#CRUISE CALLS – Waterford is to welcome its first cruise caller in 2012 with the Quest (1992/1,180grt) an ice-strengthened expedition cruiseship which is to dock next month along the city-quays, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Normally she operates around the Scottish Isles, Norway, Greenland and Spitsbergen. This year she will make her itineraries for the first time around Ireland, England and Wales.

The stout looking Danish built vessel is just 50m in length, has a beam of 11m and draws 3.5m, this allows her to reach more destinations in difficult conditions. She carries around 50 passengers and a crew half that number. For images including interiors and deck plans click HERE

Quest is also scheduled to make a second call to the south-east city in May. Following both these calls another 17 cruise callers are lined up for the season which runs until September.

Among the callers are the 940 passenger capacity Crystal Symphony, the 66,000 tonnes Marina which only entered service last year, Ocean Princess (for a dry-dock slideshow click HERE) and the 1988 built Prinsendam.

Depending on the vessel's draught, the location of where they will call in Waterford estuary will vary. Aside the city quays, the other berth is in Belview and for deep drafted vessels, they take anchorage off Dunmore East. To view the full cruise call list click HERE.

An investigation has been launched into the death of a seaman in Waterford Port yesterday.

The Irish Independent reports that the 51-year-old sailor from the Philippines fell more than five metres after being struck by machinery.

He had been tying down a load on the cargo ship MV Scot Pioneer when the incident occurred around lunchtime yesterday. He later died from his injuries.

The Health and Safety Authority and gardaí went to the scene, and RTÉ News reports that a post-mortem was set to take place yesterday afternoon.

The Port of Waterford Company also issued a statement extending its sympathies to the man's family and colleagues.

As the cruise season draws to a close, passengers from the German 28,856 tonnes Amadea, visited Bantry Bay, west Cork today, writes Jehan Ashmore.

At 192m in length, the 600-passenger capacity cruiseship is operated by Pheonix Reisen. The German based travel agency also runs fleetmates Albratross and Artania. The later Finish built vessel was best known as Princess Cruises Royal Princess, when launched by the late Diana, Princess of Wales in 1984.

Apart from the handful of cruiseships that call, Bantry Bay is otherwise used by oil tankers bringing supplies to the Whiddy Island Oil Terminal. The terminal consists of an offshore single point mooring, tanker Jetty, and an onshore tank farm. The bay runs some 35kms long and is 10km wide at its broadest at the entrance and steadily narrows to 3-4kms at its head. In addition the bay is largest of the main inlets in the south-west.

Glengariff in recent years has also welcomed another German operator, Peter Deilmann's Deutschland (1988/22,496grt) and the UK based Cruise & Maritime Voyages Marco Polo (1966/20,080grt). To read more on this vessel which regularly calls to Irish ports click HERE.

The 7,987 gross tonnes containership Samskip Endeavour grounded on a sandbank in Waterford Harbour this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore.

In attendance was Bargarth, a UK-flagged tug based in Waterford and operated by Fastnet Shipping. The twin Voith & fire-fighting tug made a special appearance during the Tall Ships Races Parade of Sail on 3 July, when she put on a celebratory water-display off Dunmore East.

Samskip Eandeavour is capable of handling 812 twenty-foot equivalent containers (TEU). She was completed only this year by Damen Gorinchem Scheepswerf B.V. Foxtol in the Netherlands. The vessel is operated by an Icelandic company, Samskip which provides several container feeder-liner services between Rotterdam / Zeebrugge with Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Waterford.

After unloading and loading at Belview the 140m vessel is scheduled to dock in the Port of Cork tomorrow at the Tivoli Container Terminal before returning to Europe.

The latest Marine Notice from the DTTAS includes important information for recreational craft expected to attend the Tall Ships Races in Waterford from 30 June to 3 July.

Race organisers and the Waterford harbour master have issued an approved water safety plan for the marshalling of spectator boats for the time the tall ships are in port and for the start of the race off Hook Head.

Skippers and crew must comply with all instructions and be aware of their obligations under existing maritime legislation (regarding avoidance of collisions, preventing reckless behaviour and ensuring correct safety equipment is on board).

Boat owners intending to visit should contact the harbour master for details on restricted areas and berthing spots via the Port of Waterford website or directly at 051 974 907.

