A small vessel has been used by the Harland & Wolff Group as part of a contract at their Belfast shipyard to provide a mid-life upgrade of a 150,000dwt Floating Production and Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessel, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The giant Canadian flagged MV SeaRose FPSO which operates in subwell oil fields off Newfoundland and Labrador, Afloat reported of its recent arrival to Belfast. On the other side of the North Channel, the Group’s Arnish yard on the Isle of Lewis & Harris in the Outer Hebrides off Scotland, is where specialist parts were manufactured as part of the refit upgrade of the 271m long FPSO vessel .

On completion of manufacturing the test pieces, they were loaded on board the 33m MV Carly, a workboat, support and landing craft which Afloat has identified is operated by Ferguson Transport & Shipping based in Annat, Corpach, Fort William in west Scotland.

The project cargo was delivered to a very tight deadline, with the team at H&W Arnish, working 24 hours a day to complete buoy seal test plates to schedule. Such an operation demonstrates H&W’s multi-site business model which allowed the shipyard Group to drive capacity and capability to serve client requirements where it is needed.

Currently the yard at Arnish employs a 150-strong workforce and has an apprenticeship programme in place. At the 38 hectare development site located at Arnish Point, is a 21,000m² area with purpose built fabrication and assembly halls and administration offices.

With its deep water quay, Arnish offers unrestricted access to the Atlantic and North Channel, that enables the facility for the shipment of materials and completed fabricated components.

A German built landing craft dating to 1953 but rebuilt a decade ago had been kept busy working on projects in Dun Laoghaire Harbour and on Killiney Bay, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The red hulled landing craft, James, which Afloat reported almost a year ago working at the Kish Bank Lighthouse, had in recent weeks returned to the south Dublin Bay harbour for projects on behalf of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

Due to damage caused by Storm Emma in March 2018, DLRCC have engaged L&M Keating Ltd to carry out repairs in Dun Laoghaire Harbour at both the West and East piers. According to DLRCC, works at the East Pier include repairing damage to the revetments, and replacing rock armour removed by Storm Emma. This work is scheduled to to be completed by Christmas.

Members of the public advise DLRCC to obey safety signage and stay clear during the works carried out on both piers. Work also includes those at the Victorian sun shelter on the East Pier. 

To assist in the works, James was hired by L&M Keating from operator, O'Malley Marine Plant based in Westport and where the Co. Mayo landing craft is registered. This involved the 105 gross tonnage bow-loading vehicle landing craft berth at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. During the works, James was based at St.Michael's Wharf, however the craft did not use the former ferry berth-linkspan. 

Afloat inquired as to the non-use of the (see: Laser) linkspan at St. Michael's Wharf (East) as distinct to the (West) side where the former Stena HSS berth was dismantled and removed in recent years following the closure in September 2014 of the historic route to Holyhead, north Wales. 

The former port authority, Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company intended to use the East berth-linkpan for a revived ferry service but despite a tendering process in 2015 nothing arose to reinstate the seasonal-only car-ferry linking Anglesey.

O'Malley Marine cited that the (East) linkspan was not compatible with the James for loading as the craft is designed for shore grounding to load heavy machinery.

Instead, James made the short internal harbour passage from St. Michael's Wharf to the slipway located between the Coal Harbour and Traders Wharf. From the slipway, 50-ton excavaters (diggers) were driven on board and transported beyond the harbour mouth where the landing craft disembarked the heavy machinery vehicles ashore. This activity took place on the outer seaward side of both piers as the walls lining the length of the piers cannot be damaged or touched in any way. So the option of simply gaining access by driving from the foot of the pier was not possible.

O'Malley Marine added to Afloat that the diggers were shipped to the piers so to deal with the storm damage and that rock-armour would be landed there in the coming weeks but by barge. This will be familiar exercise as other contractors were engaged in the Dun Laoghaire Baths Redevelopment site. This prime location is where another DLRCC coastal project remains under construction.  

As for the other James related project, DLRCC contracted directly to O'Malley Marine to service 11 swimming buoys indicating to boat users to stay safely clear of these bathing-only zones. The distinctive yellow bouys are located offshore of Seapoint,Scotsman's Bay and to those deployed in Killiney Bay. These waters are also familar for the James which was tasked by DLRCC to assist contractors with a previous coastal protection project along Killiney Bay which too began almost a year ago. 

#coastal - Works to protect cliffs along Killiney Bay, in south Co. Dublin, from coastal erosion, have stepped up in recent weeks as sea born rock armour from neighbouring Co. Wicklow is been delivered onto the beach, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Integral to the works is the Irish flagged landing craft vessel, James, which Afloat reported last month following completion of refurbishment at the Kish Lighthouse for Irish Lights.

The work on Killiney Beach involves the craft operated by O'Malley Marine Plant, to shuttle loads of limestone varying between 3.5 to 5 tonnes apiece. The source for the armour is from the Roadstone Quarry with associated jetty located south of Arklow Port.

The Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council coastal project at Seafield, Shankill, is the Corbawn Lane Beach Access and Coastal Project Improvement Works located at Shanganagh Cliffs, which historically is vulnerable to coastal erosion. The works involve a 180m stretch along the cliff.

According to DLRCC, the project cost as set out in the Council's 2018-2020 Capital Programme is €928,000 and allows for design, construction, project management and related costs.

Access from the cliff down to the beach was only made possible by pedestrians taking use of a series of public steps. Due to the works, DLRCC say it is not be possible to use this public access, and, depending on tide levels, it may not be possible to travel along the beach past the works.

As for direct access to the beach by road this is not possible, forcing the project to engage the services of James. The craft is ideal for such scenarios as the shallow draft vessel can approach the beach head-on and then lower its ro-ro landing ramp onto the shoreline. At this stage of the logistics, awaiting heavy machinery on the shore then drive on board to be loaded with limestone and transferred ashore.

Main contractors for the coastal works is MJS Civil Engineering based in Newtownmountkennedy. Co. Wicklow. The project arose following conclusions published in DLRCC's Coastal Defence Strategy Study 2010 and where a presentation was held in 2017 to outline recommendations.

Among the study's survey, three distinct areas along the Killiney Beach and neighbouring coastlines were identified. As for those at Seafield, findings concluded that this stretch south of Killiney beach, were deemed to have unacceptable risks, as the cliff at Shanganagh is eroding and is unstable.

Prior to the sea-born deliveries, stablising the cliff was carried out. According to MJS, a trench was dug at the foot of the cliffs formed of soft clay, this led to a concrete wing wall constructed to underpin the works. At this stage the rock-armour is now been placed firmly at the wall to secure and strenghten this part of the coastline. 

Afloat confirmed with O'Malley Marine, that the works to haul the rock armour, from their side of the sea based operations is envisaged to be completed between 3-4 months.

In addition, MJS cited a minimum of 6,000 tons will be required at the foot of the cliffs, though potentially this estimate could increase to 10,000 tons. The engineering firm expected work to be completed in July.