Motor Boat & Yachting – May 2018

N

Whitehaven Whitehaven

Marina

Peel Harbour

Marina

Douglas

Marina

To Portaferry
43nm

To Ardglass

42nm

To

Greystones

Marina

54nm

To Malahide

55nm

Preston

Marina

Liverpool

Marina

Conwy Quays

Marina

St Bee’s

Head

Great Ormes

Head

Abermenai

Point

Snaefell

Scafell Pike

Douglas

Port

Erin

Peel

Barrow-

in-Furness

Morecambe

Blackpool

Fleetwood

Morecambe

Bay

Conwy

Bay

Swellies

Menai

Strait

River

Ribble

Irish

Sea

River

Mersey

Lytham

St Annes

Crosby

New Bootle

Brighton Liverpool

Llandudno

Holyhead Beaumaris Conwy

Caernarfon

Pwllheli

Porthdinllaen

Preston

LAKE

DISTRICT

ISLE OF

MAN

SNOWDONIA

NATIONAL

PARK

LANCASHIRE

LLEYN PENINSULA

ANGLESEY

HOLY

ISLAND

PUFFIN

ISLAND

WALES

ENGLAND

nautical miles

0 5 10 15 20 25

a chandler and boatyard on site.

The wide drying mouth of the Ribble opens

into the Irish Sea ten miles north of the

Mersey. The entrance looks a bit tricky

on the chart but in fair weather, within two

hours of high water it’s easy to fi nd the outer

perches by plotter and follow the 12-mile

channel in past Lytham St Annes. Use Admiralty

1981 and the directions in the latest Reeds

Nautical Almanac. If possible, the marina

appreciates reasonable notice of arrivals.

From seaward on a clear day, you’ll see the 158m Blackpool

Tower, six miles north of the estuary and one of England’s

iconic landmarks. As the channel draws closer to Lytham, the

solid Lancashire houses look rather homely, though the distant

south bank is wild and marshy, like a scene from the Fens. Above

Lytham, the narrowing river runs through largely rural country

almost as far as the lock.

Robert Gasse bases

his Nelson 42 at

Preston Marina

PRESTON AND THE

RIVER RIBBLE

I am starting with Preston because it seems so

amazing to fi nd a comfy marina in the heart

of this historic Lancashire textile town. Yet here

it is, a welcoming yacht harbour in a 40-acre

dock which once pioneered roll-on roll-off

cargo handling. Reached by a lock from the

River Ribble, the marina is immediately inside

the basin to port, opposite some apartments

and a leafy promenade. Baffi to’s Italian

restaurant is next to the lock with a pleasant terrace. There’s

Whitehaven Marina

backs on to the Lake

District National Park

TRAVEL

The latest Reeds Nautical

Almanac is invaluable (www.

reedsnauticalalmanac.co.uk).

David Rainsbury’s Irish

Sea Pilot is an excellent guide

(www.imray.com).

Imray’s C62 Irish Sea chart

has useful approach plans,

including the Preston channel.

Admiralty chart 1826 is the

main reference in this feature

and covers the east side of the

Irish Sea and the Isle of Man.

CHARTS AND GUIDES