Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Galway Harbour News

#VESSEL VOLVO VILLAGEAs previously reported the ocean going heavy-lift container cargoship Deo Volente (2007/2,999grt) which is carrying the spectacular Volvo Ocean Race 'pop-up' spectator village from Lisbon is en-route off the Clare coast and is due to dock in Galway Docks this afternoon, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The high-tech village which is assembled from 70 crates and is one of two such villages which have accompanied the race across the globe is in the holds of the 105m long Dutch owned vessel. When Deo Volente enters through the dock she is to berth at Dún Aengus Dock North.

According to Capt. Brian Sheridan, Harbourmaster of the Galway Harbour Company, the containership is the first the port has ever had to handle and the unloading is part of "the unfolding jigsaw that is the Volvo Ocean Race".

The unloading process will create huge excitement as the village emerges from its containers and transforms the dockside into a gigantic sports and entertainment arena.

Deo Volente is operated by Hartman Seatrade, which they classify as a mini heavy-lift vessel. She is capable of carrying vessels as deck-cargo, unusual sized cargo as well as 236 TEU containers. On board are two 120 mt (metric tonnes) cranes, built by Liebherr which are mounted on the starboard side. Using both cranes the loading gear can handle a maximum tandem total weight of 240 mt.

The appearance of such a vessel will no doubt bring back memories to many Galwegians when in 2011 there was the saga of attempting to load two former Aran Islands fast-ferry sisters bound for new owners in Mauritius.

Albeit on this occasion of the impending Volvo Ocean Race, the process of unloading the pop-up village is far more conventional in the form of containers, though what is required is the 60 specialist construction workers involved in the task of assembling the village. The vessel is to stay in port overnight and scheduled to depart tomorrow afternoon.

As for last year's protracted loading of the fast-ferries, it was heavy-lift ship Thor Gitta (4,078grt) that stepped in after another similar vessel, Pantanal (7,837grt) ran aground in Rossaveal on 31 March. It was from the joint fishing and ferry port, where the ferries were originally due to be loaded.

Instead the ferries had to transfer to Galway Harbour where the vessel eventually departed nearly a month later on the 8,300 mile delivery voyage to the Indian Ocean.

Published in Galway Harbour

#GALWAY HARBOUR - The redevelopment of Galway Port was discussed during the Taoiseach's recent visit to China. It was one of a number of key infrastructure projects that could benefit from a deal that was signed by An Taoiseach to allow Chinese investment in Irish assets.

In an agreement signed in Beijing by Enda Kenny and Chinese premier Wen Jiabao, it will facilitate engagement by the National Treasury Management Agency (MTMA) with China's sovereign wealth fund in relation to possible investment in Ireland.

Redevelopment plans for the port are set to be lodged with An Bord Pleanála in August. For more on the story Galway News.ie reports.

Published in Galway Harbour

#CRUISE LINERS- Galway Harbour can look forward to welcoming nine cruise calls to the mid-west port this year, with the first visitor being Arion which is scheduled to arrive in Galway Bay during late May, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Arion harks back to an era of the more classically designed ships with graceful sweeping lines. The 5,888 tonnes veteran vessel was launched in 1965 at Pula, in Croatia, as Istra and later in her career she underwent a major reconstruction in a Lisbon shipyard during 2000.

Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) will be sending their Marco Polo, another classic veteran, in July as part of a 12 night 'Emerald Isle' discovery cruise departing Tilbury, with en-route calls to Cobh and Glengariff the previous day.

For a full listing of the cruise-calls schedule click HERE.

Published in Cruise Liners

#GALWAY HARBOUR- A proposed €200m outer deepwater port will have to be withdrawn due to a failure by Galway Harbour Company to secure necessary approvals for preliminary investigations, according to a report in yesterday's Irish Times.

The ambitious plan, which intended to build following the success of the stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2009 (and to return next July), was due to have been submitted directly to the planning appeals board some months ago under the Strategic Infrastructure Act.

However, the harbour company was advised that site investigation works for the application were conducted without first securing full approval for a foreshore licence from the Department of the Environment.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is said to have been informed of the setback, which is expected to delay submission of a planning application to An Bord Pleanála until the mid-2012.

