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Two crew members have been rescued by lifeboat from a 20-foot fishing boat after they issued a mayday stating that they were sinking a mile south of Black Head on the Isle of Man.

Liverpool Coastguard received the mayday from the 'Aurora' at 16.47, and requested the launch of the Port St. Mary RNLI Inshore and All Weather Lifeboats, along with tasking the Port Erin Coastguard Rescue Team.  Another fishing vessel, 'Two Girls' overheard the mayday and proceeded to the vessel, taking the two crew members on board.  Although crew members from the lifeboats attempted to pump the water from the vessel, the ingress was too much and at 17.07 the vessel sank.  The crew members from the Aurora were taken back to Port St. Mary, where they were met by the Coastguard Rescue Team.

Liverpool Coastguard Watch Manager Su Daintith said:

"We would like to thank the crew of the vessel 'Two Girls' whose swift response to the Aurora's mayday this afternoon ultimately saved both of the crew members' lives."

Published in Coastguard
The bodies of two fishermen missing off the Skerries coast since last Friday have been found.
Ronan Browne, 26, and David Gilsenan, 41, had not been seen since setting out from Skerries harbour on the morning of 1 April.
As previously reported by Afloat.ie, the alarm was raised when they had failed to return by 6.30pm and a coast guard search began immediately.
Naval vessels joined the operation as the search continued following the discovery of an upturned hull and an oil slick near Clogherhead, Co Louth.
According to RTÉ News, at 1.40am yesterday morning a fishing vessel discovered the bodies of the two men caught in its fishing gear some five miles east of Clogherhead. They were recovered by RNLI lifeboat.
RTÉ News has more on the story HERE.

The bodies of two fishermen missing off the Skerries coast since last Friday have been found.

Ronan Browne, 26, and David Gilsenan, 41, had not been seen since setting out from Skerries harbour on the morning of 1 April.

As previously reported by Afloat.ie, the alarm was raised when they had failed to return by 6.30pm and a coast guard search began immediately. 

Naval vessels joined the operation as the search continued following the discovery of an upturned hull and an oil slick near Clogherhead, Co Louth.

According to RTÉ News, at 1.40am yesterday morning a fishing vessel discovered the bodies of the two men caught in its fishing gear some five miles east of Clogherhead. They were recovered by RNLI lifeboat.

RTÉ News has more on the story HERE.

Published in Rescue
Liverpool Coastguard are reminding people to check the tide times before venturing out to the coast today after they sent resources to rescue 93 people cut off by the tide in five different incidents on the Irish Sea this afternoon.

The first call came in at 13.13 when four people became stranded near Fleetwood.  Fleetwood Coastguard Rescue Team proceeded to the scene and they were safely brought ashore.  The Lytham Coastguard Rescue Team were then tasked to a report of 70 people cut off by the tide at Blackpool near the South Pier. With Blackpool Beach Patrol and the Blackpool RNLI Lifeboat also on scene assisting everyone was subsequently reported as safely back to the shore.

At 13.41 Liverpool Coastguard received reports of two separate groups (one of five people, and one of nine people including four children) who had become stranded on sandbanks in Blackpool off Norbreck Castle.  Once again Fleetwood Coastguard Rescue Team were sent to assist in getting them safely back to the shore.

At 14.35 Liverpool Coastguard sent Arnside Coastguard Rescue Team to a woman and two dogs who were cut off by the tide at Sandside near Arnside.  The Morecambe RNLI Hovercraft was launched and took the lady and her dogs back to safety.

Finally, at 14.41 Liverpool Coastguard received a call reporting four girls potentially stranded on the spit at Little Eye in West Kirby.  Hoylake Coastguard Team attended to investigate but the girls were deemed to be not in danger.

Liverpool Coastguard Watch Manager Su Daintith said:

"We know that on a beautiful like today that people don't want to waste any time getting to the beach in order to soak up the sunshine.  But just two minutes spent checking the tide times (and there are plenty of resources available where you can find these) could mean the difference between a carefree day and a Coastguard Team coming to your rescue."

Published in Coastguard

Portrush RNLI Lifeboat 'David Roultson' will be named next Saturday, April 16th. The D class lifeboat will be named at a ceremony at Portrush Lifeboat Station at 2pm.

The lifeboat has been funded through a generous contribution from the Civil Service Lifeboat Fund and will be officially named by Sir Peter Housden KCB, Chairman of the Lifeboat Fund and Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government. 

