What are the difficulties in using the marina in Grand Canal Dock for winter overhauls?
This is a fine facility and surely the Dublin based boaters on the inland waterways would suffer the long haul through Dublin in order to be able to do a re-fit in a great location

It seems they are going for the minimalist look in GCD.
There was a push to have a regatta there in September, with Optimists, Fevas, Fireflies, Kayaks, but it all fell through due to 'insurance reasons' a week beforehand from what I heard. What a crappy excuse.

We lost two challanging but sailable days for the Autumn League this year and the reason given was "we don't have cover to send people out in the ribs to lay the marks in that much wind". Insurance and liabilities seem to be becoming an ever increasing problem.

I wouldn't say 'problem', there's another insurance company out there that would be only too happy for the business I'm sure.

It's BS as the man says.

Absolutely. W.I. have been procrastinating for years. Typical Civil Service, and especially ex-Board-of-Works. No decision is better than any possibility of making the wrong decision. They claim to consult, but instead, impose rules, and occasionally changes on the users of the waterways.

I have an application in with the heritage council to recommission one of the graving docks in GCD, the purpose of which would be to encourage it use for maintenance and repair of boats. Part of my proposal is to provide hardstanding around the dock for storage and work there too. The drydock is a bit big for most vessels, so that would be mostly for floating repairs. Eventually, I would like to see a roofed facility to include new builds.