Restrictions are also in place for passenger boats and ships. Only fully licenced vessels with plying limits listing Waterford as a point of departure are allowed to operate during the event. Temporary changes in plying limits can be made via the Marine Survey Office before 15 June.

Further details are available on Marine Notice No 28 of 2011 which is available to read or download HERE.

Some interesting Irish waterfront property is on the market on the Shannon Estuary at Foynes deepwater port in county Limerick and also at Passage East in Co. Waterford. The properties will be of interest to those in the marine industry and anyone looking for coastal property in Ireland too.

A significant commercial and industrial facility immediately opposite the entrance to Foynes port is being sold on the instruction of Shannon Foynes Port Company.

A former Pilot Station Building, Passage East, Co. Waterford is being sold on the instruction of the Port of Waterford. The 1500 sq. foot building is located within the village and in close proximity to the pier.

Perhaps either property can be the basis of a coastal home? If you're looking for inspiration, look no further than Sailing champion Brad Butterworth's new $3.9 million Auckland hideaway has won an architects' design prize in New Zealand.

The winning America's Cup skipper also stands to win a national award for his taste in housing. His Waiheke Island hideout, dubbed the Rock House, originally annoyed neighbours, who nicknamed it "Brad's Pit".

 

The sail-training vessel, Lord Nelson, berthed in Waterford on 1 September for a reception to launch sponsorship details of the city's hosting next summer of the Tall Ships Races 2011 (30 June-3 July), writes Jehan Ashmore

The four-day maritime spectacle expects to attract 500,000 visitors to throng the quays of the 'Crystal' city. Presented by Szczecin and organised by Sail Training International, the prestigious event is supported through host-port partners, 3, Bulmers Original Irish Cider and Waterford Crystal. In addition the host-port educational partner is Waterford Institute of Technology and the official media partner covering the event is RTE. Between them over €450,000 has been raised to support funding.

Waterford City Council and the Port of Waterford are providing leading roles as delivering agencies having jointly mounted the bid to secure staging the Tall Ships Races return following the city's successful hosting of the event in 2005.

Notably in that year's 'Parade of Sail' the procession was led by Asgard II, followed astern by Jeanie Johnston and Dunbrody. The involvement of all Irish tall-ships was an historical occasion particularly in view of the sinking of Asgard II three years later.

In 2005, Waterford also claimed to be the first Irish host port to be the starting port for the race and this will be repeated in 2011.

Gary Breen, Failte Ireland; Cllr Mary Roche,Mayor of Waterford,David McCoy, House of Waterford Crystal and Des Whelan, Chairman, The Tall Ships Races 2011 onboard the 'Lord Nelson' in Waterford. Photo: Dylan Vaughan

At the reception onboard Lord Nelson, Cllr Mary Roche, Mayor of Waterford said: "To 3,Bulmers,RTE, Waterford Crystal and Waterford Institute of Technology, I say a very sincere thank you on behalf of the people of Waterford and all of those around Europe and beyond who will be here next summer for what promises to be four magical days of free fun in Ireland's oldest city".

Next year's hosting is also to be supported by Failte Ireland which is allocating resources of €3m while Tourism Ireland will embark on an intensive marketing campaign during the mid summer event, which is billed to be the biggest event in Ireland.

There will be between 80-100 tall-ships and their international crews converging in Waterford. Among the vessels confirmed is the 1937-built, Christian Radich which starred in the 1958 film, The Windjammer and also featured in the 1970's television series, The Onedin Line.

Incidentally the Christian Radich was used, albeit with limited trainee spaces allocated to Coist an Asgard in an arrangement with the vessel's Norwegian owners in 2009, the first full year of the national sail training programme since the sinking of Asgard II the previous year.

The staging costs of the 2011 Tall Ships is estimated at €3.5m and is expected to generate €35m to Waterford City and hinterland. The organisers of the event will be embracing social technology communications networks with presentations on Facebook, Twitter and other servers.

Last year Belfast held the honour in welcoming the finale of the Tall Ship Races, incorporating the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge. Dublin hosted the event in 1998, albeit the race was then known as the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race with this same title applying to the race when the event visited Cork Harbour in 1991.

Looking for further reading on Tall Ships in Ireland? Click the links below:

Click this link to read all our Tall Ships Stories on one handy page

Previewing Ireland's Tall Ships 2011 Season

Can Ireland Get a New Tall Ship?