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Displaying items by tag: Milford Haven, Wales

The Port of Milford Haven in south Wales has made a significant contribution to ensure six pontoons continue to be available for leisure users of the Milford Haven Waterway for another decade.

Working collaboratively with Pembrokeshire County Council, the Port will assist with costs towards the management, maintenance and repair of the facilities at Dale, Burton, Neyland, Hobbs Point in Pembroke Dock, and Hazelbeach, for the next ten years.

The pontoons are used by recreational vessels and for people and equipment to be dropped off and collected. Five are shore-connecting and deployed at their locations between April and October, while the outer pontoon at Dale remains in location all year. Boats can stay for up to 12 hours for their passengers to enjoy their surroundings, whether that be fishing, water sports or going ashore.

Leisure users who are looking forward to making the most of the great outdoors this summer are reminded to plan their activities carefully, for example by checking the tides, letting someone know the details of their journey, ensuring their vessel is seaworthy and knowing how to call for help. More helpful safety tips can be found online.

Harbourmaster at the Port of Milford Haven, Mike Ryan, commented “The Milford Haven Waterway is a fantastic stretch of water for people to spend their leisure time. Many locals and visitors to the area make use of these pontoons for water-based activities, so we’re pleased to contribute to their upkeep to ensure they remain safe for everyone to enjoy.”

Councillor Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said “We are extremely grateful to the Port of Milford Haven for their contribution to ensure these six pontoons continue to be available for residents and visitors. This is an excellent example of local bodies working together in partnership for the local community.”

He continued “The Haven Waterway is one of our greatest assets and we know just how important these pontoons are, not just for those visiting the area but also for our local boat users and residents to enjoy the Waterway.”

The Milford Haven Waterway 5 Year Recreation Management Plan contains details about recreational activities and can be viewed here. 

Published in Ports & Shipping

The Chair of the Celtic Freeport bid consortium visited the Port of Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire recently to see first-hand how a freeport would transform the Welsh economy.

Such a transformation would secure the benefits of the floating offshore wind (FLOW), hydrogen and sustainable fuels industries, for the people of Wales.

Roger Maggs MBE chair of the consortium on his visit to the UK's largest energy port, was hosted by Rt Hon Simon Hart MP and Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP along with representatives of the Celtic Freeport bid consortium.

Over 16,000 new jobs and up to £5.5 billion of new investment is expected to be generated by the Celtic Freeport. It will create a wide range of opportunities across Wales by accelerating investment, encouraging innovation, securing our future energy needs and fast-tracking modern skills development for new green industries.

A notable example of how focussed investment has already created new opportunities across the region is the £60 million Pembroke Dock Marine project. With construction of a mega-slipway, upgraded port infrastructure and additional workboat pontoons due to be completed towards the end of 2024, an increasing number of clean energy developers and support businesses are choosing to base themselves here, benefitting from being part of a renewables hub with easy access to the Celtic Sea.

Not only is this building a stronger economy, but it is also unlocking exciting new career opportunities across the region.

For further information of the Celtic Freeport bid can be found here.

Published in Ports & Shipping

The south Wales Port of Milford Haven has won the Port Sustainability Award at the British Ports Association’s Conference which was held recently in Aberdeen.

Recognising ports for their sustainability credentials, the award highlights the Port of Milford Haven’s commitment not only to environmental sustainability, but also its work to improve the sustainability of the communities surrounding the Port.

Among the examples given that demonstrated this were the Port’s collaboration with the Milford Haven Energy Kingdom project which delivered the world’s first smart hydrogen hybrid system in a commercial setting; a community engagement initiative which resulted in a music video performed by school pupils highlighting exciting opportunities for them in imminent renewable energy developments locally; the purchase of a fleet of electric vehicles and the Coastal Communities Adapting Together (CCAT) project.

At the start of the year, the Pembrokeshire port launched a dedicated Green Energy Fund that supports local charitable organisations and other not-for-profit organisations to improve their environmental sustainability.

A stand-out initiative established by the Port is the formation of Milford Haven Waterway Future Energy Cluster - a coalition of energy companies, renewable developers, green technology innovators and the local council. Together, the Cluster has set a low carbon vision for the Milford Haven Waterway to support UK Net Zero ambitions.

The Port also made a commitment in 2022 to the Real Living Wage. In addition, it introduced a ‘Community Benefits’ section to procurement procedures, asking all tenderers to outline how they will provide community benefits whilst working for the Port.

Chris Martin, Chairman, said: “We are unbelievably proud of all the work the team has put into ensuring sustainability is ingrained in everything we do. The Port is led by a team of local people who are fully immersed in the community and are passionate about making a positive difference. I am personally very proud of all the work they have accomplished in recent years and look forward to what the future may bring.”

The port's CEO Tom Sawyer added: “Winning this award is a great achievement for the whole team. When we introduced Sustainability as a core value, we were dedicating ourselves to working harder than we already were to promote this in the community. Sustainability isn’t just for the environment, it is for jobs, communities, and society. We are very proud to have been given this recognition by the British Ports Association.”

Published in Ports & Shipping

On the south west coast of Wales, Milford Marina is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and, to celebrate, the team are asking for local people to participate in marking the event.

Berth holders, past and present are invited to submit their stories to help capture the rich history of the development of the 225 berth marina built in 1991. Milford Marina has evolved and expanded to now offering over 300 berths.

The location of the marina on Milford Haven Waterway, is steeped in rich history and the team are celebrating this milestone by collating stories from the last 30 years to be used in the celebration campaign #MilfordMarina30.

Lucy Wonnacott, Marketing Manager for the Port of Milford Haven commented: “We are so proud and excited to be able to celebrate 30 years of Milford Marina! It is a key element in the exciting Waterfront development here in Milford Haven, and is home to so many brilliant stories. We want to celebrate those stories, and the community that have helped make it so successful. Please do get in touch with us, we hope you will join us on a historical voyage as we celebrate 30 years of Milford Marina!”

Milford Marina forms a central part of the Milford Waterfront development, which aims to create a vibrant destination in Pembrokeshire. You can find out more about Milford Waterfront here

If you have any memories or photos of Milford Marina from the last 30 years, please contact Naomi Hunt at [email protected] or call the marina on 01646 696 312

Published in Coastal Notes

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