Also on Saturday a special plaque will be unveiled at the station by Mr Alan Clarke, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board in memory of David Roulston.  Over £25,000 was raised by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board staff and their families and friends for the upkeep and maintenance of the new inshore Portrush RNLI Lifeboat.

Robin Cardwell, Portrush Lifeboat Operations Manager who will be accepting the lifeboat on behalf of Portrush RNLI lifeboat station says; “It is fitting that we honour both these contributions in the name of our new lifeboat.  This lifeboat is the vessel that will carry our volunteer lifeboat crew out to sea to save lives and on it our lifeboat crew will learn and develop their skills through extensive training.” 

The D class lifeboat is built at a cost of £31,000.  It measures five metres in length and can carry three crewmembers onboard.  It is a fast, light weight inflatable that is small and highly manoeuvrable, making it ideal for rescue close to shore in fair to moderate conditions.  It can also be righted manually by the lifeboat crew in the event of a capsize.

All are welcome to attend the naming ceremony which will be held outside the lifeboat station in Portrush. There will be a special service of dedication and blessing and the lifeboat will put to sea after the ceremony.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
With the lighter evenings now approaching and better weather on its way (hopefully!) many boaters will be thinking about getting back out on the water and sailing again. But have you carried out all of the maintenance needed to ensure that your boat is safe and seaworthy?

"Many of the water-based incidents that we deal with at this time of year involve engine breakdown as a result of lack of maintenance," says Garry Hall of the UK's Solent Coastguard. "People report running out of fuel, sometimes because fuel indicators are broken or because fuel can't get through pipes and the engine is starved. Electrical issues are also a frequent problem. Often oxidation happens if engines are laid open to the elements and it affects the wiring. Engines are susceptible to frost so following our cold winter they will certainly need a good service."

Ideally attend a Diesel engine maintenance course, see:
www.rya.org.uk/coursestraining/courses/specialist/Pages/Diesel.aspx

Whilst you're considering maintenance, don't forget to look at your lifejackets and make sure that they are functioning fully. Remove the cylinders and auto-mechanisms, washing them in fresh water. Now inflate the lifejackets using a hand pump, leaving them for 24 hours to make sure that they don't deflate. Then reassemble the lifejacket, ensuring that the cylinder is screwed back in securely. The RNLI have some good advice about how to maintain your lifejacket on their website. Go to www.rnli.org.uk/seasafety

Appropriate and fully functioning communications equipment will be vital should you find yourself in an emergency situation.  Have you got all the right equipment?

Check all your existing communication equipment.  Ensure your VHF DSC radio unit's MMSI registration is up to date with Ofcom so that the Coastguard has the right emergency contact details.  If you have an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or a personal locator beacon (PLB),  replace batteries before they expire and don't just rely on the "test" button.  Also ensure the beacon's registration details are up to date so that the Coastguard has the right emergency contact details and correct information for both yourself and your vessel.

 

Published in Marine Warning
Charlie McGibney presents a cheque to David Buttimer, chairman of the Fenit RNLI lifeboat fund-raising committee, for donations received at the funeral of his loving wife Ita McGibney.
It was Ita's request that donations made during her funeral be presented by her husband Charlie to Fenit RNLI Lifeboat Station, based at Fenit Harbour in Co Kerry.
The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) is a registered charity and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service.
The death of Ita McGibney (neé Clonan) of Tieraclea Park, Tarbert and formerly of Dumcondra, Dublin, occurred on 20 February 20 2011. Ita is survived by her husband Charlie; sons Tom, George, Gerard, John, Raymond, Damien, Rory and Simon; daughter Dr Carol (Pierce); brother Pat; sisters Mary and Ann; as well as in-laws, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces and friends.
(Photograph by Digimac Photography, Fenit)

Charlie McGibney (pictured below) presented a cheque recently to David Buttimer, chairman of the Fenit RNLI lifeboat fund-raising committee, for donations received at the funeral of his loving wife Ita McGibney.

It was Ita's request that donations made during her funeral be presented by her husband Charlie to Fenit RNLI Lifeboat Station, based at Fenit Harbour in Co Kerry. 

The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) is a registered charity and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service.

