Displaying items by tag: Arklow Wind Park
Drill Ship in Dun Laoghaire Harbour: Busier Times As Quartet of Ships Call to Former Ferryport
Dun Laoghaire Harbour is particularly busy than usual as four ships berthed in the former ferryport that has been absent for six years since the withdrawal of Stena's HSS service linking Holyhead in Wales, writes Jehan Ashmore.
Stena Line was the sole commercial operator using the Irish Sea port with the final sailing to Wales taking place on the 9th of September, 2014.
Among the current shipping quartet was the notable presence of drill-survey ship Geoquip Saentis which sailed from Norfolk, Viginia, USA to the Dublin Bay harbour yesterday. At 3,404 gross registered tonnage the ship is easily the largest in port having berthed at Carlisle Pier.
At the adjacent St. Micheals Wharf is the Marine Institute's RV Celtic Voyager along with the Naval Service CPV L.E. Ciara. Also berthed nearby Dublin Bay Cruises excursion vessel St. Bridget (laid-up for the winter). In addition the preserved former Thames lighter tug Swiftstone as Afloat previously reported during the summer is berthed in the west of the harbour at the 820 capacity marina.
The Bahamas flagged Geoquip Saentis is no stranger to Dun Laoghaire having called in March but then on survey work off Dundalk Bay for the development of the Oriel Windfarm project. On this occasion the ship capable of handling 600m of drill string and down to 1000m with aluminium pipe, is to be deployed again on another windfarm project on core sample drilling at the Arklow Bank Wind Farm Park project.
According to Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the authority responsible for the east coast port, Geoquip Saentis is alongside Carlilse Pier so to mobilise in advance of the Arklow Bank project which requires loading stores and equipment. This is expected take between four and five days to complete.
The Department of Transport's Marine Notice No. 33 of 2020 informs of the drill-ship's involvement of a Geotechnical Site Investigation Survey in the Irish Sea (off Co. Wicklow) which is to take place from October to December 2020.
The geotechnical survey will be undertaken off the Wicklow coast to provide site investigation. This is to facilitate the development of the Arklow Bank Wind Park. Location of the surveys will involve approximately 15 boreholes.
Work on the survey will be completed by Geoquip's (the US based operator's) Geoquip Saentis (Callsign: C6UM8). The 80m long vessel is equipped with dynamic positioning (DP) which permits the specialist survey vessel to conduct operations on such projects.
As this vessel will be engaged in site investigation survey operations, it will be restricted in its ability to maneuver. Other vessels are requested to leave a wide berth. of the ship which will be operating 24 hours per day during survey works.