Castle Island is a small uninhabited island in Roaringwater Bay located on Ireland’s southwest coast at the head of Long Island Bay. The island offers anchorages on its northern and southern shores of which this is the latter within a southern bight.

Although open to the south the anchorage gains a large degree of southerly shelter from Carthy’s Island and in reasonable conditions offers good protection. It can be uncomfortable if a strong swell is running into the bay, but with developed southerly component conditions it becomes untenable. Situated immediately off a channel and approachable at any state of the tide, access in daylight is necessary but is straightforward.

Best protection from southerly conditions can be found by simply passing around to the north of Castle or Long Islands.

Keyfacts for Castle Island (South Side)

Position and approaches

Haven position

51° 30.480' N, 009° 30.000' W

In the anchoring area in the southern bight of the island.

What is the initial fix?

This waypoint is about 700 metres south of the anchorage in the centre of Carthy’s Sound slightly to the eastern side of the channel.

What are the key points of the approach?

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What's the story here?

Castle Island is a small island in Roaringwater Bay just off the eastern side of the entrance to Schull Harbour. It is one of three low islands that adjoining the coast here, about a ½ mile offshore, and are separated from each other by narrow passes. They are set in a line and, from west to east, are Long Island, Castle Island and then Horse Island. Often known as such, Castle Island is the middle of the three and the highest. It is approximately 124 acres or 50 hectares, privately owned but uninhabited. It has a substantial pier and slipway on the north side beneath the ruins of its castle and this anchorage is on the opposite southern side of its waist in the inner reaches of Roaringwater Bay.

The horseshoe-shaped anchorage offers good protection from northerly winds with good depths and holding. Set in the inner reaches of Roaringwater Bay it gives some protection from the Atlantic swell but is best used during settled conditions.

How to get in?

Offshore details are available in southwestern Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Cork Harbour to Mizen Head seaward approaches. Access to Castle Island is uncomplicated but attention to navigation and good charts are required when working the channels and rocks that separate the islands in Roaringwater and Long Island Bays.

Offshore approaches, from the west or southwest to Carthy’s Sound should range along the southern side of Long Island giving Long Island’s southern shoreline a berth of a mile or alternatively keep Crookhaven’s Streek Head open of Goat Island. When the summit of Mount Gabriel, 2 miles north of Schull and with conspicuous white radar domes, opens off Copper Point with its lighthouse, the Amelia Rock starboard hand light-buoy will be plainly seen.

Copper Point Lighthouse - Q(3)10s 16m 8M position 51° 30.250’N 009° 32.063’W

Amelia Rock - G Lt buoy Fl. G. 3s position: 51° 29.979’N 009° 31.461’W

Pass to the south of the Amelia Rock light-buoy, which marks the rocks and shoal ground to the west of Castle Island, and proceed into Carthy’s Sound steering a central course between Castle Island and Carthy’s Island to the initial fix.

Vessels approaching from the south may use the line of bearing of 336° T, as best seen on Admiralty 2129, aligning the significant cleft on the east side of Mount Gabriel, called Barnacleeve Gap, open west of two roofless grey houses plus a small thicket of trees set on the eastern point of Castle Island. This serves as an excellent safe water sightline for approaches to this haven passing to the east of Calf Island East, and the west of the drying Anima Rock.




This sightline passes to the southwest of the outer dangers of the Toorane Rocks, then midway between Calf Island East and Anima Rock, and clear of the Carthy's Islands and its rocky outliers that are situated to the southwest. All the rocks show save for Anima Rock that lies a ½ mile to the northeast of Calf Island East and dries to 0.1 metres with 3.7 metres of water on its outer end.



It is also possible to round the island by passing between Castle and Horse Islands. The key danger to avoid is the Derreen Rocks that are situated between the islands. Vessels may pass on either side of the Derreen Rocks, of which the western side is the better been both the wider and deeper option. It is essential to circumvent Castle Island Spit in transit. Deeper draft vessels many round to its eastern side of the head of Castle Island Spit and then steer southwestward to enter the western channel. Alternatively, cut between it and Castle Island with a sufficient rise to clear the 1.4 metre LAT saddle.




From the Carthy’s Sound Initial Fix head identify the fish farms in the outer section of the bight. Pass between them and the island shore proceeding into the bight on the south side of Castle Island. Anchor in sand according to draft and conditions. Land on the beach by tended or round to the north side of the island and land at the pier.

Why visit here?

Castle Island, or in Irish Meadhon Inis meaning Middle Island, is covered in the north anchorage .

What facilities are available?

There are no facilities on this remote island. Nearby Schull village can cater for most needs.

Any security concerns?

Never an issue known to have occurred off this remote island.

With thanks to:

Gareth Thomas, Yacht Jalfrezi.