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Displaying items by tag: Castle Island

Waterways Ireland advises all masters and users of the Erne System in Northern Ireland that the channel east of Castle Island in Enniskillen will be closed from this Wednesday 7 June to 30 September 2023.

This is for the creation of a water activity zone in the area, similar to that created last year. The designated area will be clearly marked by floating buoys.

Access to Castle Museum Jetty will be maintained when approaching from the north of Castle Island.

Mariners should use the navigation channel to the west of Castle Island and proceed at slow speed with minimum wash, adhering to any instructions or displayed signage.

Mariners should also be aware of small non-motorised craft also operating in the navigation, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and water users on the Erne System that emergency overhead line repair works are planned between Castle Island and the west shoreline on Saturday 25 March.

To enable the repair works to be completed, the navigation channel between Castle Island and the west shoreline of the River Erne will be temporarily closed on Saturday from 10am to 3pm.

Safety boats will be in place for the duration of the repair works. The navigation channel between Castle Island and the east shoreline will remain open.

The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways also warns that the Erne System is currently experiencing high water levels.

Masters of vessels and water users should proceed with additional caution and bear the following in mind when on the water during high-water conditions:

  • Air draft is reduced under all bridges and power lines.
  • Water velocity is significantly increased.
  • Access to jetties can be difficult as gangways and pontoons are elevated.
  • Navigation markers, pontoons and jetties may be submerged.
  • Mooring lines should checked regularly if it safe to do so.
Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises all masters and users of the Erne System that the channel east of Castle Island, Enniskillen will be closed from Monday 4 July to the end of September to create a water activity area.

The designated area will be clearly marked by floating buoys. Access to Castle Museum Jetty will be maintained when approaching from the north of Castle Island.

Mariners should use the navigation channel to the west of Castle Island and proceed at slow speed and with minimum wash adhering to any instructions or displayed signage. Mariners should be aware of small non-motorised craft also operating in the navigation.

Elsewhere in Northern Ireland, masters and users of the Lower Bann are advised that Carnroe Lock remains closed due to ongoing essential repair works.

“As we move towards completion of the remedial works, Waterways Ireland will further advise by means of a Marine Notice on a reopening date,” the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways said.

Updated Monday 4 July: A previous version of this article contained an incorrect link.

Published in Inland Waterways

#InlandWaterways - Waterways Ireland has advised all masters and users of the Erne system that the channel east of Castle Island near Enniskillen will be closed till Tuesday 11 June to facilitate a number of events on the water.

Mariners are directed to follow the marked navigation channel and signs to the west of Castle Island and proceed at a slow speed and with minimum wash. They should note any advise or instructions given by event organisers when in this section of the navigation.

Public jetties in the vicinity will remain accessible throughout, though some minor restrictions may be in place as and when required. Further information is available from the Lough Erne warden at 028 6632 3004.

Elsewhere, there will also be restricted mooring for masters and owners on the River Shannon at Carrick-on-Shannon to facilitate spectator viewing of the Carrick 400 event.

On Sunday 2 June the quay wall from the downstream face of the town bridge to the floating moorings will be out of bounds for mooring from 7pm till midnight.

In other waterways news, recent water quality testing has shown the harbour at Kilcock on the Royal Canal to now be within normal bathing water standards.

Published in Inland Waterways

Marine Institute Research Vessel Tom Crean

Ireland’s new marine research vessel will be named the RV Tom Crean after the renowned County Kerry seaman and explorer who undertook three major groundbreaking expeditions to the Antarctic in the early years of the 20th Century which sought to increase scientific knowledge and to explore unreached areas of the world, at that time.

Ireland's new multi-purpose marine research vessel RV Tom Crean, was delivered in July 2022 and will be used by the Marine Institute and other State agencies and universities to undertake fisheries research, oceanographic and environmental research, seabed mapping surveys; as well as maintaining and deploying weather buoys, observational infrastructure and Remotely Operated Vehicles.

The RV Tom Crean will also enable the Marine Institute to continue to lead and support high-quality scientific surveys that contribute to Ireland's position as a leader in marine science. The research vessel is a modern, multipurpose, silent vessel (designed to meet the stringent criteria of the ICES 209 noise standard for fisheries research), capable of operating in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Tom Crean is able to go to sea for at least 21 days at a time and is designed to operate in harsh sea conditions.

RV Tom Crean Specification Overview

  • Length Overall: 52.8 m
  • Beam 14m
  • Draft 5.2M 

Power

  • Main Propulsion Motor 2000 kw
  • Bow Thruster 780 kw
  • Tunnel thruster 400 kw

Other

  • Endurance  21 Days
  • Range of 8,000 nautical miles
  • DP1 Dynamic Positioning
  • Capacity for 3 x 20ft Containers

Irish Marine Research activities

The new state-of-the-art multi-purpose marine research vessel will carry out a wide range of marine research activities, including vital fisheries, climate change-related research, seabed mapping and oceanography.

The new 52.8-metre modern research vessel, which will replace the 31-metre RV Celtic Voyager, has been commissioned with funding provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine approved by the Government of Ireland.

According to Aodhán FitzGerald, Research Vessel Manager of the MI, the RV Tom Crean will feature an articulated boom crane aft (6t@ 10m, 3T@ 15m), located on the aft-gantry. This will be largely used for loading science equipment and net and equipment handling offshore.

Mounted at the stern is a 10T A-frame aft which can articulate through 170 degrees which are for deploying and recovering large science equipment such as a remotely operated vehicle (ROV’s), towed sleds and for fishing operations.

In addition the fitting of an 8 Ton starboard side T Frame for deploying grabs and corers to 4000m which is the same depth applicable to when the vessel is heaving but is compensated by a CTD system consisting of a winch and frame during such operations.

The vessel will have the regulation MOB boat on a dedicated davit and the facility to carry a 6.5m Rigid Inflatable tender on the port side.

Also at the aft deck is where the 'Holland 1' Work class ROV and the University of Limericks 'Etain' sub-Atlantic ROV will be positioned. In addition up to 3 x 20’ (TEU) containers can be carried.

The newbuild has been engineered to endure increasing harsher conditions and the punishing weather systems encountered in the North-East Atlantic where deployments of RV Tom Crean on surveys spent up to 21 days duration.

In addition, RV Tom Crean will be able to operate in an ultra silent-mode, which is crucial to meet the stringent criteria of the ICES 209 noise standard for fisheries research purposes.

The classification of the newbuild as been appointed to Lloyds and below is a list of the main capabilities and duties to be tasked by RV Tom Crean:

  • Oceanographic surveys, incl. CTD water sampling
  • Fishery research operations
  • Acoustic research operations
  • Environmental research and sampling operation incl. coring
  • ROV and AUV/ASV Surveys
  • Buoy/Mooring operations