Planning for Ireland 2026. Part 1 To Baltimore?

Tides are generally not helpful when heading south west along the Irish coast - a spring tide is good to get a push west from Milford Haven starting around 05:00 but south from Carnsore Point the favourable tide would not then start until lunchtime. Streams are charted as weaker than further north but they get stronger round head lands and as many learn every other year during the Jester Baltamore Challenge, beating to the Fastnet Rock or Baltimore against the tide is not to be recommended. 

Starting on a neap tide means leaving Milford at lunchtime and arriving in Ireland in the small hours, not a major problem is some anchorages but could be in others, especially with lots of pot buoys around as I found during my trip around the Celtic Sea in 2022.

My preference would be a start close to springs, leaving Dale before dawn to hopefully arrive somewhere to get some sleep the that night, but the weather will be the deciding factor. Southwesterlies would be a pain and I might well wait for better weather, north-westerlies would be ideal and easterlies would be good for a quick passage. 

10 year average winds during March at Clear Island
at the extreme south of Ireland.

10 year average winds during April at Clear Island.

Statistically the end of March or April should bring plenty of opportunities as it has in the majority of the last few years, strong N - NW winds have been a problem to me rounding Land's End and could make for poor conditions in St Georges Channel but once in Ireland a reasonably brisk north westerly should not be a problem as far as Baltimore.

St Margate's Bay, Carnsore Point is the closest anchorage to Milford but a beat in a west or north west wind and then I would have to go round or inside of the Coningbeg rocks to move further west. A destination further west is likely better, somewhere between Kilmore and Waterford (46 NM), Youghal (pronounced Yawl) is just over 100 NM so a overnight trip and an extra 20 miles would get me to Crosshaven and 30 to Kinsale.

There are a good number of places to stop in offshore winds, somewhat fewer in easterlies. Baltimore will be the first target, preferably via new anchorages, but a visit into Crosshaven or even up to Waterford would not be unwelcome.

Places to stop between Carnsore Point and Cork. Green Anchorages
not previously visited, Red anchorages visited, Purple Marinas not
visited, Blue manias visited.

Places to stop, Oyster Haven to Baltimore.

I'll think about likely start dates when Imray have sorted out their "Tides" app which is currently showing all tides as spring tides, or I get the 2026 Reeds. Unfortunately Euronav in the past have not issued the tide data for the new year until late December which is a pain and must be difficult for those those on long voyages or in the southern hemisphere during their high season.