#greystones – Greystones Harbour Marina in County Wicklow is to open next April with 100 berths.

The newest addition to boating on Ireland's east coast will be operated by BJ Marinas Ltd, a company owned by senior marine industry figure Bernard Gallagher.

The firm will operate the marina and boatyard on the purpose built site under contract from developers Sispar and Wicklow County Council.

"We're delighted to be appointed as harbour and marina operators for Greystones. It's a unique and stunning site and we're looking forward to opening this new marine leisure facility next April in time for the 2013 boating season" Gallagher told Afloat.

Gallagher's sister company BJ Marine Ltd is one of the most successful boat sales and service firms in Ireland established over 35 years. The firm represents some of the biggest names in global boating brands including French yacht manufacturing giant Beneteau for over 20 years. The firm also represents American power boat firm Sea Ray and British luxury motorboat manufacturer Fairline. In 2012 BJ Marine imported the first production hybrid diesel electric boat, the Slovenian built Greenline 33, into Ireland.

Although the substantial structure of the new Greystones breakwaters and harbour has been completed with two new slipways and part opened to the public for over a year the marina element had stalled during the financial crisis with only limited access to the new harbour for visiting boats.

Last March a meeting of local boat owners in the Wicklow town heard of 'huge interest' in the new facility and it is understood over 70 applications for berths were received.

BJ Marinas Ltd will be responsible for the installation of the marina. The marina furniture and piling will be 100% Irish built and supplied according to Gallagher.

Berths will eventually reach 230, a major bonus for the east coast boating scene.

Gallagher also operates Bangor Marina boatyard on Belfast lough. The company also has offices at Malahide marina in North Dublin and has operated an international base in Malta since 1989.

His interest in a marina at the harbour at Greystones goes back 16 years when entrepreneur Albert Gubay launched a plan for a 300-berth marina in 1996 that was never built.

The latest Greystones Harbour Project originally envisaged a primary care medical centre, some five new clubhouses for existing harbour users, a Coast Guard house, as well as commercial, leisure and office facilities, a new beach and some 375 new homes.

The project is a major Public Private Partnership involving Wicklow County Council and Sispar and expected to cost in excess of € 300 million. The land side of the development had stalled with the financial crisis.

Sisk builders announced in July that it had agreed with its partners Park Developments and their bankers NAMA that Sisk will take ownership and control of the project.

BJ Marinas Ltd have issued the following contact details for berth enquiries:  [email protected]  Telephone +353 (0)86 2718161

#boatjumble – Greystones harbour in County Wicklow is the latest venue for a boat jumble sale. It's time to empty out that shed and bring along all your old marine items and flog them to willing buyers in this unique sale (car boot style sale).

The marine sale will take place on Sunday 30th September in the Beach House Car Park at Greystones Harbour.

Entry fees are €10 for cars, €15 for jeeps and vans with room also for maritime clubs/commercial operators at €25.

All proceeds from the event will go to the Greystones RNLI Fundraising Branch to aid Wicklow Lifeboat.

Gates open at 9am and we will operate on a first come first served basis. Family entertainment will be provided in the field and there will be a BBQ and live entertainment in the beer garden.

For further information contact Ciarán Hayden 087 8045651, Gordon Hunter 087 2590175 or Joe Taylor 086 2601918.

#GREYSTONES – Greystones harbour developers are asking anybody interested in a marina berth at the new facility to attend ameeting in the Beach House on Wednesday the 14th March 7 pm. They will present a plan to put 56 berths in this Summer and will talk about the facilities to be provided if there are enough people who commit to using it and paying the fee.

Councillor Derek Mitchell (FG) has welcomed the progress: 'Sea Scouts, Rowers, Anglers, Sailors and Divers will occupy their compounds in April. The Council is currently completing leases with their 5 solicitors and 5 insurance companies, which takes time'.

'I welcome this progress, the harbour will be transformed when there are lots of boats in it' he told Afloat.ie

The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) is currently reviewing plans to continue development of Greystones Harbour, WicklowNews.net reports.

NAMA, which took over the loans connected to the controversial €300 million development, has received Sispar's business plan for developing the proposed public walkway and retail units, as well as amenities for water users, further to proposals outlined in June.

Signs and buoys strung across Greystones harbour to keep mariners out of the new basin

It is expected that the limited development could be completed by September next year, pending NAMA approval. The agency is set to announce its decision next month.

WicklowNews.net has more on the story HERE.

Parts of the paused development of Greystones Harbour are to be opened to the public, it has emerged.

According to The Irish Times, developers behind the €300 million plan are delivering a newsletter to residents in the Wicklow town listing its options for the harbour, the first phase of which was mostly completed this year.

These include landscaping parts of the site and reopening much of the area to public access while the second phase - which will include new facilities for clubs using the harbour - gets underway. Phase three is currently stalled dependent on funding.

Developer Sispar has already confirmed it will remove seconds of hoardings from around the harbour.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

The partially redeveloped Greystones Harbour could be opened to the public by mid-summer, The Irish Times reports.

Hoardings may come down to open the marine sections of the €300 million development while plans are finalised to complete the rest of the project - which includes new harbour marina facilities, commercial units, homes and recreational spaces.

A spokesperson for development consortium Sispar said the decision on finding the next phase rests with that National Assets Management Agency (Nama).

Wicklow County Council chairman Tom Fortune said he was hopeful that the hoardings around the harbour area would come down later this year “in part at least”.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

This is a chance, says local councillor Derek Mitchell, to see what has been achieved behind the hoardings in the last two years. "All marine works will be finished in 2010 and it is impressive to see what has been achieved. Currently much of the earth stored on top of D'Arcys field is being moved to beside the new harbour and it is quite mucky which limits the area which the public can access. However it will be a good chance to see behind the hoardings" Mitchell told Afloat.ie.

The next stage will start in January and finish in December 2011 after which most hoardings will come down. This stage consists of the 4 storey Health Centre, public square and free clubhouses for the Sea Scouts, Rowers, Divers, Sailors and Anglers.

The new public slipway at the still under construction Greystones Harbour in Co. Wicklow is now operational and local clubs have been given access. It is now possible to launch three boats at one time even at low water (when most slips run out of water). The latest aerial photo of the site from July 23rd is published below showing the new slipway and the marina basin.