#PORT OF CORK – The Munster port posted an operating profit before exceptional costs of €1.3 million – down by €700,000 from 2010 – on a turnover of €21.4 million. Port of Cork chairman Dermot O'Mahoney expressed satisfaction at the port's performance in 2011.

Traffic amounted to 8.8 million tonnes in 2011, which matched 2010 levels, with oil amounting to 4.96 million tonnes and non-oil traffic accounting for 3.4 million tonnes, according to Mr O'Mahoney. Oil traffic, handled mainly at Conoco Phillips Whitegate Oil refinery, was down 1 per cent on 2010 but non-oil traffic maintained the same level as 2010.

Container traffic in 2011 increased by 6 per cent to 156,667 TEUs (Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit). For more about Ireland's second biggest port in terms of containers handled, a report appeared in yesterday's Irish Times.

#PORTS & SHIPPING REVIEW - Over the last fortnight Jehan Ashmore has reported from the Shipping scene which saw 'signature' cruiseship Mein Schiff 2 with her striking visual livery-scheme calling to Irish ports.

The Naval Service has been made detentions of Irish registered fishing vessels this week and also last month off the Clare and Cork coastlines, bringing to date 12 such incidents so far this year.

The world's smallest 5-star luxury cruiseship Hebridean Princess (1964/2,112grt) which was chartered twice in recent years for the Royal Family, called to Dublin Port recently and is currently on a return cruise from Cork with anchorage calls in Kerry waters.

Dublin Based d'Amico have ordered a pair of 40,000dwt eco-product/chemical tanker vessels, believed to cost US$ 30.65 million, from a South Korean shipyard and delivered early in 2014.

Since her launch in 2010, Cunard Line's newest cruiseship Queen Elizabeth (90,901 tonnes) made her second only visit to Dublin Port, where she called last year and also to Cork, which too was revisited by the 2068 passenger vessel.

The on-going saga to retain the veteran WWI Battle of Jutland survivor HMS Caroline in Belfast, her homeport since 1924 was given a reprieve. The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) in Portsmouth secured a four-week extension to the original deadline (1 Aug) which was set for scrapping of the historic warship.

The near fifty year-old Hebble Sand (1963/757grt), a grab-hopper dredger which has remained in Dublin Port for more than one year departed Dublin Port and reached Campbeltown last week for new Northern Irish owners Abco Marine.

Port of Cork Company was awarded 'Large Company of the Year for the 2nd Quarter 2012' by the Cork Business Association. This season the port is to welcome 60 cruiseships between April and November, bringing more than 100,000 passengers and crew to the region.

While in Dublin Port, Finnish based Kristina Cruises 400 passenger Kristina Katarena made her inaugural Irish call, the 1982 built vessel was launched from New Szczecin Shipyard. The name of the Polish city may sound familiar as they are the presenting sponsor of Tall Ships Races which are coming to the capital later this month.

#FORMER DUNDALK DREDGER – Hebble Sand (1963/757grt), a grab-hopper dredger which has remained in Dublin Port for more than one year departed Dublin Port and is currently heading for Campbeltown, on the Mull of Kintyre Peninsula, writes Jehan Ashmore.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the veteran vessel was purchased last October by Northern Ireland based Abco Marine Ltd. The marine-plant and engineering equipment company is headquartered in Lisburn. Prior to then the former Dundalk Port Company owned dredger had remained laid-up since her repositioning voyage from the Louth port in July of 2011.

The change of port, followed the transfer of the Dundalk Port Company assets, liabilities and operations to Dublin Port Company by an order of statutory instruments, which saw the capital port divest in the business of dredging.

Since then for the majority of her time spent in the port, she had moored in Alexandra Basin West, except for a short spell spent as reported at the nearby dry-dock facility after Abco brought the ship.

Yesterday she made the short passage across the basin to the river-berth alongside Ocean Pier in readiness for her first repositioning voyage under her new owners, in a career that has so far spanned just short of half a century.

