As an Irish Master Mariner,I am saddened and ashamed of our Government's failure to raise the Asgard 2 from her watery grave in Biscay. They will wait and wait and wait until she is well and truly wrecked and then they will tell us it is too late. It's time the sea-loving people of Ireland got together, possibly through a private campaign orchestrated by "Afloat" magazine, to resurrect our iconic little green brigantine. Let us get together and shame the shameless. I offer my leave time and 35 years seatime as a starter. Any divers, engineers, seamen, sailors, fishermen and a couple of quota-burdened trawlers out there looking for an adventure which will go down in Irish Maritime History??
The young people of Ireland must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky and they had better not be depending on Willie o' Dea to get them AFLOAT bye and bye!!

Gra na mara is so right. Why can't all those that love Asgard come together to have her saved. This forum is the kind of place to get it going. The magazine if I remember had a poll to save the Asgard before Christmas and again there was over whleming support to lift her

There is currently an ocean going, traditionally built, Irish Sailing ship lying alongside on the Liffey. The Jeanie Johnston, she is perfectly suited for sail training, she can carry 28 trainees and has proven herself by crossing the atlantic in 2003. She is fully equiped and has all certificates valid, 5 water-tight bulkheads.

Your idea to raise the Asgard is honourable, but in my own opinion she is probably broken up by now or at least in terrible condition. Surely the mariners of Ireland should put our efforts, influence and energy into getting a proper sail training program for the Jeanie Johnston and we can get the young people of Ireland down to the sea and sailing on tallships once again.

As much as I'd like to hope it would be the case, do you think there is one civil servant worrying about the state of the Asgard II? Or the sail training programme? They said he was a crook but CJH got a lot of maritime things done. The same under BIFFO? Hardly.

In Ireland today, if you collapse on the street, most people will walk past you through fear and/or indifference. Old people are left to die on trolleys in hospital alley-ways. Some of us are not capable of such apathy because we were brought up with love, compassion, kindness, principles, faith, hope and charity in the pre-Celtic Tiger era. I agree totally with Liam that the JJ would be a worthy successor to Asgard 2 but Tillerman is right too. Most civil servants couldn't care less about Asgard 2, Jeanie Johnston or the youth of Ireland and BIFFO doesn't know the difference between buttocks & futtocks.
We don't even have a Marine Dept. any more.
Do we all just stand back and let the Self-Servants do as they please or do we take to the streets like the French and fight for our rights and our heritage?
The "Green Dragon" boys don't rely on the Self-Servants for money or support, when the boom breaks or the forestay ruptures. They know their boat is slower but they also know that "it's not the size of the dog in the fight that matters, it's the size of the fight in the dog"
So, pass it on and keep our dreams alive.
What have we got to lose....that we haven't already lost?

The most grave risk to Asgard and her rig continues to be from fishing nets. According to an Irish Times report this morning: www.afloat.ie/news/no-ministerial-decisi...-month-on-asgard-ii/

Fishermen have sidescan and forward viewing sonar and should be well aware of the position of ASGARD 2 from Marine Notices and wreck markings. Some politician/self-servant is feeding that crap to the Irish Times to get the scent off themselves. This vessel is known and loved throughout the "Sail-training" world. I think the greatest risks to her are APATHY, INACTION and neutered politicians/self-servants.
The ROV scan showed she was fine and we had an incredible weather window over Christmas & New Year during which she could have been salvaged.
God help us all in The Land of Missed-opportunity.

"The greatest risks to her are APATHY, INACTION and neutered politicians/self-servants"

Well done Gra na Mara you are 100% right. How do we get this boat raised?

Well Tillerman, looks like you're on the trail already so lets round up a few more. We all love a good challenge. It will take a fair bit of OUTRAGE to get this campaign going so I have sent the link for this forum to all my friends and acquaintances who have anything to do with the sea, sailing, fishing, etc and/or have an interest in preserving our sailing heritage. I've asked them to get on the forum and support us. I'm sick of waiting and watching. I'm sure we can get a few infuential people to help us. I'm open to ideas and suggestions. WE ALL LOVE ASGARD 2 but M.Scott Peck said in "The Road Less Travelled" LOVE IS AN ACTION NOT A FEELING.

We have to do SOMETHING!

The Sail-training requirements of this country were amply and stylishly fulfilled by Asgard II. We can, at any time, meet those needs through chartered or purchased vessels that would, no doubt be more cost effective. However, what we cannot replace with such vessels is the pride we had in our own home-grown, green, tall ship. Asgard II was more than just a sail training ship - she gave all of us who sailed on her or were associated with her in any way a heart-lifting, confidence-boosting Irishness in difficult times including the loss of our deep-sea fleet through government decisions and neglect. For this reason alone, and not for the sail-training function, Asgard should be lifted with all possible haste. Lets get that campaign off the ground and Asgard off the bottom now!.

I agree with Garboard Strake. This is not about sail training in Ireland. This is about RAISING ASGARD 2. Just imagine the headline in "AFLOAT" magazine and the coup for the magazine....Not just a name, etc etc

ASGARD 2 AFLOAT

Not Only do questions need to asked as to why the department and minister are taking forever to make a decision whether to salvage the Asgard2 or not.

But other serious questions exist, after reading the Artical in the Irish Times, the question of why was the vessel insured for such a low sum of 3.8m, needs to be asked?

Surely its market value should be 2-3 times more. Because of this I fear that the vessel may be left where she is.

The liability of the vessels insurer will be significantly be reduced due to this situation due to market/insured value.

it wouldn't surprise we if the "insured" value of the vessel where not increased for the past 15 years!

Heads up....the news is that the Department does not want the boat lifted....

Here's what we need to do:
1. Afloat.ie to create a forum where persons can register support without logging in.
2. Write the following e-mail or similar to all our contacts:
"Asgard II is in real danger of becoming the next casualty of Official Ireland's long term neglect of all matters maritime. Successive Irish Governments have presided over the demise of our fishing industry, the liquidation of our deep sea merchant fleet and the re-flagging of Irish Ferries. Now it looks like they are going to abandon our beloved sail-training ship on the sea-bed. If you, too, are disgusted by this attitude, please log on to afloat.ie to register your support for the call to raise the Asgard II.
Asgard Ab?!

Garboard, Gra na mara et al. Based on reader comments here and in the printed mag we now intend to open an petition in the next 24 hours to be available online and at the RDS boat show. Hopefully it will contribute as a voice for all those who wants to save the ship and Irish sail training. Lets lift the lady!