#GuinnessTanks – Another shipment of Guinness fermentation tanks arrived into Dun Laoghaire Harbour, where Sunday strollers watched the cargoship's arrival, from the length of the East Pier, writes Jehan Ashmore.

On this occasion, cargoship Keizersborg (1996/6,142grt) operated by Dutch owners Wagonborg Shipping, berthed at Carlisle Pier. This is the second delivery of the 'project' cargo, with another batch due of the stainless steel cylinders, each weighing 30 tons.

They are bound for St. James's Gate Brewery, where the plant is undergoing a major upgrade costing €153m.

As previously reported, the first shipment was transported on board Myrte (2008/6,120grt) which too had sailed directly from the same Dutch port.

Also in port was the HSS Stena Explorer, which after the cargoship's docking, departed for Holyhead, so to complete the return leg of the daily operated single round-trip service.

#GuinnessTanks – More than a week after cargoship Myrte docked in Dun Laoghaire Harbour, the massive fermentation tanks were yesterday transported in a nighttime convoy to the Guinness St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Another shipment is scheduled to arrive in the harbour towards the end of this weekend and also from Rotterdam. On this occasion, cargoship Keizersborg (1996/6,142grt) operated by Dutch owners Wagonborg Shipping, will be bringing in the second of three batches of the gleaming stainless steel cylinders.

Each of the 30 ton cylinders measure 22m long x 6.6m wide and 5.4m in height and some of them are capable of holding just under 1m pints!

As for the 122m long Myrte (2008/6,120grt) she took the honour as the first commercial vessel, excluding the fastcraft HSS Stena Explorer, to call to the harbour with a consignment of cargo, not seen since the early 1990's.

During that timeframe, the Danish flagged reefer Nordland Saga (1989/2,469grt), which then was a relative newbuild, had also berthed alongside Carlisle Pier.

The vessel registered in Frederickshavn differed to the 'Guinness' project cargo carrying vessels, in that she was fitted with deck-mounted cranes. As such mobile road cranes will again be deployed in the task of unloading the giant tanks onto the Carlisle Pier, where in recent years the former mailboat ferry terminal was demolished.

Carlisle Pier to date has served at times as storage space for yachts and currently has car-parking facilities, yet there are plans to build a landmark Diaspora Centre as part of the harbour's 'master plan'.

#DunLaoghaire – Last night the Dutch-flagged Myrte (6,120 tonnes) docked in Dun Laoghaire Harbour loaded with fermentation tanks bound for Guinness, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 10 X 30 tons fermentation tanks are to be discharged during the week and installed in Diageo's Guinness (St. James Gate) plant. The historic city-centre brewery's fermentation plant is to be refurbished as part of a major investment.

The 122m cargoship berthed alongside the former conventional ferry (mail) boat Carlisle Pier, from where the cargo will be taken by road convoy, but travelling overnight to avoid traffic and minimise disruption.

This delivery is part of a 'project' cargo as a further two shipments are scheduled, however it has been many years since cargoships have called to Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

In the late 1980's/early 90's there were relatively frequent calls undertaken by 'reefer' ships, vessels equipped with refrigeration capability carrying perishable products.

Some vessels were instead of the ro-ro design, this allowed refrigerated freight-trailers to be driven onboard the ship which berthed at the port's ferry ramp linkspan.

##cruiseliner – 10 cruise ships are expected in Dún Laoghaire in 2013 bringing an esitmated 10,000 visitors to the east coast town according to Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company. The world famous Queen Mary II will be one of the first arrivals in to Dublin Bay and Dún Laoghaire on May 16th 2013. Cunard Line's flagship Queen Mary 2 previously docked at Cobh in 2011.  The 148,528 tonnes giant liner cost €549m and she is the only true 'liner' operating in the world today as she on occasions provides scheduled trans-Atlantic sailings between Southampton and New York.  More on the Queen Mary II.

#SEAFRONT TOURS – Take in the sea-air while getting to know some historical landmarks, along Dun Laoghaire Harbour's waterfront with the Seafront Memorials Tour. The free guided tour runs every Saturday morning until the 1 September.

The tours take in all the coastal memorials to include the Queen Victoria Fountain, George IV Memorial, the mailboat R.M.S. Leinster's anchor, the Crimean War Cannon and the 1895 Lifeboat Disaster.

The tours start at 11.30 am (1 tour on each Saturday) and they take approximately 1 hour. The maximum number of people for each tour is 20 persons, noting the outdoor event is also wheelchair accessible. No pre-booking is required and places are limited so it is advisable to turn up early.

The tours are part of the 'Summer of Heritage' programme which is now in its fifth year organised by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. For information call: (01) 254 2387 or visit: www.dlrevents.ie/heritage.html

#TALL SHIPS – The first of the Tall Ships has arrived, the barque STS Pogoria, an A-class tallship which berthed in Dun Loaghaire Harbour this afternoon, albeit earlier than expected due to bad weather, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The steel hulled 49m long vessel encountered bad weather in the Bay of Biscay, while taking part in the final race leg from Coruna, where on Thursday night, as previously reported on Afloat.ie, the official finishing line was off Tuskar Rock.

