#STORMS – May Day and the first day of Summer 2012 today brings little in the way of joy for boaters on the east coast of Ireland at least who have suffered early season set backs from gales since the beginning of April. Prolonged storm force winds and big seas have wrecked boats, equipment, jetties and piers along the coast.
Many yachts and boats are now safely sheltered in the capital's marinas at Dun Laoghaire, Malahide and Howth but sadly for other skippers it is too late and the 2012 season lies in tatters.
Today's forecast shows another poor week in prospect and while the weather is to improve for next weekend's bank holiday it is not to the extent that it will be a memorable one with cold northerly winds forecast and temperatures of only 9 degrees until next Tueday at least. It seems hard to imagine that in March Ireland was basking in temperatures in the low 20s.
Storm damage is still being assessed in Skerries and Bray where most of the damage has occurred.
Yachts lie wrecked on the rocks in North Dublin. Photos: Dean Jacobs
Less than a week since the boats were craned in at Skerries Sailing Club ISORA champion yacht Raging Bull, skippered by Matt Davis, was on the rocks.
The yacht was among others to be washed ashore in Skerries in north Dublin when moorings apparently broke in the extreme conditions.
In Bray Co. Wickow, no sooner had crews lifted boats in than the crane was back in action lifting Sailing Club yachts out of the harbour again only some were not so lucky.
There is little doubt about the severtiy of the storms that even caused problems in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin where the yacht club pontoon at the Royal St. George Yacht Club was damaged in the first of the storms.
Amazingly through all of this yacht club racing programmes have been followed without a hitch except for the SB3s scrubbed last Sunday. Howth concluded its Spring Warmer series, DBSC has had two great Saturday race days and in between gales the ISORA fleet raced 47 miles from Dun Laoghaire to Wicklow and back.
Damage to yacht club pontoons inside Dun Laoghaire harbour
The new harbour in Greystones was also tested this month and there were many onlookers. The consensus appears that it s been well built but over-topping (where waves can crash over the top of the brekwaters) might make berths in the new marina basin inhospitable when the marina is eventually installed there.
Waves crash over the new harbour walls in Greystones in the first week of April
We are documenting the damage to boats causd by the gales. If you have photos or videos please send them to [email protected]
