prospered for many years until, as with all western European coasts, the abbey and town fell victim to the violent Viking incursions. In 822 Bangor was attacked and overcome by the Danes who ruthlessly massacred the Abbot and nine hundred monks. They desecrated the shrine of St Comgall and left a trail of desolation behind them. The area remained under continual Viking attack for the following centuries and fell into decline. In 1125 the Abbey was rebuilt by St Malachy. The new church was a magnificent forty-three metres long building, making it the largest church in Ireland at that time. It was called 'Pulchro Choro', 'the fair white Choir', from the beautiful white stone and lime that was used for the first time in Ulster. It was rebuilt in the 13th century but the tower is 15th-century and a spire was later added in 1693. In 1542 as part of 'The Dissolution of the Monasteries', King Henry VIII disbanded the monastery and appropriated its assets and income. Bangor was about to become transformed by its near neighbour, England.

Boats on the quay with the Old Customs House behind
Image: Michael Harpur


The Old Custom House with its adjoining tower house, facing Quay Street, and the harbour was constructed in 1637 and marked this new anglicised and commercial direction for Bangor. This new direction was driven by James Hamilton, a Scot, who arrived in Bangor after being granted lands in North Down by King James I in 1605. Behind him came the new order introduced by the Scottish and English planters during the Plantation of Ulster. Within a century the town has designated a port and became an important source of customs revenue for the Crown. In the 1780s Colonel Robert Ward improved the harbour and promoted the cotton industries. The seafront area had several large steam-powered cotton mills employing hundreds of people. The construction of a large stone market house around this time, now used by the Northern Bank, is a testament to the increasing prosperity of the town.


Bangor's elegant Victorian Queen's Terrace overlooking the lough
Image: Michael Harpur


By the middle of the 19th century, the cotton mills were in decline but by then the railway had arrived from Belfast. This brought inexpensive travel from the city making it possible for working-class people to holiday on the sandy beaches of Bangor and nearby Ballyholme Bay. The town became a fashionable Victorian and Edwardian holiday resort where tourists could take in the sea air. Indeed, the seafront was named 'Queen's Parade' after Queen Victoria who drove along the seafront during her visit to Ireland. It also became a highly desirable location to own property and the mills of the seafront were transformed into elegant housing.


Pickie Fun Park was created on the seafront in the 1980s and early 1990s
Image: Michael Harpur


Today Bangor is a large residential commuter town for Belfast and a retail centre. With a population of over 75,000, it is the third most populous settlement in Northern Ireland and the largest town in County Down. It is a wonderful seaside resort where the remnants of the town's varied past make for a very interesting visit. Despite the decline of the monastery, its influence can still be observed in the modern town with street names such as Abbots Close, Abbots Walk and many more. It is also marked by its three conspicuous church towers, the Abbey, the First Bangor Presbyterian Church and St Comgalls, and Bangor Parish Church, which greets approaching boaters from seaward long before his navigation aids. All speak of the town's illustrious ecclesiastical past.


Bangor provides a welcome sheltering arm to leisure craft
Image: Tourism NI


Bangor Abbey was closed in 1882 in favour of the new larger Church of Ireland in the south of the town. It was renovated in 1917 and traces of the old foundations are still visible today. Today, The Old Customs House alongside the marina hosts the tourist information centre providing an excellent first step into the town's rich culture and history.


A safe harbour for all leisure craft with easy access
Image: Bangor Art via CC BY SA 4.0


From a boating point of view, Bangor has it all and is a much-used yachting destination. It is close to the Irish Sea cruising routes and plays host to the extensive Bangor Marina, one of the largest and most well-run in Ireland. It offers a well-known safely accessed safe berth for a passing boatman to attend to repairs, provisioning and explore the highly attractive towns of Bangor and Belfast. It is also home to the very welcoming Royal Ulster and Ballyholme Yacht clubs.


What facilities are available?
Bangor Marina is Northern Ireland's biggest and most prestigious marina offering all facilities 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Visitor pontoons have electricity supply and water. The toilets, showers and a laundry room are situated on the ground floor of Bregenz House with Laundry tokens usage, and washing powder and an iron are available at the Marina office. You will also find a payphone in the amenities corridor in Bregenz House, and BT Openzone wireless broadband access is available for purchase throughout the marina area.

Fuel, Gasoil (red diesel) and unleaded petrol are available on the fuel pontoon 24 hours a day, where a pump out station is also located, please contact the marina office for service. Bottled gas can be obtained at the chandlery and there is a boatyard service on site catering for all repairs, complete with a 50 tons lift out capacity and a slipway for launching smaller boats. For provisions and everything else, the marina is situated at the bottom of the main street of Bangor, a prosperous and well appointed town.

Bangor is just 22 km (13.6 miles) east from the heart of Belfast City Centre on the A2. It has excellent transport connections via trains and bus services which connect to Belfast city and from there on to any location in Ireland. Flights to domestic and international destinations operate from Belfast City and Belfast International Airports. There are frequent ferry crossings from Belfast and Larne.


Any security concerns?
Secure access is provided by card or Personal Identification Number (PIN) to operate the Bregenz House door lock. Visitors are provided with a current PIN at the time of registering their visit.


With thanks to:
Charlie Kavanagh - ISA/RYA Yachtmaster Instructor/Examiner.







Bangor Marina aerial overview



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