OVERVIEW


Three miles long, less than ½ a mile wide, and lying in a northeast direction, Great Blasket Island is the largest of the Blasket group. It is situated a mile to the west of Dunmore Head which is the nearest point of the mainland. The island rises from a narrow base to the height of 289 metres at its highest point, at 'An Cró Mór', and is very steep presenting a wall of vertical cliffs along its northwest side. It can be further identified by the ruined Eask Tower on the summit of a 229 metres high ridge 1½ miles northeastward of the summit of 'An Cró Mór'.




Blasket Sound lies between the north-eastern end of Great Blasket Island, the dangers to the north of it, and the mainland to the east. The sound’s narrowest part resides between the easternmost extremity of Great Blasket Island, called Garraun Point, and the mainland’s Dunmore Head.




The channel is then reduced to less than ¾ of a mile in width by a remarkable narrow strip of rock that extends from Dunmore Head to terminate on its western side by a 44 metres high conical rock called the Lure. From a short distance, this strip of rock appears as an island.




Beyond The Lure and Garraun Point, almost half of the distance across from the former, is a series of several dangerous covered and drying rocks. The drying rock, called Scollage Rock, lies 150 metres out from the Lure’s extremity. It is covered at high water and dries to 3.7 metres.




The Stromboli Rocks lie in the channel about six hundred metres west-southwest of Scollage Rock and consist of several small pinnacles with a least depth of 1.8 metres over them. These all break heavily in bad weather and reduce the fairway to a width of ½ a mile on the western or island side.




LISTED WAYPOINTS
The complete course is 7.89 miles from the waypoint 'Southern Approach to Blasket Sound' to '½ a mile west of Sybil Points outliers' tending in a northerly direction (reciprocal southerly).






TRANSIT NOTES

Navigation through Blasket Sound revolves around making a passage of about 5 miles on the alignment of 015° T (or 195° T southbound) of:

• • The old tower on the summit of Sybil Point situated 4½ miles northward of the narrows.


• • Clogher Rock lying close off Clogher Head, 2 miles southwestward of Sybil Point.

Sybil Point terminates in a bold precipice which rises to a height of 206 metres. The tower may not be easily identified from the south, but the summit on which it stands is easily picked out to provide the leading mark.




The rugged 113 metres high Clogher Head lies about 1.7 miles south of Sybil Point. It has the prominent and sharply pointed above-water Clogher Rock close off the head.




These, in line 015° T / 195° T, lead through the centre of the narrows and then a ¼ of a mile east of Beginish Island and its surrounding dangers.




From the south, keep centre alignment at all times particularly at the narrowest point of the sound, between Great Blasket Island’s Garraun Point and Dunmore Head where the fairway reduces to ½ a mile.




Once past the narrows, the passage becomes partially sheltered by a large number of rocks and islets that extend a mile northward from Great Blasket making for a much more comfortable run.

In the area between Blasket Sound and Sybil Point, there can be a nasty race in west or northwest winds over the north-going tide. In fine weather, in the absence of a heavy swell, this presents no problem.

At the 'Northern Approach to Blasket Sound' waypoint, the vessel is abeam of the north ends of the group's Connor Rock, about a mile to the west, with open sea ahead. From here it is time to depart the transit and continue northward to clear the Maher-aneig rocks that extend a ⅓ of a mile off the steep cliffs of Sybil Point. Southbound vessels should just apply the reverse.

Vessels should be prepared for sudden and violent gusts of the wind, that comes off the mountains and high islands in this area.




Those with a little time to spare may take the opportunity to visit Great Blasket . Close northwest of Garraun Point and upon the shore facing the mainland, there is a beach called An Trá Ban. In fine weather, a vessel may anchor off the beach in 3 metres over a sandy bottom and land on the beach or at the island slip close southeast of the beach.

What is the best sailing time?

Sailing season for Ireland is May to September, with June and July offering some of the best weather. Nevertheless the incidence of winds up to force seven and above in June and July are on average two days each month. So you may be either held up or having a blast depending on your sailing preferences. Ireland is not subject to persistent fog – statistically complete days of persistent fog occur less than once in a decade.

Are there any security concerns?

Never an issue known to have occurred to a pleasure vessel sailing off the Irish coast.

With thanks to:

eOceanic and Burke Corbett, Gusserane, New Ross, Co. Wexford.