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Displaying items by tag: Crosshaven

Crosshaven Coastguard has installed a new drive-up pontoon for its RIB rescue boat in Cork Harbour

The floating pontoon, that has been installed at the Royal Cork Yacht Club marina gives the local Coastguard unit a much safer and quicker response time.

The Coastguard says on social media that the pontoon will save launch time and the dangers of crossing a busy main road because 'the boat is already on the water but not in the water!" 

Crosshaven Coastguard's new new drive-up pontoon berth for its rescue RIBCrosshaven Coastguard's new new drive-up pontoon berth for its rescue RIB Photo: Bob Bateman

Published in Coastguard
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The Irish Coast Guard has shared video of a drone-assisted rescue in Cork Harbour which it says illustrates the increasing importance of new technology in emergency responses.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Crosshaven RNLI rescued a woman who was cut off by the tide at White Bay on Tuesday evening (11 October).

The lifeboat crew were able to quickly reach the casualty as they were guided by the drone launched by Guillen Coast Guard Unit, the IRCG says.

Lights on the drone were also used to illuminate the area as the volunteers recovered the casualty, Guillen Coast Guard adds.

The IRCG says this was one of two rescues in recent days — the other in Clogherhead, Co Louth — where unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) “successfully and quickly located casualties in dangerous and inaccessible locations requiring extraction by either boat or helicopter”.

Published in Coastguard

Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat Pagers were activated at 6.25 pm on Tuesday evening (11 October) to attend to a person cut off by the tide at White Bay, Cork Harbour.

The high tide was fast approaching and the casualty was soaked by the incoming waves.

The lifeboat under the command of Alan Venner, with Claire Morgan, Jonny Bermingham and James Fegan arrived on scene shortly before dusk.

In what was a challenging rescue, the crew had to anchor the lifeboat and veer down into a rock-strewn gulley whilst being buffeted by 3 to 4-foot waves.

Jonny Bermingham, and Alan Venner went ashore to help the very cold patient onto the lifeboat. As the casualty was showing signs of hypothermia, an ambulance met the lifeboat at the station and the casualty was handed into the care of the National Ambulance Service.

Guileen Coast Guard unit was also tasked and provided much-needed illumination of the area from the cliff tops. Lifeboat Doctor, Dr John Murphy also attended the casualty at the station.

Shore Crew: Jon Meany, Jakub Bednarsky, Aisling Ryan, Jen Grey and Hugh Tully DLA.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

The Lifeboat Lunch, a fundraising event which will see proceeds raised go to Crosshaven RNLI in Cork Harbour, will take place next month as the station prepares to mark 22 years of saving lives at sea.

Tickets for the lunch which will take place in the Carrigaline Court Hotel at 12 noon on Friday 11 November and will include a three-course meal, are now on sale, priced €85.

KC from Cork’s 96FM will MC the lunch and music will be provided by the Loungeman.

Speaking ahead of the event, Annamarie Fagan, Crosshaven RNLI Fundraising Chairperson, said: ‘Crosshaven RNLI celebrated its 20th anniversary during the pandemic but unfortunately, due to restrictions at the time, we couldn’t mark the occasion. Now two years on and in 2022 as we mark 22 years of saving lives at sea, we are delighted through this lunch that we are finally able to celebrate a wonderful lifesaving milestone while raising much-needed funds.

‘Last year, Crosshaven RNLI launched its inshore lifeboat 32 times with our volunteer crew bringing 54 people to safety. That is a great achievement for the station team, who selflessly dedicate so much time to training and responding to call-outs. Proceeds raised from the sale of tickets and the raffle for the lunch will ensure the crew are provided with the best of kit and equipment so they can continue to save lives at sea.’

Tickets for the event sponsored by Astra Construction can be booked through Eventbrite by clicking thelifeboatlunchcrosshaven.eventbrite or by emailing [email protected]

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Valentia Coast Guard activated the pagers at 9.28 pm on Saturday, 17 Sept, requesting the Crosshaven RNLI crew in Cork Harbour to attend to a disabled 22’ powerboat with two adults and two children on board in Lough Mahon close to the R8 buoy.

The vessel had anchored clear of the shipping channel and requested assistance from the Coast Guard.

The volunteer crew of Ian Venner, Norman Jackson, Jonny Bermingham and David Venner were underway by 9.40 pm and arrived at the casualty vessel at 10.15 pm.

A tow was established and the casualty vessel was safely berthed at Monkstown Marina before the lifeboat returned to Crosshaven to be washed down, refuelled and declared ready for service once more at 12.15 am.

