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Displaying items by tag: Waterways Ireland

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on the Erne System that the 2024 Erne Boat Rally will be taking place from Friday 24 to Monday 27 May.

Boaters taking part with gather at Lisnaskea Boat Club on Friday evening for the Commodore’s Dinner and entertainment.

On Saturday morning (25 May), the rally will leave Lisnaskea Boat Club at 10.30am for an afternoon stop at the Round ‘O’ Jetty Enniskillen. All other boaters are advised that the outside front jetty section will be reserved for the rally boats.

At 4.30pm on Saturday the rally departs for an overnight stop at Lough Erne Yacht Club.

Then on Sunday (26 May), the boats will depart at 4pm for an overnight stop and entertainment at Rossharbour Resort.

On Monday morning (27 May). the rally will depart at 11am for a lunch stop at the Round ‘O’ and then move onwards to The Moorings restaurant for the prize-giving and closing entertainment.

The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says it thanks its customers for their cooperation in relation to this matter.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises that the Carlow Regatta rowing event will take place on Sunday 2 June on the Barrow Navigation.

Masters of vessels are requested to proceed with additional caution in the vicinity of the event and obey safety boat instructions.

The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says it thanks its customers for their cooperation in relation to this matter.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises users of the Royal Canal between Leixlip and Maynooth that cycleway upgrade works have recently restarted along this stretch of the canal in Co Kildare.

These works will require periodic closures of the canal towpaths in the area over the upcoming period. Signage giving more details of ongoing and upcoming closures will be erected at applicable sites along the route when appropriate.

Navigation passage will generally continue to be possible throughout works though some additional restrictions may apply, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Upgrade works recently commenced at the Dublin city end of the canal, between the North Strand and Phibsborough, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels on and users of the Barrow Navigation that Levitstown lifting bridge in Co Kildare is closed with immediate effect (as of Friday 17 May) to facilitate maintenance works.

It is anticipated that the bridge will be closed until Friday 24 May. The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says it will issue an update for boaters in due course.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels and users of the Shannon Navigation that that the Spencer Harbour public jetty and amenity area, and the areas of Lough Allen immediately upstream and downstream of the harbour, will be closed from Monday 20 to Friday 24 May due to planned site preparation works for the construction of the new slipway.

The cross-border body of Ireland’s inland waterways regrets any inconvenience that this may cause and thanks its customers for their cooperation in relation to this matter.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on the Barrow Navigation that events will be taking place on the waterway in Carlow town over the next two weekends.

The Kerala House Boat Race will take place this Sunday 19 May.

And the National Series for sprint distance swimming is scheduled for Sunday 26 May. This event will have 10 kayaks on the water for swimmers’ safety as well as a Civil Defence boat.

Masters of vessels are requested to proceed with additional caution in the vicinity of the events and obey all safety boat instructions, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels on the Grand Canal that the 14th Lock at Devonshire Bridge in Co Kildare has been closed with immediate effect.

Navigation through the lock is not possible at this time. Further notices in relation to this closure will be issued as required.

The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says it regrets any inconvenience that this may cause and thanks its customers for their cooperation in relation to this matter.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters and owners of vessels on the Shannon Navigation that water levels in all areas north of Lough Ree are now at Ordinary Summer Level.

Water levels on the Shannon Navigation south of Lough Ree are approaching Ordinary Summer Level.

Levels are expected to continue to lower in the coming weeks, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Masters of vessels, particularly those with deep drafts, are advised to navigate with additional caution and to remain within the navigation at all times.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels on the Grand Canal that the 30th Lock at Ballincloughin Bridge, west of Tullamore in Co Offaly, will be closed for maintenance from Monday 13 May to Saturday 18 May.

Navigation through the lock will not be possible during this time, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland wishes advises masters of vessels on and users of the Shannon Navigation that the Office of Public Works’ hydrometric section is holding a water flow measurement regatta next Wednesday 15 May.

The event will take place from 8am to 3pm for a distance of 200 metres from the floating pontoon located at the Red Bridge on the River Inny near Ballymahon in Co Longford.

Masters of Vessels and users of the Inny River are requested to proceed with additional caution during the event, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Published in Inland Waterways
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Dublin Bay 21s

An exciting new project to breathe life into six defunct 120-year-old Irish yachts that happen to be the oldest intact one-design keelboat class in the world has captured the imagination of sailors at Ireland's biggest sailing centre. The birthplace of the original Dublin Bay 21 class is getting ready to welcome home the six restored craft after 40 years thanks to an ambitious boat building project was completed on the Shannon Estuary that saved them from completely rotting away.

Dublin Bay 21 FAQs

The Dublin Bay 21 is a vintage one-design wooden yacht designed for sailing in Dublin Bay.

Seven were built between 1903 and 1906.

