Hello and welcome aboard this week’s edition of your maritime programme Seascapes ..Hello and welcome aboard Seascapes your maritime programme This week we have a preview of the Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race out of Wicklow Sailing Club which is fast approaching you can ..........Scroll down the page to listen to the podcast ....................we meet Marine Biologist Dr Tim Butter on the issue of Dumping in Dublin Bay and the view taken by the Irish Underwater Council .....................Ron Coveney on his late dearly beloved grandfather and the tale of the Nelly Fleming which sailed out of Youghal.........Pierce Purcell of The Irish Sailing Association is in our Galway Studios from where he brings us news of a dinghy festival which is part of Dinghy West Regatta out of Galway Bay Sailing Club ....we have the results of our Seascapes competition for copies of Harding McGregor Dunnett’s “ Shackleton’s Boat – The Story of the James Caird” and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Respect the Water Campaign was launched this week ................first this week to the maritime town of Youghal where Ron Coveney remembers how his late grandfather Patrick Joseph Ahearn told the story to Noel Cronin on Community Radio Youghal and to Ron how he was the last to see the Nelly Fleming ..........
Ron Coveney who assembled the tale of The Nelly Fleming for Seascapes ....... those audio extracts of Ron’s late grandfather Patrick Joseph Ahearn in conversation with Noel Cronin were originally broadcast on Community Radio Youghal ........
Marine Notice No. 26 of 2016
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has received reports of vessels’ propellers becoming entangled in ropes of Marker Buoys used to indicate the position of pots used for fishing Lobster, Crab, or other fish or shellfish. This can occur because the length of rope used to fix Marker Buoys is too long, resulting in the line floating on or just below the surface.
The use of too long a line of rope can result in a situation where even vessels that have taken a wide berth around Marker Buoys could have their propellers fouled by the rope.
Fishers who carry out pot fishing (whether commercially or non-commercially) are reminded of their obligation to other users of the sea.
Furthermore, non-commercial pot fishers are reminded of the regulations recently made by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine covering such activity (S.I. No. 31 of 2016 Non-Commercial Pot Fishing (Lobster and Crab) Regulations 2016) which inter alia limits the numbers of pots permitted per boat to a maximum of six, and such pot fishing to the months of May to September.
Any mariners who spot any Marker Buoys/Ropes (or any other object) in the water which is deemed to represent a danger to navigation should communicate information on same to other vessels in the area and to the Irish Coast Guard, or to the local competent authority so that a hazard warning can be issued if appropriate, and any required follow-up action can be taken.
Dredging on the Burford Bank
Next here on Seascapes to Dublin Bay and the concerns being raised by the Irish Underwater Council about the spoil from dredging on the Burford Bank , they have no argument with the Dublin Port Company but question the methods of the Environmental Protection Agency ...... we talked to Marine Biologist and diver Dr Tim Butter about his early interest in the marine and what the concerns of the diving community are ....
Dr Tim Butter talking to Seascapes about the dredging of Dublin Bay , here on Seascapes next Friday we’ll be speaking with Eamonn O’Reilly , Chief Executive of Dublin Port Company in a wide ranging interview on the dredging operation , the newly opened Seafarers Centre and the Starboard Home concert in the National Concert Hall later this month.....
Dinghy Festival
So on to Galway and to Pierce Purcell – on the Dinghy Festival happening next month in Galway Bay Sailing Club and other activities on the Western seaboard....
Galway Bay Sailing club's specially set up website for information on theevent.www.dinghyfest.com as part of the Access and Participation Strategy of ISA this is part of the Try Sailing initiative to encourage bigger and better regional events encouraging sailors to travel and support their classes.
One of the next big events is a 1720 White Sails Try Sailing Challenge to be held as part of Cork Week. Many clubs are entering teams and encouraging at least one junior to be part of the crew. Royal Cork are training a team from a local company who up to a couple of weeks ago never sailed before as their representatives.
