Temporary measures are being put in place in relation to the validity of both seafarers’ documents and the survey and certification of Irish-registered ships impacted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Marine Notice No 14 of 2020 outlines measures and procedures to provide for a temporary extension to the valid of seafarer certificates in order to minimise as much as possible the impact of Covid-19 on the maritime and shipping sectors.

Meanwhile, Marine Notice No 15 of 2020 sets out temporary provisions for survey and certification of Irish ships, including a three-month extension on the validity of certificates where surveys are not possible due to personnel and travel restrictions.

Both Marine Notices are available to download below.

Hydrographic and geophysical survey operations will be undertaken by INFOMAR in the Celtic Sea and Atlantic Ocean between April and October this year, according to a recent Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Covering some 125,000 sq km of underwater territory, INFOMAR will produce integrated mapping products covering the physical, chemical and biological features of the seabed.

Both Marine Institute vessels, the RV Celtic Voyager (callsign EIQN) and RV Celtic Explorer (callsign EIGB), will be employed for these survey operations, towing a magnetometer sensor with a single cable of up to 200m in length and a Moving Vessel Profiler cable of variable length up to a maximum of 200m.

Geological Survey Ireland will also operate four vessels, the RV Keary (callsign EI-GO-9), RV Geo (callsign EI-DK-6), RV Mallet (callsign EI-SN-9) and RV Lir (call sign EI-HI-2).

All vessels will display appropriate lights and markers and will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the course of the survey.

Further details, including co-ordinates of the survey areas, are included in Marine Notice No 11 of 2020, a PDF of which is available to download below.

Geotechnical surveys will take place in Outer Dundalk Bay from 6 March 2020, according to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in Marine Notice No. 13 of 2020.

The survey will be completed using the “Geoquip Saentis” (Callsign: C6UM8) currently berthed in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

The work is necessary to provide geotechnical data to facilitate the development of the Oriel Windfarm.

The survey is expected to start on 6 March 2020 and is expected to be completed by 27 March 2020 but dates provided are weather dependant and therefore subject to change.

When the survey vessel is engaged in survey operations, it will be restricted in its ability to manoeuvre. Other vessels are requested to leave a wide berth. The vessel will be operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the survey works.

Download the full notice below.

The Mobility of Sediment Waves and Sand Banks in the Irish Sea (MOVE) Survey will be carried out from Tuesday 31 March until Monday 13 April in the south Irish Sea, according to the latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

This survey is being carried out in support of ongoing research at the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG).

The survey will be carried out by the RV Celtic Voyager (callsign: EQIN) using a variety of equipment and techniques, including ADCP, multibeam sonar and sediment sampling.

Work will be performed on a 24 hour schedule and the vessel will display appropriate lights and signals.

Details of all works entailed and the survey area are included in Marine Notice No 12 of 2020, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport advises that University College Dublin intends to deploy an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) sub-surface installation off the Aran Islands this Friday 28 February, weather permitting.

The deployment will occur around 0.6 nautical miles from Eeragh Lighthouse on Rock Island, off Inishmore, in a direction of 235°. The exact location co-ordinates are 53° 08' 34.437" N, 9° 52' 14.040" W.

The one-day deployment will be carried out by the MV Madelen (Callsign: EI4990). The vessel will display appropriate lights and signals.

Navigational warnings will be issued by radio when the marker buoy deployment takes place. Yellow, spherical marker buoys, 40cm in diameter, will be used. They will flash amber every five seconds.

For more information on this deployment visit www.highwave-project.eu

The first and second leg of 2020’s Irish Anglerfish and Megrim Survey will be carried out from next weekend off the West, South West and South Coasts of Ireland by the Marine Institute, in fulfilment of Ireland’s Common Fisheries Policy obligations.

As with previous years, IAMS 2020 — which will run from Sunday 23 February to Wednesday 18 March — is a demersal trawl survey consisting of approximately 110 otter trawls (60 minutes) in ICES areas 7b, 7c, 7g, 7h, 7j and 7k.

The survey will be conducted by the RV Celtic Explorer (Callsign: EIGB) which will be towing a Jackson demersal trawl during fishing operations and will display appropriate lights and signals.

Commercial fishing and other marine operators are requested to keep a three-nautical-mile radius area around the tow points (indicated below) clear of any gear or apparatus during the survey period outlined above.

Further details of the survey, including co-ordinates of the survey stations, are included in Marine Notice No 07 of 2020, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

The HSE has issued instructions for ships entering Irish ports regarding new protocol in relation to the ongoing Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection crisis.

Masters of vessels entering Irish ports are required to:

• Complete and submit a Maritime Declaration of Health, via the SafeSeasIreland portal, where:
  • A ship has called to China within the past 30 days, or 
  • Crew members or passengers have joined the ship having been in China within the past 14 days, or
  • There is suspected contact with the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), or
  • There is a suspected Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) case on-board

and

• Submit an updated Crew List and, in the case of passenger ships, a Passenger List, via SafeSeasIreland.

This information is required to be submitted whether or not there is a suspected case on-board.

Full details are included in Marine Notice No 06 of 2020, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

Waterways Ireland wishes to advise all masters of vessels and water users that the lock at Ardnacrusha power plant on the River Shannon will be closed for six weeks from Monday 20 January to Monday 2 March to facilitate essential maintenance works.

The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways apologises for any inconvenience caused and thanks all vessel owners for their co-operation.

Waterways Ireland marks the New Year with a Special Marine Notice providing general information for boaters and users of Ireland’s inland waterways.

Masters and owners are strongly recommended to check the Waterways Ireland website for general information about the waterways and in particular the Marine Notices section which gives current operational information about the individual navigations such as works in progress, passage restrictions and more.

This Special Marine Notice contains advice and information on water safety, registration of vessels, usage permits and lock passage, berthing details and mooring limits, events taking place on the waterways in 2020, and much more.

The full notice can be found on the Waterways Ireland website HERE.

New limits for Wexford Harbour will be set from next Wednesday 1 January, according to the latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Transport Minister Shane Ross has signed into law the Harbours Act 1996 (Limits of Wexford Harbour) Order 2019 - SI No 625 of 2019.

The statutory instrument defines the new seaward limit of Wexford town’s harbour as an imaginary line drawn from Raven Point to Rosslare Point, and the inward limit at the southern side of the Old Bridge on the River Slaney in Enniscorthy.

This change was made following consultations with Wexford County Council; the Marine Survey Office; Marine Planning-Foreshore Section of the Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government; Waterways Ireland; and Inland Waterways Association of Ireland.