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Displaying items by tag: Mooney Boats, Killybegs

#BoatyardKillybegs – A pair of tugs in recent weeks have undergone overhaul work carried out at Mooney Boats, the boatbuilder, repairer and maintenance facility in Killybegs, Co. Donegal, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Tugs SMS Cian and Nomad used the services of the north-western yard that has the largest boat-hoist in Ireland, though Killybegs fleet of considerably larger supertrawlers go elsewhere. Among the drydocks used this had included Dublin Graving Docks that closed last week.

SMS Cian which operates for Sinbad Marine Services also based in Killybegs, was taken out of the water where the 30 ton bollard pull tug had seacocks removed, serviced and refitted.

In addition the 18m twin screw vessel had a stainless steel bar fitted to the top of the gunnel on the stern. The UK flagged SMS Cian was washed and painted along with new anodes fitted where required.

The rather unusual looking Nomad, having observed at Dun Laoghaire Harbour in 2009 (see below) is currently operated by Castletownbere Marine Ltd.

Work on the 10 ton bollard pull tug formerly the States of Jersey Harbour Authority tug, Duke of Normandy, involved water-blasting the deck and deckhouse in resealing the windows around the wheelhouse.

The 1972 built tug completed at Poole, Dorset, was also washed, painted and had anodes fitted to the 24m single screw vessel during her call to Killybegs.

The premier Irish fishing port is also from where Nomad previously operated for Sinbad Marine in duties asides towage but on oil spill recovery, fire fighting and as a guardship.

It was in that role that Nomad saw east coast duties off the Kish Bank, using Dun Laoghaire as a base. On that occasion the tug was on 'guard vessel' duties of Dublin Port based drillship, Fugro Synergy which carried out a series of exploratory drill wells off the Kish Bank to examine the viability of a underground coal gasification (UCG) project south-east of the iconic lighthouse.

Published in Ports & Shipping

Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Ireland Information

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity to save lives at sea in the waters of UK and Ireland. Funded principally by legacies and donations, the RNLI operates a fleet of lifeboats, crewed by volunteers, based at a range of coastal and inland waters stations. Working closely with UK and Ireland Coastguards, RNLI crews are available to launch at short notice to assist people and vessels in difficulties.

RNLI was founded in 1824 and is based in Poole, Dorset. The organisation raised €210m in funds in 2019, spending €200m on lifesaving activities and water safety education. RNLI also provides a beach lifeguard service in the UK and has recently developed an International drowning prevention strategy, partnering with other organisations and governments to make drowning prevention a global priority.

Irish Lifeboat Stations

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, with an operational base in Swords, Co Dublin. Irish RNLI crews are tasked through a paging system instigated by the Irish Coast Guard which can task a range of rescue resources depending on the nature of the emergency.

Famous Irish Lifeboat Rescues

Irish Lifeboats have participated in many rescues, perhaps the most famous of which was the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Rock lightship off Cork Harbour by the Ballycotton lifeboat in 1936. Spending almost 50 hours at sea, the lifeboat stood by the drifting lightship until the proximity to the Daunt Rock forced the coxswain to get alongside and successfully rescue the lightship's crew.

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895.

FAQs

While the number of callouts to lifeboat stations varies from year to year, Howth Lifeboat station has aggregated more 'shouts' in recent years than other stations, averaging just over 60 a year.

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

The Irish fleet is a mixture of inshore and all-weather (offshore) craft. The offshore lifeboats, which range from 17m to 12m in length are either moored afloat, launched down a slipway or are towed into the sea on a trailer and launched. The inshore boats are either rigid or non-rigid inflatables.

The Irish Coast Guard in the Republic of Ireland or the UK Coastguard in Northern Ireland task lifeboats when an emergency call is received, through any of the recognised systems. These include 999/112 phone calls, Mayday/PanPan calls on VHF, a signal from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or distress signals.

The Irish Coast Guard is the government agency responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue operations. To carry out their task the Coast Guard calls on their own resources – Coast Guard units manned by volunteers and contracted helicopters, as well as "declared resources" - RNLI lifeboats and crews. While lifeboats conduct the operation, the coordination is provided by the Coast Guard.

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

RNLI Lifeboat crews are required to follow a particular development plan that covers a pre-agreed range of skills necessary to complete particular tasks. These skills and tasks form part of the competence-based training that is delivered both locally and at the RNLI's Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset

 

While the RNLI is dependent on donations and legacies for funding, they also need volunteer crew and fund-raisers.

© Afloat 2020