The 2016 Cork City Marathon took place last Bank Holiday Monday there was a 5 person relay team supporting the RNLI, Paula Mulcahy, Tom O'Connor, Olivia Wall, Jane Carbery and ouresteemed colleague John Lynch. ....bravo all for raising funds for the lifeboats....you can see their photo on the Seascapes webpage
RNLI
The RNLI this week launched its annual national drowning prevention campaign, Respect the Water, and this year the charity is warning the public to watch out for key dangers that can catch people out in or near water.
The campaign which will run throughout the summer months comes a week after the RNLI, the Coast Guard and Irish Water Safety issued a joint statement advising caution to those engaged in recreational activities in or near water during hot weather as the number of call outs rose sharply.
To our Seascapes competition which was for copies of The Story of the James Caird by Harding McGregor Dunnett courtesy of The Collins Press ...the winners who correctly ansewered that the whaling station was in Stromness are .....
David Bannister, Raheen , Limerick
Grace Tierney , Stamullen, Co Meath
Dave Atrill ,Little Oakley, Harwich
The World Ships Society
Next to the era of the Cold War with shades of the Hunt for Red October , we met up with Captain Dan Conley who was a guest of The World Ships Society , Cobh Branch and was a visitor to the Irish Naval base on Haulbowline where he gave an illustrated talk on his submarine exploits, we asked him about the reality of life below the waves and the legacy of Clare man John Philip Holland...........
Captain Dan Conley author of “Cold War Command “ and distinguished submariner who we met when he was a recent guest of the World Ships Society , Cobh Branch and gave a highly entertaining illustrated talk at the Naval Base in Haulbowline....
“ Cork and Irish rowing was shocked by the unexpected death of Paul ( Sindy ) McCarthy of Cork Boat Club. Involved in rowing all his life, Sindy, as he was known to all, won the 1987/88 Cork Sculling Ladder and the Men’s Intermediate Eight Championship of Ireland with Cork Boat Club in 1990.
In between, he competed with Clonmel Rowing Club at Henley Royal Regatta when they were short a few decent oarsmen.
Paul is survived by his wife Claire and daughter Fia. He will be missed by all. May he rest in peace.”
This year’s must-see summer exhibition, ‘Race to the End of the Earth’ from the American Museum of Natural History, will be on display at Titanic Belfast for the first time, from 25th June to 28th August.
“ Next week here on Seascapes , Eamonn O Reilly , Chief Executive of Dublin Port Company in a wide ranging interview talks to Seascapes about “ Starboard Home” – the premiere of which takes place on Wednesday 22nd June in The National Concert Hall and the daily work of this country’s busiest port , we’ll meet some of the Sail trainees who crewed on the visiting “Morgenster “ as part of Sail Training Ireland’s Summer programme....,we visit the newly opened “ Seafarers Centre on Alexandra Road in Dublin Port where we met Ships Visitor ,Dermot Desmond of The Mission to Seafarers in a magnificent facility that they share with Stella Maris....funded and built by the Dublin Port Company and with a major contribution from the International Transport Federation – the seamen’s union ...all that and much more here on Seascapes , until next Friday night , tight lines and fair sailing .”
Record 65 yachts to arrive in Wicklow Town for 2016 Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race
On Saturday 18th June, the epic Volvo Round Ireland departs Wicklow Bay… this is one of the biggest and most gruelling off-shore challenges in the world attracting entrants from all 5 continents.
This is the biggest ever race since the race was founded in 1980 with a record 65 entrants starting to arrive next week (that compares with just 36 entries over the last two sailings of the race).
Some of the biggest and fastest will take part in this year’s race, including the UK’s fastest off-shore yacht – the spectacular Mod 70 Concise Ten.
Meanwhile renowned US sailor, Lloyd Thornburg will be bringing his MOD 70 Phaedo 3 to Wicklow following an incredibly successful run of world records and regatta wins. The world-famous superfast multihull, capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots, has already set multiple speed records on the international circuit.
In a major nod towards the prestige of the Volvo Round Ireland, the Sultanate of Oman is sending their flagship trimaran, the magnificent Mod 70 Musandam-Oman Sail, to compete in this year’s race.
They will be joined by yachts of all sizes including small two-handers with family crews. As the race is all on handicap, the tiny boats have just as much of a chance of winning as the super yachts.
Marcus Connaughton
