#CorkDockyard – ILV Granuaile, the Commissioners of Irish Lights aids to navigation tender departed Cork Dockyard's graving dock today, following a major work contract won in the face of stiff competition from European yards, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The ILV Granuaile in the presence of local tugs made a lunchtime exodus of the graving dock. She then went alongside the layby berth of the 44-acre facility in Rusbrooke where 30 years ago the last ship built by the former Verolme Cork Dockyard was launched.

According to CIL, the contract won by Cork Dockyard Ltd (part of the Doyle Shipping Group) was secured from competing yards in the UK and France. The contract for a '15 year Special Survey and Drydocking' followed a competitive EU tender and is part of an overall €650,000 project to so to enable continued operation of the ship to Lloyds +100A1 Classification.

The yard's work was to carry out hull and superstructure painting, repair tasks and major tank surveys. As well to this overhauls to both Schottel and bow thrusters were required plus an inspection of the hull's plate thickness.

ILV Granuaile entered the 165.5m (539ft) by 22.5m (73ft) wide graving dock in late August, having engaged on an international charter working on wind farms in the German Bight and in waters off the Netherlands.

Prior to her arrival, Granuaile which was custom-built for CIL in Romania by the Dutch Damen Group, made an en route call to Rosslare before entering the graving dock in lower Cork Harbour.

Granuaile is designed to service all aids to navigation off the island of Ireland in which there are 300 general aids and some 4000 local aids.

In addition to the occasional commercial charter work, she has also been tasked to undertake operations with other state agencies such as the Naval Service, Coast Guard and Marine Institute.

She is due to return to routine duties off the west coast, however due to strong demand according to CIL her services will again be required for a joint project.

This will see the 2,625 tonnes vessel carry out work for the Marine Institute and SEAI, where sensors to monitor wave energy activity will be deployed at SEAI's offshore wave energy test site off Belmullet, Co.Mayo.