Displaying items by tag: DB&DP

1st May 2012

End of an Era as Last of Old Dublin Port Towage Fleet Sold

#DUBLIN PORT TUGS SOLD – Ben Eadar becomes the final member of an older generation of tugs to be sold having belonged to the Dublin Port & Docks Board (DP&DB) which was later to become the Dublin Port Company, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 17-tonnes bollard pull (tbp) Ben Eadar (built 1973 / 198grt) was sold to ARPA & Co. of Setubal, Portugal, though ironically she may be towed to her new working grounds.

She was the oldest of the trio alongside her fleetmates Cluain Tarbh (1991/268grt) and Deilginis (1997/335grt).

They were eventually replaced when the first of a pair of newbuilds entered in 2009. The Deilginis therefore was the last tug commissioned by the DP&DB. In addition they were the last tugs named after Dublin Bay coastal suburbs spelt in Irish. Deilginis is a translation for Dalkey, Cluain Tarbh for Clontarf and Ben Eadar for Howth.

The 35tbp Cluain Tarbh was renamed Elliot in February after her transfer to new owners T.P. Towing in Gibraltar while the 37tbp Deilginis remains in Irish waters.

She made a delivery voyage several weeks ago to Killybegs to start a new career with Sinbad Marine Services. The newcomer replaces another Voith Schneider tug the Carron of 24tbp which was sold to the Forth Bridge Consortium.

With only 13,000 working hours clocked-up on Deilginis main Caterpillar engines, she is however to undergo an upgrade to install new piping and wheelhouse electronics amongst other alterations.

Currently the Deilginis is classified with Bureau Veritas and has a notation of coastal waters but Sinbad intend to upgrade this to Limited European Area (LEA) waters so to increase a greater operational role.

She joins the multi-purpose Sinbad fleet which provide coastal towage, berthing assistance, oil spill recovery, fire fighting and dredging assistance.

Published in Dublin Port

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Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.