The death of Ita McGibney (neé Clonan) of Tieraclea Park, Tarbert and formerly of Dumcondra, Dublin, occurred on 20 February 20 2011. Ita is survived by her husband Charlie; sons Tom, George, Gerard, John, Raymond, Damien, Rory and Simon; daughter Dr Carol (Pierce); brother Pat; sisters Mary and Ann; as well as in-laws, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces and friends.

JIM_0333

Photograph by Digimac Photography, Fenit


Marine Warnings

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
Two fishermen were brought to safety this evening by the RNLI All-weather lifeboat (ALB) from Dun Laoghaire when their 10-metre vessel broke-down East of Dalkey Island.

The pair anchored their boat as a precaution and awaited the arrival of the lifeboat that was already at sea on a routine exercise less than two miles away.

A towline was passed to the vessel and was taken to safety and brought alongside at Dun Laoghaire.

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Published in RNLI Lifeboats
Just as the joint christening ceremony of Wicklow RNLI Coxswain Nick Keoghs daughter Gracie and 3rd Coxswain David O Leary's daughter Megan at St Patricks Church was just coming to an end at lunchtime today (Sunday 20th March) several lifeboat pagers activated around the church, within minutes Coxswain Nick Keogh, David O Leary and volunteer members of Wicklow lifeboat immediately assembled at the Station. The alarm was raised after a kayaker contacted the Coast Guard to say one of their party of three was in difficulties after capsizing in heavy seas and had been in the water for a short time off the Wicklow Coast.

Both of the station lifeboats was launched and quickly located the kayakers South of Wicklow head , one man was taken on board the inshore lifeboat , he was then transferred onto the all-weather lifeboat and swiftly taken back to Wicklow harbour where he was met by a waiting ambulance crew and transferred to hospital for observation. The all-weather lifeboat then returned and picked up the other two men from the inshore lifeboat, they were landed safely in Wicklow harbour at 2-45pm and both lifeboats were stood down, allowing Coxswain Nick Keogh and David O Leary to re-join their families and resume the christening celebrations.

Lifeboat Operations manager Des Davitt said the 3 kayakers were well prepared and equipped with flares and vhf radio , 'they used their mobile marine VHF radio to contact the coast guard and ask for assistance, It meant our crew were able to respond quickly and bring them to safety'.

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Published in RNLI Lifeboats
In a joint operation, Howth Coast Guard and Howth lifeboat rescued a teenage girl who collapsed on Howth Head today at approx 6pm (March 17th). Scroll down for Video.

The teenager had walked down a 100 foot steep cliff path to Jameson Beach on Howth Head with her friends when she collapsed. Gardai arrived on the scene and requested Coast Guard assistance to 'extract the female'.

The Howth Coast Guard Cliff Rescue Team were paged and arrived quickly at the scene. Medical care was given by the team, the casualty who was suffering from the cold was stabilised and placed in a stretcher for evacuation. Due to the terrain the quickest way to extract the casualty was via boat. Howth lifeboat quickly responded and the casualty was transferred back to the lifeboat station to a waiting ambulance.

The Coast Guard remind people that if they see someone who needs help on a beach to phone the new European wide emergency phone number, 112, and ask for the Coast Guard.

Published in Coastguard
Mr. Terry Johnson has been appointed chairman of the Lifeboat Management Group (LMG) for the RNLI at Dun Laoghaire.  Formerly a deputy chairman of the RNLI, he is an accomplished mariner and has a long-standing commitment to the charitable work of the institution that saves lives at sea.

The role of LMG is to co-ordinate the various roles of the RNLI's work in the area, from fund-raising to sea-safety awareness, publicity and the vital role carried out by the two lifeboats and their volunteer crews that are based at the station.

"My role will be to help the LMG to deliver the best possible outcome for each of our activities," said Mr. Johnson.  "Considering we are a volunteer-based charity, our goal remains to consistently deliver high-standards comparable with other professional services."

A well-known Dublin Bay and offshore racing sailor, Mr. Johnson is a member of Royal Ocean Racing Club and was the Irish team-manager for the 1987 Admiral's Cup.  He now spends time cruising on 'Nyabo' and his sons and grandsons are also keen and competitive sailors.

The tradition of lifeboats in Dublin Bay pre-dates the foundation of the RNLI in 1824 and the modern-era service regularly counts the Dun Laoghaire station amongst the busiest in the Irish division.  A Trent-class all-weather lifeboat (ALB) 'Anna Livia' and smaller D-Class inshore lifeboat (ILB) are based in the harbour with a crew-panel of 28 local men and women supported by shore-crew and fund-raising volunteers.

