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Displaying items by tag: Atlantic Marine Shipyard, Jacksonville

#CRUISELINERS– A vessel at first glanced resembling that of a Mississippi riverboat in reality an ocean-going cruiseship designed also to serve on the US Great Lakes, docked in Dublin Port today, reports Jehan Ashmore.

The 91m Sea Discoverer (4,954grt) berthed at the port's Ocean Pier and without any passengers on board, as the 294 capacity vessel was making an en-route repositioning voyage from the UK to mainland Europe.

Her brief port of call was to carry out a crew-change, following an overnight passage from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, where she had completed a near six-month charter.

Her owners International Shipping Partners (ISP) chartered the luxuriously appointed vessel (click PHOTOS) to Siemens Wind UK for use as an accommodation quarters for personnel working at a wind-turbine installation project.

Sea Discoverer had made a previous call to Dublin Port during August, where the vessel loaded stores and bunkers prior to completing the voyage to Barrow-in-Furness, following a trans-Atlantic voyage.

She is classified by Lloyd's Register (100 A1 LMC) and built to SOLAS (Safety at  Life at Sea) lifesaving according to 46CFR and SOLAS 2000.

The Bahamas-flagged vessel has a straight-stemmed bow and a cruiser-stern which are most unusual for a ship only completed in 2001 and to be seen in Irish waters.

Such features reflect her original 'intended' purpose as she was launched as Cape Cod Light along with an earlier sister Cape May Light at the Atlantic Marine shipyard, Jacksonville in Florida.

They were commissioned for American Classic Voyages who planned to operate the sisters in the Great Lakes during the summer months and along the US East coast during Spring and the 'Fall' and the Mexican Gulf as far as Belize for the winter.

American Classic Voyages went bankrupt right after the introduction of Cape May Light (now Sea Voyager) also owned by ISP, which manages a diverse fleet on the charter market globally.

The bankruptcy was due to the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the unfinished second sister Cape Cod Light (Sea Discoverer) was repossessed by the shipyard and eventually sold to ISP.

Incidentally American Classic Voyages had acquired the Delta Queen Steamboat Company, operators of the famous Mississippi riverboat Delta Queen, hence the design influence in the Cape May Light and her sister respectively. For photo of the 'Cape's seen moored together click HERE.

According to ISP they are negotiating another charter for Sea Discoverer, also for accommodation purposes  in Northern Europe, and they hope to have the contract completed next week.

She sailed out of Dublin Bay late this afternoon, passing The Muglins off Dalkey Island. Her brief call to Dublin Port certainly made for a most usual call by a cruiseship whose role was to operate in the Lakes and on the High Seas.

Published in Cruise Liners

Dun Laoghaire Baths Renovation

Afloat has been reporting on the new plans for the publically owned Dun Laoghaire Baths site located at the back of the East Pier since 2011 when plans for its development first went on display by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. 

Foreshore consent was applied for in 2013.

Last used 30 years ago as the 'Rainbow Rapids' before falling into dereliction – the new site does not include a public pool.

The refurbished Dun Laoghaire Baths include the existing Baths Pavilion for use as artist workspaces, a gallery café and for the provision of public toilet facilities. 

Work finally got underway at Dún Laoghaire on the €9 million redevelopments of the old Dún Laoghaire Baths site in June 2018 under a contract with SIAC-Mantovani.

The works have removed dilapidated structures to the rear of the Pavilion to permit the creation of a new route and landscaping that will connect the walkway at Newtownsmith to both the East Pier and the Peoples Park. 

Original saltwater pools have been filled in and new enhanced facilities for swimming and greater access to the water’s edge by means of a short jetty have also been provided.

The works included the delivery of rock armour to protect the new buildings from storm damage especially during easterly gales. 

It hasn't all been plain sailing during the construction phase with plastic fibres used in construction washing into the sea in November 2018

Work continues on the project in Spring 2020 with the new pier structure clearly visible from the shoreline.

A plinth at the end of the pier will be used to mount a statue of Roger Casement, a former Sandycove resident and Irish nationalist.