On Thursday 15th July, Cobh and Harbour Chamber and the Port of Cork will jointly host an online cruise tourism workshop. The workshop is aimed at local tourist attractions and providers and is a great opportunity to hear about the global cruise industry as destinations and Ports emerge from the pandemic, and the planned return of cruises to Cork in 2022.

The workshop will host several key speakers including Conor Mowlds, Chief Commercial Officer Port of Cork, Niamh McCarthy MD of Excursions Ireland, Captain Michael McCarthy Chair of Cruise Europe, Jackie Coakley Cobh Tourism and Seamus Heaney Pure Cork/Visit Cork.

A Cruiser liner passes Crosshaven while exiting Cork Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman

This workshop is a must for anyone in the tourism business that wants to get a synopsis of the cruise industry and how it will operate once it returns in 2022. It is also an opportunity for local businesses to explore ways of developing new shore excursions that can be sold to potential cruise passengers coming to Cobh and Cork.

President of Cobh & Harbour Chamber, Johanna Murphy said: ‘This cruise tourism workshop is such an exciting opportunity for local businesses and tourism attractions to hear first-hand from industry experts on the how we can all play our part in the resumption of cruise. Since the pandemic, Cobh has not had any visiting cruise ships and we are very eager to encourage their return as their economic contribution is valuable to the town of Cobh.’

The 75,000 tonne Norwegian Spirit is a Leo-class cruise ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) Photo: Bob Bateman

While cruise bookings are strong for 2022, the Port of Cork is cautiously optimistic that a resumption can happen once all necessary return protocols are in place.

Conor Mowlds, Chief Commercial Officer said: ‘Cruise tourism took a massive hit during the pandemic both locally and globally. We are nonetheless optimistic that cruise will return to Cork in 2022. We must now focus on developing a return to cruise protocol that will satisfy the Dept of Transport, Port Health, Cruise Lines, Shore Excursion providers local business and communities. This really is a combined effort from all parties to ensure the safe return and this cruise workshop is the first step in working together.’

The Royal Princess alongside in Cobh in Cork Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman

Cruise Liners in Cork Harbour Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

New Zealand’s reportedly rejected multi-million-euro offer to host the next America’s Cup could give some indication of how much Cork Harbour’s ambitions would cost.

According to Marine Industry News, the Auld Mug holders Emirates Team New Zealand are opening discussions abroad after turning down a bid from their home nation’s government worth NZ$99 million, or some €58.3 million.

It’s being reported that ETNZ is seeking a package worth more than double that number — which would put any price for Cork Harbour and other interested parties around the world into nine figures.

NZ prime minister Jacina Ardern is quoted as saying: “The ball is in their court. We believe we’ve made a decent offer, and now it’s for them to resolve where the cup will be raced.”

As reported earlier today on Afloat.ie, Cork Harbour is lining up a bid for the rights to host the prestigious yacht race in 2024.

Cork Harbour is lining up a bid for the rights to host the prestigious 2024 America’s Cup yacht race — the oldest sporting trophy in the world that scooped over a billion dollars for the New Zealand economy when the event was held there in March this year.

According to The Examiner newspaper,  a technical America's Cup team from the event's organising authority visited Cork city and harbour over the weekend for a range of technical briefings and site assessments, including an aerial assessment conducted during a flight over the harbour.

New Zealand won the 36th edition of the Cup held in Auckland in March, sensationally putting all other teams - including Britain - to the sword in a series of high-speed races in some of the world's fastest sailing foiling monohull yachts, known as IC37s. 

The team was examining key technical harbour details on tides, wind speeds and directions, channel depths, and berthing facilities.

Cork Harbour is the second biggest natural harbour in the world, after Sydney Australia.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney

They were accompanied by Irish tourism bosses, as well as by city and county officials at various stages.

It is understood some key Cork sailing officials and professionals also attended the briefings.

They attended a number of events, including an outdoor briefing on a veranda or balcony at the Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh on Friday night, also attended by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney; a lunch event at Camden Fort Meagher on Saturday; and the delegation also visited Cork city over the weekend to experience the buzz of the city centre.

