Displaying items by tag: HNMLS Walrus

2nd February 2018

Dutch Stealth Submarine Heads Upriver to Dock In Cork City-Centre

#NavyVisits - HNLMS Walrus which is one of the world's most sophisticated submarines arrived in Cork City yesterday for a courtesy visit this weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The non-nuclear powered submarine is the leadship of the 'Walrus' class which was commissioned in 1992 for the Royal Netherlands Navy. In total there are four of the class and they are the only submarines of the Dutch Navy but play a pivotal role in operations.

HNLMS Walrus entered Cork Harbour in the afternoon. From within the expanse of the lower harbour, the 68m submarine navigated further upriver through Lough Mahon before making the final leg to the city's central quays.

According to the Dutch Embassy the visit to Cork is for the purpose of crew rest. Embarkation of the 50 submariners is from J.J. Horgan's Wharf on the north bank of the River Lee.

On this occasion, the Dutch Navy will not be on training exercises as previously conducted by a pait of fleetmates, albeit surface ships that visited Dublin last month. This involved a Landing Platform Dock (LPD) amphibious warfare ship and a frigate that took part in exercises off the east coast with the Irish Naval Service OPV L.É. William Butler Yeats.

The diesel-electric powered HNLMS Walrus has 4 torpedo tubes incorporated within the stealth designed submarine. Such technology is to make it more difficult to be detected by ships, aircraft or other submarines when deep under the ocean waves.

At 2,650 tonnes displacement (when submerged) HNLMS Walrus can remain under the water surface for long periods to enable missions. On overseas deployments, this can include patrolls in the Caribbean Sea with calls to Williamstad, the capital of Netherlands Antilles.

On this side of the Atlantic, the berth allocated in Cork for the submarine's visit as alluded above is where a sister HNLMS Dolfijn paid a call in 2016. That submarine did take part in exercises witht the Naval Service.

HNLMS Walrus will remain in port until Monday morning.

Published in Naval Visits

Tagged under

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.