Moorings in Strangford Lough and County Down

Strangford Lough in County Down is the largest sea inlet in Ireland and the wider British Isles, covering about 150 square kilometres. The Ards Peninsula almost encloses it, leaving only a narrow channel to the Irish Sea at its south-eastern corner. The lough holds at least seventy islands as well as many small islets, known locally as pladdies, and most of it is under 10 metres deep, though the central channel reaches 50 to 60 metres. This coastal area also takes in the County Down shore outside the lough, from the Irish Sea side of the Ards Peninsula south to Ardglass and Kilkeel.

The entrance, Strangford Narrows, carries very strong tidal streams, strong enough that the SeaGen tidal generator was installed there in 2007, so passages in and out are planned around the tide. The Portaferry to Strangford ferry crosses the Narrows every half hour through the day. Portaferry Marina sits on the eastern shore of the Narrows about 100 metres south of the ferry slipway. It is owned and run by Portaferry Regeneration, has a chain-fixed pontoon with water and electricity, and holds up to 50 boats, with around 12 berths kept for visitors. Strangford village, across the water, has a small harbour of its own.

Inside the lough, club sailing is centred on the western shore. Strangford Lough Yacht Club is at Whiterock Bay near Killinchy, and the Down Cruising Club has been based since 1968 on the former lightship Petrel, moored at Whiterock. Further south, Killyleagh Yacht Club, with around 400 members, has its base at Cuan Beach in Killyleagh.

Just south of the lough entrance, Ardglass Marina, also called Phennick Cove, has chain-fixed pontoons for about 80 craft in a deep water basin that can be used around the clock all year. Yachts often wait there for a fair tide into the lough. The Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority runs the fishing harbours at Ardglass, Portavogie and Kilkeel, the last of which has Northern Ireland's largest fishing fleet, so these are working ports first.

Strangford Lough is Northern Ireland's first Marine Conservation Zone and a Special Area of Conservation. Moorings in Strangford Lough and County Down mainly mean marina pontoon berths at Portaferry and Ardglass, with club sailing along the lough's western shore.