Roberts Cove & Oyster Haven

Roberts Cove & Oyster HavenAnchorage0-8.41361318903979651.65787616411748Roberts Cove is a small inlet between Cork Head ..... and Robert's Head about four miles SW of Roche's Point Light. It is only of use to shallow draft boats that can take the ground and then only in settled offshore conditions; there is absolutely no shelter here from strong Southerly winds. It is one of several inlets and sheltered spots along this coast Between Cork and Kinsale which are of more interest to the independent yachtie with a little bilge-keeler than the 15m + boat with all the bells and whistles.Oyster Haven is the largest of the inlets on this coast, provides the best cover and is an alternative to the busy harbour/anchorage at Kinsale just around the corner. The haven has a Northerly and a Nor' westerly arm, the former shelves rapidly off Walton Court beach and the Nor' westerly is navigable only by dinghy to Belgooly three miles upstream. This anchorage offers good shelter from all but Southerly winds. The beach at Walton Court is busy in the summer as the Oysterhaven Activities Centre is located there; they offer a wide mixture of water based leisure activities and instruction and it was one of the first wind surfing schools in Ireland. Regrettably they have nothing in the way of comforts for the cruising yachtie though they would be able to fill your water breaker; if you are really pushed you could take the flood up the Belgooly River to Belgooly itself where there are a few shops and a pub. Be careful in this bay as there are oyster beds which no one will thank you for disturbing. AC 2049 Old Head of Kinsale to Tuskar Rock; AC 1765 Old Head of Kinsale to Power Head; AC 2053 Kinsale Harbour and Oyster Haven; SC 5622; Imray C57 Tuskar Rock to Old Head of KinsaleNone Known The Little & Big Sovereigns off Oyster Haven and Bulman Rock off Preghane Point. Harbour Rock (unmarked) in Oyster Haven Bay off Oysterhaven village. HW Roberts Cove is HW Cobh – 0005 MHWS 4.0m MHWN 3.2m MLWN 1.3m MLWS 0.5m; HW Oyster Haven is HW Cobh – 0010 MHWS 4.1m MHWN 3.2m MLWN 1.3m MLWS 0.4mThe approaches to both bays are simple but unless ....... you are familiar with the area it would be wise not to try to make passage between the Little Sovereign and the shore off Oyster Haven as it gets very shallow in the middle of that channel. You also have to be aware of Harbour Rock midway between Oysterhaven beach and Ferry Point; other than that no problems. In Roberts Cove, the further up the cove you can anchor the more ...... shelter you will find; it has good holding on a sandy bottom but be very aware that there is a good 3.5m range at springs so you will need to be able to sit on the sand. Oyster haven is very different in that you will be able to take a fin-keeler in here and anchor quite happily in deepish water; the deepest anchorage is in the mouth of the Belgooly River but there is plenty of water up the Northerly reach until it shoals short of the shallow draft moorings off the beach at Walton Court. There are places in this water where there have been experiences of poor holding in weed so you need to take precautions ie make sure your anchor has definitely set and pop a tripping line on it in case it gets tangled up on some heavy stuff. If you've got an old fisherman's (AP anchor) it might be an idea to dig it out of the back locker and use that, but then you have to work out where to rig the tripping line!! Neither of these havens have any facilities. As has been said, at Oyster Haven you can take a dinghy up to Belgooly where there is a Post Office and filling station but it is a good long row. Roberts Cove does have an ace up its sleeve in that there is a hotel here with a bar and restaurant and even bedrooms if your crew needs a night ashore! https://www.facebook.com/TheRobertsCoveInn/ This website will give you the details on the Roberts Cove hotel 0Roberts Cove & Oyster HavenVisichart of Oyster HavenOyster Haven. Beach off Walton Court, location of the Oyster Haven CentreOyster Haven slip looking towards Ferry PointChart of the Coast adjacent to Roberts Cove & Oyster Haven Oyster Haven. Kinure Point from Ferry PointRoberts Cove at LW SpringsRoberts Cove looking across entrance from WestChart of Oyster Haven 2011Don Thomson2015-04-20T11:04:00+01:00Update 2015These notes were reviewed by Don in April 2015. No changes were made-1Don Thomson2013-12-11T10:09:00+00:00Update December 2013These notes were reviewed 11th December 2013; no changes were necessary-1Don Thomson2017-04-26T09:44:00+01:00UPDATE APRIL 2017These notes were updated in April 2017. We are told that the mooring buoys off Walton Court are all privately owned and not for visitors.-1Don Thomson 32022-10-14T10:31:00+01:00UPDATE OCTOBER 2022No changes at Roberts Cove but it looks as though they have had a good summer. By the looks of it there are numerous buoys just North of ferry point in the entrance to the river. and they may keep their dinghies opposite at a slip at Kinure but that is conjecture - the buoys themselves are privately owned-1Don Thomson 32021-09-08T10:26:00+01:00UPDATE SUMMER 2021No changes-1Don Thomson 32019-07-26T14:36:00+01:00Update Summer 2019These notes were reviewed in July 2019 and no changes were made-1Error fetching data: Not Found