England Ireland Find Havens
England Ireland Find Routes
Boat
Maintenance
Comfort
Operations
Safety
Other








The Seedes Bank, on the southeast coast of Ireland, is an anchorage that lies on Waterford Harbour’s eastern shore, approximately 8 miles in from Hook Head lighthouse. It is a remote, secluded river anchorage located ¾ mile northwest of the small village of Ballyhack.

The Seedes Bank, on the southeast coast of Ireland, is an anchorage that lies on Waterford Harbour’s eastern shore, approximately 8 miles in from Hook Head lighthouse. It is a remote, secluded river anchorage located ¾ mile northwest of the small village of Ballyhack.

The bank offers excellent mud holding with complete protection from all winds, and has been a traditional storm bolt-hole since ancient times. The wide, unhindered and well-marked Waterford Harbour estuary provides safe access night or day, and at any stage of the tide.
Please note

Tidal streams are a prime consideration within Waterford Harbour: a strong adverse current will make for slow progress; conversely, a favourable passage current will make the estuary quickly traversable.




1 comment
Keyfacts for Seedes Bank
Facilities
None listed


Nature
No fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationAnchoring locationScenic location or scenic location in the immediate vicinity

Considerations
Note: strong tides or currents in the area that require consideration

Protected sectors

Current wind over the protected quadrants
Minimum depth
3 metres (9.84 feet).

Approaches
5 stars: Safe access; all reasonable conditions.
Shelter
5 stars: Complete protection; all-round shelter in all reasonable conditions.



Last modified
February 24th 2023

Summary

A completely protected location with safe access.

Facilities
None listed


Nature
No fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationAnchoring locationScenic location or scenic location in the immediate vicinity

Considerations
Note: strong tides or currents in the area that require consideration



HM  +353 51 301400     HM  +353 87 2598297      Ch.14/10/13 [Waterford Port]
Position and approaches
Expand to new tab or fullscreen

Haven position

52° 15.222' N, 006° 59.146' W

In the anchorage area.

What is the initial fix?

The following Waterford Harbour marked channel initial fix will set up a final approach:
52° 10.740' N, 006° 56.320' W
This waypoint is 600 metres south by southwest of the Waterford Channel No.1 starboard-hand marker (Fl G 2s on a bearing of 009° T). It is directly east of Creadan Head, on the eastern side of the Waterford Channel, where at night you will see the Dunmore East leading lights alternate white/green.


What are the key points of the approach?

Offshore details are available in southeastern Ireland’s coastal overview for Rosslare Harbour to Cork Harbour Route location. Seaward approaches, along with the run up the harbour, are covered in the Port of Waterford Click to view haven entry.


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 Seedes Bank for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
  1. Buttermilk Point - 0.4 nautical miles NNE
  2. Ballyhack - 0.8 nautical miles SE
  3. Passage East - 0.9 nautical miles SSE
  4. Cheekpoint - 1.2 nautical miles NNW
  5. Arthurstown - 1.4 nautical miles SE
  6. Duncannon - 2.6 nautical miles SE
  7. Little Island - 3 nautical miles W
  8. Dollar Bay - 4.5 nautical miles SE
  9. Creadan Head - 4.5 nautical miles SSE
  10. Port of Waterford - 4.5 nautical miles W
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
  1. Buttermilk Point - 0.4 miles NNE
  2. Ballyhack - 0.8 miles SE
  3. Passage East - 0.9 miles SSE
  4. Cheekpoint - 1.2 miles NNW
  5. Arthurstown - 1.4 miles SE
  6. Duncannon - 2.6 miles SE
  7. Little Island - 3 miles W
  8. Dollar Bay - 4.5 miles SE
  9. Creadan Head - 4.5 miles SSE
  10. Port of Waterford - 4.5 miles W
To find locations with the specific attributes you need try:

Resources search

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.

