Chapel and Jackdaw Islands are located on the northeast coast of Ireland within Strangford Lough. These are the first islands to be reached sailing west out of Strangford Lough’s Narrows. This anchorage is to the west of Jackdaw Island, the smaller of the two islands.
This is a good anchorage offering all-round protection except for north round to northwesterly winds and offers particularly good protection from southerlies. The enclosed stretch of water provides shelter sailing in all weather, all tides and has ample marks to make daylight navigation straightforward.
Keyfacts for West of Jackdaw Island
Last modified
September 18th 2018 Summary
A good location with attentive navigation required for access.Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
54° 22.968' N, 005° 36.538' W200 metres west of Jackdaw Island.
What is the initial fix?
The following Chapel Island & Jackdaw Islands Initial Fix will set up a final approach:
54° 23.368' N, 005° 35.970' W 
What are the key points of the approach?
Offshore details for vessels approaching Strangford Lough from the north are available in the northeast Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Malin Head to Strangford Lough 
. Details for vessels approaching from the south are available in eastern Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Strangford Lough to Dublin Bay . Details of the approaches, tidal timings and the run up the Narrows to about a ½ mile below Strangford are covered in the Entering and exiting the Strangford Narrows .
. Details for vessels approaching from the south are available in eastern Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Strangford Lough to Dublin Bay . Details of the approaches, tidal timings and the run up the Narrows to about a ½ mile below Strangford are covered in the Entering and exiting the Strangford Narrows .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 West of Jackdaw Island for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Between Jackdaw & Chapel Island - 0.2 miles ENE
- Chapel Island - 0.3 miles E
- Audley’s Point - 0.7 miles E
- South of Salt Island - 0.8 miles WSW
- Audley's Roads - 0.9 miles E
- Brandy Bay - 0.9 miles W
- Killyleagh - 1 miles WNW
- Ballyhenry Bay - 1 miles ENE
- Between Rat & Salt Island - 1 miles WSW
- Don O’Neill Island - 1.1 miles NNW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Between Jackdaw & Chapel Island - 0.2 miles ENE
- Chapel Island - 0.3 miles E
- Audley’s Point - 0.7 miles E
- South of Salt Island - 0.8 miles WSW
- Audley's Roads - 0.9 miles E
- Brandy Bay - 0.9 miles W
- Killyleagh - 1 miles WNW
- Ballyhenry Bay - 1 miles ENE
- Between Rat & Salt Island - 1 miles WSW
- Don O’Neill Island - 1.1 miles NNW
How to get in?
Jackdaw Island at low waterImage: Eric Jones via CC BY-SA 2.0
Details of the approaches, tidal timings and the run up the Narrows to about a ½ below Strangford are covered in the Entering and exiting the Strangford Narrows route description. Having entered Strangford Lough make for the Chapel & Jackdaw Islands Initial Fix. This places you 300 metres north of Chapel Island where you can clearly see both islands. Pass around Jackdaw Island and feel your way to your preferred depth to anchor in shale with good holding.Why visit here?
This is a snug anchorage where a boat can take in views across the island-dotted Lough to the west or to the mistily distant Mourne Mountains to the south.From a sporting perspective, this is the ideal location to watch club racing. The much used racing mark No.11 (Jackdaw) is located nearby and, with the sun behind, it is the perfect place to watch the action.
You may land and go for a walk on Jackdaw or indeed Chapel Island from here, but please note that Jackdaw is an important nesting site for terns in the spring and should be avoided at that time.
On a quiet day, tucked away from it all behind uninhabited Jackdaw Island, it is easy to immerse oneself in the peaceful location. Very little has changed at this location and it is easy to cast the mind back a thousand years to when Viking boats passed through north of here. In 1002, and subsequently again in 1149, the sleek longboats came cutting through the Loughs peaceful waters, sharp-eyed crews tense with the anticipation of imminent battle and monastic plunder; bent on Quoile Abbey.
What facilities are available?
There are no facilities on Chapel and Jackdaw Islands or in the surrounding area.Any security concerns?
Never a problem known to have occurred around the isolated Chapel and Jackdaw Islands.With thanks to:
Brian Crawford, local Strangford Lough boatman of many decades.
About West of Jackdaw Island
This is a snug anchorage where a boat can take in views across the island-dotted Lough to the west or to the mistily distant Mourne Mountains to the south.
From a sporting perspective, this is the ideal location to watch club racing. The much used racing mark No.11 (Jackdaw) is located nearby and, with the sun behind, it is the perfect place to watch the action.
You may land and go for a walk on Jackdaw or indeed Chapel Island from here, but please note that Jackdaw is an important nesting site for terns in the spring and should be avoided at that time.
On a quiet day, tucked away from it all behind uninhabited Jackdaw Island, it is easy to immerse oneself in the peaceful location. Very little has changed at this location and it is easy to cast the mind back a thousand years to when Viking boats passed through north of here. In 1002, and subsequently again in 1149, the sleek longboats came cutting through the Loughs peaceful waters, sharp-eyed crews tense with the anticipation of imminent battle and monastic plunder; bent on Quoile Abbey.
Other options in this area
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Alternatively here are the ten nearest havens available in picture view:
Coastal clockwise:
Between Jackdaw & Chapel Island - 0.2 miles ENEChapel Island - 0.3 miles E
Audley’s Point - 0.7 miles E
Audley's Roads - 0.9 miles E
Strangford Harbour (Strangford Village) - 1.2 miles ESE
Coastal anti-clockwise:
South of Salt Island - 0.8 miles WSWBrandy Bay - 0.9 miles W
Between Rat & Salt Island - 1 miles WSW
Quoile - 1.4 miles WSW
Moore’s Point - 1.1 miles W
Navigational pictures
These additional images feature in the 'How to get in' section of our detailed view for West of Jackdaw Island.
| Detail view | Off |
| Picture view | On |
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