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Listed locations follow the Down coastline in a clockwise direction. Their positions may be seen on a satellite image at the bottom of this page. Alternatively, if you're looking for shelter, facilities or a type of location within this county, try our find resources tool.

Cultra
A good location with straightforward access. 3 metres LWS. Cultra is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, on the southern shores of Belfast Lough, approximately halfway between Grey Point and Belfast. This is home to one of the province's largest clubs and it offers an anchorage outside the well-established mooring area off the club. get full information »

Helen’s Bay
A tolerable location with straightforward access. 2 metres LWS. Helen’s Bay is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, on the southern shores of Belfast Lough. It offers an anchorage off of a beach in a picturesque location that hosts a country park. get full information »

Bangor Harbour & Marina
A completely protected location with safe access. 3 metres LWS. 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. get full information »

Ballyholme Bay
A good location with straightforward access. 3 metres LWS. Ballyholme Bay is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, on the southern shores of Belfast Lough and immediately east of Bangor Bay. The extensive well-sheltered bay provides an anchorage that is home to the Ballyholme and Royal Ulster yacht clubs. get full information »

Groomsport
A good location with careful navigation required for access. 1 metres LWS. Groomsport Harbour is located on the northeast coast of Ireland and immediately inside and on the southern shoreline of Belfast Lough. It has a small shallow harbour where moderate-sized and draught vessels that can take to the bottom may dry by its pier or pick up a single visitor mooring. Deeper draught vessels may anchor outside in offshore winds. get full information »

Port Dandy, Copeland Island
A good location with straightforward access. 2 metres LWS. Port Dandy on Copeland Island, the principal of the Copeland Islands group, is located in the Irish Sea off the northeast coast of Ireland. The island group is situated on the south side of the entrance to Belfast Lough and Copeland Island is the largest island and closest to the mainland. Port Dandy is a very small inlet on the west side of the secluded island where a vessel may anchorage for a maximum of two or three boats. get full information »

Chapel Bay, Copeland Island
A good location with straightforward access. 3 metres LWS. Chapel Bay on Copeland Island, the principal island of the Copeland Islands group, is located in the Irish Sea off the northeast coast of Ireland. The island group is situated on the south side of the entrance to Belfast Lough, and Copeland Island is the largest island and closest to the mainland. Chapel Bay is on the west and mainland-facing side of this secluded island. It provides an anchorage in a spacious sandy bay. get full information »

Donaghadee Harbour
A tolerable location with straightforward access. 3 metres LWS. Donaghadee Harbour is located on the northeast coast of Ireland immediately outside the southern entrance to Belfast Lough and south of Copeland Island. It is a small fishing port where vessels may berth alongside the pier. get full information »

Copelands Marina
A completely protected location with careful navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Copeland Marina is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, close outside the southern entrance to Belfast Lough and immediately south of Donaghadee Harbour. It is a small very tight marina that sets aside a small number of visitor berths in the sailing season. get full information »

Ballywalter
A tolerable location with straightforward access. 4 metres LWS. Ballywalter is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, to the south of Belfast Lough, four miles north by northwest of Burr Point. It offers an anchorage off a small harbour that dries out completely at low water. get full information »

Ballyhalbert Bay
A tolerable location with straightforward access. 5 metres LWS. Ballyhalbert is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, to the south of Belfast Lough and immediately north of Burr Point the most easterly point of Ireland. It offers an anchorage in the bay off of a small pier that entirely dries at low water. get full information »

Portavogie Harbour
A completely protected location with straightforward access. 3 metres LWS. Portavogie Harbour is located on the northeastern coast of Ireland, nine miles northeast of the entrance to Strangford Lough and immediately north of Plough Point. It is a small, active and crowded fishing port that welcomes leisure craft but is not specifically set up to receive them. get full information »

Portaferry, Strangford Lough
A completely protected location with careful navigation required for access. 3 metres LWS. Portaferry is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, on the eastern shore and at the head of The Narrows that lead to Strangford Lough. It offers a full serviced marina and the option to pick up moorings fronting a small town. get full information »

Ballyhenry Bay, Strangford Lough
A good location with straightforward access. 4 metres LWS. Ballyhenry Bay is located on the northeast coast of Ireland and on the northeast side and head of The Narrows that lead to Strangford Lough. The bay offers an anchorage alongside local boat moorings in a quiet location close to the town of Portaferry. get full information »

Kircubbin, Strangford Lough
A tolerable location with attentive navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Kircubbin is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, within and on the eastern shore of Strangford Lough six miles north of Strangford Narrows. It is a village situated at the head of Kircubbin Bay with a drying quay where vessels may anchor off or those that can take-to-the-bottom may dry out alongside. The bay is host to Kircubbin Sailing Club. get full information »

Ballydorn and Down Cruising Club, Strangford Lough
A completely protected location with attentive navigation required for access. 4 metres LWS. Ballydorn is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, within and on the western shore of Strangford Lough and directly west of Rainey Island. It is a beautiful and popular mooring ground with a short-stay pontoon attached to a permanently moored lightship that is a sailing club headquarters. get full information »

