Ballycotton

2nd July 2012

Anglers Towed to Safety by Ballycotton Lifeboat

#rnli – Ballycotton lifeboat rescued a pleasure craft one mile south east of Capel Island, off the East Cork coast yesterday. The Coastguard received a call for assistance shortly after 1500 and requested the RNLI lifeboat to launch. The 25–foot vessel with five anglers aboard were experiencing mechanical difficulties and were in need of assistance.

Weather conditions in the area were poor at the time with the winds blowing force 5 / 6 and poor visibility. When the Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat arrived at 1600 they established a towline and took the vessel under tow to Ballycotton, arriving at 1800. The pleasure craft was safely secured alongside the pier wall.

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17th January 2012

Report into Death of Crab Fisherman Prompts Call for Review of Stability Standards

#MCIB - The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) has recommended a ministerial review of stability standards for fishing vessels following its report into the death of a crab fisherman off Co Cork in January last year.

Gerry Hegarty drowned after a wave struck the crab boat Carraig An Iasc, which was fully loaded with crab pots at the time, causing it to capsize and sending its two-man crew into the water.

Hegarty, who was not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) or other buoyancy aid, got into difficulty while attempting to swim ashore with his crewmate and skipper James Fitzgerald, who subsequently raised the alarm.

Lifeboats from Ballycotton and Crosshaven, as well as Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117, were tasked to the incident. Divers from Naval Service vessel LE Emer located the sunken crab boat but no body was found.

A coastguard search of the area continued over a number of days without success. Hegarty's body was eventually recovered on 17 February 2011 at Ringabella Strand in Co Cork.

The MCIB found it probable that the Carraig An Iasc encountered wind or wave action or a combination of both that caused the vessel to heel to an angle beyond which it was able to recover from its loaded condition. The vessel's Code of Practice Declaration of Compliance was valid until 15 July 2013.

The board noted that there have been "a number of incidents caused by overloading boats thus effecting stability", and recommended that the Minister for Transport reviews and revises the stability standards in the current Code of Practice to improve these standards.

It was also recommended that a safety notice be issued to all skippers and owners in the fishing fleet reminding them of their legal responsibility to ensure that all their crew wear PFDs or lifejackets while on deck.

The full report is available to download as a PDF from the MCIB website HERE.

Published in MCIB

3rd December 2011

Ballycotton Lifeboat Launched to Assist Ailing Fishing Vessel

#LIFEBOATS - Ballycotton's RNLI lifeboat was dispatched in poor conditions Wednesday evening to fishing boat taking on water some 20 miles south east of the Co Cork town, FishNewsEU.com reports.

Assisted by the Waterford coastguard helicopter Rescue 117, the lifeboat stood by the Irish-registered fishing vessel as its four-man crew kept the water intake under control and headed towards Ballycotton harbour under its own power.

Once returned to port, an RNLI salvage pump was placed aboard the boat to extract the excess water, and the crew offered thanks to the emergency services for their assistance.

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25th January 2011

Flare Sighting Sparks Search off Cork Harbour

RNLI lifeboats from Ballycotton and Youghal responded to reports of white flare seen south of Ballycotton in East Cork tonight. The LE Emer was off Power Head, east of Cork Harbour, when the report was received and proceeded to the area also. Having spoken with a fishing vessel in the area they were satisfied there were no problems and the two Lifeboats were stood down.

Unconfirmed reports on Twitter said that the suspected flare sighting was in fact a streaming white light on a vessel.

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14th November 2010

Lifeboat Assists Sinking Fishing Vessel in Cork Harbour

Yesterday while out on exercise in a squally southwesterly force four winds the crew of the Ballycotton lifeboat Austin Lidbury received details of a 26 foot fishing vessel that had sunk off Roches Point, at the mouth of Cork Harbour. The two crew members had taken to a liferaft and were retrieved by a fishing vessel in the area. Crosshaven lifeboat also launched and was first on scene. Ballycotton lifeboat was stood down and returned to station.

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9th November 2010

Ballycotton Lifeboat Launches for Pleasure Craft in Choppy Seas

Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat was launched at 12:10 today for a pleasure craft in the Ballycotton Bay area of East Cork.