Helm, Ian Venner commented, "whilst conditions were calm, the night temperature was very cold on the water, and it was important to get the occupants ashore as quickly as possible.”

Shore Crew were Kevin McCarthy and Patsy Fegan.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
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Two back-to-back shouts on Thursday evening (4 August) for the volunteers of Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat in Cork Harbour.

The first tasking came at 4.15 pm and the crew launched to a report of a ‘raft” with persons onboard drifting between Spike Island and the Whitegate oil refinery.

The crew of Warren Forbes, Norman Jackson, Claire Morgan and Derek Moynan made best speed to the area before conducting a sector search of the area. After a period searching with nothing found, the Coast Guard stood down the lifeboat to return to station. The call was deemed a false alarm with good intent.

30 minutes after putting the lifeboat “to bed”, Valentia Coast Guard once again activated the pagers at 6.20pm to proceed to an angling boat with 4 adults and 2 children on board in the Graball Bay area of The Sound.

The track of  the busy Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat in Cork HarbourThe track of the busy Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat in Cork Harbour

An adult male on the vessel was having a medical episode. The lifeboat crew of Alan Venner, Jonny Bermingham and Claire Morgan were soon alongside. Claire transferred to the casualty vessel and administered casualty care whilst both vessels proceeded to Crosshaven where the casualty was handed into the care of the National Ambulance Service.

Shore crew on these taskings were, Hugh Mockler, Aidan O’Connor, Warren Forbes, Jon Meany, Jonny Bermingham and Michael McCann (DLA).

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Shortly after launching on exercise this evening, Valentia Coast Guard tasked the volunteer RNLI crew at 7.15 pm to proceed to Ringabella Bay, where two people who had been cut off by the tide attempted to swim across the bay to Fountainstown and one of the casualties found themselves in difficulty.

Local kayakers raised the alarm by VHF with the Coast Guard who tasked the Crosshaven lifeboat to attend.

Meanwhile, the rescue rib from a local Adventure Centre overheard the VHF transmissions, responded immediately and took the casualty from the water.

On scene, the Lifeboat crew talked to the casualty and confirmed that she was medically fit and required no further assistance, before the Rescue rib dropped the casualty back to Fountainstown beach. The second
the casualty had made their own way ashore.

The lifeboat crew were stood down and continued with their exercise.

Helm, James Fegan commented, “Members of the public need to be aware of the times of high and low water before crossing sandbanks and if they do get cut off by the tide to dial 999/112 and ask for the Coast Guard.
Stay High, Stay Dry and Stay Put until the rescue services attend” James also offered his thanks to the crew of Funkytown for responding so rapidly to what could have been a serious incident.

Crosshaven Coast Guard unit was also tasked.

Crew: James Fegan, Warren Forbes, Jonny Bermingham and Norman Jackson. Shore Crew; Suzanne Deane, Wojtec Solinsky and DLA Micheal McCann.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
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On Saturday afternoon, 14 May, while on exercise in Cork Harbour, Crosshaven RNLI volunteers were tasked by the Coast Guard to a 32’ yacht with suspected electrical fire on board and mechanical difficulties.

The lifeboat with David Venner, Clare Morgan, Warren Forbes and Ian Venner on board made best speed to the casualty which had two people on board and was in a position off the Whitegate oil refinery jetty.

Forbes and Morgan boarded the vessel and checked the fire was extinguished, brought the sails under control and set up a tow to the Royal Cork Yacht Club marina at Crosshaven.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
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Proof of the continuing resurgence of the 1720 sportsboat class was evident in Crosshaven in Cork Harbour at the weekend with the arrival - and naming of - another addition to the Royal Cork fleet.  

Given the number at the "Europeans Championships" in Dunmore East in September, where numbers were just under 30 boats, the 2022 season already looks sure to be a highlight of July's Cork Week Regatta when the club's design will take centre stage. 

It's obvious there's been some TLC that went into this lovely new addition, her silver-grey topsides looking every inch the perfect finish!

1720 'Breaking Bad' - silver grey topsides1720 'Breaking Bad' - silver grey topsides

As to the identity of the skipper of Breaking Bad, there's no confirmation from Crosshaven yet, but insiders say a Laser National Champion may take the helm.

Published in 1720

RNLI Lifeboat volunteers received a page from Valentia Coast Guard at 12.37 this afternoon to attend a boat fire and person in the water at a mooring near the Point Slipway in Cork Harbour.

As the crew were assembling and making ready to launch, A Royal Cork Yacht Club RIB arrived at the station with the casualty from the water who had serious burns.

