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Displaying items by tag: Goban Spur

A pair of scientific deep-sea moorings have been redeployed at the Goban Spur off the southwestern continental shelf.

Further to the relevant Marine Notice posted in June 2020, the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has successfully recovered moorings EB-1 and EB-3 and redeployed them at new coordinates. Recovery is planned for 2022.

Both are free-falling moorings anchored by ~1,000kg bottom weights. Scientific instruments are attached at different depths to ropes and chains. Sub-surface floatation bodies will keep the moorings upright.

As this is sensitive scientific equipment, it is kindly requested that fishermen and marine operators engaged in such activities as bottom trawling or laying of static gear avoid the locations concerned to avoid damaging the equipment or damaging fishing gear.

Mariners should take note that neither of the moorings has a surface element or surface buoy. Top elements and floatation bodies have orange colours. The shallowest elements are located at depths of 700m (mooring EB-1) and 450m (mooring EB-3).

The top elements of both moorings carry radio and iridium beacons that only signal once the top element is at the surface.

Details of the locations of these dee-sea moorings and contact information are included in Marine Notice No 49 of 2021, which is available to download below.

Published in Marine Science
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Two scientific deep-sea moorings deployed at the Goban Spur off the southwestern continental shelf last year will be recovered and redeployed next week.

German research vessel Meteor (Callsign DBBH) will be involved in the redeployment on behalf of the University of Bremen and the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), which is scheduled to begin next Monday 29 June and conclude Saturday 4 July, as part of scientific cruise M164 (GPF-19-1-105).

Similar to their current deployment, the deep-sea moorings will stay in the water for a period of about 13-14 months (to July/August 2021).

Both have been anchored by ~1,000kg bottom weights. Scientific instruments are attached at different depths to ropes and chains. Sub-surface floatation bodies will keep the moorings upright.

As this is sensitive scientific equipment, it is kindly requested that fishermen and marine operators engaged in such activities as bottom trawling or laying of static gear avoid the locations concerned to avoid damaging the equipment or damaging fishing gear.

Details of the locations of these dee-sea moorings and contact information are included in Marine Notice No 24 of 2020, which is available to download below.

Published in Marine Warning
Tagged under

The German University of Bremen and the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) have successfully deployed two scientific deep-sea moorings (called EB-1 and EB-3) at Goban Spur off the southwestern Irish shelf, similar to those deployed in 2016 and again last year.

The deep-sea moorings, which were deployed between 24 and 25 May, will stay in the water for a period of about 13-14 months (to June/July 2020).

Both have been anchored by ~1,000kg bottom weights. Scientific instruments are attached at different depths to ropes and chains. Sub-surface floatation bodies will keep the moorings upright.

The location of the deep-sea moorings is detailed in Marine Notice No 16 of 2019, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

As this is sensitive scientific equipment, it is kindly requested that fishermen and marine operators engaged in such activities as bottom trawling or laying of static gear avoid the locations concerned to avoid damaging the equipment or damaging fishing gear.

None of the moorings has a surface element or surface buoy. The shallowest elements are located at depths of 700m (mooring EB-1) and 500m (mooring EB-3).

Top elements and floatation bodies have orange or yellow colours. The top elements of mooring EB-1 carries a flag.

Both moorings are equipped with radio and Iridium/Argos beacons that only signal, once the top element is at the surface.

Published in Marine Warning
Tagged under

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises that the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) and the University of Bremen will deploy three scientific deep-sea moorings at Goban Spur off the southwestern Irish shelf.

The work will be carried out by the German research vessel Maria S Merian (Callsign DBBT) and is expected to start on or around Sunday 3 April, lasting for approximately five days, weather permitting.

The top elements of all three moorings are yellow or orange in colour and carry flags as well as radio and Iridium beacons that only signal once the top element is at the surface. Scientific instruments are attached at different depths to ropes and chains. Sub-surface floatation bodies will keep the moorings upright.

As this is sensitive scientific equipment it is requested that fishermen and marine operators engaged in such activities as bottom trawling or laying of static gear avoid the locations concerned.

The moorings will be in place for a period of 12-15 months and will be positioned at the locations detailed in Marine Notice No 12 of 2016, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

Published in Marine Warning

The Kingstown to Queenstown Yacht Race or 'K2Q', previously the Fastnet 450

The Organising Authority ("OA") are ISORA & SCORA in association with The National Yacht Club & The Royal Cork Yacht Club.

The Kingstown to Queenstown Race (K2Q Race) is a 260-mile offshore race that will start in Dun Laoghaire (formerly Kingstown), around the famous Fastnet Rock and finish in Cork Harbour at Cobh (formerly Queenstown).

The  K2Q race follows from the successful inaugural 'Fastnet 450 Race' that ran in 2020 when Ireland was in the middle of the COVID Pandemic. It was run by the National Yacht Club, and the Royal cork Yacht Club were both celebrating significant anniversaries. The clubs combined forces to mark the 150th anniversary of the National Yacht Club and the 300th (Tricentenary) of the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Of course, this race has some deeper roots. In 1860 the first-ever ocean yacht race on Irish Waters was held from Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) to Queenstown (now Cobh).

It is reported that the winner of the race was paid a prize of £15 at the time, and all competing boats got a bursary of 10/6 each. The first race winner was a Schooner Kingfisher owned by Cooper Penrose Esq. The race was held on July 14th 1860, and had sixteen boats racing.

In 2022, the winning boat will be awarded the first prize of a cheque for €15 mounted and framed and a Trophy provided by the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in the world.

The 2022 race will differ from the original course because it will be via the Fastnet Rock, so it is a c. 260m race, a race distance approved by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club as an AZAB qualifier. 

A link to an Afloat article written by WM Nixon for some history on this original race is here.

The aim is to develop the race similarly to the Dun Laoghaire–Dingle Race that runs in alternate years. 

Fastnet 450 in 2020

The South Coast of Ireland Racing Association, in association with the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay and the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork, staged the first edition of this race from Dun Laoghaire to Cork Harbour via the Fastnet Rock on August 22nd 2020.

The IRC race started in Dun Laoghaire on Saturday, August 22nd 2020. It passed the Muglin, Tuscar, Conningbeg and Fastnet Lighthouses to Starboard before returning to Cork Harbour and passing the Cork Buoy to Port, finishing when Roches's Point bears due East. The course was specifically designed to be of sufficient length to qualify skippers and crew for the RORC Fastnet Race 2021.

At A Glance – K2Q (Kingstown to Queenstown) Race 2024

The third edition of this 260-nautical mile race starts from the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay on July 12th 2024 finishes in Cork Harbour.

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