AROUND THE

Irish Sea

Historic dockyards, picturesque coves and stunning sandy

beaches inspire great affection for this unusual corner of the UK

Words & pictures Peter Cumberlidge

T

o anyone based down south, the Irish

Sea coasts of England and Wales seem

a remote, almost foreign prospect; part

of the shipping forecast normally glossed

over. Yet thousands of boats are based

around this compact cruising area,

fringed to the west by Anglesey and the

Isle of Man. Both islands have hopping-off

points for short passages to Ireland, and each is fascinating in its

own right, with plenty of enticing anchorages and small harbours.

The range of seascapes is fantastic. North Wales is classic bucket-

and-spade holiday country, low and flat in the east but more

appealing west of Llandudno where hills start rising towards

the Menai Strait. Lancashire is famous for its miles of sandcastle

beaches right up to Morecambe, but the key features for boat

owners are the wide tidal inlets leading to snug marinas at Preston,

Fleetwood and Glasson Basin. In the crook between Lancashire

and Wales, the legendary River Mersey meets the sea in a long tidal

estuary lined with drying sands. Liverpool is a popular cruising

destination, with a 360-berth marina in its revitalised docklands.

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