On 30th April 2011, a new D-Class ILB will be formally named and handed-over to the station.

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Published in RNLI Lifeboats
Page 62 of 70

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Information

Dun Laoghaire Harbour is the second port for Dublin and is located on the south shore of Dublin Bay. Marine uses for this 200-year-old man-made harbour have changed over its lifetime. Originally built as a port of refuge for sailing ships entering the narrow channel at Dublin Port, the harbour has had a continuous ferry link with Wales, and this was the principal activity of the harbour until the service stopped in 2015. In all this time, however, one thing has remained constant, and that is the popularity of sailing and boating from the port, making it Ireland's marine leisure capital with a harbour fleet of between 1,200 -1,600 pleasure craft based at the country's largest marina (800 berths) and its four waterfront yacht clubs.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Bye-Laws

Download the bye-laws on this link here

FAQs

A live stream Dublin Bay webcam showing Dun Laoghaire Harbour entrance and East Pier is here

Dun Laoghaire is a Dublin suburb situated on the south side of Dublin Bay, approximately, 15km from Dublin city centre.

The east and west piers of the harbour are each of 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) long.

The harbour entrance is 232 metres (761 ft) across from East to West Pier.

  • Public Boatyard
  • Public slipway
  • Public Marina

23 clubs, 14 activity providers and eight state-related organisations operate from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that facilitates a full range of sports - Sailing, Rowing, Diving, Windsurfing, Angling, Canoeing, Swimming, Triathlon, Powerboating, Kayaking and Paddleboarding. Participants include members of the public, club members, tourists, disabled, disadvantaged, event competitors, schools, youth groups and college students.

  • Commissioners of Irish Lights
  • Dun Laoghaire Marina
  • MGM Boats & Boatyard
  • Coastguard
  • Naval Service Reserve
  • Royal National Lifeboat Institution
  • Marine Activity Centre
  • Rowing clubs
  • Yachting and Sailing Clubs
  • Sailing Schools
  • Irish Olympic Sailing Team
  • Chandlery & Boat Supply Stores

The east and west granite-built piers of Dun Laoghaire harbour are each of one kilometre (0.62 mi) long and enclose an area of 250 acres (1.0 km2) with the harbour entrance being 232 metres (761 ft) in width.

In 2018, the ownership of the great granite was transferred in its entirety to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council who now operate and manage the harbour. Prior to that, the harbour was operated by The Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company, a state company, dissolved in 2018 under the Ports Act.

  • 1817 - Construction of the East Pier to a design by John Rennie began in 1817 with Earl Whitworth Lord Lieutenant of Ireland laying the first stone.
  • 1820 - Rennie had concerns a single pier would be subject to silting, and by 1820 gained support for the construction of the West pier to begin shortly afterwards. When King George IV left Ireland from the harbour in 1820, Dunleary was renamed Kingstown, a name that was to remain in use for nearly 100 years. The harbour was named the Royal Harbour of George the Fourth which seems not to have remained for so long.
  • 1824 - saw over 3,000 boats shelter in the partially completed harbour, but it also saw the beginning of operations off the North Wall which alleviated many of the issues ships were having accessing Dublin Port.
  • 1826 - Kingstown harbour gained the important mail packet service which at the time was under the stewardship of the Admiralty with a wharf completed on the East Pier in the following year. The service was transferred from Howth whose harbour had suffered from silting and the need for frequent dredging.
  • 1831 - Royal Irish Yacht Club founded
  • 1837 - saw the creation of Victoria Wharf, since renamed St. Michael's Wharf with the D&KR extended and a new terminus created convenient to the wharf.[8] The extended line had cut a chord across the old harbour with the landward pool so created later filled in.
  • 1838 - Royal St George Yacht Club founded
  • 1842 - By this time the largest man-made harbour in Western Europe had been completed with the construction of the East Pier lighthouse.
  • 1855 - The harbour was further enhanced by the completion of Traders Wharf in 1855 and Carlisle Pier in 1856. The mid-1850s also saw the completion of the West Pier lighthouse. The railway was connected to Bray in 1856
  • 1871 - National Yacht Club founded
  • 1884 - Dublin Bay Sailing Club founded
  • 1918 - The Mailboat, “The RMS Leinster” sailed out of Dún Laoghaire with 685 people on board. 22 were post office workers sorting the mail; 70 were crew and the vast majority of the passengers were soldiers returning to the battlefields of World War I. The ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat near the Kish lighthouse killing many of those onboard.
  • 1920 - Kingstown reverted to the name Dún Laoghaire in 1920 and in 1924 the harbour was officially renamed "Dun Laoghaire Harbour"
  • 1944 - a diaphone fog signal was installed at the East Pier
  • 1965 - Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club founded
  • 1968 - The East Pier lighthouse station switched from vapourised paraffin to electricity, and became unmanned. The new candle-power was 226,000
  • 1977- A flying boat landed in Dun Laoghaire Harbour, one of the most unusual visitors
  • 1978 - Irish National Sailing School founded
  • 1934 - saw the Dublin and Kingstown Railway begin operations from their terminus at Westland Row to a terminus at the West Pier which began at the old harbour
  • 2001 - Dun Laoghaire Marina opens with 500 berths
  • 2015 - Ferry services cease bringing to an end a 200-year continuous link with Wales.
  • 2017- Bicentenary celebrations and time capsule laid.
  • 2018 - Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company dissolved, the harbour is transferred into the hands of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council

