Ballacash Bank facts for kids
The Ballacash Bank is a special kind of underwater hill made of sand. It's located northeast of a place called the Point of Ayre, which is on the Isle of Man.
What is the Ballacash Bank?
Strong ocean currents near the Point of Ayre have slowly built up many sandbanks over thousands of years. These sandbanks can be dangerous for boats, especially when the weather is bad and waves crash over them. The Ballacash Bank itself stretches about 3 miles (4.8 km) to the east-south-east. It starts about 3.7 miles (6 km) northeast of the Point of Ayre. This sandbank has steep sides and its shallowest point is only about 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) deep.
How Do Sailors Know About It?
Sailors use special maps called maritime charts to find their way on the water. The Ballacash Bank is clearly marked on these charts. To help boats avoid it, there's a special floating marker called a buoy. This buoy is yellow with a black stripe and has a light that flashes nine times quickly every 10 seconds. This tells sailors that the sandbank is to the west of the buoy.
Other Sandbanks Nearby
The Ballacash Bank is not the only sandbank in this area. There are other important ones that sailors need to know about, such as the Bahama Bank, the King William Banks, the Strunakill Bank, and the Whitestone Bank. These underwater features are all formed by the powerful ocean currents.
