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Displaying items by tag: Schooner Superyacht Eos

#SuperyachtEOS – One of the world’s largest privately owned superyachts, Eos that sailed to Cork Harbour earlier this summer has since among her worldwide cruising grounds called to Scotland and recently to the Croatian Riviera, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The majestic three-masted Bermuda rigged schooner, Eos, named after ancient Greek goddess, is understood to be owned by American media and television executive Barry Diller.

Eos is ranked in the Top 100 superyachts (including motor-only) and despite been built a decade ago she still holds a credible 48th position. She had sailed to Cork Harbour from the St. Johns Antigua in the Caribbean via the Azores to arrive alongside Cobh’s cruiseship pontoon. After her Irish stopover visit she then headed to Scotland (Caledonia), the latin name given by the Romans.

The impressive Eos built by Lurssen Yachts in Bremen, Germany, has accommodation with interiors designed by François Catroux, to pamper 16 owner/guests served by 21 crew. At almost 93 metres long, she weighs 1,500 tonnes and all three masts tower 61m above the waterline, in addition each mast alone is complete with a pair of satellite communication domes.

As reported by Eddie English during her quayside call in Cobh (schroll down for video) the schooner is also seen above entering Brodick Bay, Arran, largest and nearest of the Caledonian /West Scottish isles to Ireland. Eos following her visit to Cobh, had continued to Greenock on the Firth of Clyde, the container and cruiseship port for Glasgow.

It was only a few hours after arriving at Arran, dubbed Scotland in miniature (see CalMac ferry excursions) that Eos was observed under motor at slow speed approaching anchorage in Brodrick Bay where the ferryport is located. To further emphasis how long Eos is, the local Brodick-Ardrossan ferry, the 1,000 passenger/120 car Caledonian Isles is 94.30m, marginally longer than the schooners 92.92m, however, she beats smaller ferrymate, Isle of Arran that also plies the seasonal-only Ardrossan-Campbeltown, Kintyre route that runs up to 25 September.

Eos was escorted into a balmy Brodick Bay by her equally matching hull coloured tender. She joined the weekend-visiting yachts that lay at anchor against the scenic backdrop of Goat Fell, the island’s highest peak.

The Caymen Islands flagged schooner is now in more, sunnier climes in the Adriatic Sea, having called to Dubrovnik, Croatia Riviera this week. The numerous Croatian isles outnumber those of Scotland, as they too prove a big attraction for the privately owned superyachts, but also tourists taking cruiseships to the medieval coastal city that strictly controls their calls.

Dubrovnik, is also where the Cork connection continues, albeit not strictly superyacht related, but that of one of the more humble local based car-ferries. That been a ferry of the city’s namesake, the Irish built Dubrovnik, launched at the Verolme Cork Dockyard, Rushbrooke in 1979 as B+I Line's Connacht.

She made her maiden sailing on the Cork-Swansea, Wales route that year and after a spell as Brittany Ferries Duchesse Anne, she moved to operator, Jadrolinija on the Dubrovnik-Bari, Italy route.

Published in Superyachts

Galway Port & Harbour

Galway Bay is a large bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south. Galway city and port is located on the northeast side of the bay. The bay is about 50 kilometres (31 miles) long and from 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) to 30 kilometres (19 miles) in breadth.

The Aran Islands are to the west across the entrance and there are numerous small islands within the bay.

Galway Port FAQs

Galway was founded in the 13th century by the de Burgo family, and became an important seaport with sailing ships bearing wine imports and exports of fish, hides and wool.

Not as old as previously thought. Galway bay was once a series of lagoons, known as Loch Lurgan, plied by people in log canoes. Ancient tree stumps exposed by storms in 2010 have been dated back about 7,500 years.

It is about 660,000 tonnes as it is a tidal port.

Capt Brian Sheridan, who succeeded his late father, Capt Frank Sheridan

The dock gates open approximately two hours before high water and close at high water subject to ship movements on each tide.

The typical ship sizes are in the region of 4,000 to 6,000 tonnes

Turbines for about 14 wind projects have been imported in recent years, but the tonnage of these cargoes is light. A European industry report calculates that each turbine generates €10 million in locally generated revenue during construction and logistics/transport.

Yes, Iceland has selected Galway as European landing location for international telecommunications cables. Farice, a company wholly owned by the Icelandic Government, currently owns and operates two submarine cables linking Iceland to Northern Europe.

It is "very much a live project", Harbourmaster Capt Sheridan says, and the Port of Galway board is "awaiting the outcome of a Bord Pleanála determination", he says.

90% of the scrap steel is exported to Spain with the balance being shipped to Portugal. Since the pandemic, scrap steel is shipped to the Liverpool where it is either transhipped to larger ships bound for China.

It might look like silage, but in fact, its bales domestic and municipal waste, exported to Denmark where the waste is incinerated, and the heat is used in district heating of homes and schools. It is called RDF or Refuse Derived Fuel and has been exported out of Galway since 2013.

The new ferry is arriving at Galway Bay onboard the cargo ship SVENJA. The vessel is currently on passage to Belem, Brazil before making her way across the Atlantic to Galway.

Two Volvo round world races have selected Galway for the prestigious yacht race route. Some 10,000 people welcomed the boats in during its first stopover in 2009, when a festival was marked by stunning weather. It was also selected for the race finish in 2012. The Volvo has changed its name and is now known as the "Ocean Race". Capt Sheridan says that once port expansion and the re-urbanisation of the docklands is complete, the port will welcome the "ocean race, Clipper race, Tall Ships race, Small Ships Regatta and maybe the America's Cup right into the city centre...".

The pandemic was the reason why Seafest did not go ahead in Cork in 2020. Galway will welcome Seafest back after it calls to Waterford and Limerick, thus having been to all the Port cities.

© Afloat 2020