From East pier to West Pier the waterfront clubs are:

  • National Yacht Club. Read latest NYC news here
  • Royal St. George Yacht Club. Read latest RSTGYC news here
  • Royal Irish Yacht Club. Read latest RIYC news here
  • Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club. Read latest DMYC news here

 

The umbrella organisation that organises weekly racing in summer and winter on Dublin Bay for all the yacht clubs is Dublin Bay Sailing Club. It has no clubhouse of its own but operates through the clubs with two x Committee vessels and a starters hut on the West Pier. Read the latest DBSC news here.

The sailing community is a key stakeholder in Dún Laoghaire. The clubs attract many visitors from home and abroad and attract major international sailing events to the harbour.

 

Dun Laoghaire Regatta

Dun Laoghaire's biennial town regatta was started in 2005 as a joint cooperation by the town's major yacht clubs. It was an immediate success and is now in its eighth edition and has become Ireland's biggest sailing event. The combined club's regatta is held in the first week of July.

  • Attracts 500 boats and more from overseas and around the country
  • Four-day championship involving 2,500 sailors with supporting family and friends
  • Economic study carried out by the Irish Marine Federation estimated the economic value of the 2009 Regatta at €2.5 million

The dates for the 2021 edition of Ireland's biggest sailing event on Dublin Bay is: 8-11 July 2021. More details here

Dun Laoghaire-Dingle Offshore Race

The biennial Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race is a 320-miles race down the East coast of Ireland, across the south coast and into Dingle harbour in County Kerry. The latest news on the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race can be found by clicking on the link here. The race is organised by the National Yacht Club.

The 2021 Race will start from the National Yacht Club on Wednesday 9th, June 2021.

Round Ireland Yacht Race

This is a Wicklow Sailing Club race but in 2013 the Garden County Club made an arrangement that sees see entries berthed at the RIYC in Dun Laoghaire Harbour for scrutineering prior to the biennial 704–mile race start off Wicklow harbour. Larger boats have been unable to berth in the confines of Wicklow harbour, a factor WSC believes has restricted the growth of the Round Ireland fleet. 'It means we can now encourage larger boats that have shown an interest in competing but we have been unable to cater for in Wicklow' harbour, WSC Commodore Peter Shearer told Afloat.ie here. The race also holds a pre-ace launch party at the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

Laser Masters World Championship 2018

  • 301 boats from 25 nations

Laser Radial World Championship 2016

  • 436 competitors from 48 nations

ISAF Youth Worlds 2012

  • The Youth Olympics of Sailing run on behalf of World Sailing in 2012.
  • Two-week event attracting 61 nations, 255 boats, 450 volunteers.
  • Generated 9,000 bed nights and valued at €9 million to the local economy.

The Harbour Police are authorised by the company to police the harbour and to enforce and implement bye-laws within the harbour, and all regulations made by the company in relation to the harbour.

There are four ship/ferry berths in Dun Laoghaire:

  • No 1 berth (East Pier)
  • No 2 berth (east side of Carlisle Pier)
  • No 3 berth (west side of Carlisle Pier)
  • No 4 berth  (St, Michaels Wharf)

Berthing facilities for smaller craft exist in the town's 800-berth marina and on swinging moorings.

© Afloat 2020