#MarineNotice - As of 31 October 2014, there will be new requirements for Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) for passenger ships of classes B, C, D, IIA, III and VI.

The European Communities (Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System) Regulations 2010 [SI No 573 of 2010] as amended by the European Communities (Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 [SI No 71 of 2012] include the requirements for approved AIS to be fitted on vessels.

Regulation 9A sets out the scope for exemptions from the requirements of Regulations 8 and 9, which may include passenger ships below 15 metres in length or 300 gross tonnage engaged on non-international voyages, and Marine Notice 22 of 2012 refers to such exemptions from the requirements to fit an approved AIS for domestic passenger vessels of less than 15m or 300GT.

Vessels less than 15 metres in length will in general be exempted from the requirement to fit an approved AIS (ie, one which satisfies the performance standards drawn up by the International Maritime Organisation) but will, in most cases, be required to fit AIS type B.

The specific exemption criteria and conditions thereof, together with the detailed carriage requirements for AIS on seagoing domestic passenger vessels are set out in the annex to Marine Notice No 51 of 2014, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

The Marine Survey Office will verify compliance with the carriage requirements and the operation of the AIS during annual surveys and inspections of passenger vessels from 31 October.

#shipowners – The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has been advised that Site Investigation works will commence at An Daingean Fishery Harbour Centre, Co. Kerry, weather permitting, on or around 19th August 2014. The works will involve sediment sampling/analysis and ground investigation works in the eastern basin.

The works are being advanced by a site investigation crew working from a Pontoon 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 eastern 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 on-going until the end of August 2014, weather permitting.

For further information, contact An Daingean Harbourmaster's Office Tel: + 353 (0)66 9151629.

Irish Maritime Administration,
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport,
Leeson Lane, Dublin 2, Ireland.

#MarineNotice - Seabird Exploration FZ LLC is scheduled to carry out a 2D seismic survey in the South Porcupine Basin off the southwest coast of Ireland.

Acquisition of 4,500km of seismic data is anticipated to commence shortly with an expected duration of 45 days, subject to weather.

The seismic vessel M/V Harrier Explorer (Call sign 3EIE3) is scheduled to carry out the work.

The vessel will be towing one 10km cable at a depth of 14 metres. A buoy equipped with a radar reflector and navigation strobe light will be deployed at the end of the cable.

The seismic vessel will be accompanied by guard vessel M/V Stormbas (Call sign HO4190), and will be restricted in its ability to manoeuvre whilst carrying out the survey. Both work vessels will be listening on VHF Channels 16 & 67.

All other vessels, particularly those engaged in fishing, are requested to give the M/V Harrier Explorer, her towed equipment, and the M/V Stormbas a wide berth and keep a sharp lookout in the relevant areas.

Details of co-ordinates for the survey area are included in Marine Notice No 49 of 2014, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - Further to Marine Notice No 13 of 2014 from January this year, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has been advised that construction works were scheduled to commence at Westcove Harbour in Co Kerry from yesterday 7 August.

The works will mainly take place at the mouth of the harbour (51° 46' 3.3738" North, 010° 02' 56.7204" West) and will involve the installation of a new navigation beacon, 5-6m in height, at the mouth of the harbour as well as the upgrading of two leading lights located within the harbour.

The works are being advanced by the Marine Engineering Division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The construction will involve use of a work vessel 20m × 7m in size carrying civil engineering plant and machinery, as well as other smaller work vessels and platforms.

The work vessel will display the relevant day signals and navigation lights in accordance with the Collision Regulations.

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

These works are expected to be on-going until early September 2014, weather permitting. For further information, contact Marine Engineering Division Office at 066 714 9340.

#MarineNotice - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) has listed its schedule of examinations for the Certificate of Competency for Deck Officers, Marine Engineer Officers, Skippers and Second Hands for the year commencing 1 September 2014.

All pertinent details are included in Marine Notice No 47 of 2014, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises that annual maintenance and inspection activities will shortly be carried out on the Corrib Gas Field.

The works, being carried out in conjunction with the annual pipeline and umbilical maintenance inspection and flowline installation, will commence on Saturday 2 August 2014 and are expected to be completed by the end of the first week in September 2014.

The works will all take place within the 500m Safety Zone surrounding the Corrib subsea facilities. The vessel to be used will be the Normand Subsea (Call sign 2CQP8).

Full details of co-ordinates for the Safety Zone are included in Marine Notice No 46 of 2014, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises that a hydrographic and geophysical survey operation will be undertaken by INFOMAR1 off the west coast of Ireland from tomorrow 23 July till 17 August.

The RV Celtic Voyager (Call sign EIQN) – which earlier this year was equipped with a new multibeam sonar – is expected to carry out the survey operations in Killary Harbour and its approaches, off the west coast, in Galway Bay and in an area northwest of Tralee Bay.

The work vessel will be towing a magnetometer sensor with a single cable of up to 100m in length. The vessel will display appropriate lights and markers and will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the course of the survey.

Full details of co-ordinates and maps of the survey areas are included in Marine Notice No 45 of 2014, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - Dolphin Geophysical AS, on behalf of Capricorn Ireland Limited, is scheduled to carry out a 3D seismic survey in the Northern Porcupine Basin next month.

The survey will cover 1,974.5 sq km off the west coast and is anticipated to commence at the beginning of next month for 45 to 60 days, subject to weather.

The seismic vessel M/V Sanco Sword (Call sign ZDNE7) is scheduled to carry out the work. This vessel will tow 12 cables, each 8km long with 100m separation at a depth of 16-24m below the surface, for a total width array of 1.1km.

The seismic vessel will be accompanied by support vessel M/V Sunrise-G (Call sign 3FKF6) and guard vessel M/V Ary (Call sign YJQJ5).

The seismic vessel will be restricted in its ability to manoeuvre while carrying out the survey, and all vessels are requested to give these 3D survey operations a wide berth. The work vessels will be listening on VHF Channel 16 throughout the project.

All other vessels, particularly those engaged in fishing, are requested to give the M/V Sanco Sword, the M/V Sunrise-G and M/V Ary and their towed equipment a wide berth and keep a sharp lookout in the relevant areas.

Full details of co-ordinates for this survey operation are included in Marine Notice No 44 of 2014, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises that the annual pipeline and umbilical maintenance inspection survey and flowline installation work will shortly be undertaken at the Corrib Gas Field.

Works will commence on Thursday 24 July 2014 at the Corrib field and along the pipeline corridor to the landfall at Broadhaven Bay, Co Mayo. The works and are expected to be completed by the end of the first week of September by the vessel Normand Reach (Call sign 2HMG8).

The pipeline and umbilical maintenance inspection covers an area of activity that stretches along the route of the existing Corrib offshore gas pipeline and umbilical route.

The work involves acoustic and visual survey of the pipeline and umbilical using equipment deployed from an ROV. The pipeline and umbilical surveys will be separate activities.

Meanwhile, the flowline installation at Wells P3 and P6 will take place within the 500m safety zone surrounding the Corrib subsea facilities.

Co-ordinates for all works and further details are included in Marine Notice No 43 of 2014, a PDF of which is available to read or download HERE.

#MarineNotice - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) wishes to advise that the master and navigating officers on any vessel fitted with electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) or an electronic chart system must be appropriately trained.

This requirement still applies when the equipment is not being used as the primary means of navigation, in accordance with the provisions of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention, Regulations I/14 & VIII/2. This is also required in accordance with the provisions of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, part 6.

Further guidance on ECDIS training is provided in Marine Notice No 51 of 2011.