#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from Waterways Ireland advises masters and owners of vessels of the inherent dangers posed by the wash of larger vessels on craft such as rowing craft and small open boats.

The very low freeboard, particularly of rowing craft, makes them susceptible to being swamped and capsized by a large wash.

Masters should be on the look-out for such vessel when navigating and reduce their vessel's wash well in advance of passing these craft and be mindful of any requests from safety boats accompanying rowers.

#MarineNotice - Marine Notice No 29 of 2014 calls on all ship managers, shipmasters, sailors, operators of fixed platforms and operators of non-SOLAS vessels to participate in the 2014 Marine Meteorological Monitoring Survey, which is available HERE.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) conducts the Marine Meteorological Monitoring Survey (MMMS) on a regular basis.

This is a tool to improve the level of meteorological support co-ordinated by the Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM), providing invaluable information to understand and reflect the needs and requirements of all marine communities in order to improve Marine Meteorological Information Services, as part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).

The survey will continue until 30 June 2014. Any questions or enquiries should be made directly to the WMO Marine Meteorology and Oceanography Programme by email to [email protected] and not to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises on proposals to complete the 2D seismic survey programme in the Atlantic waters of the Irish Designated Continental Shelf.

The planned start of the survey is mid-April 2014 and, weather permitting, will continue until mid-October 2014.

The programme will commence in the Porcupine Basin till early June and then progress to the Rockall Basin area.

The seismic acquisition will be carried out by the seismic vessel MV BGP Explorer (Call sign HP4919) and will be accompanied by guard/supply vessels MV Neptune 10 (Call sign ZDJQ8) and MV Neptune Mariner (Call sign ZDIW8).

The 2014 programme is proposed to complete the remaining 8,000km survey. The survey vessel BGP Explorer will tow a single solid 10km streamer and will travel at 4-5 knots with the streamer located approximately 10 metres below the water surface.

All vessels will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

All vessels, particularly those engaged in fishing, are requested to give the BGP Explorer, Neptune 10 and Neptune Mariner a wide berth and keep a sharp lookout in the relevant areas.

Details of the relevant survey area are included in Marine Notice No 28 of 2014, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) has been advised that dredging and disposal works will commence in Wicklow Harbour (52° 58.9’N, 006° 02.1’W) on Thursday 10 April 2014 and will continue for a period of approximately 10 weeks.

The work will include dredging of the harbour and disposal of the dredged material at a designated dumping site.

The disposal site will be positioned 1.5km north-east of the harbour’s east pier, and the disposing of the material will be carried out by the vessel Jenny T (Call sign EIMY6).

All vessels in this area should proceed with extreme caution, reduce speed to a minimum and keep a close lookout for obstructions in the vicinity of the works.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) declares that the latest suite of Admiralty Digital Publications from the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office satisfies the carriage requirements for nautical publications on Irish ships that go to sea.

Guidance on the approved digital format nautical publications, such as navigation charts, is included in Marine Notice No 26 of 2014, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advices that a hydrographic and geophysical survey operation will be undertaken by INFOMAR for the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) off the Clare coast and in Galway Bay between 16 April and 3 May 2014, following a similar survey ongoing in Donegal Bay.

The RV Celtic Voyager (Call sign EIQN) is expected to carry out survey operations within an area detailed in Marine Notice No 25 of 2014, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

The vessel will be towing a magnetometer sensor with a single cable of up to 100m in length, so all other vessels in the vicinity are requested to keep a wide berth. The vessel will display appropriate lights and markers, and will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

#MarineNotice - Marine Notice No 24 of 2014 advises that a hydrographic and geophysical survey operation will be carried out in Donegal Bay between 28 March and 3 April 2014 as part of the INFOMAR programme.

The RV Celtic Voyager (Call sign EIQN) is expected to carry out survey operations in an area bounded by the following co-ordinates:

NE Corner - Lat: 54° 37.545’N; Long: 08° 11.510’W
SW Corner - Lat: 54° 19.718’N; Long: 09° 29.418’W
NW Corner - Lat: 54° 41.909’N; Long: 09° 28.698’W
SE Corner - Lat: 54° 17.165’N; Long: 08° 50.486’W

The vessel will display appropriate lights and markers. The vessel will not be towing any instruments during this survey but will have limited manoeuvrability due to survey line constraints. The vessel will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

All mariners are reminded of their responsibilities under the International Collision Regulations and are reminded of Marine Notice No 17 of 2007, which gives general advice in relation to the activities of vessels engaged in survey work for hydrographic, seismic, fishing research and underwater operations.

The International Regulations for Prevention of Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) are implemented in Irish law by the Merchant Shipping (Collision Regulations) (Ships and Water Craft on the Water) Order 2012 [SI No 507 of 2012], and the Signals of Distress (Ships) Rules 2012 [SI No 170 of 2012]. These Statutory Instruments may be purchased by mail order from Government Publications, Office of Public Works, 52 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2 at 01 647 6834/1890 213 434 and are also available online at www.irishstatutebook.ie.

#MarineNotice - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) has been advised that Shell E&P Ireland Limited will be deploying a Waverider buoy in early-to-mid April in order to help predict sea conditions for the Corrib P6 well intervention work by the Ocean Guardian (Call Sign V7FF7).

The buoy size is 90cm in diameter, and will be deployed at the location (approximate, with 100m watch circle) 54° 20’N, 011° 05’W (WGS84), weather permitting. The water depth at this location is 360 metres. The Waverider buoy will remain on site for approximately three months.

The wave rider buoy is yellow in colour, and will flash yellow 5 times every 20 seconds. A photograph of what the buoy looks like in the water is included in Marine Notice 23 of 2014, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

All vessels are requested to give the wave buoy a wide berth.

#MarineNotice - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises that semi-submersible drilling rig Ocean Guardian (Call Sign V7FF7) will commence well intervention work for Shell E&P Ireland Limited on the Corrib Gas Field off the coast of Co Mayo around mid April 2014.

The rig is expected to be on location for a period of approximately 55 days, weather permitting. The vessel will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

Details of the planned position of the vessel for the wells are outlined in Marine Notice No 22 of 2014, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#radiosurveyor –The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport  is establishing a panel of radio surveyors for 2014 and the closing date for applications is in three weeks time.

Surveyors will carry out statutory radio surveys on Irish sea-going vessels including fishing vessels.

The Marine Survey Office (MSO) will select Surveyors and organisations for entry onto the panel. The panel will be established for a period of time of 3 years, subject to satisfactory performance. The MSO will monitor the performance of the Surveyors and organisations on the panel and this will include audits of the panel surveyor's activities, monitoring of survey reports submitted to the MSO and follow up by the MSO in relation to complaints or the receipt of incident reports concerning surveyed vessels.

The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is interested in appointing suitably qualified surveyors and organisations to a panel from which vessel owners may select a surveyor or company to survey their vessel for compliance with the relevant statutory provisions. The person commissioning the survey will cover the Surveyor's fees and to Surveying Irish sea-going vessels, within scope and unclassed, for compliance with the relevant Irish statutory radio requirements – as listed in the appendix

A copy of the request for applications document is included in the PDF to downad below.

Interested parties can access the tender information by visiting the eTenders Public

Procurement website at: http://etenders.gov.ie.

The closing date for applications is 15:00 on Friday 28th March

Irish Maritime Administration,

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport,

Leeson Lane, Dublin 2, Ireland.