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Displaying items by tag: Ships & Cargoes

Afloat previously featured the Port of Galway's shipping activity and likewise the company of the mid-west port highlighted on social media the variety of vessels along with respective cargoes that called to the harbour at the weekend.

A trio of cargoships were berthed in the Port of Galway's single berthing area, Dun Aengus Dock. Here the Hestia was engaged in refuse-derived fuel (RDF), Mia Sophie-B with limestone while the Pasadena had a load of scrap metal.

The aptly named Corrib Fisher, operated by Jas Fisher Everard arrived with petroleum (from Whitegate Refinery, Cork Harbour).  The final ship in port over the weekend was RV Celtic Explorer, the research vessel of the Marine Institute berthed at its registered homeport.

This afternoon the port is occupied by the continued presence of Celtic Explorer, the port's pilot cutter and a variety of leisure craft. At the port's outer pier is the Aran Islands serving freighter, Saoise na Mara which was acquired as secondhand tonnage last year.

The former Norwegian flagged palletised cargo ship Fagerfjord was renamed when introduced by Lasta Mara Teoranta last year. The operator has a government contract to run a subsidised service to the Aran Islands. This vessel can also load vehicles with deck-mounted cranes.

Published in Galway Harbour

The GP14 is a popular sailing dinghy, with well over 14,000 boats built.

The class is active in the UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and parts of north-eastern USA, and the GP14 can be used for both racing and cruising. 

Designed by Jack Holt in 1949, with the assistance of the Dovey Yacht Club in Aberdyfi. The idea behind the design was to build a General Purpose (GP) 14-foot dinghy which could be sailed or rowed, capable of also being powered effectively by a small outboard motor, able to be towed behind a small family car and able to be launched and recovered reasonably easily, and stable enough to be able to lie to moorings or anchor when required. Racing soon followed, initially with some degree of opposition from Yachting World, who had commissioned the design, and the boat soon turned out to be an outstanding racing design also.

The boat was initially designed with a main and small jib as a comfortable family dinghy. In a design philosophy that is both practical and highly redolent of social attitudes of the day the intention was that she should accommodate a family comprising parents plus two children, and specifically that the jib should be modest enough for "Mum" or older children to handle, while she should perform well enough to give "Dad" some excitement when not taking the family out. While this rig is still available, and can be useful when using the boat to teach sailing, or for family sailing, and has some popularity for cruising, the boat is more commonly seen with the full modern rig of a mainsail, genoa and spinnaker. Australian boats also routinely use trapezes.

GP14 Ireland Event Dates 2023

  • O'Tiarnaigh (Apr 22-23) Blessington Sailing Club
  • Ulsters (May 20-21) East Antrim Boat Club
  • Munsters (Jun 17-18) Tralee Bay Sailing Club
  • Leinsters (Jul 7-9) Dun Laoghaire Regatta
  • SOYC (Aug 19-20) Rush Sailing Club
  • Nationals (Sep 1-3) Sutton Dinghy Club
  • Hot Toddy (Sep 30-Oct 1) Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club

 

At A Glance – GP14 Dinghy Specifications

Crew 2
Draft 1,200 mm (47 in)
Hull weight 132.9 kg
LOA 4.27 m (14 ft)
Beam 1.54 m
Spinnaker area 8.4 m2
Upwind sail area 12.85 m2

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