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Displaying items by tag: Catamaran

Mark Mansfield, Irish Agent for Nautitech Catamarans (plus Grand Soleil yachts and J Boats), presents a video/webinar from a client of Key Yachting who has done just that.

UK sailor David McLeman bought a new Nautitech 46 Open Catamaran from Key Yachting in order to fulfil his dream of cruising in Europe plus doing the ARC Transatlantic cruise/race and spending a full year away in the Caribbean.

Choosing a catamaran

The video below covers his reasons for choosing a catamaran, even though he was previously a monohull sailor including competing in a number of Fastnet Races.

Key Yachting presently has a demo Nautitech 46 open for sale, only new last July. This boat is fully equipped, in the water at Hamble, and ready to sail away. It is being offered at €498,000—plus VAT, a €60k plus VAT discount off the new price.

Questions answered in this video are: 

  • Why a multihull over a monohull?

  • Monohull—sailing performance versus more accommodation?

  • What size monohull has similar internal volume compared to a multihull?

  • How many crew are needed to do a trip like this?

For further details of any of the Nautitech range, or indeed the Nautitech 46 open for sale at Key Yachting, contact Mark Mansfield at [email protected] or by phone at 00 353 87 2506838.

Also see: 2019 NAUTITECH 46 OPEN for sale

Published in J Boats & Grand Soleil
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#RNLI - Clogherhead RNLI had a late-night callout on Wednesday 1 August to rescue the crew of a yacht that had got into difficulty.

At around 10.10pm, the Co Louth village’s all-weather lifeboat was requested by the Irish Coast Guard to go to the aid of a yacht that had become entangled in ropes some two-and-a-half miles north of Dunany Point.

The lifeboat quickly located the 45ft catamaran from New Zealand and helped free the vessel before towing it to safety in Port Oriel, where it was tied up at the pier around 1.20am.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

A new Lagoon catamaran 40 model will be available this Autumn.

Builders say the new size represents a combining of two Lagoon generations, the 39 and 400. The new yacht has aft rigging for greater performance and a self-tacking jib for easier manoeuvring.

The cockpit, like the highly successful 42, has a well-thought out interior by Nauta Design. The new 40 is available with three or four cabins.

Lagoon is also offering a new 50–footer. With its two new models, Lagoon now offers a full line of catamarans from 38 to 77 feet.

The model is available from yacht brokers MGM Boats Ltd in Ireland.

Published in Boat Sales
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The second edition of the Pre-owned Multihull boat show takes place in Canet-en-Roussillon in the South of France near the Spanish border.

The show is an indication of the growing demand for multihulls coming from owners seeking longer live–aboard opportunities.

The Nautipole and boat show organiser M2O will exhibit about 30 pre-owned power and sailing catamarans from 37 to 82 feet on the pontoons of the Yacht harbour. An exhibitor village will offer multihulls services and equipment.

The event runs from Thursday October 6th to Sunday 9th in the Yacht harbor of Canet-en-Roussillon. 

The shows opening hours to the public are from 10 am to 6 pm. Entry is free.

Published in Boat Sales
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BlackCat Superyachts has announced an alliance with a selection of the industry’s leading suppliers in the large luxury cruising catamaran market.

Founded in 2015 by Mitch Booth, BlackCat Superyachts are a new breed of catamarans.

Baltic Yachts is the world’s leading boatbuilding yard specialising in high performance carbon fibre yachts custom made to meet customers' needs in design, performance and technical innovation.

North Technology Group (a global industry leader that includes North Sails, Southern Spars and Future Fibers) are recognised as a world leader in sailmaking, rigging and spar construction and offers BlackCat a fully integrated, high-performance solution by using the North Design Suite, a powerful set of analytical tools that allow sail, rig and yacht designers to analyse loads and improve boat performance.

M2 Atelier, the international architecture and interior design studio, will provide the sleek styling and finishing details.

The BlackCat brand is strengthened substantially with this group of premium suppliers and together with Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design, one of the world’s most successful superyacht designers, BlackCat Superyachts aims to produce the next generation of sleek, state-of-the-art and high performance multihull superyachts.

Malcolm McKeon, BlackCat’s chief designer, said: “We are extremely pleased to announce the partnership of BlackCat with these leading superyacht design and engineering companies. Bringing in the vast experience of these well-respected establishments enables us to further push the boundaries of innovative bespoke solutions and to create the yacht of our clients’ dreams in a design that is unique in the market. The BlackCat combines an enormous, stable platform with exhilarating performance, resulting in a high-performance carbon-fibre ‘supercat’ where the latest building technology and materials will be used.”

“There is no such thing as a production yacht and each owner is looking for something that matches their vision,” said Jeremy Elliot, North Sails designer. “North Design Suite makes it possible to find solutions to problems unique to each build. The North Technology Group structure allows North and Southern to share design resources to deliver the most progressive sail and rig plan possible.”

