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Displaying items by tag: Grand Canal

Waterways Ireland advises masters and owners of vessels that it will be carrying out maintenance works on the waiting jetty on the upstream side of the 35th Lock in Shannon Harbour.

Works will begin on Monday 29 January and will last for four weeks, from 9am to 5pm each day. The jetty will be closed during this time, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters and owners of vessels on the Grand Canal that the Barrow Line from Lock 24 (McCartney’s) to Lock 25 (Moores) will reopen to navigation on Thursday 28 March following essential quay wall refurbishment at Bell Harbour in Monasterevin.

Localised quay wall restrictions will remain within Bell Harbour to facilitate ongoing paving and landscaping works, and vessels navigating within the harbour are asked to proceed with caution, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters and owners of vessels that the water level in the Grand Canal between Locks 13 and 14 in north-east Kildare will be reduced by around 18 inches (450mm) with immediate effect.

The reduced water level will be in place until 1 February 2024.

The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways advises masters of vessels to check mooring lines regularly throughout this period.

Navigation in this section will be restricted and only possible by first contacting the area foreman on 087 359 9072.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessel on the Grand Canal that due to the ongoing works at Shannon Harbour, passage through Locks 35 and 36 will only be possible by prior arrangement with the Waterway Patroller.

This system will be in place until Tuesday 21 November, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Operation of the locks will be controlled by the Waterway Patroller and only during working hours, as follows:

  • Until 31 October: 9.30am to 4.45pm (lunch break 1-1.30pm).
  • 1 November to 15 March: 9.30am to 2pm (lunch break 1-1.30pm).

To arrange passage through Locks 35 and 36, use the following numbers:

  • For passage from Monday to Sunday (excluding Friday), call 087 245 6587.
  • For passage on a Friday, call 087 245 6609.

Waterways Ireland thanks its customers for their cooperation.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters and owners of vessels on the Grand Canal that the Barrow Line will be closed to vessel traffic from McCartney’s (Lock 24) to Moore’s (Lock 25) to enable essential quay wall refurbishment at Bell Harbour in Monasterevin.

This closure will commence on Wednesday 1 November for a period of around 18 weeks, until early March 2024.

Mooring in Bell Harbour and through navigation will not be possible in this area for the duration of the works. Vessels moored in Bell Harbour will be accommodated on the 24th and 26th levels during this period.

Vessels in Bell Harbour are requested to vacate the harbour and 25th level by Tuesday 31 October.

Any craft remaining in this area on 1 November will be removed to alternative mooring on the 26th level by the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters and owners of vessels on the Grand Canal that culvert replacement works will be commencing on the summit level from Thursday 2 November.

These works — some 450 metres east of Lock 19 in Lowtown, Co Kildare — are to replace a damaged culvert under the canal and are expected take around 10 weeks.

Navigation will not be possible in this area for the duration of the works, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises masters and owners of vessels on the Grand Canal that essential repair works will be taking place at Lock 22 at Cappyroe Bridge in Co Offaly until this Friday 6 October.

Due to these works, navigation will not be possible through the area during this time, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises all masters and owners of vessels on the Grand Canal that Offaly Rowing Club will be holding time trials between Locks 23 and 24 this Saturday 30 September.

The event will take place between 8am and 4pm. The cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways asks users of the navigation and adjacent greenway to follow the directions given by the event marshals on the day.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels on and users of the Grand Canal that as part of the Green WIN project (more HERE), new deep well and flow devices are to be installed at Locks 35 and 36 at Shannon Harbour.

These works are due to begin Monday 25 September and will continue for around eight weeks, until mid-to-late November.

The works are land-based and navigation through the locks will not be affected, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Published in Inland Waterways

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels on and users of the Grand Canal that it will be carrying out maintenance works on a damaged section of the north quay wall in Shannon Harbour.

Works will begin on Monday 25 September and will last around seven weeks until mid November, from 9am to 5pm each day.

A section of the harbour wall will be closed off to boat users during this time.

The access road to the north of Shannon Harbour will also be closed to public traffic and only local traffic will be permitted access.

Water levels in Shannon Harbour may have to be lowered for a time to allow these works to be completed, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Published in Inland Waterways
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Dublin Bay Sailing Club Turkey Shoot Winter Series

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Turkey Shoot Series reached its 20th year in 2020.

The popular yacht series racing provides winter-racing for all the sailing clubs on the southside of Dublin Bay in the run-up to Christmas.

It regularly attracts a fleet of up to 70 boats of different shapes and sizes from all four yachts clubs at Dun Laoghaire: The National Yacht Club, The Royal St. George Yacht Club, The Royal Irish Yacht Club and the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as other clubs such as Sailing in Dublin. Typically the event is hosted by each club in rotation.

The series has a short, sharp format for racing that starts at approximately 10 am and concludes around noon. The event was the brainchild of former DBSC Commodore Fintan Cairns to give the club year-round racing on the Bay thanks to the arrival of the marina at Dun Laoghaire in 2001. Cairns, an IRC racer himself, continues to run the series each winter.

Typically, racing features separate starts for different cruiser-racers but in fact, any type of boat is allowed to participate, even those yachts that do not normally race are encouraged to do so.

Turkey Shoot results are calculated under a modified ECHO handicap system and there can be a fun aspect to some of the scoring in keeping with the Christmas spirit of the occasion.

As a result, the Turkey Shoot often receives entries from boats as large as Beneteau 50 footers and one designs as small as 20-foot flying Fifteens, all competing over the same course.

It also has legendary weekly prizegivings in the host waterfront yacht clubs immediately after racing. There are fun prizes and overall prizes based on series results.

Regular updates and DBSC Turkey Shoot Results are published on Afloat each week as the series progresses.

FAQs

Cruisers, cruising boats, one-designs and boats that do not normally race are very welcome. Boats range in size from ocean-going cruisers at 60 and 60 feet right down to small one-design keelboats such as 20-foot Flying Fifteens. A listing of boats for different starts is announced on Channel 74 before racing each week.

Each winter from the first Sunday in November until the last week before Christmas.

Usually no more than two hours. The racecourse time limit is 12.30 hours.

Between six and eight with one or two discards applied.

Racing is organised by Dublin Bay Sailing Club and the Series is rotated across different waterfront yacht clubs for the popular after race party and prizegiving. The waterfront clubs are National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC), Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC) and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC).

© Afloat 2020