Crowds of spectator boats watch the 36th America's Cup in Auckland Harbour in March

A spokesperson for Mr Coveney confirmed he was part of a series of briefings but she declined to comment in any further detail.

“A small international team assessed sites in Cork last weekend for potential future events,” she said.

“Mr Coveney attended a number of briefings and presentations on the excellent facilities and sites Cork City and Harbour has to offer for major international tournaments.

“All events in his programme were compliant with public health rules.”

It comes ahead of a decision, expected within days on whether or not current America’s Cup title defenders, New Zealand, will exercise its right to defend its title at home or not.

Cowes and other venues are also understood to be considering bids in the event New Zealand opts to defend its title abroad.

Much more from The Examiner here

The iconic orange and white colours of Cape Clear Ferries will shortly become a familiar sight around Cork Harbour with the launch of Cork Harbour Cruises on Sunday 20th June next.

The Cailín Óir vessel has recently been upgraded to cater for 100 passengers with additional popular upper deck seating for panoramic 360° views of the spectacular harbour.

The service will operate from both Cork City Centre and Crosshaven to offer a range of excursions including a new service to Spike Island which is one of Ireland’s most up and coming visitor attractions. Operating from Crosshaven this 30-minute trip offers scenic views and commentary en route to the historic Island and its imposing fortifications.

The Cailín Óir can cater for young and old alike with no age restrictions and even on rainy days its large windows ensure that the sights can be enjoyed in perfect comfort. Refreshments will be available on board and Cork, being the storytelling capital of Island, will also feature stories and anecdotes from the area’s rich maritime history.

Operating from the Marina in Cork City the service offers mini after lunch cruises together with a longer excursion into the Harbour. Since Cork is a bustling harbour with a great range of activities, wildlife, scenery and weather conditions no two days will be quite the same.

Evening sunset tours are perhaps the best way to end a perfect summer’s day.

The service will also cater for private groups and parties.

The volunteers of Crosshaven RNLI in Cork Harbour were tasked by Valentia Coast Guard to a report of three persons cut off by the tide between Church Bay and Fennels Bays at 6.20pm this evening.

The Atlantic 85 lifeboat ‘John & Janet’ made best speed to the location along with Crosshaven Coast Guard.

The lifeboat was unable to get close inshore to the casualties and Crewman Derek Moynan swam in to check on the condition of the three males. Rescue Helicopter 117 from Waterford was requested and arrived overhead shortly afterwards.

The helicopter crew winched all three casualties into the helicopter and were concerned that one of them was very cold. They took him to CUH as a precautionary measure.

Crosshaven lifeboat crew recovered our crewman and returned to station at 8.15 pm.

The crew on this tasking were Alan Venner in command with Derek Moynan, Aidan O’Connor and Norman Jackson. Shore crew; Jenna O’Shea, Molly Murphy, Jon Meaney and Sandra Farrell

The future of port cities both in Ireland and internationally, the inspiring approach to adventure and risk taken by award-winning sea swimmer Nuala Moore and sports psychologist Dr Karen Weekes, and how Cork harbour was once a centre of enforced migration - these are just some of the topics discussed during this year's Cork Harbour Festival.

Over 40 activities on the water, on land and on-screen, have been planned by the Cork Harbour Festival team, and the packed programme continues over this weekend until Monday, June 14th.

Panellists for Thursday's discussion on port cities hosted by UCC's Civic and Community Engagement were Professor Amanda Brandellero, Erasmus University Rotterdam School of History, Culture and Communication and member of the ‘Port City Futures’ group in the Netherlands; Feargal Reidy Director of Strategic and Economic Development, Cork City Council; Conor Mowlds, Chief Commercial Officer, Port of Cork Company; and Lar Joye, Port Heritage Director, Dublin Port Company.

This and other online events - including the Mná na Mara talk with Nuala Moore and Karen Weekes - have been recorded, and are now available to view at no charge. Check out the Cork Harbour Festival "rewind" here.