“We are very proud to be part of this extraordinary team in such a unique project", added Marijana Radovic, BlackCat interior designer from M2 Atelier, “We try to integrate and connect the interior design with the lines, characteristics and performances of the exterior design in order to achieve a continuous atmosphere and energy throughout the project. Contemporary, lightness, comfort and luxury blend together in these one-of-a-kind spaces that any superyacht owner expects to see. Technology and craftsmanship are balanced in every aspect of the design to create exceptional spaces, where details typically used on superyachts are combined with residential solutions and generous proportions to create the most unique ‘Sea-Loft’ of all time”.

BlackCat now offers a turnkey package on the 50 Metre version - the largest single structure carbon-fibre yachts in the world. The long period of design, engineering, construction study, materials and pricing is now complete and ready for production. This package provides the client with an accurate pricing and transparent build process in order to save time and money. There are still possibilities to custom design the internal layout of each BlackCat 50 and a variety of external features to give every boat a custom made distinctive style and finish.

BlackCat Superyachts will be present at the Baltic Yachts QH33 exhibition stand at the Monaco Yacht Show from 28 September to 1 October.

Published in Boat Sales
Tagged under

Hot on the heels of its F1 A-Class catamaran, DNA Dutch builder has announced the F4, the first foiling offshore one-design catamaran.

The DNA F4 is a full carbon 46-foot foiling catamaran designed and built to push the boundaries of distance one design racing offshore. Built in Lelystad, the boat is the result of an 8-month design project spearheaded by DNA’s engineer and Shannon Falcone. The plan is to launch and commission in Newport, RI in summer 2016 and spend the remainder of autumn in New England testing the boundaries of the boat’s capabilities in preparation for a busy winter racing season in the Caribbean.

Aimed at those looking for America’s Cup technology without the need for large shore crews and being washed from trampolines, the F4’s cockpit offers ample room for passengers in the heart of the action with a pilothouse providing sheltered area for long passages.

“With the design cycle of the F4, the focus was all on performance and the result is stunning, a bigger and faster all-out racing machine which every speed freak should at least have a look at,” says Pieterjan Dwarshuis.

Published in Boat Sales
Tagged under

With an aim to make a mark on the future of foiling sailing, the British foiling Vampire catamaran project has already reached peak speeds downwind of 30–knots.

The project is a collaboration between catamaran sailor William Sunnucks and boat builder Graham Eeles to develop a new breed of foiling catamaran in Brightlingsea Essex. The design, they say, is based on the the International Moth foil design which is quite different to the America's Cup line of development.

 

 

Published in News Update
Tagged under

On a day that proved exciting for all, Timbalero III was flying on the downwind leg of the course at the Voiles de Saint Barths regatta on the east side of the island when the bright orange, futuristic foiling cat tripped up and capsized.

"It was such a silly mistake," said Peter Johnstone, Gunboat's founder and G4 crew member. "A gust hit us and for some reason we didn't dump the mainsheet and she just carried on heeling."

More on this capsize here by Matthew Sheahan in Yachting World

Published in News Update

#Capsize - Three people are reported dead after a tourist catamaran capsized off Costa Rica, as the Guardian reports.

The incident, which occurred yesterday (8 January) some nine miles off the Central American country's Pacific coast, is thought to have claimed the lives of a Briton, an American and a Canadian.

Survivors from the boat, carrying nearly 100 tourists and 10 crew on a day trip to Tortuga Island, say it was swamped by strong waves that quickly filled the vessel with water.

The Guardian has more on the story HERE.

Published in News Update

#londonobatshow – A first for tomorrow's London Boat Show is the real-time build of a 5.9m sailing catamaran with a cutting-edge hydrofoil system developed by Southampton Solent University. Afloat first reported on the new British foiling cat last September when she made her UK debut.

The first production model of the 'Solent Whisper', which has already turned heads at both the PSP Southampton Boat Show and the Paris International Boat Show, will take shape before the eyes of the media and the public. The retail version of the craft, which comfortably achieves over 25 knots and incorporates a revolutionary new hydrofoil system, is being manufactured by White Formula UK Ltd.

Helena Lucas, Paralympic Gold medallist and graduate of Southampton Solent University, has sailed the prototype boat and will be on hand at The Datatag Lab to help 'launch' the catamaran building activities on Friday 9 January at 1.45pm.

Visitors will be able to watch all the stages of production from the preparation of the moulds, to the final infusion of resin into the carbon fibre of the boat.

The new hydrofoil technology is the brainchild of Ron Price, a Southampton Solent University yacht and powercraft design graduate who is now Senior Lecturer in Naval Architecture at the University's Warsash Maritime Academy.