This timeframe is pretty good going for a vessel, particularly engaged in the rough and tumble work of a humble dredger which remains in excellent condition. So her career continues and remarkably still retaining her original name since her launching from Richard (Shipbuilders) of Lowestoft who built her for British Dredging.

In this photo-link of the vessel in recent years, she is seen alongside Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin Port, where she carried site preparatory work prior to the installation of the Samuel Beckett swing-bridge, which was towed on a barge from the Netherlands.

Note to the left of the small ship can be seen the gable-end of the last dockland warehouse sheds that were built on both sides of the campshires that line the Liffey, in an area now named the 'Docklands' quarter of the port.

With cargoships long gone, including the famous Guinness stout-tankers, the sheds historically represent the last such buildings in what was the 'real' docklands close to the inner-city.

One of the two-adjoining sheds (built in the 1880's) was occupied by BJ Marine and now the river-fronted 'Nama' property, formerly owned by the DDDA, have recently been placed on the market for sale or to let.

#DROGHEDA PORT – Trading volumes for Drogheda Port during the first six months of this year increased over 44% compared to the equivalent period last year. The continued rise of over 387,000 tonnes of cargo was handled with particularly strong export volumes representing 42% of total throughput volume, according to the Drogheda Port Company.

Commenting on the ports performance Chairman Mr Denis Moynihan noted that 'Drogheda Ports volume growth is particularly impressive given that is it well above the current port sector average where volumes are generally declining or stagnant.'

While the outlook for the Irish port sector for 2012 looks likely to be testing for the domestic port and shipping sectors, Drogheda Port says they expect to project above average volume increases for the remainder of 2012.

#PORTS & SHIPPING REVIEW – Dublin 'Docklands' floating river-restaurant ship M.V. Cill Airne celebrated her 50th anniversary having been built nearby at the Liffey Dockyard. A special lunch and lecture organised by the Cobh branch of the World Ship Society was held on board the veteran vessel which represents one of the last surviving ships built in Ireland and which remains around our coast having had a rich and varied career.

Along the Shannon Estuary the mid-west port of Foynes welcomed the first cruise call for this year with the arrival of the 28,000 tonnes ultra-luxury Silver Whisper. Passengers from the 382 capacity cruiseship toured the region including the local Foynes Flying Boat Museum.

Returning to the East coast where in Drogheda Port, onlookers welcomed the first ever scheduled cruise call to the Boyne when the Clipper Adventurer berthed at the Co. Louth port to complete a circumnavigation cruise of the island where US and Canadian passengers disembarked.

Down the coast the RV Keary was undergoing refit at Arklow Marine Services yard. The research vessels owners Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) have chartered the Cosantoir Bradan from the Central Fisheries Board for survey work to assist the RV Keary.

In the capital the veteran grab-hopper dredger Hebble Sand (1963/757grt) departed Dublin Dry-Dock facility in readiness for a new career working with Northern Ireland based Abco Marine. The former Dundalk Port Company owned vessel which resembles the last of the Guinness ships, currently remains in the port awaiting her first delivery voyage for contract project work.

Across the Irish Sea the first of two new offshore patrol vessels (OPV) for the Naval Service had its keel-laid at a ceremony at Babcock Marine's shipyard in Bideford, north Devon. The €99m pair are an enlarged version of the 'Roisin' class L.E. Roisin (P51) and L.E. Niamh (P52) which were launched from the same UK yard over a decade ago then owned by Appledore Shipbuilders.

#FASTNET FERRY – The ferry Julia (1981/22.161grt) which had operated the Fastnet Line Cork-Swansea service, set sail yesterday under her new name Wind Perfection, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Since the route closed in November last year (having only started in 2010) the German built ferry has been tied-up close to the city-centre in Cork. The ferry awaited an uncertain future after her co-operative owners failed to secure funds of €1m plus to maintain trading on the Celtic Sea.

