#MarineNotice - Marine Notice No 8 of 2005 supplemented by Marine Notice No 16 of 2011 provided information on eight types of liferaft, which the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) accepts for use on small fishing vessels that are not required to carry a SOLAS/MED-approved liferaft.

The department now advises, in Marine Notice No 20 of 2015, that an additional liferaft has been deemed acceptable for use on such vessels. For clarity, the complete list – including the additional liferaft type now added – is shown below.

Accepted non-SOLAS/non-MED inflatable liferafts:

• DSB 4 - Person Inflatable Liferaft with “SOLAS B Pack”
• RFD Surviva 4 - Person Inflatable Liferaft with “SOLAS B Pack”
• RFD SEASAVA PRO ISO 9650 4 - Person Inflatable Liferaft with “SOLAS B Pack”
• Viking DK 4 - Person Inflatable Liferaft with “SOLAS B Pack”
• Zodiac 4 - Person Inflatable Liferaft with “SOLAS B Pack”
• EUROVINIL ISO/DIS 9650 4 - Person Inflatable Liferaft with “SOLAS B Pack”
• Sea-Safe 4 person inflatable liferaft :ISO 9650.1 group A Type 1 with “SOLAS B pack”
• Seago - ISO 9650-1 SOLAS B pack – 4 PERSON Liferaft
• Haining, Liferaft model HNF-YT IS09650-1 – with SOLAS B pack

#MarineNotice - Maintenance and pre-commissioning activities are set to be carried out on the Corrib Gas Field.

The work will all take place within the 500m Safety Zone surrounding the Corrib subsea facilities, and will be carried out by the Normand Subsea (Callsign 2CQP8).

Works will commence around 1 June 2015 and are expected to be completed by the end of the month, weather permitting.

Full details of co-ordinates of the work area are included in Marine Notice No 17 of 2015, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#HiberniaExpress - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport advises that TE SubCom, on behalf of Hibernia Express, is carrying out a route clearance operation and a pre-lay grapnel run along the Hibernia Express cable route using the M/V Ile d’Aix (Callsign FICI) and M/V Atlantic Guardian (Callsign HO6566.

The operations, which follow earlier work on the same subsea cable route in March, commenced on 17 and 13 May 2015 respectively are expected to last until the end of June 2015, weather permitting.

The vessels will be towing grapnels astern at a distance depending on water depth, and as such, will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre.

All vessels are requested to give these operation a wide berth. The project vessels will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

Details of co-ordinates for both vessels' work areas are included in Marine Notices Nos 18 and 19 of 2015, available to read or download HERE and HERE.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises that construction works have been extended at North Harbour on Cape Clear Island in West Cork.

The works involve the construction of a slipway; replacement of the Bull's Nose structure incorporating a storm gate and an extension to the end of Duffy's Pier; excavation, dredging and reclamation works including the construction of an armoured embankment at the seaward side of the new Bull's Nose.

For safety reasons, mariners are requested to proceed slowly and with caution in the approach to the entrance to North Harbour and to give the works a wide berth. Wave-wash from vessels should be avoided. Divers will be deployed throughout the underwater works.

North Harbour will remain operational throughout the works, which are expected to be ongoing until the end of 2015. Details of the work area are included in Marine Notice No 2 of 2015, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises of the most recent list of approved training course providers under STCW 78.

These providers are approved to provide training for the various ancillary courses under the provisions of the Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1978 (STCW 78), as amended (including the Manila Amendments of 2010).

Names, addresses and contact details for the various approved training course providers are detailed in the annex to Marine Notice No 1 of 2015, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

It is important to note that this annex is an evolving document and is therefore subject to change. It is recommended that the website be used to see the most recent copy of this Marine Notice. Marine Notice No 33 of 2013 is hereby withdrawn.

#ebola – The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has been requested to publicise the attached (downloadable below as a word file) Health Service Executive letter regarding the submission of a Maritime Declaration of Health for ships docking at Irish ports, which have called at an Ebola EVD affected area or have crew/passengers that joined the vessel from such an area, or are suspected of having been in contact with the Ebola virus or an affected person within the past. 

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport advises that site investigation works are being carried out at Rossaveal Fishery Harbour Centre on Galway Bay.

The work comprises drilling multiple boreholes at a series of locations, subject to minor variations, as listed in Marine Notice No 65 of 2014, which is available as a PDF to read or download HERE.

Work was expected to begin on Monday 24 November and is set to finish on or around Friday 12 December, weather permitting. A jack-up barge will be moved to the various borehole locations by a tug-boat, and will remain on site overnight during the operations.

All appropriate lights will be displayed by the barge at night. Radio warnings will be transmitted on VHF Channel 16 throughout the works.

#WaterSafety - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport advises that, in accordance with SOLAS Chapter III Regulation 17-1, 'Recovery of persons from the water', cargo ships over 500 gross tonnage and all passenger ships on international voyages shall develop ship-specific plans and procedures for recovery of persons from the water.

The plans and procedures shall identify the equipment intended to be used for recovery purposes and measures to be taken to minimise the risk to shipboard personnel involved in recovery operations.

Ships constructed before 1 July 2014 shall comply with this requirement by the first periodical or renewal safety equipment survey of the ship to be carried out after 1 July 2014, whichever comes first.

The plans and procedures shall be developed taking into account MSC 1/Circ 1447 'Guidelines for the Development of Plans and Procedures for Recovery of Persons from the Water'; MSC 1/Circ 1182 'Guide to Recovery Techniques'; and MSC 1/Circ 1185/Rev 1 'Guide for Cold Water Survival'.

#Fishing - The Marine Survey Office (MSO) of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport wishes to appoint a panel of surveyors to conduct surveys of fishing vessels of less than 15m length overall, in accordance with a Code of Practice for such vessels.

To register your interest for this panel, and to obtain any additional information, see the posting on the eTenders Public Procurement website HERE.

Details of the request for applications are also included in the annex to Marine Notice No 61 of 2014, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE. The closing date for completed applications is 14 November 2014.

#MarineNotice - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport advises that site investigation works will commence at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre on or around today 29 October, weather permitting.

The works, involving geotechnical investigations within the western trawler basin, are being advanced by a site investigation crew working from a jack-up barge 11m × 6m in size, using engineering plant and machinery and work vessels.

For safety reasons, mariners are requested to proceed slowly and with caution in the approach to the western trawler basin of the Fishery Harbour Centre and to give the site investigation works a wide berth. Wave-wash from vessels should be avoided.

These works are expected to be ongoing until 19 November, weather permitting. For further information, contact the Howth Harbourmaster’s Office at 01 832 2252.