3.7.21	AREA 21 - BAILY TO ST JOHN'S POINT DOWN
3.7.21.1	St John's point, Co. down, to Baily Lighthouse is a coastline, which can be characterised throughout its entire length by a very low-lying featureless foreshore. There is only one notable exception to this and that is the area of the high coastal slopes of Slieve Donard, in the Mourne Mountains, that border the sea just south of Newcastle, on the western shore of Dundrum Bay.
3.7.21.2	The coast between the two above mentioned reference points, St John's Point and Baily, falls away to the west and culminates in the shallow esturial waters of Dundalk Bay. Consequently, through-traffic in the Irish Sea, on passage between the Codling Lanby, or Kish Tower, and the South Rock Lightfloat, transits well to the east of this region and has little or not use for the coastal aids to navigation provided therein.
3.7.21.3	However, there are many harbours and ports in the area, which generate considerable coastal traffic, including commercial, fishing and leisure craft. The four main commercial ports are Drogheda, Dundalk, Greenore, and Warrenpoint, while the principal fishing and leisure boat harbours are Howth, Malahide, Rush, Skerries, Balbriggan, Port Oriel, Kilkeel and Annalong.
3.7.21.4	Most of the ports in this region have tidal limitations or restrictions, as the foreshore throughout its length is shelving and shallow, consisting mainly of sand and gravel but with some off-lying rocks in the vicinity of the south Down coast and the Skerries/Loughshinny area of the north County Dublin coast.
3.7.21.5	With the exception of Carlingford Lough, there is virtually no safe anchorage for vessels seeking shelter from strong on-shore winds in this region. It is a very exposed coast, which is consequently subject to local structural damage and erosion in heavy easterly weather. A case in point was the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Charlie in the autumn of 1986.
3.7.21.6	The changes proposed for this area can be summarised, as follows:

• Burren Perch - Light perch
  
• Rockabill Lighthouse- Establish AIS AtoN
  
• Cardy Rocks Perch - Repair topmark
  
• Dundalk Pile Lighthouse- Restore sector light subject to sounding survey
  
• Haulbowline Lighthouse- Disestablish turning light
  
• Carlingford Buoy - Disestablish
  
• Hellyhunter Buoy - Increase range, establish AIS AtoN and reposition
  
• DZ East, Middle and West Buoys - Light buoys or discontinue
  
• St Johns Point Lighthouse - Reduction of range to 20nm if economically advantageous. Establish AIS AtoN.