Earlier this year she was sold to Dutch based C-Bed N.V. who are to re-fit the vessel, believed to be carried out in a shipyard in Denmark. The 1,860 passenger capacity ship is to be adapted for a new career as a floating dormitory for Siemens in the North Sea.

The vessel will be anchored at sea from where personnel working in the construction and servicing of offshore wind-farm turbine installations will be based.

Wind Perfection will join C-Bed's fleet which is also made up of two former ferries, one of which the Wind Ambition had also served Siemens while working at an offshore wind project in the Irish Sea.

#FREE FERRY WI-FI - Free Wi-Fi is now available on all of the Irish Ferries fleet after an expansion of the facility was completed on routes serving on the Irish Sea and on services to French ports .

Wi-Fi access on the Irish Sea is not just confined to those travelling in Club Class. There is also no need for a plug-in or payment to access the internet as passengers can simply surf the net, check emails and also connect to their own corporate network using state of the connections.

In addition for those without their own web devise 'surf-box' internet kiosks are available on board.

#FERRY NEWS – The former Fastnet Line ferry Julia (1981 / 22,161grt) is to embark on a new life as a floating dormitory for workers building and servicing offshore wind turbines in the North Sea, according to The Examiner.

The rather ignominious end for the ferry once billed as one of the jewels in Cork tourism industry, marks the final chapter in the short and troubled life of Fastnet Line, which was set up by West Cork Tourism Co-operative.

At over 30 years-old the ship, which had capacity for 1,860 passengers, made its maiden voyage on the Cork-Swansea route in March 2010. She was bedevilled by mechanical problems in the first few days of operation, and in late 2011 the Celtic Sea service was withdrawn due to higher-than-expected fuel prices.

It had been hoped to restart the route this year, but Fastnet Line went into receivership last month. The vessel had been sold, reportedly for €5m, to C-BED, a Dutch-based company which are to rename her Wind Perfection.

For more on this story about the short-lived ferry operation click HERE.

#FERRY NEWS – By this weekend three seasonal-only operated routes from the island of Ireland will have resumed service since the recent change of the clocks marking the start of summertime, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Sailings started today on Stena Line's Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead (120 minutes) fast-craft HSS Stena Explorer operated service. The central corridor route closed last September due to cost-saving measures as previously reported. For further details on sailing schedule click HERE.

The reopening of the Welsh route follows yesterday's launch of P&O Ferries fast-craft sailings to Scotland between Larne-Troon (2 hours) served by the 92m Express. She also runs additional sailings on the year-round Larne-Cairnryan route served by a pair of conventional ferry sisters. To read more information on both sailing route schedules click HERE.

The remaining route to re-open is Brittany Ferries Cork-Roscoff (14 hours) service operated by the 2,400 passenger 'flagship' Pont-Aven, which features an indoor swimming pool. Her first sailing for this year is tonight's sailing from the Breton port.

The corresponding Irish sailing departs tomorrow afternoon and the inaugural round trip is due to be completed with an arrival in France on Sunday morning. For sailing times click HERE.

#FERRY NEWS- Stena Line have changed the resumption date of Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead HSS fast-craft operated sailings to 30th March,  two days earlier than originally planned and as previously reported on Afloat.ie

The seasonal-only service is to operate a daily single round trip with a 10.00 hours sailing from Holyhead and a 13.15 hours sailing from Dun Laoghaire. Sailing times are 120-minutes and they will run throughout the summer months until 11th September.

Stena Line's Head of PR and Communications, Diane Poole, OBE said: "We look forward to welcoming the HSS Stena Explorer back on the Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead route which will provide customers with even more reason to cross the Irish Sea during the summer months.

"The vessel, which offers excellent onboard facilities, will complement the timetable on our Dublin Port to Holyhead route as it offers customers a mid-morning departure from Holyhead and a lunchtime departure from Dun Laoghaire."

For more information visit www.stenaline.ie or call 01 204 7777