#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notices from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advise of the pre-laying of anchors in the Corrib Gas Field ahead of the arrival of the Ocean Guardian rig, and an inshore seawater sampling survey in the vicinity of the field.

Staring tomorrow and continuing for three days, Shell E&P Ireland Limited will employ the Boa Bison (Call Sign: LDPN) to pre-lay eight anchors on the sea bed in the Corrib Field prior to the arrival of the semi-submersible drilling rig.

The anchors will remain at the locations indicated HERE until the arrival of the Ocean Guardian rig (Call Sign: V7FF7) around the second week of this month, when the anchors will then be attached to the rig.

The Ocean Guardian rig is due to commence operations on well 18/25-1(P2) in the second week of June and remain on location until the end of July/early August. The rig will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

All vessels, particularly those engaged in fishing, are requested to give the rig a wide berth and to keep a sharp lookout in the relevant areas. Full co-ordinates of all work areas are included in Marine Notice No 22 of 2015, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

Meanwhile, an inshore seawater sampling survey is taking place in the vicinity of the Corrib treated surface water outfall diffuser, off the coast of Mayo.

The works, undertaken from the SMS Leah (Callsign MHIU8), were set to begin yesterday Tuesday 2 June and last for around three days, weather permitting. Co-ordinates of the relevant sampling areas are included in Marine Notice No 23 of 2015, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - Marine Notice No 21 of 2015 from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises that Shell E&P Ireland Ltd will be deploying a waverider buoy in late May 2015, weather permitting, in order to help predict sea conditions for the Corrib P2 well intervention work by the Ocean Guardian (Callsign V7FF7).

The buoy size is 90cm in diameter, and is set to be deployed at co-ordinates 54°19.285’N, 011°05.544’W (WGS84) approximate, with a 100m watch circle. The water depth at this location is 336 metres.

The waverider buoy will remain on site for approximately three months. Pictured here, it is yellow in colour and will flash yellow five times every 20 seconds.

All vessels are requested to give the waverider buoy a wide berth.

#MarineNotice - Marine Notice No 8 of 2005 supplemented by Marine Notice No 16 of 2011 provided information on eight types of liferaft, which the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) accepts for use on small fishing vessels that are not required to carry a SOLAS/MED-approved liferaft.

The department now advises, in Marine Notice No 20 of 2015, that an additional liferaft has been deemed acceptable for use on such vessels. For clarity, the complete list – including the additional liferaft type now added – is shown below.

Accepted non-SOLAS/non-MED inflatable liferafts:

• DSB 4 - Person Inflatable Liferaft with “SOLAS B Pack”
• RFD Surviva 4 - Person Inflatable Liferaft with “SOLAS B Pack”
• RFD SEASAVA PRO ISO 9650 4 - Person Inflatable Liferaft with “SOLAS B Pack”
• Viking DK 4 - Person Inflatable Liferaft with “SOLAS B Pack”
• Zodiac 4 - Person Inflatable Liferaft with “SOLAS B Pack”
• EUROVINIL ISO/DIS 9650 4 - Person Inflatable Liferaft with “SOLAS B Pack”
• Sea-Safe 4 person inflatable liferaft :ISO 9650.1 group A Type 1 with “SOLAS B pack”
• Seago - ISO 9650-1 SOLAS B pack – 4 PERSON Liferaft
• Haining, Liferaft model HNF-YT IS09650-1 – with SOLAS B pack

#MarineNotice - Maintenance and pre-commissioning activities are set to be carried out on the Corrib Gas Field.

The work will all take place within the 500m Safety Zone surrounding the Corrib subsea facilities, and will be carried out by the Normand Subsea (Callsign 2CQP8).

Works will commence around 1 June 2015 and are expected to be completed by the end of the month, weather permitting.

Full details of co-ordinates of the work area are included in Marine Notice No 17 of 2015, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#HiberniaExpress - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport advises that TE SubCom, on behalf of Hibernia Express, is carrying out a route clearance operation and a pre-lay grapnel run along the Hibernia Express cable route using the M/V Ile d’Aix (Callsign FICI) and M/V Atlantic Guardian (Callsign HO6566.

The operations, which follow earlier work on the same subsea cable route in March, commenced on 17 and 13 May 2015 respectively are expected to last until the end of June 2015, weather permitting.

The vessels will be towing grapnels astern at a distance depending on water depth, and as such, will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre.

All vessels are requested to give these operation a wide berth. The project vessels will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

Details of co-ordinates for both vessels' work areas are included in Marine Notices Nos 18 and 19 of 2015, available to read or download HERE and HERE.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises that construction works have been extended at North Harbour on Cape Clear Island in West Cork.

The works involve the construction of a slipway; replacement of the Bull's Nose structure incorporating a storm gate and an extension to the end of Duffy's Pier; excavation, dredging and reclamation works including the construction of an armoured embankment at the seaward side of the new Bull's Nose.

For safety reasons, mariners are requested to proceed slowly and with caution in the approach to the entrance to North Harbour and to give the works a wide berth. Wave-wash from vessels should be avoided. Divers will be deployed throughout the underwater works.

North Harbour will remain operational throughout the works, which are expected to be ongoing until the end of 2015. Details of the work area are included in Marine Notice No 2 of 2015, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises of the most recent list of approved training course providers under STCW 78.

These providers are approved to provide training for the various ancillary courses under the provisions of the Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1978 (STCW 78), as amended (including the Manila Amendments of 2010).

Names, addresses and contact details for the various approved training course providers are detailed in the annex to Marine Notice No 1 of 2015, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

It is important to note that this annex is an evolving document and is therefore subject to change. It is recommended that the website be used to see the most recent copy of this Marine Notice. Marine Notice No 33 of 2013 is hereby withdrawn.

#ebola – The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has been requested to publicise the attached (downloadable below as a word file) Health Service Executive letter regarding the submission of a Maritime Declaration of Health for ships docking at Irish ports, which have called at an Ebola EVD affected area or have crew/passengers that joined the vessel from such an area, or are suspected of having been in contact with the Ebola virus or an affected person within the past. 

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport advises that site investigation works are being carried out at Rossaveal Fishery Harbour Centre on Galway Bay.

The work comprises drilling multiple boreholes at a series of locations, subject to minor variations, as listed in Marine Notice No 65 of 2014, which is available as a PDF to read or download HERE.

Work was expected to begin on Monday 24 November and is set to finish on or around Friday 12 December, weather permitting. A jack-up barge will be moved to the various borehole locations by a tug-boat, and will remain on site overnight during the operations.

All appropriate lights will be displayed by the barge at night. Radio warnings will be transmitted on VHF Channel 16 throughout the works.

#WaterSafety - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport advises that, in accordance with SOLAS Chapter III Regulation 17-1, 'Recovery of persons from the water', cargo ships over 500 gross tonnage and all passenger ships on international voyages shall develop ship-specific plans and procedures for recovery of persons from the water.

The plans and procedures shall identify the equipment intended to be used for recovery purposes and measures to be taken to minimise the risk to shipboard personnel involved in recovery operations.

Ships constructed before 1 July 2014 shall comply with this requirement by the first periodical or renewal safety equipment survey of the ship to be carried out after 1 July 2014, whichever comes first.

The plans and procedures shall be developed taking into account MSC 1/Circ 1447 'Guidelines for the Development of Plans and Procedures for Recovery of Persons from the Water'; MSC 1/Circ 1182 'Guide to Recovery Techniques'; and MSC 1/Circ 1185/Rev 1 'Guide for Cold Water Survival'.