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Displaying items by tag: Port & Shipping

The Port of Cork CEO Brendan Keating has warned that investment in shipping infrastructure is key to offsetting the effects of Brexit in the southern region of the country.

As EchoLive reports, Mr Keating told the Construction Industry Federation Southern Construct conference that the Port, which had a €35.4 million turnover in 2018, will be hit by Brexit with decreased agricultural activity projected and a reduction of dry bulk goods being shipped and must adapt to new trends in international shipping.

“The region is highly dependent on international growth in the achievement of economic growth and highly dependent on international shipping,” Mr Keating said.

“We must continue to invest in port infrastructure,” he added.

For more click here from the newspaper.

Published in Port of Cork

#GALWAY HARBOUR - Plans for a €200 million deepwater port in Galway Harbour have been revived, according to The Irish Times, as harbour bosses seek to exercise a clause in the EU habitats directive.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, plans for the port were withdrawn after the failure of the Galway Harbour Company to secure the necessary approvals for preliminary site investigation works.

The original development proposed transferring port operations from the existing single-dock facility south into Galway Bay, where reclaimed land in deeper waters would accommodate larger cruise liners as well as a freight rail link and a 200-berth marina.

Galway Harbour Company chief executive Eamon Bradshaw said the company was now taking a new route after examining previous planning applications involving sensitive habitats.

He pointed out that under article 6.4 of the EU habitats directive, applications for projects classified under “imperative reasons for overriding public interest” allow developers to compensate for any infringement on senstive habitats by restoring an area of a similar size in a different location.

Bradshaw added that consultations are under way with An Bord Pleanála and other State agencies.

Published in Galway Harbour

#COASTAL CRUISING – The world's smallest 5-star luxury cruiseship, Hebridean Princess (1964/2,112grt) is nearing the end of a 7-night 'South from Cork' fly-cruise, visiting locations only along the south-west coastline, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Accommodating just 50 guests in opulent surroundings styled as a 'country house party atmosphere', Hebridean Princess is a far cry from her previous career as a humble ferry serving in the Scottish western isles.

On her Irish cruise, she has called so far to Schull, Bantry, Glengariff, Castletownbere, Slea Head near Dingle and Kinsale.

What makes this cruise itinerary unusual is that the area covered is confined to a region. Normally other operators visiting Ireland, asides those just calling to one or two city ports, would visit ports stretching along the western seaboard. Also different is that this fly-cruise departs and returns from the same Irish port.

The final night of the cruise will be spent on board the vessel tonight, with the ship moored at North Custom House Quay, beside the Port of Cork Company building in the heart of the city docklands.

Prices for the cruise operated by Hebridean Island Cruises started from £3,400 per person which includes two gala dinners and return scheduled flights from selected UK airports to Cork.

Hebridean Princess will remain in Cork until tomorrow when she begins a 9-nights 'Gaelic Explorer' cruise with calls to Kinsale, Dublin, Isle of Man and Northern Ireland before returning to home waters in Scotland.

Published in Cruise Liners

Dublin Bay Sailing Club Turkey Shoot Winter Series

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Turkey Shoot Series reached its 20th year in 2020.

The popular yacht series racing provides winter-racing for all the sailing clubs on the southside of Dublin Bay in the run-up to Christmas.

It regularly attracts a fleet of up to 70 boats of different shapes and sizes from all four yachts clubs at Dun Laoghaire: The National Yacht Club, The Royal St. George Yacht Club, The Royal Irish Yacht Club and the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as other clubs such as Sailing in Dublin. Typically the event is hosted by each club in rotation.

The series has a short, sharp format for racing that starts at approximately 10 am and concludes around noon. The event was the brainchild of former DBSC Commodore Fintan Cairns to give the club year-round racing on the Bay thanks to the arrival of the marina at Dun Laoghaire in 2001. Cairns, an IRC racer himself, continues to run the series each winter.

Typically, racing features separate starts for different cruiser-racers but in fact, any type of boat is allowed to participate, even those yachts that do not normally race are encouraged to do so.

Turkey Shoot results are calculated under a modified ECHO handicap system and there can be a fun aspect to some of the scoring in keeping with the Christmas spirit of the occasion.

As a result, the Turkey Shoot often receives entries from boats as large as Beneteau 50 footers and one designs as small as 20-foot flying Fifteens, all competing over the same course.

It also has legendary weekly prizegivings in the host waterfront yacht clubs immediately after racing. There are fun prizes and overall prizes based on series results.

Regular updates and DBSC Turkey Shoot Results are published on Afloat each week as the series progresses.

FAQs

Cruisers, cruising boats, one-designs and boats that do not normally race are very welcome. Boats range in size from ocean-going cruisers at 60 and 60 feet right down to small one-design keelboats such as 20-foot Flying Fifteens. A listing of boats for different starts is announced on Channel 74 before racing each week.

Each winter from the first Sunday in November until the last week before Christmas.

Usually no more than two hours. The racecourse time limit is 12.30 hours.

Between six and eight with one or two discards applied.

Racing is organised by Dublin Bay Sailing Club and the Series is rotated across different waterfront yacht clubs for the popular after race party and prizegiving. The waterfront clubs are National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC), Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC) and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC).

© Afloat 2020