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Traffic through Irish ports have declined marginally in the third quarter of this year, according to the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO).

The lastest figures from the IMDO, a government office which provides support to national and international maritime businesses, recorded that Roll-on and roll-off (Ro-Ro) traffic declined by 1% compared to the same period in 2021.

On routes between Ireland and mainland Europe, traffic on these direct routes was down 2% while traffic to ports in the UK was unchanged.

The shift to direct routes to the EU, which emerged following the end of the Brexit transition period that ended on 31 December 2020 "is so far holding firm" said the IMDO.

RTE News reports more on the trade figures including ferry passenger numbers.

Published in Ports & Shipping
Tagged under

Companies in Ireland are using up to 20 new trade routes to get goods to continental Europe in the wake of Brexit, according to the head of business lobby group Chambers Ireland.

Ian Talbot said businesses here were increasingly avoiding the UK landbridge by using direct ferries to Europe as an alternative to avoid customs issues.

Using the traditional UK landbridge – Dublin-Holyhead-Dover-Calais – was now taking up to 15 hours longer, he told the European Parliament Committee on International Trade (INTA) on Tuesday.

“Another interesting dynamic is how trade routes have shifted with an unprecedented at least 20 different route interventions particularly for RORO (Roll-On Roll-Off) direct into Europe that used to use the landbridge,” he said.

The new routes include: Dublin-Rotterdam-Zeebrugge; Rosslare-Dunkirk;Rosslare-Bilbao; and Cork-Antwerp-Zeebrugge.

More reports The Irish Times on firms avoiding the UK landbridge. 

Published in Ports & Shipping

CLdN Ro Ro S.A. which is the largest shipping line connecting Ireland and continental Europe says it can “dramatically” increase its services if there is a hard Brexit.

The Luxembourg-based shipping line, The Irish Times reports, operates direct ferries seven days a week between Irish ports and mainland Europe, connecting Dublin with Zeebrugge in Belgium and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and Cork with Zeebrugge with journey times of about 38 hours.

Sjors Bosvelt, CLdN’s head of sales based in Rotterdam, said the shipping line has plans in place to provide further services should a disorderly Brexit at the end of the standstill period on December 31st result in delays with new checks at British ports that congest the landbridge.

“We have contingencies to allow us to dramatically increase capacity in the event that there is a hard Brexit,” he said.

“With our own fleet of vehicles, we have, to a large extent, flexibility in allocating capacity to where demand is, answering to the volatility in each market.”

More here including the stalled talks of the UK-EU negotiations. 

In addition to Afloat's coverage of Celine's naming ceremony as alluded in the photo caption.

Published in Ferry

#Ports&Shipping - A post-Brexit new shipping route will see Ireland connected to Europe via the Netherlands and Belgium under EU contingency plans.

The European Commission reports The Independent has adopted a proposal which will see Dublin and Cork ports connected with Zeebrugge and Antwerp in Belgium and Rotterdam in the Netherlands - but does not include French ports.

The realignment of the EU's strategic transport corridor, the North Sea-Mediterranean route, is part of Europe's 'Brexit preparedness' measures.

The route has been redrawn as part of efforts to allow Irish trade a means of circumventing UK customs checks post-Brexit and to find alternatives to the land-bridge over Britain.

To read more including what Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes has to say on the contungency plans, click here.

Published in Ports & Shipping

The Half Ton Class was created by the Offshore Racing Council for boats within the racing band not exceeding 22'-0". The ORC decided that the rule should "....permit the development of seaworthy offshore racing yachts...The Council will endeavour to protect the majority of the existing IOR fleet from rapid obsolescence caused by ....developments which produce increased performance without corresponding changes in ratings..."

When first introduced the IOR rule was perfectly adequate for rating boats in existence at that time. However yacht designers naturally examined the rule to seize upon any advantage they could find, the most noticeable of which has been a reduction in displacement and a return to fractional rigs.

After 1993, when the IOR Mk.III rule reached it termination due to lack of people building new boats, the rule was replaced by the CHS (Channel) Handicap system which in turn developed into the IRC system now used.

The IRC handicap system operates by a secret formula which tries to develop boats which are 'Cruising type' of relatively heavy boats with good internal accommodation. It tends to penalise boats with excessive stability or excessive sail area.

Competitions

The most significant events for the Half Ton Class has been the annual Half Ton Cup which was sailed under the IOR rules until 1993. More recently this has been replaced with the Half Ton Classics Cup. The venue of the event moved from continent to continent with over-representation on French or British ports. In later years the event is held biennially. Initially, it was proposed to hold events in Ireland, Britain and France by rotation. However, it was the Belgians who took the ball and ran with it. The Class is now managed from Belgium. 

At A Glance – Half Ton Classics Cup Winners

  • 2017 – Kinsale – Swuzzlebubble – Phil Plumtree – Farr 1977
  • 2016 – Falmouth – Swuzzlebubble – Greg Peck – Farr 1977
  • 2015 – Nieuwport – Checkmate XV – David Cullen – Humphreys 1985
  • 2014 – St Quay Portrieux – Swuzzlebubble – Peter Morton – Farr 1977
  • 2013 – Boulogne – Checkmate XV – Nigel Biggs – Humphreys 1985
  • 2011 – Cowes – Chimp – Michael Kershaw – Berret 1978
  • 2009 – Nieuwpoort – Général Tapioca – Philippe Pilate – Berret 1978
  • 2007 – Dun Laoghaire – Henri-Lloyd Harmony – Nigel Biggs – Humphreys 1980~
  • 2005 – Dinard – Gingko – Patrick Lobrichon – Mauric 1968
  • 2003 – Nieuwpoort – Général Tapioca – Philippe Pilate – Berret 1978

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