Expand to new tab or fullscreen



What's the story here?
The Seedes Bank situated ¾ mile above Ballyhack
Image: Michael Harpur


The Seedes Bank lies beneath the forested eastern bank of the River Suir, about 8 miles within Waterford Harbour, ¾ mile above Ballyhack and ½ mile south of Buttermilk Point. Here the shore is skirted by a sandy flat of sand and mud with 2.1 to 3.4 metres of water over it and steep-to, extending nearly two-thirds of the distance across the harbour and leaving the harbour fairway little more than 300 metres wide between it and the western shore.


Seedes Bank and Ballyhack as seen from the opposite shore
Image: Michael Harpur


The Seedes Bank is a historic and secluded river anchorage that offers excellent protection and holding over depths along the bank from 2.8 to 3.6 metres LAT. Landing on the surrounding quays is for those who have a tender equipped with a stalwart outboard able to handle the river's currents.


How to get in?
Seedes Bank, with the Ballyhack to Passage East ferry crossing below
Image: Michael Harpur


Convergance Point Use the Port of Waterford Click to view haven for details of seaward approaches, entry to Waterford Harbour and the run up the estuary.

Initial fix location From the initial fix set in the middle of the entrance, head northeast for the ‘Waterford’ port marker buoy and then pick up the No.1 and 2 buoys of the fairway. From here follow the marked channel up to the facing villages of Passage East and Ballyhack, where a regular ferry crosses.

Above Passage East, the western/Waterford shore is precipitous, rocky, and bold-to, while the eastern Wexford and Ballyhack shore is skirted by a sandy flat, which runs off into the Seedes Bank. The only danger here is a shallow ridge that extends out 450 metres from the eastern bank, about midway between Ballyhack and Buttermilk Point. Adhering to the channel as far as the ‘Seedes Bank South’ starboard mark clears this danger.

The area above the Seedes Bank South mark is the bank. Round this mark to starboard and head northeast towards the high and forested shoreline.

The mud of Seedes Bank just discernible as seen from the north around Buttermilk Point
Image: Tourism Ireland


Haven location Anchor according to draught and conditions anywhere along the bank. The best protection will be found off of the eastern shoreline, well out of any tidal stream. Tucked into the mainland, the shallow spit close south of Seedes Bank South starboard mark diverts the run of the current, while the opposite high ground, to the north of Passage East, sends the prevailing southwesterlies overhead.


Ballyhack, situated ¾ mile downriver
Image: Michael Harpur


Landing is best had by a short ¾ mile jaunt to the small harbour of Ballyhack Click to view haven. Or by the adventure decribed in the Buttermilk Point Click to view haven entry.


Why visit here?
The Seedes Bank was a traditional storm sanctuary for square riggers in the years of sail. It is reported that during one particularly bad storm, nearly 100 square-riggers anchored here in perfect security.

Today it is little used, perhaps a result of the lack of a convenient landing position. But as a place of shelter, along with its immediate near neighbour north of Buttermilk Point, it remains a very useful location for sailing craft. It is a perfect place to securely anchor a boat if caught in very rough conditions and in need of an uncomplicated berth to drop down on. Likewise, a vessel could endure almost any conditions on the Seedes Bank as it offers complete protection from all winds, along with excellent mud holding just out of the run of the river should it flood.


What facilities are available?
There is a pub and small shop at Ballyhack, plus a pier to tie the dinghy to. Passage East has a pub that serves food. If you do not fancy the tide with your dinghy, you may take a foot passenger ride across on the car ferry or power across and day anchor at Passage East.

Waterford Airport is within 15km (9 miles), offering schedule flights to the UK and mainland Europe.


Any security concerns?
There are no reported security issues in the area. It is advisable, however, to secure the vessel if leaving unattended.


With thanks to:
John Carroll, Ballyhack, Co.Wexford, Ireland.
















Cheek Point round to Buttermilk Point through the Seedes Bank, Ballyhack and Passage East



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:


Rodolphe Thimonier wrote this review on Jun 19th 2016:

Quiet anchorage, with good holding, subject to strong tidal currents. Could be uncomfortable in settled south-westerly winds on ebb. The traffic in the nearby channel is not an issue.

Average Rating: *

Please log in to leave a review of this haven.



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.