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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.


Sligo is a busy town in the north west of Ireland, lying on the banks of the river Garvogue with an extensive inlet leading to it from the Atlantic. There is a well marked channel all the way up to the town Quays, where is a pontoon facility available for visiting yachts but it is wise to call ahead for a reservation.

Sligo is a busy town in the north west of Ireland, lying on the banks of the river Garvogue with an extensive inlet leading to it from the Atlantic. There is a well marked channel all the way up to the town Quays, where is a pontoon facility available for visiting yachts but it is wise to call ahead for a reservation.

With attentive navigation one can enjoy complete protection from all weather conditions. This is an ideal location to experience a bustling Irish town.



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Keyfacts for Sligo
Facilities
Water available via tapDiesel fuel available alongsideGas availableTop up fuel available in the area via jerry cansMini-supermarket or supermarket availableExtensive shopping available in the areaSlipway availableLaundry facilities availableShore power available alongsideShore based toilet facilitiesHot 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 areaHaul-out capabilities via arrangementMarine engineering 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 kilometresBicycle hire available in the areaCar hire available in the areaTourist Information office availableShore based family recreation in the area


Nature
No fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationAnchoring locationBerth alongside a deep water pier or raft up to other vesselsVisitors moorings available, or possibly by club arrangementSailing Club baseUrban nature,  anything from a small town of more 5,000 inhabitants  to a large cityScenic location or scenic location in the immediate vicinityHistoric, geographic or culturally significant location; or in the immediate vicinity

Considerations
Restriction: may only reasonably accommodate vessels less than a specific lengthNote: harbour fees may be charged

Protected sectors

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

Approaches
3 stars: Attentive navigation; daylight access with dangers that need attention.
Shelter
5 stars: Complete protection; all-round shelter in all reasonable conditions.



Last modified
June 16th 2023

Summary* Restrictions apply

A completely protected location with attentive navigation required for access.

Facilities
Water available via tapDiesel fuel available alongsideGas availableTop up fuel available in the area via jerry cansMini-supermarket or supermarket availableExtensive shopping available in the areaSlipway availableLaundry facilities availableShore power available alongsideShore based toilet facilitiesHot 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 areaHaul-out capabilities via arrangementMarine engineering 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 kilometresBicycle hire available in the areaCar hire available in the areaTourist Information office availableShore based family recreation in the area


Nature
No fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationAnchoring locationBerth alongside a deep water pier or raft up to other vesselsVisitors moorings available, or possibly by club arrangementSailing Club baseUrban nature,  anything from a small town of more 5,000 inhabitants  to a large cityScenic location or scenic location in the immediate vicinityHistoric, geographic or culturally significant location; or in the immediate vicinity

Considerations
Restriction: may only reasonably accommodate vessels less than a specific lengthNote: harbour fees may be charged



Position and approaches
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Haven position

54° 16.524' N, 008° 28.747' W

This is the position at the town quays at Sligo

What is the initial fix?

The following Sligo initial fix will set up a final approach:
54° 18.188' N, 008° 41.669' W
This is at the centre of Sligo Bay between Raghly Point and Aughris Head



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 Sligo for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
  1. Rosses Point - 3.6 nautical miles WNW
  2. Ballysadare Bay - 4.2 nautical miles WSW
  3. Brown Bay - 7.3 nautical miles WNW
  4. Aughris Hole - 9.6 nautical miles W
  5. Inishmurray - 11.3 nautical miles NW
  6. Mullaghmore - 11.5 nautical miles N
  7. Killybegs - 21.6 nautical miles N
  8. Teelin - 21.6 nautical miles NNW
  9. Donegal Town Harbour - 23.3 nautical miles NNE
  10. White Strand Bay - 25.4 nautical miles NNW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
  1. Rosses Point - 3.6 miles WNW
  2. Ballysadare Bay - 4.2 miles WSW
  3. Brown Bay - 7.3 miles WNW
  4. Aughris Hole - 9.6 miles W
  5. Inishmurray - 11.3 miles NW
  6. Mullaghmore - 11.5 miles N
  7. Killybegs - 21.6 miles N
  8. Teelin - 21.6 miles NNW
  9. Donegal Town Harbour - 23.3 miles NNE
  10. White Strand Bay - 25.4 miles NNW
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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How to get in?
Route location The 'Erris Head to Malin Head' coastal description provides approach information to the suggested initial fix. Vessels approaching from the south should select the northeast bound Route location sequenced description; vessels approaching from the north should select the southwest bound Route location sequence; western approaches may use either description.

Sligo is on the northwest coast of Ireland about 40 miles west of Donegal, and is situated at the southeast corner of Sligo Harbour. Sligo is a large city port and is the commercial and administration centre of County Sligo. Sligo Harbour accessed via Sligo Bay is a large open estuary harbour the inner parts of which are well protected by sandy islands. The harbour comprises the whole area between the entrance south of Deadman's Point and the town quays at Sligo.

The town quays offer good shelter and protection at all times where berths are available just below the bridge; contact the Harbour Master but be prepared to lie outside a fishing vessel alongside a high quay. Access to the town quays through the approach channel requires attentive navigation and is best approached by day via the marked channel which is lit by beacons, but a night approach is not recommended.

Vessels may anchor anywhere suitable in Sligo Bay depending upon draught, as the bottom is mostly sand. Anchorages most commonly used are Brown Bay in good weather only, and for small vessels off Deadman's Point, and off Raghly Point. The lower harbour is fairly exposed and yachts should anchor to the north side of Oyster Island when approaching or proceed up the channel to the town quays.