Published in News Update
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Aquaculture Information

Aquaculture is the farming of animals in the water and has been practised for centuries, with the monks farming fish in the middle ages. More recently the technology has progressed and the aquaculture sector is now producing in the region of 50 thousand tonnes annually and provides a valuable food product as well as much needed employment in many rural areas of Ireland.

A typical fish farm involves keeping fish in pens in the water column, caring for them and supplying them with food so they grow to market size. Or for shellfish, containing them in a specialised unit and allowing them to feed on natural plants and materials in the water column until they reach harvestable size. While farming fish has a lower carbon and water footprint to those of land animals, and a very efficient food fed to weight gain ratio compared to beef, pork or chicken, farming does require protein food sources and produces organic waste which is released into the surrounding waters. Finding sustainable food sources, and reducing the environmental impacts are key challenges facing the sector as it continues to grow.

Salmon is the most popular fish bought by Irish families. In Ireland, most of our salmon is farmed, and along with mussels and oysters, are the main farmed species in the country.

Aquaculture in Ireland

  • Fish and shellfish are farmed in 14 Irish coastal counties.
  • Irish SMEs and families grow salmon, oysters, mussels and other seafood
  • The sector is worth €150m at the farm gate – 80% in export earnings.
  • The industry sustains 1,833 direct jobs in remote rural areas – 80% in the west of Ireland
  • Every full-time job in aquaculture creates 2.27 other jobs locally (Teagasc 2015)
  • Ireland’s marine farms occupy 0.0004% of Ireland’s 17,500Km2 inshore area.
  • 83% of people in coastal areas support the development of fish farming
  • Aquaculture is a strong, sustainable and popular strategic asset for development and job creation (Foodwise 2025, National Strategic Plan, Seafood
  • Operational Programme 2020, FAO, European Commission, European Investment Bank, Harvesting Our Ocean Wealth, Silicon Republic, CEDRA)
    Ireland has led the world in organically certified farmed fish for over 30 years
  • Fish farm workers include people who have spent over two decades in the business to school-leavers intent on becoming third-generation farmers on their family sites.

Irish Aquaculture FAQs

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants, and involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions- in contrast to commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Mariculture refers to aquaculture practiced in marine environments and in underwater habitats. Particular kinds of aquaculture include fish farming, shrimp farming, oyster farming, mariculture, algaculture (such as seaweed farming), and the cultivation of ornamental fish. Particular methods include aquaponics and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, both of which integrate fish farming and plant farming.

About 580 aquatic species are currently farmed all over the world, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which says it is "practised by both some of the poorest farmers in developing countries and by multinational companies".

Increasing global demand for protein through seafood is driving increasing demand for aquaculture, particularly given the pressures on certain commercially caught wild stocks of fish. The FAO says that "eating fish is part of the cultural tradition of many people and in terms of health benefits, it has an excellent nutritional profile, and "is a good source of protein, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and essential micronutrients".

Aquaculture now accounts for 50 per cent of the world's fish consumed for food, and is the fastest-growing good sector.

China provides over 60 per cent of the world's farmed fish. In Europe, Norway and Scotland are leading producers of finfish, principally farmed salmon.

For farmed salmon, the feed conversion ratio, which is the measurement of how much feed it takes to produce the protein, is 1.1, as in one pound of feed producing one pound of protein, compared to rates of between 2.2 and 10 for beef, pork and chicken. However, scientists have also pointed out that certain farmed fish and shrimp requiring higher levels of protein and calories in feed compared to chickens, pigs, and cattle.

Tilapia farming which originated in the Middle East and Africa has now become the most profitable business in most countries. Tilapia has become the second most popular seafood after crab, due to which its farming is flourishing. It has entered the list of best selling species like shrimp and salmon.

There are 278 aquaculture production units in Ireland, according to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) *, producing 38,000 tonnes of finfish and shellfish in 2019 and with a total value of €172 million

There are currently almost 2,000 people directly employed in Irish aquaculture in the Republic, according to BIM.

BIM figures for 2019 recorded farmed salmon at almost 12,000 tonnes, valued at €110 million; rock oysters reached 10,300 tonnes at a value of €44 million; rope mussels at 10,600 tonnes were valued at €7 million; seabed cultured mussels at 4,600 tonnes were valued at €7 million; "other" finfish reached 600 tonnes, valued at €2 million and "other" shellfish reached 300 tonnes, valued at €2 million

Irish aquaculture products are exported to Europe, US and Asia, with salmon exported to France, Germany, Belgium and the US. Oysters are exported to France, with developing sales to markets in Hong Kong and China. France is Ireland's largest export for mussels, while there have been increased sales in the domestic and British markets.