White Rock Bay, Strangford Lough
A good location with attentive navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. White Rock Bay is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, within and on the western shore of Strangford Lough directly west of Trasnagh Island. Home to a large sailing club the shallow inlet offers an anchorage on the seaward side of the mooring area and the club also offers visitor moorings and convenient landings. get full information »

Ringhaddy Sound, Strangford Lough
A completely protected location with attentive navigation required for access. 14 metres LWS. Ringhaddy Sound is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, within and on the western shore of Strangford Lough to the west of Islandmore. It is a beautiful and popular mooring ground with some club visitor pontoons. get full information »

Pawle Island, Killinchy, Strangford Lough
A good location with attentive navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Pawle Island is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, off the western shore of Strangford Lough to the east of Islandmore off the approaches to Ringhaddy Sound. It is a quiet and out of the way anchorage. get full information »

Simmy Island, Strangford Lough
A good location with attentive navigation required for access. 3 metres LWS. Simmy Island is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, within and on the western shore of Strangford Lough north of Killyleagh. It is an anchorage to the north of an uninhabited island in a quiet and particularly picturesque location. get full information »

East Down Yacht Club, Strangford Lough
A completely protected location with attentive navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. East Down Yacht Club is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, within and on the western shore of Strangford Lough close north of Killyleagh. The anchorage lies in an inner pool that lies between an island and the shore where a vessel may anchor, use club visitor moorings or come alongside the club jetty. get full information »

Don O’Neill Island, Strangford Lough
An exposed location with attentive navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Don O’Neill Island is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, within and off the western shore of Strangford Lough. It offers an anchorage close northwest to the larger of the two islands that offer gravel beach landings. get full information »

Holm Bay, Killyleagh, Strangford Lough
A good location with attentive navigation required for access. 6 metres LWS. Holm Bay is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, within and on the western shore of Strangford Lough close north of Killyleagh. It offers a very good anchorage and the possibility of picking up club moorings. get full information »

Killyleagh, Strangford Lough
A good location with attentive navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Killyleagh is located on the northeast coast of Ireland within and on the southern end of Strangford Lough’s western shore. It offers a very good anchorage and the possibility of picking up club moorings. get full information »

Moore’s Point, Strangford Lough
A good location with attentive navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Moore’s Point is located on the northeast coast of Ireland within Strangford Lough’s southwestern corner and in the Quoile River estuary. It offers a very good river anchorage with excellent holding. get full information »

Quoile, Strangford Lough
A completely protected location with attentive navigation required for access. 4 metres LWS. Quoile is located on the northeast coast of Ireland within Strangford Lough’s southwestern corner and at the head of the Quoile River estuary. It offers a very good river anchorage with the option of picking up well-maintained moorings or coming alongside the Quoile Yacht club pontoon in a highly attractive location. get full information »

Salt Island (Southwest), Strangford Lough
A completely protected location with attentive navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Salt Island is located on the northeast coast of Ireland within Strangford Lough’s southwestern corner and in the Quoile River estuary. This anchorage is in the channel that runs between Salt Island and Rat and Gores Island. get full information »

Brandy Bay (North Salt Island), Strangford Lough
A good location with attentive navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Salt Island is located on the northeast coast of Ireland within Strangford Lough’s southwestern corner and in the Quoile River estuary. Brandy Bay is off the northwest side of the island and in the Quoile River. get full information »

Salt Island (South), Strangford Lough
A completely protected location with attentive navigation required for access. -1 metres LWS. Salt Island is located on the northeast coast of Ireland within Strangford Lough’s southwestern corner and in the Quoile River estuary. This is a drying anchorage on the south side of the island that is convenient for landing at the island's old dilapidated quay. get full information »

Jackdaw Island, Strangford Lough
A good location with attentive navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Chapel and Jackdaw Islands are located on the northeast coast of Ireland within Strangford Lough and are the first islands encountered on the southern shore after exiting The Narrows. This anchorage is to the west of Jackdaw Island, the western and smaller of the two islands. get full information »

Between Jackdaw & Chapel Island, Strangford Lough
A good location with straightforward access. 3 metres LWS. Chapel and Jackdaw Islands are located on the northeast coast of Ireland within Strangford Lough and are the first islands encountered on the southern shore after exiting The Narrows. This anchorage is in a deep channel that lies between the two small uninhabited islands. get full information »

Chapel Island, Strangford Lough
A good location with attentive navigation required for access. 3 metres LWS. Chapel and Jackdaw Islands are located on the northeast coast of Ireland within Strangford Lough and are the first islands encountered on the southern shore after exiting The Narrows. The island anchoring location is a deep tidal pool located between the uninhabited Chapel Island and the shore, around which the surrounding area dries so that it may only be accessed or exited at high water. get full information »

Audley’s Point, Strangford Lough
An exposed location with attentive navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Audley Roads is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, on the western shore and at the head of The Narrows that lead to Strangford Lough. It is a lunch-stop anchorage where it is advisable to maintain an anchor watch, in a secluded natural location. get full information »

