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Displaying items by tag: Flotel

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company is seeking expressions of interest to operate a “Flotel” in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.  

According to a notice posted yesterday on the Goverment's etender website, operators are sought to run a “Flotel” in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Responses, according to the notice, are required by July 26th. The link to the notice is here

Harbour Company executive Carolyn Hanaphy has told Afloat.ie that the company 'enivsages a five star cruise ship as a flotel in the harbour', such as the SunBorn flotel in Canary Wharf, London.

Flotels are typically used as hotels on rivers or in harbour areas, or as accommodation for workers. They are also used in the offshore oil industry, mining industry or in environmental or natural emergencies.

Flotel accomodation varies but the Sunbourn example cited by DLHC features 'Polished, classic rooms have en suite bathrooms and feature flat-screen TVs and free WiFi, plus touch-pad room controls'.  is The upgraded yacht, moored at London's Docklands, also has suites add sitting areas or living rooms and soaking tubs. 

Meanwhile, Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company is awaiting a decision by an Bord Pleanala on its proposals for a new cruise liner berth in the harbour.

There is little or no regular commercial traffic at the harbour since the withdrawal of the Dun Laoghaire – Holyhead Stena service, a route that had a 200–year history.

Amsterdam's botelAmsterdam's botel

About Pamela Lee, Irish Offshore Sailor

Ireland has produced some of the world’s most dedicated offshore sailors, and Pamela Lee of Greystones is one of them. She has made a name for herself in the sailing world, having worked as a mate on a charter Super-yacht for two and a half years. After coming ashore, she has been fully committed to her offshore sailing ambitions since 2019.

Lee has raced in various craft, including Figaro 3s, Class 40, Tp 52s, and multihulls, and has eight transatlantic crossings under her belt. In partnership with Kenny Rumball, Lee supported Rumball’s La Solitaire du Figaro sailing campaign to secure the Irish berth in the proposed Mixed Offshore Keelboat event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

One of Lee’s stated main aims is to promote female empowerment in sport, and she set out to establish a double-handed Round Ireland speed record with Englishwoman Cat Hunt in the winter of 2020. This campaign gained much publicity, and Lee expressed pride in bringing sailing and offshore sailing, in particular, into the conversation for 2020.

To further her offshore sailing career, Lee moved to France, where she has recently secured a place to skipper a yacht in the Transat Jacques Vabre Challenge in October 2023. Lee’s passion and dedication to offshore sailing are inspiring, and her achievements are a testament to her hard work and perseverance.