No contact had been made with the lone sailor for over an hour and his concerned family contacted the Coast Guard.

Sea conditions in the area was choppy at the time, with the wind blowing North East force 6/7.

The Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat, Austin Lidbury, were requested to launch, as were the Ballycotton Coast Guard unit and the Waterford based Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 117.

The pleasure craft returned safely to shore under its own power shortly afterwards and the emergency units were stood down.

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5th October 2010

Coastal Harbours Benefit from Infrastructure Funding

Malahide is one of over a dozen harbours around the coast to benefit from an announcement by Sean Connick TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food today that funding has been approved for harbour development projects in Local Authority owned harbours under the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme 2010.

Funding has been approved for projects that have been identified as priorities by each of the five Local Authorities listed below. Up to 75% of the cost of an approved project (subject to the maximum figure approved) will be available for each project with the Local Authority providing the balance. The project must be completed and funding drawn down before the end of the current calendar year. The projects are located in harbours around our coastline that are in Local Authority ownership.

Minister Connick said “The Local Authority owned fishing harbours supplement and underpin the activities undertaken in our Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food owned Fishery Harbour Centres. These harbours are of great importance to the fishing and aquaculture industries and provide much needed employment and support for economic activity in our coastal communities. I am delighted to be able to announce the provision of this funding to enhance and develop these facilities”.

The following is a list of the Local Authorities that have been approved funding:

Local Authority		Approved Funding
*FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL*
Malahide - Repair to slipway		€55,875
*SLIGO COUNTY COUNCIL*
Mullaghmore Harbour - Dredging of harbour		€90,000
*CORK COUNTY COUNCIL*
Ballycotton - Breakwater Emergency works		€225,000
*WEXFORD COUNTY COUNCIL*
Fethard harbour 1 - Fishing harbour and slipway study		€18,750
Fethard Harbour 2 - Fishing harbour and slipway		€7,500
Kilmore Quay Harbour - Provide a new laydown area at the end of West Pier		€54,750
Courtown Harbour 1 - Health & Safety improvements		€18,750
Duncannon & Hook Peninsula Piers - New CCTV system & Harbour Repairs		€56,250
*WEST CORK COUNTY COUNCIL*
Castletownbere - Bank Harbour		€18,422
Bantry- Doneen Pier		€23,288
Schull - Lahertanavally Pier		€24,375
Schull - Ballycummisk Pier		€19,916
Castletownbere - Trafrask Pier		€18,422
Western Division - Safety Works		€46,369
Bantry Pier - Public Toilets		€30,000

	Total Estimated Cost	€707,667

Published in Coastal Notes

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16th July 2010

Trawler Fouls Prop, Calls Lifeboat for Tow

Ballycotton lifeboat was called on to lend assistance to a 23 metre fishing vessel in difficulties, 31 miles south of Ballycotton today. The Irish registered vessel, with five on board, contacted the emergency services when they fouled their propeller. The Ballycotton lifeboat, Austin Lidbury, arrived on scene at 12:00 and established a towline. The vessel was safely towed to Ballycotton harbour.

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12th July 2010

Vessel Towed to Ballycotton Harbour by Lifeboat-Update

Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat launched today, 12 July, to lend assistance to a 40 foot pleasure craft that ran into difficulties one mile east of Ballycotton lighthouse. The pleasure craft fouled its propeller on rope while on passage and sought assistance. A lifeboat crewmember was put aboard the pleasure craft and attempts were made to free the offending rope but without success. A towline was established and the casualty was towed to Ballycotton harbour, where they arrived safely at 16:00.

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11th June 2010

Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat assists 31 ft. yacht

Ballycotton lifeboat station received a request for assistance to a 31 ft. yacht with a fouled propeller 4 miles east of Ballycotton. The yacht, with two persons aboard, had left Crosshaven earlier when a rope wrapped around its propeller south of Knockadoon, East Cork. On arrival at the casualty a lifeboat crewmember was placed on board and attempts were made to free the rope. With the successful completion of this exercise the yacht continued it journey and Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat returned to station.

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