Please note

The passage between Oyster Island and Coney Island is marked as "dangerous".




Why visit here?
Sligo, Irish : “Sligeach” meaning the Shelly River, due to the abundance of shellfish in the waters surrounding the town, is a large port and is the chief town in the north west of Ireland. Sligo is built mainly on the south bank of the Garavogue River which connects Lough Gill to the sea. The four mile river estuary forms the port which itself has a deepwater quay which extends for about a mile northwest from Hughes Bridge in the town.

Sligo is situated on a wooded plain in beautiful and interesting surroundings of lakes, trees, glens and encircling mountains. Benbulben mountain to the north, Knocknarea mountain and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Ox mountains to the south, and Lough Gill to the east, make it one of the most picturesque places in all of Ireland. The importance of the town is largely due to its position; at one time there was a ford across the narrowest part of the river guarded by a fortress and all traffic between the north and the south had to ford the river here, and today the main route from the west to Donegal passes through Sligo.

The earliest recorded history of the town of Sligo goes back to 1239 when Lord Justice Maurice Fitzgerald invaded the Connaught possessions of O'Donnell, chief of Tirconnell. Fitzgerald drove back O'Donnell as far as Ballysodare and after O'Donnell's death he advanced to Sligo where he built Sligo Castle erected in 1245. As was usual the town sprang up around the Castle largely due to its strategic location at a river crossing which guarded the coastal passage between Ulster and Connaught. A few years later in 1253 Sligo Abbey was also built by Fitzgerald which he presented to the Dominicans, an order that remains in Sligo to this day. In 1516 the O'Donnells succeeded in recapturing the Castle and the town of Sligo and finally in 1595 the Castle was demolished by Red Hugh O'Donnell in order to prevent it falling into the hands of the English and was never rebuilt.

The most famous name connected with Sligo is William Butler Yeats who although born in Dublin is most associated with Sligo as his ancesters lived there. He spent his school holidays in Sligo with his grandmother and listened to her many stories of the ancient Ireland of myth and legend. His poetry and storytelling drawn spiritually from the county's scenic landscape and sense of place breathed life into the legendary figures of Irish mythology and he rescued Sligo from obscurity and immortalised its place names in his poetry as the Land of Hearts Desire. In 1923 Yeats won the Nobel Prize for Literature and inspired others to seek out that long hidden Ireland, and popularised Sligo as a place of romance and rhyme. Yeats is buried in Drumcliffe graveyard within the shadows of Benbulben Mountain, and a significant collection of Yeats' work can be found in the contemporary arts centre The Model in Sligo Town Centre.

With over 5,000 recorded archeological sites, the largest of which is the Megalithic Grave Complex at Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetary, County Sligo has one of the richest concentration of prehistoric monuments in Western Europe. Many of the notable walking routes incorporate sites of archeological and historical significance from waymarked routes to coastal paths and mountain hills to strolls through wooded enclaves. The nearest blue flag beach for bathing and water sports is at Rosses Point a seafaring village approx. 8kms from Sligo and very popular with both tourists and locals.

Sligo is renowned for its traditional music and holds many Festivals throughout the year featuring song and dance, and poetry reading. The town has dozens of pubs and bars and several restaurants many of which offer an extensive range of local seafood, and the Quayside Shopping Centre has a variety of shops catering for all tastes making it easy for the yachtsman to reprovision. Most facilities are available including water and electricity at the jetty which is a fenced-in area with a key to the gate available on request or from the Harbour foreman who visits the jetty each morning. Sligo Bay Yacht Club has a clubhouse and slip situated close to Deadman's Point and has some moorings available for visitors on request, and will extend a warm welcome to you if you call for a drink from the bar. For visiting yachts the city has all facilities and good transport connections with local and national bus and train services, and with Sligo Airport at Strandhill closeby which provides a daily service to Dublin, it makes it a convenient place for a crew change and for restocking of provisions.


What facilities are available?
This coastal town has all the services you would expect to serve a population of 20,000. Extensive shopping opportunities are available at the Quayside and Johnson's Court shopping centres, whilst the town also has a choice of good quality restaurants, pubs and bars, hotels, and places of entertainment.


Any security concerns?
Gated security, with key access available from the Harbour Foreman.


With thanks to:
inyourfootsteps.com site research

















The following videos may be useful to help first time visitors familiarise themselves with Sligo.

The following videos present a glimpse of the activites that are available in Sligo.







A photograph is worth a thousand words. We are always looking for bright sunny photographs that show this haven and its identifiable features at its best. If you have some images that we could use please upload them here. All we need to know is how you would like to be credited for your work and a brief description of the image if it is not readily apparent. If you would like us to add a hyperlink from the image that goes back to your site please include the desired link and we will be delighted to that for you.


Add your review or comment:


Diarmuid Connon wrote this review on Jul 24th 2023:

Well protected harbour in all but strong E where a small fatch builds up the Garavogue river but nothing significant.

The pontoon is about 50/60m long but is completely taken up by local boats, the only options are to raft on the outside, we were the third boat abreast with a forth joining us shortly after.

Harbourmaster is the friendliest we've met bar none and very helpful with local knowledge.

Harbour has recently had a wheelchair accessible toilet/shower and washer/dryer installed all currently free to use.

Average Rating: ****

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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.