The Port of Cork is delighted to welcome a new container service from Southampton to Cork Harbour operated by Unifeeder. This new Lift on Lift off (LoLo) service will offer importers and exporters a reliable route to market with fixed weekday schedules from Cork.

Commenting on the new LoLo service, Conor Mowlds, Chief Commercial Officer, Port of Cork said: ‘We are delighted to see a new LoLo customer entering the Irish market. Unifeeder is a dynamic logistics company with one of the largest and best-connected feeder and shortsea networks in Europe.’

He continued: ‘This service is a very positive development for both exporters and importers, and we are delighted Unifeeder have chosen the Port of Cork as their southern gateway to the Irish market.’

Martin Gaard Christiansen, CCO, Global Feeder, Unifeeder said: ‘We are pleased that Unifeeder has launched a new service via the Hubport of Southampton to/from the Ports of Cork and Belfast. The new service to the Irish Sea is further expanding Unifeeder’s presence in Northern Europe and will allow us to offer our customers an even more extensive outport coverage. First sailings are already successfully completed and going forward, will run as a weekly fixed-weekday service and expect to include Dublin on the route soon.’

This week the welcome sound will be coming to Scribbler.

The 25-tonne travel hoist boat lift will be manoeuvred into position beneath her at Castlepoint Boatyard and Scribbler will be carried down Point Road, onto the Crosshaven slipway and lowered to caress and enter the waters of Cork Harbour.

I'm looking forward to it and the other welcome sound that, for me, is the real start of each season and that is when my Sigma 33 again catches a breeze and the bow sounds its first engagement with the sails, pushing her through the water.

For the past few weeks, like many boat owners, I've been frequenting the yard and, driving through Crosshaven village, noting what has been happening in the other yards there.

The hoist at Crosshaven Boatyard has been increasingly busy. A crane has appeared for launching boats at Wietze's yard. The movement of boats at all the yards shows that the annual 'launching season' is underway. It has not been happening as early as in other years because of the grim months of Covid, but now the momentum has overcome doubt and migration to the water is well underway. The yards are emptying of their winter populace.

It's been interesting and enjoyable to talk to other owners, discussing the season ahead, how each is getting on with the boat preparations and the big question -, how long before launching.

One of the positive aspects of what might be called 'pre-season' is the level of interest reported from Cork clubs amongst young sailors who've been engaged in training for the past few weeks and of newcomers to the sport.

Youth interest in sailing Photo: Bob Bateman

Cork clubs have been announcing their plans for the restart of racing from next week.

ROYAL CORK YACHT CLUB

At the Royal Cork, National 18s and Mixed dinghies will start racing on Wednesday evening next, June 9. The following night it will be the turn of Keelboats and on Friday night, June 11, non-spinnaker Keelboats will begin whitesail racing. On Saturday, June 12, the Dognose and Miss Betty Trophies are fixed for all Portsmouth Yardstick dinghies and the start of a June league for keelboats is planned. Club facilities will be re-opened and a special weekend is planned for June 19 and 20.

"It is our intention to run the PY1000 Dinghy Race, an Admiral's Chace and we will repeat this theme of special Member's Days in July with the return of the Round The Island Race and then again in August for the Cork300 Tricentenary At Home." This Sunday the Junior Sailing Academy for teenagers starts, with 30 sailors signed up and on Bank Holiday Monday the club is starting 'Try Sailing' a programme to encourage interest in taking up the sport.

The RCYC is also planning to go ahead with its 'Wild Atlantic Cruise' which is scheduled to depart Crosshaven on Saturday, July 10, with the aim to arrive in Bantry the following Saturday.

KINSALE YACHT CLUB

"Competitive sailing is recommencing at KYC is resuming next Wednesday and we have a full calendar of events for the rest of the summer," says Michael Walsh, Kinsale Commodore. "The highlight of our summer will be the Sovereigns Cup from June 23-26. We are hosting the Squib South Coast Championship on July 17/18 and the Dragon Nationals September 2-5/. Our regular Wednesday evening Cruiser racing, Thursday Squibs and Dragons and Friday White Sailing will run in monthly leagues from June through September. We have a full calendar of junior sailing events and we are gearing up to commence the Sailability training in the coming weeks.

