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Kinsale must be the envy of all the harbours on the Irish coast
....... because it has everything you could want in a harbour; the entrance is wide and clear of major dangers, the channel is deep and does not need continual dredging, the scenery is beautiful, it has prominent old forts either side of the channel and then, conveniently, it hooks round to give shelter from all weathers. All of this adds up to make this a yachtie’s paradise especially as Cork’s just up the road to take all the big nasty stuff.
There is a down side though; everyone going to Southern Ireland for their summer cruise makes a point of going in here, you won’t have the place to yourself. There are three marinas one of which is commercial (Castlepark), one belongs to the Kinsale Yacht Club and a third (Trident) which has a few visitors berths. If you do not like marinas there are quite a few anchorages but you will still have to pay harbour dues to do so - of which more later.
Kinsale is a very pretty compact town with a resident population of only about 2000 people but this expands exponentially during the summer when the place is inundated with visitors both by land and sea. It has narrow winding streets and it houses much to amuse the visitor; in a way it is much like St Ives; just far enough off the beaten track to make it a bit exclusive but close enough to make it inclusive; you won’t find fair ground rides and kiss-me-quick hats but you will find craft shops and good food and it will be crowded.
The approach and entry to Kinsale is simplicity itself;
Take a wide swing round the PHMs to the North of Blockhouse Point and you will arrive in the basin off Kinsale. There are various anchorages on the way in which are marked on AC 2053; in the main they are shown well out in very deep water and you will find enough water for most 10m boats a lot closer into the coves at which they are shown.
There are three marinas,
........ Kinsale Yacht Club’s off the town front, Castlepark on the West side of Blockhouse Point and Trident Marina off the Trident hotel complex They all have electricity and water on the pontoons and charge for the electricity. KYC charges in bands in old money (feet) but it works out at 3.0 Euros per metre per night for a 10 metre boat and Castlepark 3.50 Euros per meter per night (though they have a week deal at 20Euros pm)
In addition to these charges Kinsale Harbour charges for entry into the harbour (about 4 Euros for a 10meter vessel) whether you go to a marina or come to anchor; KYC collects this on behalf of the Harbour, the Harbour will come round and collect from the other locations. Be aware that the Harbour limits extend to include Sandy Cove on the West side of the entrance and they will collect Harbour Dues there.
You should also note that Sandy Cove is a very popular stop for lunch on a weekend and gets very crowded. You may find visitors moorings in Summer Cove which have been put down for the patrons of the pub there. The Harbour also provides four visitors moorings off the Town Quay but these are not free.
Castlepark Marina . One drawback here is that it is a fair way around the harbour from here to Kinsale and the ferry only operates in the afternoon. In the evening you should be prepared for a three quarters of an hour walk there and back or taxi. They are charging (2021 summer) 3.5 Euros per metre per night and do not collect the harbour dues.
Trident Marina. There is talk of more marina berths being developed between Castlepark and the bridge and also inside the drying harbour to the North of the KYC Marina but these are unlikely to be in place for the 2021season.
The opening of the Trident Marina to visitors increased the mooring options but we have no reports of the extra berths mentioned above.
Details of the Marinas can be found on their websites and the harbour also has a very comprehensive website (see the links below for these)
This tends to be an area for the fairly well heeled yachtie; if you are on a shoe string, anchoring would seem the best option. A pub visitor’s buoy off Summer cove is another option but be aware that they have an a la carte menu which starts at 25 Euros for an 8 oz steak so a meal there must be balanced against marina dues and fish and chips!!
As has been said water and electricity is supplied on all pontoons and all marinas have showers and toilets ashore. Diesel is available at both marinas and petrol can be obtained from a local filling station in Kinsale.
The Harbour website did have a comprehensive list of repair services with their contact details but it appears to have been taken down; we are making enquiries. The nearest chandlery is in Cork but they do a daily delivery in Kinsale; if you ring them (021-4315700) in the morning and they have what you need in stock they’ll have it to you by end of play that day. There is also a sailmaker here. There is a boatyard in middle cove where they have a hoist and can carry out most repairs.
The town has a laundrette, supermarkets and all manner of other shops which supply provisions.
Kinsale is renowned for its restaurants and pubs, has a thriving art community and abounds with little shops where you can spend your money.
For some ideas of where to go in the evening try this website
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