Displaying items by tag: Ghost Ship: Alta

18th February 2023

Ghost Ship’s Report Remains Not Ready Three Years after MV Alta Is Washed Ashore in East Cork

A ghost ship which washed ashore in Irish waters three years ago, which led to a report as to what to do with the abandoned 80m freight vessel on the east Cork coast, has still not been completed.

In the autumn of 2018, the vessel had engine trouble when approximately 2,000km off Bermuda and was abandoned. The ship's 10 crew were rescued by the United States Coast Guard (USCG).

The ship remained adrift unti during Storm Dennis it grounded near Ballycotton in east Cork. This would led to local authorities removing oil to prevent pollution from the ship which has subsequently broken up due to the elements.

In June of last year, a working group was established on the recommendation of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB). This was to examine "the risks and potential costs to the State presented by derelict ships" upon entering Irish territorial waters and coming ashore.

The working group according to the Department of Transport, which includes the Irish Coast Guard, the Naval Service, Irish Lights, the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and others, has concluded deliberations.

The group, however have yet to carry out one more round of stakeholder engagements before any of its findings can be presented.

Since the ship became a wreck, this has drawn public attention and as a tourist attraction but also has seen anti-social behaviour take place locally.

More from The Irish Examiner on the vessel's multi-million bill to the state and how the ship when adrift had a 'near miss' with an oil tanker before finally grounding east of Cork Harbour.

Published in Coastal Notes

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'Ghost Ship' MV Alta Could Cost €10m to Salvage - Say International Experts

'Ghost Ship' - Alta AFLOAT adds shows the starboard side of the cargoship which earlier this year went aground on the Cork coastline close to Ballycotton

Maritime salvage experts internationally say it could cost upwards of €10m to salvage the (cargoship) MV Alta.

The 'ghost ship' washed ashore off the Cork coast earlier this year.

The Receiver of Wreck said it was still trying to establish ownership as fears grow locally that she will be left to rust on the coastline.

Storm Dennis ravaged the country in February and in its wake the MV Alta washed ashore.

Abandoned 16 months earlier by her crew near Bermuda, the 44-year-old merchant ship had been adrift in the Atlantic, before the it washed up near Ballycotton.

In the days that followed, Cork County Council removed any environmental risk and since then the Receiver of Wreck has been trying to establish ownership and in turn whose is responsible for the ship.

National Yacht Club Facilities

Facilities include a slipway directly accessing Dun Laoghaire Harbour, over eighty club moorings, platform parking, pontoons, fuelling, watering and crane-lifting ensure that the NYC is excellently equipped to cater for all the needs of the contemporary sailor. Berths with diesel, water, power and overnight facilities are available to cruising yachtsmen with shopping facilities being a short walk away. The club is active throughout the year with full dining and bar facilities and winter activities include bridge, snooker, quiz nights, wine tasting and special events.

National Yacht Club History

Although there are references to an active “club” prior to 1870, history records that the present clubhouse was erected in 1870 at a cost of £4,000 to a design by William Sterling and the Kingstown Royal Harbour Boat Club was registered with Lloyds in the same year. By 1872 the name had been changed to the Kingston Harbour Boat Club and this change was registered at Lloyds.

In 1881. the premises were purchased by a Captain Peacocke and others who formed a proprietary club called the Kingstown Harbour Yacht Club again registered at Lloyds. Some six years later in 1877 the building again changed hands being bought by a Mr Charles Barrington. and between 1877 and 1901 the club was very active and operated for a while as the “Absolute Club” although this change of name was never registered.

In 1901, the lease was purchased by three trustees who registered it as the Edward Yacht Club. In 1930 at a time when the Edward Yacht Club was relatively inactive, a committee including The Earl of Granard approached the trustees with a proposition to form the National Yacht Club. The Earl of Granard had been Commodore of the North Shannon Y.C. and was a senator in the W.T.Cosgrave government. An agreement was reached, the National Yacht Club was registered at Lloyds. The club burgee was created, red cross of Saint George with blue and white quarters being sky cloud, sea and surf. The Earl of Granard became the first Commodore.

In July of 1950, a warrant was issued to the National Yacht Club by the Government under the Merchant Shipping Act authorising members to hoist a club ensign in lieu of the National Flag. The new ensign to include a representation of the harp. This privilege is unique and specific to members of the National Yacht Club. Sterling’s design for the exterior of the club was a hybrid French Chateau and eighteenth century Garden Pavilion and today as a Class A restricted building it continues to provide elegant dining and bar facilities.

An early drawing of the building shows viewing balconies on the roof and the waterfront façade. Subsequent additions of platforms and a new slip to the seaward side and most recently the construction of new changing rooms, offices and boathouse provide state of the art facilities, capable of coping with major international and world championship events. The club provides a wide range of sailing facilities, from Junior training to family cruising, dinghy sailing to offshore racing and caters for most major classes of dinghies, one design keelboats, sports boats and cruiser racers. It provides training facilities within the ISA Youth Sailing Scheme and National Power Boat Schemes.

Past Commodores

1931 – 42 Earl of Granard 1942 – 45 T.J. Hamilton 1945 – 47 P.M. Purcell 1947 – 50 J.J. O’Leary 1950 – 55 A.A. Murphy 1955 – 60 J.J. O’Leary 1960 – 64 F. Lemass 1964 – 69 J.C. McConnell 1969 – 72 P.J. Johnston 1972 – 74 L. Boyd 1974 – 76 F.C. Winkelmann 1976 – 79 P.A. Browne 1979 – 83 W.A. Maguire 1983 – 87 F.J. Cooney 1987 – 88 J.J. Byrne 1988 – 91 M.F. Muldoon 1991 – 94 B.D. Barry 1994 – 97 M.P.B. Horgan 1997 – 00 B. MacNeaney 2000 – 02 I.E. Kiernan 2002 – 05 C.N.I. Moore 2005 – 08 C.J. Murphy 2008 – 11 P.D. Ryan 2011 – P. Barrington 2011-2014 Larry Power 2014-2017 Ronan Beirne 2017 – 2019

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