The channel south from the Barrow Bridge to Waterford Estuary is clearly marked with navigation markers.  Be aware of more commerical shipping in the channel and strong winds on the wider river course leading to choppy waters. 

Cheekpoint

Cheekpoint lies on the southern shore of the confluence of the rivers Barrow and Suir south of the railway bridge and ~10 miles north from Hook Head lighthouse, at the top of Waterford Estuary.

Minawn Hill provides interesting forest walks of Lodgepole pine, Sitka spruce, Noble fir and Japanese larch with viewpoints of the confluence and Waterford Estuary.   

The small harbour and dredged channel facing east-northeast dry out 200 m from the shore at low water.  Cheekpoint has a pub serving food and a shop. 

To approach Cheekpoint, aim for the marked channel, east of the quay and adjacent to the commercial channel.  Avoid two stone groins extending from the shore west of the quay and covered at high tide (indicated by special marks - yellow) and the sand spit running parallel to the shore north of the quay.  The entrance to the main channel is indicated by port and starboard hand marks.  The northeastern pier head position is:  52° 16.348' N, 006° 59.745' W

Spring tides allow up to 1.5m, and neaps 0.6m inside the north wall, with less depth further into the harbour and more outside the walls.  LWS: -1 metres (-3.28 feet).  Tide estimates are based on High Water Cobh +0025.  Distance to: Dunmore East - 7.4 miles; Port of Waterford - 4.2 miles and New Ross - 7.3 miles.

Great Island

The power station on the east side, has a commercial jetty for large fuel ships, not suitable for smaller craft.

Buttermilk Point

As a secluded anchorage, Buttermilk Point is a traditional storm bolt hole on the eastern shore, nine miles north of Hook Head lighthouse.   Buttermilk Castle was used by the Dunbrody Abbey monks to protect their fishery, which had one of the first licenced weirs in Ireland.

Dunbrody Abbey - The Campile River (a mile north of the anchorage) provides an opportunity for exploration by smaller craft to Dunbrody Abbey or further on, under a railway bridge and a road bridge to Campile village with shops and a pub.   

The 59m Cistercian Abbey is one of the longest in Ireland started by Monks from Shropshire in 1182, the current structure was founded in 1210 by Harvey de Montemorisco and dissolved in 1537 under Henry VIII, who granted it to the Ichingham family. In 1544, the last Abbot Alexander Devereux, was made the 1^st Protestant Bishop of Ferns. On site, are a small museum, tearooms, craft gallery, small pitch n' putt course and a hedge maze.  Campile river is only accessible for an hour each side of HW.

The anchorage offers protection from all winds and excellent mud holding with LWS draught of 3 m (9.84 ft).

Access is straightforward as the bank is adjacent to the main channel, 400m east of the Carters Patch South starboard hand mark (Fl (2)G 4s) - positioned at: 52° 15.630' N, 006° 58.940' W.  The wreck of the French trawler the Petit Sarah to the northeast indicates the drying area.