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What's the story here?

East Down Yacht Club is located on the western shore of Strangford Lough, 2½ miles northwest of where it opens from The Narrows and 1 mile northward of Killyleagh. It is located on a 9-acre site, which includes a modern clubhouse and pontoon, on the shore to the west of Island Taggart. Opposite the club is Island Taggart, the first major island outside the Quoile estuary and one of the Lough's largest. In the channel between the two is a deep water inner pool or 'Dorn', the local expression for this type of bay, where it is possible to anchor, pick up visitors’ moorings and, possibly, berth alongside the club pontoon.




Best entered and exited from Holm Bay, to the south of Island Taggart, the inner pool is tidal restricted. It has a minimum of 2 metres at LWS, as does the pontoon, but the access channel will have as little as 0.5 metres LAT. Vessels carrying any draught should make approaches in the latter part of the flood, ±3 hours of HW. With MHWS 3.6 metres and MHWN 3.1 metres, this should accommodate most leisure vessels' draught.




East Down Yacht Club welcomes visitors and may be contacted by +44 28 4482 8375, edycsec@gmail.com and via a contact form on their website https://edyc.co.uk/ . Their pontoon is generally available except during events when facilities may be overrun. There is no charge for using the pontoons but a donation to the club is much appreciated if possible.

How to get in?

Details of the approaches, tidal timings, the run up The Narrows and onward to Killyleagh, on the Lough's western shore, are covered in the Entering and exiting Strangford Lough route description. East Down Yacht Club is best approached as directed from Holm Bay which also may be used may for vessels approaching from the Killyleagh and the Quoile River.




There are three clearly marked visitors’ moorings in Holm Bay, locally pronounced Home Bay, and this is an ideal location to await a flood tide to enter the inner pool. It is also possible to approach through the channels north and south of Don O’Neill Island as directed in its entry.




From the Holm Bay Initial Fix proceed into the bay and with a sufficient rise of tide enter into the channel between the shore and Island Taggart. Poles mark either side of the entrance points with the best water being on the island side of the channel.




Following the line of moorings, shoal draft and bilge keel vessels in the approach channel and then the deeper draught vessels in the inner pool, and may be used to indicate the central channel.




The deep water pool commences about 150 metres before the pontoon and lies off its head. A line of two to three visitor moorings mark the mid-channel position.




Holding in the inner pool is very good but due to strong currents that can attain up to 1.5 knots through the anchorage, most boaters pick up moorings here. Alternatively, come alongside the pontoon by arrangement with the club.





It is possible to follow the channel northward on a high and rising tide in order to pass out the north side of Island Taggart to the Simmy Island anchorage. Assume a 0.1 LAT, take it steady, keeping a sharp eye too the sounder.




Follow the line of the moorings for the best water to the shallowest point which is at about the midway point along Island Taggart close southward of the small Dodd's Island that lies off of the mainland. Steer to pass midway between Dodd's Island and Island Taggart continuing north by northeastward.

Why visit here?

The principal draw to this anchorage is of course East Down Yacht Club but the real gem is its adjacent sheltering Island Taggart.




Island Taggart takes its name from the Gaelic 'Inis Mhic tSagairt' meaning McIntaggart’s Island using a shortening of (Mac)Taggart surname. McIntaggart is a Scottish surname meaning 'son of the priest' which, of itself, indicates that the rule of celibacy was not strictly enforced upon the clergy of the early church. The island was inhabited as early as the late Mesolithic period as two worked flint flakes recently discovered on its beach were dated to between 5,500 BC and 4,500 BC. This would be entirely fitting as there is ample evidence of Mesolithic activity at many Strangford Lough locations, with its raised beaches being a rich source of Mesolithic material.




Most remarkably for an Island, although one of the largest islands in Strangford Lough, approximately 1.6KM long (north/south) by 0.4 KM wide (east/west) and with a total area of around 85 acres, it was recorded as having peak population of 23 in 1821. The islanders made a living by farming and kelp production. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, kelp production was a thriving economy along the Irish seaboard. Kelp, when burned to ashes, was a source of impure soda which was required by the industries of the time such as glass, soap and linen production. Evidence of its kelp processing remains to this day in an open circular stone kiln, thought to have been used for the kelp burning, located on the southern tip of the island. Close to the northeastern bay is a second larger kiln which is very well preserved with a stone corbelled roof.




Island Taggart was intensively farmed throughout this time with the ruin of its principal stone-built, slate-roofed farmhouse on the central ridge of the island surrounded by several stone farm buildings. There is an old orchard behind the farmhouse and a well, one of at least two stone wells on the island, located nearby just to the side of the sunken lane which runs from the eastern shore up to the farm. The field system south of the farmstead is marked by the copse of oak, beech, ash, Scots pine, sycamore, elm and alder trees. The island's last resident, Mr David (Davey) Calvert, left the island in 1967. This was one year after East Down Yacht Club purchased the lands on the opposite shoreline to thereafter establish the sailing club which hadn't existed before this.




The National Trust bought the island in 1985. It welcomes visitors today and preserves the two small farms that existed here in the past. The island's length and the height of its two drumlins make it particularly attractive in the southern half of Strangford Lough. A host of wildlife such as badgers, foxes and otters now reside on Taggart, and camping is also permitted.




From a boating perspective, this anchorage is very attractive being in a quiet picturesque location that offers complete protection with all the resources of welcoming East Down Yacht Club immediately to hand. All this, and with almost all other requirements can be met by Killyleagh, the largest town on the shores of the Lough just one mile away, make it a must-visit location for Lough cruisers.

What facilities are available?

‘East Down Yacht Club’ has good facilities for both cruising and racing boats with a nine acre site, that includes a modern clubhouse, a caravan and camping park, car parking, a boat-park and a slipway. Fresh water is available on the pontoon but no power. There are showers and a well stocked bar at the Yacht Club which is well supported on race nights and at weekends and has a welcoming relaxed atmosphere. The club has the facility to haul out yachts of up to 10 metres.

The club is a mile outside of Killyleagh, the largest town on the Lough, where a visitor can find an alternative hotel and more pubs. With a population of almost two and half thousand the town has good shopping plus a basic chandlery, garage, bank, taxis and buses. A five tonnes crane is available for hire on the quay and some boat and rigging repairs can be addressed here. It is situated on the A22 road to Downpatrick which is a sizeable town that serves as the commercial and administrative centre for the locality.

Any security concerns?

Never a problem known to have occurred at East Down Yacht Club.

With thanks to:

Brian Crawford, local Strangford Lough boatman of many decades. eOceanic would like to thank Quoile Yacht Club for hosting our survey boat during the survey of Strangford Lough.