MONKSTOWN BAY SAILING CLUB

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club will resume dinghy racing next Tuesday night, June 8. This follows preparatory training series over recent week evenings.

Cork clubs will be getting back racing next week Photo: Bob Bateman

COVE SAILING CLUB

At Cove SC the club is ready to go with its dinghy racing and cruisers returning to competitive action on the water next week. A lot of work has been done on the marina at Whitepoint and on the club facilities there.

GLANDORE HARBOUR YACHT CLUB

At Glandore Harbour YC fixtures include the Squibs Early League to start on Saturday, June 12 with the Dragon Summer League beginning the following Saturday, June 19. Mixed Dinghy July League Racing is fixed to start on July 4.

BALTIMORE SAILING CLUB

The highlight of the season at Baltimore Sailing Club is Regatta Day on the first Monday in August," according to the club. The 1720s Baltimore Cup is scheduled from July 31 to August 1.

SCHULL HARBOUR SAILING CLUB

Schull Harbour Sailing Club's Cruiser Racing season will start on Saturday of next week, June 12, with the Commodore's Race. Junior Sailing will begin on Saturday, July 4 and run every Saturday morning until late August," according to the club. "Entries for Calves Week from August 3-6 continue to arrive. The event is looking positive."

And that's the best note for the sailing season ahead in Cork – being positive.

If you were to bring together even half of the boats built with the involvement of the late great George Bushe of Crosshaven, you'd have the makings of a fascinating maritime museum. The master boatbuilder – whose skills live on nationally and internationally in his sons Mark and Killian – was game for any challenge, whether it was of complex boat engineering, or a world-class yacht finish. And if it came to the pinch, he was more than capable of turning his hand to boat design as well.

It says everything about the quality of George's work that he is still remembered for building a boat too well. In the mid 1950s, he was commissioned to provide one of only two International Dragons ever constructed in Ireland, in this case Melisande for ace Cork Harbour helm Joe FitzGerald.

With Melisande finished and looking exquisite, the Class Surveyor was brought over from Scandinavia to certify her as a true International Dragon. But she was rejected. It seems that George had rounded off the edges of all the bent timbers within the hull when apparently the Dragon small-print rules – in a throwback to the class's origins as an inexpensive weekend cruiser – insisted that the timbers be left basic finish, with angled edges and no fancy smoothing off.

It was quite a challenge to re-frame Melisande without damaging her superbly-finished hull, and by the time she was finally certified as a Dragon, the overall cost was well north of the economy package which had been the thinking at the class's origin in 1929.

The traditional Crosshaven Boatyard setup of camping out in the main boatshed, complete with a small shed shed for your own gear, the spars newly varnished, and a mysterious old boat lurking alongside with a magical little transom that suggests serious ambitions in rowing races. Photo: Darryl Hughes

But getting it right was one of the many challenges George took in his stride. Another was the very Corkonian one of a local dinghy sailor ordering a new Bushe-built IDRA 14, with the deal only being finalised and the boat accepted if she had won the up-coming IDRA Nationals on Lough Derg. The word is George built the boat as the ultimate IDRA 14 of that year's crop, and then raced her himself to victory on Lough Derg, with a done deal following immediately afterwards.

With such a talent - whether ashore in the building shed or out on the racecourse – you'd think any way at all of linking a boat to George Bushe is something special. So it has been something of a wonder that in Crosshaven Boatyard, where he has been re-fitting his 1938 43ft Tyrrell classic gaff ketch Maybird, that noted mover and shaker Darryl Hughes has managed to find a very special George Bushe boat called Lorelei of early 1950s vintage, a boat which had more or less slipped away under the radar.

All is revealed as Lorelei is turned for the first time in years – this was George Bushe's 1953 take on a serious racing skiff. Photo: Darryl Hughes  

He'd become curious about a 30ft long and very slim four-oared classic rowing skiff, dusty and hidden in the shed against the wall beside a space where he'd found some room to do the usual wellnigh perfect varnish work on Maybird's already many spars, which seem to double in number whenever varnishing time comes around.