The RNLI casualty care crew of Jenna O’Shea, Claire Morgan, Caoimhe Foster, Warren Forbes and James Fegan brought the casualty into the station and treated his injuries along with Crosshaven Coast Guard first responders.

Meanwhile, the yacht Club RIB had returned for a second casualty, who had minor burns and possible smoke inhalation and also brought him back to the station for medical aid.

Both casualties were transported to CUH by two HSE ambulance.

The incident was attended by Crosshaven Fire Brigade, HSE Ambulance Service, Crosshaven Coast Guard, The Port of Cork, a private RIB and the Royal Cork Yacht Club safety RIB which acted immediately they saw the incident, recovered the casualty from the water and brought him immediately to the Lifeboat Station for Casualty care. 

This incident was the fourth tasking in two days for Crosshaven RNLI.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
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Ireland's Offshore Renewable Energy

Because of Ireland's location at the Atlantic edge of the EU, it has more offshore energy potential than most other countries in Europe. The conditions are suitable for the development of the full range of current offshore renewable energy technologies.

Offshore Renewable Energy FAQs

Offshore renewable energy draws on the natural energy provided by wind, wave and tide to convert it into electricity for industry and domestic consumption.

Offshore wind is the most advanced technology, using fixed wind turbines in coastal areas, while floating wind is a developing technology more suited to deeper water. In 2018, offshore wind provided a tiny fraction of global electricity supply, but it is set to expand strongly in the coming decades into a USD 1 trillion business, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). It says that turbines are growing in size and in power capacity, which in turn is "delivering major performance and cost improvements for offshore wind farms".

The global offshore wind market grew nearly 30% per year between 2010 and 2018, according to the IEA, due to rapid technology improvements, It calculated that about 150 new offshore wind projects are in active development around the world. Europe in particular has fostered the technology's development, led by Britain, Germany and Denmark, but China added more capacity than any other country in 2018.

A report for the Irish Wind Energy Assocation (IWEA) by the Carbon Trust – a British government-backed limited company established to accelerate Britain's move to a low carbon economy - says there are currently 14 fixed-bottom wind energy projects, four floating wind projects and one project that has yet to choose a technology at some stage of development in Irish waters. Some of these projects are aiming to build before 2030 to contribute to the 5GW target set by the Irish government, and others are expected to build after 2030. These projects have to secure planning permission, obtain a grid connection and also be successful in a competitive auction in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS).

The electricity generated by each turbine is collected by an offshore electricity substation located within the wind farm. Seabed cables connect the offshore substation to an onshore substation on the coast. These cables transport the electricity to land from where it will be used to power homes, farms and businesses around Ireland. The offshore developer works with EirGrid, which operates the national grid, to identify how best to do this and where exactly on the grid the project should connect.

The new Marine Planning and Development Management Bill will create a new streamlined system for planning permission for activity or infrastructure in Irish waters or on the seabed, including offshore wind farms. It is due to be published before the end of 2020 and enacted in 2021.

There are a number of companies aiming to develop offshore wind energy off the Irish coast and some of the larger ones would be ESB, SSE Renewables, Energia, Statkraft and RWE.

There are a number of companies aiming to develop offshore wind energy off the Irish coast and some of the larger ones would be ESB, SSE Renewables, Energia, Statkraft and RWE. Is there scope for community involvement in offshore wind? The IWEA says that from the early stages of a project, the wind farm developer "should be engaging with the local community to inform them about the project, answer their questions and listen to their concerns". It says this provides the community with "the opportunity to work with the developer to help shape the final layout and design of the project". Listening to fishing industry concerns, and how fishermen may be affected by survey works, construction and eventual operation of a project is "of particular concern to developers", the IWEA says. It says there will also be a community benefit fund put in place for each project. It says the final details of this will be addressed in the design of the RESS (see below) for offshore wind but it has the potential to be "tens of millions of euro over the 15 years of the RESS contract". The Government is also considering the possibility that communities will be enabled to invest in offshore wind farms though there is "no clarity yet on how this would work", the IWEA says.

Based on current plans, it would amount to around 12 GW of offshore wind energy. However, the IWEA points out that is unlikely that all of the projects planned will be completed. The industry says there is even more significant potential for floating offshore wind off Ireland's west coast and the Programme for Government contains a commitment to develop a long-term plan for at least 30 GW of floating offshore wind in our deeper waters.

There are many different models of turbines. The larger a turbine, the more efficient it is in producing electricity at a good price. In choosing a turbine model the developer will be conscious of this ,but also has to be aware the impact of the turbine on the environment, marine life, biodiversity and visual impact. As a broad rule an offshore wind turbine will have a tip-height of between 165m and 215m tall. However, turbine technology is evolving at a rapid rate with larger more efficient turbines anticipated on the market in the coming years.

