Two naval vessels were in Dublin Bay’s neighbouring ports during the St. Patrick’s Day Bank Holiday Weekend, where one was quietly on a courtesy call while the other was open to public tours, writes Jehan Ashmore.
Visiting Dublin Port was a German Navy auxiliary replenishment vessel, FGS Main (A515), which arrived in the capital last week after meeting the pilot cutter Dodder near the North Burford Bouy off Howth Peninsula. This involved transferring a pilot on board the fifth of the ‘Elbe’ class replenishment vessels, which support units of the navy while deployed away from home ports.
At just over 100m length overall, FGS Main can carry fuel, provisions, ammunition, and other materials; carry containers; and provide medical services. In addition to featuring an aft heli-pad. A crew of around 40 can increase to almost double when squadron personnel join the auxiliary. The class, each of around 3,586 displacement tons, is named after German rivers where parliaments are located.
On entering the port’s channel fairway, a Dublin Port Company tug, Beaufort, assisted the FGS Main at the bow, while Purple Water Towing’s escort tug, Giano, handled it at the stern. The latter double-ended tug of 60 tons bollard pull (btp) is operated by the Mary’s Abbey-based company in Dublin 7.
Berthing took place at the North Wall Quay Extension, which is familiar to numerous motorist commuters traveling across the Liffey at the Tomas Clarke (East-Link) toll-lift bridge, which separates the working port from the ‘Docklands’ quarter. Lining this stretch of the Liffey is predominantly featuring financial services offices, apartment blocks, hotels and retail facilities near the capital's centre.
Across the bay at Dun Laoghaire Harbour took place the second year of reviving the St. Patrick’s Day parade held at the coastal town, where berthed at the Carlisle Pier was a Naval Service 90m offshore patrol vessel, OPV90 P60 class LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63).
As the pennant number (P63) would indicate, this OPV represents the third of the P60 class, of which a quartet were built by Backcock Marine & Technology’s Appledore shipyard, Bideford, in North Devon, England.
As Afloat earlier reported, hundreds gathered to queue at the harbour’s Carlisle Pier to take tours of the LÉ William Butler Yeats, which is an updated and lengthened version of the original OPV80 P50 class. They are otherwise known as the ‘Róisín’ class, of which this is the name of the first of the 80m pair, the other being the LÉ Niamh (P52).
The P60 class was built and fitted out to the highest international standards in terms of safety, equipment fit, technological innovation, and crew comfort, and each of the quartet has a 44-member crew, including 6 officers.
In addition, for enhanced sea-keeping qualities, they have a longer hull to cope with the rigours of the North-east Atlantic Ocean along Ireland’s rugged western seaboard.
Likewise of the P60, the Róisín’ twins were built at the same UK shipyard on the River Torridge estuary, downriver of Bideford but under different owners, Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd. They were succeeded by Babcock International, and in more recent years the dry dock and its covered building hall at Bidna were acquired by the Harland & Wolff Group.