In Crosshaven, where boats are involved, you approach such mysteries as this sidelined skiff with care and diplomacy, and it has been doubly difficult with the pubs being shut. However, eventually, it was revealed that the last known owners were the now non-functional Crosshaven Rowing Club. But the boat hadn't been used for at least twenty years, and if rowing does revive on the Owenabue River, it will more likely be with more modern design concepts which emerged from hotbeds of design development such as the Ron Holland Office.

The old hidden boat was built to race with a class of similar skiffs which were very active up in Cork City at the time, based around Marina. In her day, she must have been quite the hot property, as George incorporated lots of weight-saving techniques such as notably wide plywood planking which was edge-glued, while the reinforcing hull timbers are of minimal size. And as each rowlock had its own reinforced bracket external to the hull, he didn't feel the need to reinforce the entire gunwhale with further weight other than using a slightly heavier gauge of marine ply as the top strake.

Seen from ahead, the lightness of construction is evident, yet there is no sign of it having been too light. Photo: Darryl Hughes  

This makes you think that the boat must have wriggled along when they were rowing at full power, but the fact that after nearly 70 years, the hull is still in basically good order seems to indicate that George got it right.

After her period up at Marina, she was acquired by the expanding Crosshaven Rowing Club, but for at least two decades, she had become out-of-sight and out-of-mind in this hidden corner of the boatyard until Darryl came poking around.

As it's a time of change at Crosshaven Boatyard, he reckoned that the occasion was ripe for this remarkable boat to find a viable new home and guaranteed future. So having contacted the surviving members of the CRC and Mark Bushe, permission was given for Barry Saunders and the Stella Maris Rowing Club in Ringsend in Dublin to take her over, and now this remarkable craft has a new home on the banks of the Liffey, with her first appearance afloat under the new custodianship a keenly-anticipated event.

Changed circumstances – Lorelei in her new home at the Stella Maris Club in Ringsend, her slim lines much in evidence in her first appearance in sunshine in 20 years. Photo: Barry Saunders

Yet what, you might well ask, has all this to do with Tinseltown's blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe? Well, the mystery skiff is very clearly named Lorelei. So it could well be that her early crews were enthusiasts for Germanic mythology and its influence on Wagnerian and other operas through the story of Lorelei, the doomed Rhine maiden.

There's no doubting the boat's name, but why was she so-called? Photo: Darryl Hughes

But the smart money bets otherwise. It doesn't see lusty rowing crews as being into opera, notwithstanding the importance of the Cork Opera House. However, at the time Lorelei was built, one of the great new box office movie hits was the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. Monroe was on top form as the showgirl Lorelei, she was at her best, and of course if a crewman's missus or girl-friend threw a frost over the boat being name after a Hollywood pin-up, the advantage of a rowing club is that you could say it was nothing to do with you personally, but everyone else seemed to want it……

Whatever, it gives us an opportunity to draw your attention to a YouTube clip which dates from a time when movies were supposed to be totally entertaining, songs were expected to be witty and tuneful, and musicals required a mind-boggling level of choreography:

Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat was paged at 2.10 am and launched at 2.30 am this morning to a vessel broken down between Myrtleville and Fountainstown off Cork Harbour.

Initially, the position was given as 2 miles East of Myrtleville. The volunteer crew had a casualty mobile number and were able to get a Lat/Long position from their phone which placed them between Myrtleville and Fountainstown.

The RIB, with two persons on board had run out of fuel, had no working navigation lights and no working VHF radio. One of the casualties was very cold and the two casualties were transferred to the lifeboat before taking the RIB in tow to Crosshaven.

The lifeboat was recovered, refuelled, washed down and declared ready for service once more at 4.50 am.

The crew on this service, Alan Venner in command with Claire Morgan, Peter Lane and Jonny Bermingham.

Shore Crew, Norman Jackson, Jenna O’Shea, Richie Leonard, James Fegan, Gary Heslin and Kevin McCarthy.

Helm, Alan Venner commented on the importance of ''having your vessel in good order and making sure you have enough fuel onboard before heading to sea."