The value of the Irish farmed finfish sector fell by five per cent in volume and seven per cent in value in 2019, mainly due to a fall on salmon production, but this was partially offset by a seven per cent increased in farmed shellfish to a value of 60 million euro. Delays in issuing State licenses have hampered further growth of the sector, according to industry representatives.

Fish and shellfish farmers must be licensed, and must comply with regulations and inspections conducted by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and the Marine Institute. Food labelling is a function of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. There is a long backlog of license approvals in the finfish sector, while the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine says it is working to reduce the backlog in the shellfish sector.

The department says it is working through the backlog, but notes that an application for a marine finfish aquaculture licence must be accompanied by either an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR). As of October 2020, over two-thirds of applications on hand had an EIS outstanding, it said.

The EU requires member states to have marine spatial plans by 2021, and Ireland has assigned responsibility to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF). Legislation has been drawn up to underpin this, and to provide a "one stop shop" for marine planning, ranging from fish farms to offshore energy – as in Marine Planning and Development Management Bill. However, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine confirmed last year that it intends to retain responsibility for aquaculture and sea-fisheries related development – meaning fish and shellfish farmers won't be able to avail of the "one stop shop" for marine planning.

Fish and shellfish health is a challenge, with naturally occurring blooms, jellyfish and the risk of disease. There are also issues with a perception that the sector causes environmental problems.

The industry has been on a steep learning curve, particularly in finfish farming, since it was hailed as a new future for Irish coastal communities from the 1970s – with the State's Electricity Supply Board being an early pioneer, and tobacco company Carrolls also becoming involved for a time. Nutrient build up, which occurs when there is a high density of fish in one area, waste production and its impact on depleting oxygen in water, creating algal blooms and "dead zones", and farmers' use of antibiotics to prevent disease have all been concerns, and anglers have also been worried about the impact of escaped farmed salmon on wild fish populations. Sea lice from salmon farmers were also blamed for declines in sea trout and wild salmon in Irish estuaries and rivers.

BIM says over 95% of all salmon farmed in Ireland are certified organic. Organically grown salmon are only fed a diet of sustainable organic feed. They are also raised in more spacious pens than traditional farmed salmon. The need to site locations for fish farms further out to sea, using more robust cages for weather, has been recognised by regulatory agencies. There is a move towards land-based aquaculture in Norway to reduce impact on local ecosystems. The industry says that antibiotic use is declining, and it says that "safe and effective vaccinations have since been developed for farmed fish and are now widely used". Many countries are now adopting a more sustainable approach to removing sea lice from salmon, using feeder fish such as wrasse and lumpsucker fish. Ireland's first lumpsucker hatchery was opened in 2015.

BIM says over 95% of all salmon farmed in Ireland are certified organic. Organically grown salmon are only fed a diet of sustainable organic feed. They are also raised in more spacious pens than traditional farmed salmon. The need to site locations for fish farms further out to sea, using more robust cages for weather, has been recognised by regulatory agencies. There is a move towards land-based aquaculture in Norway to reduce impact on local ecosystems. The industry says that antibiotic use is declining, and it says that "safe and effective vaccinations have since been developed for farmed fish and are now widely used". Many countries are now adopting a more sustainable approach to removing sea lice from salmon, using feeder fish such as wrasse and lumpsucker fish. Ireland's first lumpsucker hatchery was opened in 2015.

Yes, as it is considered to have better potential for controlling environmental impacts, but it is expensive. As of October 2020, the department was handling over 20 land-based aquaculture applications.

The Irish Farmers' Association has represented fish and shellfish farmers for many years, with its chief executive Richie Flynn, who died in 2018, tirelessly championing the sector. His successor, Teresa Morrissey, is an equally forceful advocate, having worked previously in the Marine Institute in providing regulatory advice on fish health matters, scientific research on emerging aquatic diseases and management of the National Reference Laboratory for crustacean diseases.

BIM provides training in the national vocational certificate in aquaculture at its National Fisheries College, Castletownbere, Co Cork. It also trains divers to work in the industry. The Institute of Technology Carlow has also developed a higher diploma in aqua business at its campus in Wexford, in collaboration with BIM and IFA Aquaculture, the representative association for fish and shellfish farming.

© Afloat 2020

At A Glance - Irish Aquaculture

  • Fish and shellfish are farmed in 14 Irish coastal counties
  • Salmon is the most popular fish bought by Irish families. 
  • In Ireland, most of our salmon is farmed, and along with mussels and oysters, are the main farmed species in the country.
  • The industry sustains 1,833 direct jobs in remote rural areas – 80% in the west of Ireland
  • Every full-time job in aquaculture creates 2.27 other jobs locally (Teagasc 2015)
  • Ireland’s marine farms occupy 0.0004% of Ireland’s 17,500Km2 inshore area.
  • 83% of people in coastal areas support the development of fish farming

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