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OVERVIEW
Muglins Sound is situated in the ¼ of a mile wide channel that lies between Dalkey Island and a small cluster of rocks called The Muglins.



The small Dalkey Island is 24 metres high and 600 metres long with a Martello tower on its summit. It lies immediately offshore 200 metres to the east of the mainland leading down to Sorrento Point and about two and a half miles southeast of Dún Laoghaire Harbour.




Muglins is a different group or chain of rocks. It is 6 metres high and bold-to except to the westward, where for 100 metres distance there is a rock with 1 metre of cover. There is a lighthouse on The Muglins, that could more aptly be described as a distinctive beacon, making it highly recognisable. It is a white conical tower with a red band:

The Muglins - Lighthouse Fl 5s 9m 11M position: 53° 16.524’N, 006° 04.579’W

The ¼ of a mile distance between Dalkey Island and the Muglins is named the Muglins Sound. The navigable channel, between the outlying dangers on each side, is about 300 metres wide.

LISTED WAYPOINTS
The complete course is 0.64 miles from the waypoint 'Southern approach' to 'East of Leac Buidhe Rock' tending in a north north westerly direction (reciprocal south south easterly).





MUGLINS SOUND
Navigating through the Muglins Sound is straightforward as the channel is 300 metres wide with a general depth of 15 metres, with the exception of and one small area of 6.4 metres.

To go between Dalkey Island and the Muglins, keep slightly to The Muglins side of mid-channel. Remaining outside the 10-metre contour, deeper, and adjusted for the tide, will avoid all dangers.




Muglins is bold-to with clear water all around, except for one rock, with 0.8 of a metre LAT of cover, that lies about 100 metres to the west of the light. Below half tide most leisure craft should keep 200 metres out from Muglins in order to avoid this rock.




Most of the dangers are however on the Dalkey Island side of the sound and the reef that extends northward from Dalkey island that terminates in Maiden Rock with straggling outliers on both sides of it.




The principal danger is the mostly covered Leac Buidhe which barely dries at low water. It is situated approximately ¼ of a mile north of Dalkey Island and 200 metres southeastward of Clare Rock that stands about 600 metres northwest of Dalkey Island. Keep at least 200 metres off the northeast side of Dalkey Island, and off Clare Rock will avoid the dangers on the island side of the sound, including Leac Buidhe.




A simple rules of thumb for Muglins Sound is that a northbound vessel, not using the provided waypoints, may avoid Leac Buidhe by progressing due north through the middle of the sound until Maiden Rock is abeam. Likewise, a southbound vessel should steer for mid-channel on a bearing of due south, maintaining depths of greater than 10 metres of water, until Muglins is abeam before turning off southeastward.

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.

With thanks to:

eOceanic