 

The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme is designed to support the development of renewable energy projects in Ireland. Under the scheme wind farms and solar farms compete against each other in an auction with the projects which offer power at the lowest price awarded contracts. These contracts provide them with a guaranteed price for their power for 15 years. If they obtain a better price for their electricity on the wholesale market they must return the difference to the consumer.

Yes. The first auction for offshore renewable energy projects is expected to take place in late 2021.

Cost is one difference, and technology is another. Floating wind farm technology is relatively new, but allows use of deeper water. Ireland's 50-metre contour line is the limit for traditional bottom-fixed wind farms, and it is also very close to population centres, which makes visibility of large turbines an issue - hence the attraction of floating structures Do offshore wind farms pose a navigational hazard to shipping? Inshore fishermen do have valid concerns. One of the first steps in identifying a site as a potential location for an offshore wind farm is to identify and assess the level of existing marine activity in the area and this particularly includes shipping. The National Marine Planning Framework aims to create, for the first time, a plan to balance the various kinds of offshore activity with the protection of the Irish marine environment. This is expected to be published before the end of 2020, and will set out clearly where is suitable for offshore renewable energy development and where it is not - due, for example, to shipping movements and safe navigation.

YEnvironmental organisations are concerned about the impact of turbines on bird populations, particularly migrating birds. A Danish scientific study published in 2019 found evidence that larger birds were tending to avoid turbine blades, but said it didn't have sufficient evidence for smaller birds – and cautioned that the cumulative effect of farms could still have an impact on bird movements. A full environmental impact assessment has to be carried out before a developer can apply for planning permission to develop an offshore wind farm. This would include desk-based studies as well as extensive surveys of the population and movements of birds and marine mammals, as well as fish and seabed habitats. If a potential environmental impact is identified the developer must, as part of the planning application, show how the project will be designed in such a way as to avoid the impact or to mitigate against it.

A typical 500 MW offshore wind farm would require an operations and maintenance base which would be on the nearby coast. Such a project would generally create between 80-100 fulltime jobs, according to the IWEA. There would also be a substantial increase to in-direct employment and associated socio-economic benefit to the surrounding area where the operation and maintenance hub is located.

The recent Carbon Trust report for the IWEA, entitled Harnessing our potential, identified significant skills shortages for offshore wind in Ireland across the areas of engineering financial services and logistics. The IWEA says that as Ireland is a relatively new entrant to the offshore wind market, there are "opportunities to develop and implement strategies to address the skills shortages for delivering offshore wind and for Ireland to be a net exporter of human capital and skills to the highly competitive global offshore wind supply chain". Offshore wind requires a diverse workforce with jobs in both transferable (for example from the oil and gas sector) and specialist disciplines across apprenticeships and higher education. IWEA have a training network called the Green Tech Skillnet that facilitates training and networking opportunities in the renewable energy sector.

It is expected that developing the 3.5 GW of offshore wind energy identified in the Government's Climate Action Plan would create around 2,500 jobs in construction and development and around 700 permanent operations and maintenance jobs. The Programme for Government published in 2020 has an enhanced target of 5 GW of offshore wind which would create even more employment. The industry says that in the initial stages, the development of offshore wind energy would create employment in conducting environmental surveys, community engagement and development applications for planning. As a site moves to construction, people with backgrounds in various types of engineering, marine construction and marine transport would be recruited. Once the site is up and running , a project requires a team of turbine technicians, engineers and administrators to ensure the wind farm is fully and properly maintained, as well as crew for the crew transfer vessels transporting workers from shore to the turbines.

The IEA says that today's offshore wind market "doesn't even come close to tapping the full potential – with high-quality resources available in most major markets". It estimates that offshore wind has the potential to generate more than 420 000 Terawatt hours per year (TWh/yr) worldwide – as in more than 18 times the current global electricity demand. One Terawatt is 114 megawatts, and to put it in context, Scotland it has a population a little over 5 million and requires 25 TWh/yr of electrical energy.

Not as advanced as wind, with anchoring a big challenge – given that the most effective wave energy has to be in the most energetic locations, such as the Irish west coast. Britain, Ireland and Portugal are regarded as most advanced in developing wave energy technology. The prize is significant, the industry says, as there are forecasts that varying between 4000TWh/yr to 29500TWh/yr. Europe consumes around 3000TWh/year.

The industry has two main umbrella organisations – the Irish Wind Energy Association, which represents both onshore and offshore wind, and the Marine Renewables Industry Association, which focuses on all types of renewable in the marine environment.

©Afloat 2020