She made her entrance to Dublin Bay, albeit without setting sail and as she motored passed the Kish Lighthouse, she set a course for the South Burford buoy near Dalkey Island. She then headed for Dun Laoghaire rather then Dublin, from where a pilot cutter departed to board the vessel.

STS Pogoria was built for the Steel Workers Union in 1980 and her current status as 'flagship' of The Sail Training Association which is based in Gdansk, and from where she was built. She has a crew of 11 officers and a trainee crew of around 40 personnel.

Over the next few days the fleet of tallships numbering more than 40 vessels, are to arrive in Dublin Port. The next caller is expected to be the  Ecuadorian Navy's sail-training ship Guayas with an ETA of 18.00hrs today. The tallship is also rigged as a barque, yet she is considerably larger, measuring nearly 80m in length and a crew complement of 112 officers and 63 trainees.

#SEAFRONT TOURS – Now that the bad weather that covered half of the country is behind us, the forecast at least for Dublin and next Saturday is more promising. So why not consider taking a stroll with the sea-air along the waterfront in Dun Laoghaire Harbour and learn some local history by taking a Seafront Memorials Tour. The free guided tour runs every Saturday morning until the 1 September.

The tours take in all the coastal memorials along the harbour's waterfront including the Queen Victoria Fountain, George IV Memorial, the mailboat R.M.S. Leinster's anchor, the Crimean War Cannon and the 1895 Lifeboat Disaster.

The tours start at 11.30 am (1 tour on each Saturday) and they take approximately 1 hour. The maximum number of people for each tour is 20 persons, noting the outdoor event is also wheelchair accessible. No pre-booking is required and places are limited so it is advisable to turn up early.

The tours are part of the 'Summer of Heritage' programme which is now in its fifth year organised by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. For information call: (01) 254 2387 or visit: www.dlrevents.ie/heritage.html

#SEAFRONT TOURS – With glorious weather hopefully holding, seize the opportunity by taking the sea-air and learn at the same time. Sounds like a good combination, so why not consider joining the Seafront Memorials Tour which is a guided tour in Dun Laoghaire Harbour running every Saturday morning until the 1 September.

The tours take in all the coastal memorials along the harbour's waterfront including the Queen Victoria Fountain, George IV Memorial, the mailboat R.M.S. Leinster's anchor, the Crimean War Cannon and the 1895 Lifeboat Disaster.

The tours start at 11.30 am (1 tour on each Saturday) and they take approximately 1 hour. The maximum number of people for each tour is 20 persons, noting the outdoor event is also wheelchair accessible. No pre-booking is required and places are limited so it is advisable to turn up early.

The tours are part of the 'Summer of Heritage' programme which is now in its fifth year organised by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. For information call: (01) 254 2387 or visit: www.dlrevents.ie/heritage.html

#SEAFRONT TOURS – Another weekend and a chance to take in the fresh sea-air while learning at the same time. Sounds like a good combination, so why not consider joining the Seafront Memorials Tour which is a guided tour in Dun Laoghaire Harbour which runs every Saturday morning until the 1 September.

The tours take in all the coastal memorials along the harbour's waterfront including the Queen Victoria Fountain, George IV Memorial, the mailboat R.M.S. Leinster's anchor, the Crimean War Cannon and the 1895 Lifeboat Disaster.

The tours start at 11.30 am (1 tour on each Saturday) and they take approximately 1 hour. The maximum number of people for each tour is 20 persons, noting the outdoor event is also wheelchair accessible. No pre-booking is required and places are limited so it is advisable to turn up early.

The tours are part of the 'Summer of Heritage' programme which is now in its fifth year organised by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. For information call: (01) 254 2387 or visit: www.dlrevents.ie/heritage.html

#MARINE RESEARCH YACHT– The 36m French marine biology research yacht Tara, skippered by Loic Valette, sailed under motor-power into Dun Laoghaire Harbour from Lorient this afternoon, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The two-master is operated by Tara Expeditions which is a non-profit organisation which aims to learn more about the impact of climate change on ecosystems. She has travelled extensively on expeditions to both poles and throughout the world and where the organsiation have collected samples and data to the scientific community.

The port of call is so that she can take part in the Dublin 'City of Science 2012' festival.

Tara will be moored alongside the harbour's East Pier during tomorrow and Thursday, where the public are invited on board to tour the vessel on a first come first served basis. Opening times on both days are between 1-7pm and taken in small groups, noting limited accessibility. Crew will provide guided tours of the class B aluminium built yacht once owned by Jean-Louis Etienne and Sir Peter Blake. For further details click HERE.

As previously reported, the Marine Institute's RV Celtic Explorer docked in Dublin Port today in advance of the ESOF 2012 conference which is the highlight of the year-long science festival. For information visit www.dublinscience2012.ie