The development proposed transferring port operations outside from the existing single-dock facility (click HERE) south into Galway Bay, where reclaimed land in deeper waters would accommodate larger cruise-ships (click HERE) in addition a freight rail-link and a 200-berth marina.

Published in Galway Harbour
Galwegian members of Team Ireland who participated at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games are guests today of a celebratory reception on board the navy's flagship L.E. Eithne (P31) which is berthed in Galway Harbour's Dun Aengus Dock, writes Jehan Ashmore.
In recognition of the achievements of the Special Olympics athletes in Athens, Gary Cunningham, Oranmore; Ruairi O'Toole, Spiddal; John Loughnane, Ballinasloe; Jonathon Griffin, Ballinasloe; Denise Flattery, Briarhill; Linda Cannon, Athenry; Emma Finneran, Christine Kelly and Fionnuala Treacy from Ballinasloe will be guests of honour at the reception.

The world games which were held during June and July saw over 7,500 athletes from 185 countries participate in the Greek capital. Team Ireland in total brought home 107 medals, with athletes from Galway securing 11 medals and a number of ribbons in a variety of sports.

Speaking about the reception, Regional Director Myra Merrick said: "We are honoured to have the Naval Service docking in Galway especially for the function. The athletes deserve a warm reception and recognition for their wonderful success. It's a huge achievement in itself to participate at World Games level, let alone bring back a medal".

"The event presents an exceptional opportunity for the public to extend congratulations to our local sporting heroes, explore the Defence Forces vessel and meet the officers" she added.

The 1984 built /1,910 tonnes 'helicopter patrol vessel' and her seven fleetmates are all each assigned to a particular charity. In the case of L.E. Eithne she is associated with Our Lady's for Sick Children, Crumlin in Dublin.

Published in Galway Harbour
Cruiseship passengers on board the Spirit of Adventure which anchored in Galway Bay today will have an opportunity of visiting the famous race course venue at Ballybrit, writes Jehan Ashmore.
At just under 10,000 tonnes Spirit of Adventure built in 1980 with a capacity for 352 passengers is the largest cruise-caller this season to make a call to the mid-west port. She had sailed overnight from Foynes and is due to depart later today bound for Kirkwall, Orkney Islands.

The vessel first visited Galway in 2009 but this call will be her last year operating under the Spirit of Adventure cruise banner. The company are to replace the vessel  next season with the Saga Pearl II which will be transferred from the parent company Saga Cruises and renamed Quest for Adventure.

Prior to the Spirit of Adventurer's call, the 226 passenger Le Diamant arrived from St. Malo last Friday. She became the first vessel to make a call to the 'City of the Tribes' on behalf of her French operators, Cie de Ponant. Her passengers were taken on tours of the city, Connemara and the Aillwee Caves in neighbouring Co. Clare. The vessel is due to return early next month.

With three cruise-calls this year the port is set to increase this figure to 7 in 2012 arising from the ports campaign over the last two years. Paul Carey, Chairman of the Harbour Company, said "We are beginning to see the fruits of this campaign and look forward to growing Galway's association with the return of the majestic passenger liners to Galway".

"The passenger liner The World has been confirmed for a two-day visit in August 2013 which is a great endorsement of Galway as a cruise destination".

The call by the world's first ocean-going luxury resort vessel will also be another first for Galway. Operators of the 43,524gt vessel, Residences at Sea have made previous Irish ports of call to include Dublin, for more on her to the capital last August click HERE.

Published in Cruise Liners
The Irish Skipper Expo 2011 will be held on the first weekend in March at the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill. An added attraction to the trade-only show will be the appearance of T.V.s 'The Deadliest Catch' star and acclaimed photographer Corey Arnold.
Last year the show drew over 5,000 fishermen and their families to over 100 exhibitor display stands. Again exhibitors will be selling a wide range of products over the two-day event which is to be held next month.

The exhibition times are Friday 4th March (10:00am - 5:30pm) and on Saturday 5th March the opening hours are repeated (10:00am - 5:30pm). For further information on the trade-only show Tel: (053) 74 954 8037 / 954 8935 or by clicking here

Published in Boating Fixtures
Page 3 of 3

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