Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Cork City Marina

Cork City Marina is now in new hands, following the Port of Cork Company’s move from its now former corporate headquarters in the Customs House to Ringaskiddy on Cork Harbour.

In a letter announcing the change, the Port of Cork’s Deputy Harbour Master Nicholas Bourke said: “It has been wonderful to have the marina under our stewardship, and being able to interact with all the numerous events, visitors and occasions over the last number of years.

“Indeed we have been visited by yachts from far and wide, learner rowers and even royal families.

“The new owners, Tower Holdings Group, are moving into their new premises with an exciting project ahead. In the meantime the marina remains open, albeit with a different owner at the helm.”

Bourke says the new owners will post their rates “in due course and formalise any arrangements for the City Marina as they settle in”. They can be contacted via Alison Lee at [email protected] or 021 245 5050.

Published in Irish Marinas
Tagged under

#CorkHarbour - More than three acres of Cork docklands are coming to market, as the Irish Examiner reports.

The lands comprise a warehouse property between Monahan Road and Centre Park road east of the city centre, in an area already set for transformation between the revamped Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the new Marina Park regeneration project, adjacent to Cork City Marina by the former showgrounds.

Commercial and residential developers alike are expected to express interest in the 3.31-acre site, zoned for mixed use, and with a guide price of €1.2 million per acre.

Interest in this part of the city is growing with the imminent move of the Port of Cork downriver — and city planners are already meeting with potential buyers for the port’s historic buildings on Custom House Quay.

The Irish Examiner has more on the story HERE.

Published in Cork Harbour

#LuxuryFeadship - A luxury motoryacht the Katrion (2003/401grt) is berthed at Cork City Marina, the 10-guest, 38.6m Feadship built vessel is advertised for sale for just shy of €13m, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The Cayman Islands flagged Feadship, a Dutch yard with more than 250 superyachts launched, has been in port for around a week though it is understood the motoryacht completed in 2003 is to head to Dingle.

Visitors such as the size of Katrion are accommodated on the outside berth of the Cork City Marina pontoon, where larger craft drawing up to 4m are moored alongside. The handsome and well proportioned-looking visitor (click for further details) has a draft of 2.5m.

Cork City Marina has 150m length of berthage which occupies an area between South Custom House Quay and Albert Quay. At the adjoining quay heading downriver are the more frequently used South Jetties from where commercial shipping docks close to the city-centre.

An example is Arklow Fortune (2007/2,998grt), which today is berthed at the privately owned quayside which mainly is used for grain imports to supply the nearby silos.

Other merchant vessels can also berth on the far side along the northern channel of the River Lee, though such activity is moreso for visiting vessels, among them Naval ships or those requiring lay-over periods.

One of the largest ships in recent years to berth along this stretch was at Horgan Quay, where Fastnet Line's Julia, the former Cork-Swansea car-ferry was moored in advance to starting the Welsh link. Currently she serves as a floating accommodation ship for a wind-farm installation off Cumbria.

Published in Cork Harbour

#Motoryacht - Luxury motoryacht M.Y. Fortunate Sun which has luxurious accommodation for 10 guests and 12 crew docked at the Port of Cork's City Marina yesterday, writes Jehan Ashmore.

As previously reported, the 851 gross tonnes vessel on a call to Dublin Port in 2011 became the largest vessel to transit through the Samuel Beckett swing-bridge. On her visit to Cork, the vessel is moored along the pontoon off South Custom House Quay.

She is registered in the Caymen Islands and the charter vessel  has a steel 54m long hull on a beam of 10.60m.  The streamlined aluminium superstructure and also interiors are the work of Tim Heywood Design.

The decade old vessel completed by Oceanfast of Australia is powered by 2x 1737kW MTU 12V 4000M70 diesel engines. This delivers a flat-out speed of 17.3 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles.

 

Published in Irish Marinas

The Cork-berthed replica HMS Bounty, the purpose built movie prop tallship used in the 1962 MGM studies film release of 'Mutiny and the Bounty' starring Marlon Brando, will be open to visitors from tomorrow, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The famous tall ship is to open to the public between (11am-6pm) and these times also apply to the Saturday and Sunday. Tours on board the Bounty are self-guided with crew assistance. Admission charges are €10 for adults and children €5, children under four years go free.

The Bounty is berthed at Albert Quay which faces opposite the Cork City Marina on the south quays of the city-centre.

The public can explore her "tween" deck 8' foot ceilings, this made it easier for the film crew and their equipment to access.

As a result, Bounty has been hired by filmcrews for the making of 'Treasure Island', 'Yellowbeard', 'Sponge Bob, Square Pants, the Movie' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest'. In addition to commercial movies, Bounty has also been the stage for many documentaries.

To compare the differences between the replica and the original 18th century built 'Bounty' click HERE.

Published in Tall Ships

Ferry & Car Ferry News The ferry industry on the Irish Sea, is just like any other sector of the shipping industry, in that it is made up of a myriad of ship operators, owners, managers, charterers all contributing to providing a network of routes carried out by a variety of ships designed for different albeit similar purposes.

All this ferry activity involves conventional ferry tonnage, 'ro-pax', where the vessel's primary design is to carry more freight capacity rather than passengers. This is in some cases though, is in complete variance to the fast ferry craft where they carry many more passengers and charging a premium.

In reporting the ferry scene, we examine the constantly changing trends of this sector, as rival ferry operators are competing in an intensive environment, battling out for market share following the fallout of the economic crisis. All this has consequences some immediately felt, while at times, the effects can be drawn out over time, leading to the expense of others, through reduced competition or takeover or even face complete removal from the marketplace, as witnessed in recent years.

Arising from these challenging times, there are of course winners and losers, as exemplified in the trend to run high-speed ferry craft only during the peak-season summer months and on shorter distance routes. In addition, where fastcraft had once dominated the ferry scene, during the heady days from the mid-90's onwards, they have been replaced by recent newcomers in the form of the 'fast ferry' and with increased levels of luxury, yet seeming to form as a cost-effective alternative.

Irish Sea Ferry Routes

Irrespective of the type of vessel deployed on Irish Sea routes (between 2-9 hours), it is the ferry companies that keep the wheels of industry moving as freight vehicles literally (roll-on and roll-off) ships coupled with motoring tourists and the humble 'foot' passenger transported 363 days a year.

As such the exclusive freight-only operators provide important trading routes between Ireland and the UK, where the freight haulage customer is 'king' to generating year-round revenue to the ferry operator. However, custom built tonnage entering service in recent years has exceeded the level of capacity of the Irish Sea in certain quarters of the freight market.

A prime example of the necessity for trade in which we consumers often expect daily, though arguably question how it reached our shores, is the delivery of just in time perishable products to fill our supermarket shelves.

A visual manifestation of this is the arrival every morning and evening into our main ports, where a combination of ferries, ro-pax vessels and fast-craft all descend at the same time. In essence this a marine version to our road-based rush hour traffic going in and out along the commuter belts.

Across the Celtic Sea, the ferry scene coverage is also about those overnight direct ferry routes from Ireland connecting the north-western French ports in Brittany and Normandy.

Due to the seasonality of these routes to Europe, the ferry scene may be in the majority running between February to November, however by no means does this lessen operator competition.

Noting there have been plans over the years to run a direct Irish –Iberian ferry service, which would open up existing and develop new freight markets. Should a direct service open, it would bring new opportunities also for holidaymakers, where Spain is the most visited country in the EU visited by Irish holidaymakers ... heading for the sun!