Broadhaven Bay is on the west coast of Ireland in County Mayo about 32 miles west of Ballina. It is a natural bay off the Atlantic Ocean, and its opening which is about 6 miles wide faces northward stretching between Erris Head on the west side and Kid Island on the east side.

Once inside the bay the inner harbour is about 5 miles long and up to 1 mile wide in parts which leads to the town of Belmullet, Irish : Beal an Mhuirthead, meaning mouth of the Mullet. It is a safe harbour for refuge in most summer gales with straightforward access and is the best overnight anchorage for yachts crossing to and from Donegal. The bay and its inlets are surrounded by low lying land of mainly sandhills and beaches, and Atlantic blanket bog.

Two of the more popular anchorages are on the west side of the bay; in the cove to the north of Gubaknockan Point which is a most convenient anchorage out of the main stream and which offers good shelter and can easily be found in the dark, and the other anchorage on the west side is just outside the modern pier at Ballyglass which is sometimes subject to swell. It may be possible to tie up alongside a fishing trawler at the pier for a short stay but be prepared to move on if required. There are two alternative anchorages on the east side of the bay which afford good shelter in strong east winds, one just off shore at Iver Point, and one further south at Iver Hamlet which is shallow the further in you go. The rest of the bay can be explored by dinghy on a rising tide up to Barnatra.

On the approach to Broadhaven Bay consideration should be given to an exposed rock called Monastery Rock on the west side of the entrance.

Keyfacts for Broadhaven Bay

Position and approaches

Haven position

54° 15.196' N, 009° 53.475' W

This is the position at Ballyglass pier

What is the initial fix?

Midway between Erris Head and Kid Island

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How to get in?

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 sequenced description; vessels approaching from the north should select the southwest bound sequence; western approaches may use either description.

Why visit here?

Broadhaven Bay, Irish : Cuan an Inbhir, is best known for its importance as a unique marine habitat for many marine mammals and other marine life, as it incorporates several different types of coastal habitats ranging from exposed bedrock at the foot of the Benwee Head cliffs to sheltered mud flats at the upper end of the estuary. The bay was designated in 2000 by the National Parks and Wildlife Service as a Special Area of Conservation concerning Atlantic salt marsh, tidal mudflats, reefs and large shallow bays. Contained within an area that is relatively small, Broadhaven Bay and its inlet Sruth Fada Conn Bay represent possibly the only known area in Ireland that has all five species of protected, endangered and vulnerable animals namely, the common bottlenose dolphin, harbour porpoise, gray seal, common seal, and the European otter.

In the 16C during the era of the Spanish Armada, several of their ships floundered in the waters of north Mayo, and there are many stories of fortunes of gold and treasure trove being salted away by local pirates after looting unfortunate ships that tried to seek shelter in the bays from the rough seas. In more recent times boats are guided through the bay by the Ballyglass lighthouse which stands on the north western shore at the entrance to the bay, and those that do encounter trouble use the services of the lifeboat stationed at Ballyglass pier.

Situated to the north east of the entrance to Broadhaven Bay and a short distance from the high cliffs of Benwee Head are a group of jagged rocky islands known as the Stags of Broadhaven which rise steeply out of the sea to over a 100 metres above sea level. One of the rocks is entirely bisected by a long narrow cave, and the site is popular for visiting divers, sub aqua teams and canoeists.

About six miles from Ballyglass pier at the southwest corner of Broadhaven Bay lies the small town of Belmullet in the Barony of Erris, it is the largest town of the Mullet Peninsula and is the commercial heart of this area of Co. Mayo. It offers the visiting yachtsman an opportunity to restock with provisions as it has many shops including butchers and supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and pubs, a bank and post office, medical services, garages, and a local bus service. The quay which is on the Blacksod side of the town dries, and as access is narrow, tortuous and shallow, it is not recommended that yachts go in there. In the 18C Sir Arthur Shaen had a canal excavated which linked Broadhaven Bay to Blacksod Bay passing through Belmullet. Thereafter known as Shaen's Cut the canal was large enough for small boats to pass through, but owing to little development and lack of traffic the canal became choked up and by 1752 it was impassible and today is little more than a stream which dries.

In recent years Broadhaven Bay has been the subject of much controversy as it is the proposed site by Royal Dutch Shell for the Corrib Gas Project which involves the Solitaire reputedly the largest pipelying ship in the world laying an offshore section of extremely high pressure gas. To date permission for the development has yet to be approved.

Broadhaven Bay is an ideal place to drop into in bad weather having good access and shelter. Facilities in the area are limited but most that a visiting yachtsman requires is obtainable at Bellmullet reached by local taxi or a dinghy trip. Water is available at Ballyglass pier, and there are showers at the lifeboat station that visitors can obtain permission to use, and also a small shop for simple provisions at Barnatra.

What facilities are available?

Serving a population of about 1,000, Bellmullet has many shops including butchers and supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and pubs, a bank, post office, medical services, garages and a local bus service.

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