OVERVIEW


Dursey Island is located 1½ miles west-northwest of Crow Head. The island is 250 metres high, 3½ miles long and is readily identified by an old signal tower on its summit. Dursey Sound lies on the east side of the island between it and the southwestern end of the mainland’s Berra Peninsula.

The tidal stream in the sound attains 4kn in the narrows so this will be the primary determinant of the timing for the passage. A settled conditions tide wait location for northbound vessels may be had Dursey Sound Anchorage . This is in a patch of sand off the mainland situated about 800 metres to the southeast of the narrows. Likewise, Garnish Bay , on the north side of the Dursey promontory where the coast falls back to the east towards Kenmare River, provides the perfect location to catch the south going tide.




A cable car, with a vertical clearance of 24 to 21 metres, descending westward toward the island, spans Dursey Sound’s narrows and a ferry crosses the sound 300 metres to the southeast of the path of the cable car. An overhead telephone cable, with a vertical clearance of 25 meters, passes over the sound close north of the cable car.




Those planning a southern approach should make note of a couple of rocks that lie off Crow Head the southwest corner of the Berra Peninsula. The drying Cat Rock is located about 400 metres southwest of the extremity of the head and is very much in the way of vessels moving between Bantry Bay and Dursey Sound.



It dries to 3.3 metres and generally makes itself known by its breakers. The Bull’s Forehead rock, awash and 300 metres west of Crow Island, should also be avoided.


LISTED WAYPOINTS
The complete course is 2.89 miles from the waypoint 'Dursey Sound - Southern Entrance' to 'Dursey Sound - Northern Entrance' tending in a north north easterly direction (reciprocal south south westerly).







TRANSIT NOTES



A peculiarity of Dursey Sound is that, from either a southern or northern approach, it is very difficult to make out the passage and especially so in poor visibility. It always has the unnerving appearance of presenting a solid cliff face until close in. The towers for the cable car, however, are readily identifiable marks for a northern approach and, if you are lucky, perhaps the cable car itself. Hence this set of waypoints will make it easier to find the fairway, but this is a cut that requires eye-ball navigation too.




It is essential to keep to the west, or the Dursey Island side, of the channel in the narrows whilst making the transit. The mainland side is rock-strewn out to about 100 metres. The key rock is the outermost Flag Rock, 0.3 metres of cover at CD. There is also another dangerous rock that lies about 120 metres north by northwest of Flag Rock approximately the same distance north of the span of the cable car. The 9 metres high Glasfeactula Rock, on the northeast side of the north entrance should also be given a wide berth.




A vessel approaching from the north may encounter particularly shifty winds plus disturbed rebounding seas coming off Glasfeactula. All transiting vessels should be prepared for sudden changes in wind direction and different winds at either end of the sound.



A settled conditions tide wait Dursey Sound Anchorage may be availed of by northbound vessels. This is in a patch of sand off the mainland situated about 800 metres to the southeast of the narrows.

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.