Audley's Roads, Strangford Lough
A good location with careful navigation required for access. 4.5 metres LWS. Audley Roads is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, on the western shore and at the head of The Narrows that lead to Strangford Lough. It offers a picturesque anchorage in a quiet bay adjacent to Strangford Harbour. get full information »

Strangford Harbour (Strangford Village), Strangford Lough
A completely protected location with careful navigation required for access. 3 metres LWS. Strangford Harbour is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, on the western shore and at the head of The Narrows that lead to Strangford Lough. It offers a pontoon berth and moorings plus the possibility of temporarily coming alongside the quay. get full information »

Cross Roads, Strangford Lough
A good location with careful navigation required for access. 8 metres LWS. Cross Roads is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, on the western shore of Strangford Lough’s narrows. The location offers a little-used traditional coaster anchorage where a vessel may anchor and stay-aboard in a quiet location in the middle of Strangford Narrows. get full information »

Kilclief Bay, Strangford Lough
A good location with careful navigation required for access. 3 metres LWS. Kilclief Bay is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, on the western shore of Strangford Lough’s narrows. The location provides the first anchoring opportunity inside the Narrows in a quiet rural location. get full information »

Ardglass Harbour (Phennick Cove Marina)
A completely protected location with straightforward access. 3 metres LWS. Ardglass Harbour is located on the northeastern coast of Ireland, three miles northeast of St John’s Point and six miles south of the entrance to Strangford Lough. It is a small busy fishing port with an adjacent marina that provides all services for leisure craft. get full information »

Killough Harbour
A good location with careful navigation required for access. 3 metres LWS. Killough Bay is a small bay located on Ireland’s northeastern coast, a mile and a half north of St John’s Point. The bay offers a drying pier and an uncertain settled weather anchorage, owing to its rocky bottom, and vessels that can take to the bottom can dry behind its little-used pier. get full information »

Dundrum Harbour
A completely protected location with careful navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Dundrum Harbour is located on the northeastern coast of Ireland, at the head of Dundrum Bay which is approximately midway between the entrances to Carlingford and Strangford Loughs. The small harbour is set into a tidal estuary and offers an anchoring pool adjacent to the old town quay. get full information »

Newcastle Harbour
A good location with straightforward access. 0 metres LWS. Newcastle Harbour is located on the northeastern coast of Ireland, about midway between the entrances to Carlingford and Strangford Loughs and the western shore of Dundrum Bay. It is a small drying harbour that is used by small fishing boats and leisure craft. The harbour is only suitable for vessels that can take to the bottom and being small is only practical for vessels of up to about ten metres. Larger craft may anchor outside and/or temporarily come alongside on a rise of the tide. get full information »

Annalong Harbour
A good location with straightforward access. 1 metres LWS. Annalong Harbour is located on the northeastern coast of Ireland at the mouth of the Annalong River, approximately eight miles northeast of the entrance to Carlingford Lough. It is a small tidal boat harbour used by small fishing boats. It is small, space-constrained and subject to silting and best suited to medium to small shallow draft vessels. Larger vessels can anchor outside in settled conditions and land at a nearby slipway. get full information »

Kilkeel Harbour
A completely protected location with straightforward access. 2 metres LWS. Kilkeel is located on Ireland’s northeast coast three and a half miles northeast of the entrance to Carlingford Lough. It is a small town with a bustling fishing port that has no provisions for leisure craft. It does however accommodate leisure vessels if space is available which will most likely be rafted up to a fishing vessel. get full information »

Greencastle, Carlingford Lough
A good location with careful navigation required for access. 3 metres LWS. Greencastle is located on the northern shore, a mile and a half inside the entrance to the Carlingford Lough inlet on Ireland's northeast coast. It offers the first secure anchorage inside the sea inlet of Carlingford Lough. get full information »

Killowen, Carlingford Lough
A good location with careful navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Carlingford Lough is located on Ireland's northeast coastline and Killowen is set on its northeastern shore. It offers an anchorage and moorings with a landing point off of a small village with the facilities of a local yacht club. get full information »

Rostrevor, Carlingford Lough
A good location with careful navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Rostrevor Bay is located on the northeast shore of the Carlingford Lough inlet that is set into Ireland's northeast coastline. It once offered an anchorage but the coastal area is now part of the Carlingford Lough Marine Conservation Zone. The only berths available are for vessels that can take to the bottom alongside its quay or anchor about three-quarters of a mile away on the perimeter of the zone. get full information »

Warrenpoint, Carlingford Lough
A completely protected location with careful navigation required for access. 2 metres LWS. Warrenpoint is located on the northeast coast of Ireland and at the head of the Carlingford Lough inlet. It is a small commercial port that provides visiting boats with pontoon berths, the possibility to anchor close offshore with good landing points and several good options for vessels that can take to the ground. get full information »

Newry, Carlingford Lough
A completely protected location with careful navigation required for access. 3 metres LWS. Newry is located inland of Ireland's northeastern coastline, three miles up the Newry River and Clanrye River which flows into the head of the Carlingford Lough inlet. It is a provincial city reached by way of a canal that is accessed via a single lock above the port of Warrenpoint and solely used by leisure craft. The city provides berths alongside its quay in a basin at the heart of the city. get full information »




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