As of 2020, the yachts are 117 years old.

Alfred Mylne designed the seven yachts.

The total voting population in the Republic's inhabited islands is just over 2,600 people, according to the Department of Housing.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) commissioned the boat to encourage inexpensive one-design racing to recognise the success of the Water Wag one-design dinghy of 1887 and the Colleen keelboat class of 1897.

Estelle built by Hollwey, 1903; Garavogue built by Kelly, 1903; Innisfallen built by Hollwey, 1903.; Maureen built by Hollwey, 1903.; Oola built by Kelly, 1905; Naneen built by Clancy, 1905.

Overall length- 32'-6', Beam- 7'-6", Keel lead- 2 tons Sail area - 600sq.ft

The first race took place on 19 June 1903 in Dublin Bay.

They may be the oldest intact class of racing keelboat yacht in the world. Sailing together in a fleet, they are one of the loveliest sights to be seen on any sailing waters in the world, according to many Dublin Bay aficionados.

In 1964, some of the owners thought that the boats were outdated, and needed a new breath of fresh air. After extensive discussions between all the owners, the gaff rig and timber mast was abandoned in favour of a more fashionable Bermudan rig with an aluminium mast. Unfortunately, this rig put previously unseen loads on the hulls, resulting in some permanent damage.

The fleet was taken out of the water in 1986 after Hurricane Charlie ruined active Dublin Bay 21 fleet racing in August of that year. Two 21s sank in the storm, suffering the same fate as their sister ship Estelle four years earlier. The class then became defunct. In 1988, master shipwright Jack Tyrrell of Arklow inspected the fleet and considered the state of the hulls as vulnerable, describing them as 'still restorable even if some would need a virtual rebuild'. The fleet then lay rotting in a farmyard in Arklow until 2019 and the pioneering project of Dun Laoghaire sailors Fionan De Barra and Hal Sisk who decided to bring them back to their former glory.

Hurricane Charlie finally ruined active Dublin Bay 21 fleet racing in August 1986. Two 21s sank in the storm, suffering the same fate as a sister ship four years earlier; Estelle sank twice, once on her moorings and once in a near-tragic downwind capsize. Despite their collective salvage from the sea bed, the class decided the ancient boats should not be allowed suffer anymore. To avoid further deterioration and risk to the rare craft all seven 21s were put into storage in 1989 under the direction of the naval architect Jack Tyrrell at his yard in Arklow.

While two of the fleet, Garavogue and Geraldine sailed to their current home, the other five, in various states of disrepair, were carried the 50-odd miles to Arklow by road.

To revive the legendary Dublin Bay 21 class, the famous Mylne design of 1902-03. Hal Sisk and Fionan de Barra are developing ideas to retain the class's spirit while making the boats more appropriate to today's needs in Dun Laoghaire harbour, with its many other rival sailing attractions. The Dublin Bay 21-foot class's fate represents far more than the loss of a single class; it is bad news for the Bay's yachting heritage at large. Although Dún Laoghaire turned a blind eye to the plight of the oldest intact one-design keelboat fleet in the world for 30 years or more they are now fully restored.

The Dublin Bay 21 Restoration team includes Steve Morris, James Madigan, Hal Sisk, Fionan de Barra, Fintan Ryan and Dan Mill.

Retaining the pure Mylne-designed hull was essential, but the project has new laminated cold-moulded hulls which are being built inverted but will, when finished and upright, be fitted on the original ballast keels, thereby maintaining the boat’s continuity of existence, the presence of the true spirit of the ship.

It will be a gunter-rigged sloop. It was decided a simpler yet clearly vintage rig was needed for the time-constrained sailors of the 21st Century. So, far from bringing the original and almost-mythical gaff cutter rig with jackyard topsail back to life above a traditionally-constructed hull, the project is content to have an attractive gunter-rigged sloop – “American gaff” some would call it.

The first DB 21 to get the treatment was Naneen, originally built in 1905 by Clancy of Dun Laoghaire for T. Cosby Burrowes, a serial boat owner from Cavan.

On Dublin Bay. Dublin Bay Sailing Club granted a racing start for 2020 Tuesday evening racing starting in 2020, but it was deferred due to COVID-19.
Initially, two Dublin Bay 21s will race then three as the boat building project based in Kilrush on the Shannon Estuary completes the six-boat project.
The restored boats will be welcomed back to the Bay in a special DBSC gun salute from committee boat Mac Lir at the start of the season.
In a recollection for Afloat, well known Dun Laoghaire one-design sailor Roger Bannon said: "They were complete bitches of boats to sail, over-canvassed and fundamentally badly balanced. Their construction and design was also seriously flawed which meant that they constantly leaked and required endless expensive maintenance. They suffered from unbelievable lee helm which led to regular swamping's and indeed several sinkings.

©Afloat 2020