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Displaying items by tag: pontoon

The Grand Canal Marina in the inner dock of the Grand Canal Basin has a landmark 'Box in the Docks' building familiar to many Dubliners. The 50-berth facility opened in 2004 and has become an asset for boaters in the city centre especially during festivals such as the recent Tall Ships visits, permitting boating access and overnight stays (albeit via a sealock) in Dublin city.

Published in Irish Marinas

The pontoon jetty at Ballast Quay in Sligo is designed to be used primarily for day trips or shortterm stays in the City. The facility is made available for use by owners and authorised crew of leisure craft owned, managed and operated by Sligo County Council (SCC).

The pontoon is available to all local and visiting leisure craft and also available for long-term berthing either with or without crew.

The pontoon will also be available on a limited basis to sailing clubs wishing to host events during the sailing season. 

Access to the Jetty area and to the pontoon is controlled by security coded locks, which (in the interests of security) are changed on a regular basis.

A pdf download of the Sligo County Council rules for the jetty is downloadable as a pdf document below

sligopontoon2012

The boating pontoon at Ballast Quay in Sligo. Photo: WM Nixon

Published in Irish Marinas
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The Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire harbour offers fully serviced berthing for yachts up to 70ft with pontoons automatically lit and are equipped with shore power.  Nightly rates are available. A security card service for visitors gives access to the Yacht Club.

Arthurstown Pier is at Waterford Harbour’s eastern shore, seven miles north of Hook Head lighthouse. It  is directly east of Passage East. The small quay has a stone bottom. In 2010, following the provision of €56,250 to improve boat access on piers along the Hook Peninsula such as Ballyhack, Slade and Arthurstown Wexford County Council installed a small pontoon facility to encourage leisure boating in the area. As well as local boaters the faciility is also proving popular with local fishermen.

Published in Irish Marinas

After first hatching its harbour plan over five years ago, National Tourism Award winning village Portmagee in County Kerry now looks certain to see a new pontoon finally installed at Portmagee pier in 2013. It will be a further boost for a Kerry already popular with visiting yachts and boats.

The idea is to link the network of facilities that terminate in West Cork with new facilities in County Kerry and Portmagee will be an important link in this process.

The plans are that both local Skellig Rock tourism boat operators and up to 20 visiting yachts at any one time can use the new village pontoon once it is installed.

The facility is being developed through a local community initiative with funding from Kerry County Council and Failte Ireland.

Published in Irish Marinas

Duncannon Pier Pontoon is at Waterford Harbour’s eastern shore, six miles north of Hook Head lighthouse.  It is  a small fishing port where you may come alongside the commercial wall.  In 2010, following the provision of €56,250 to improve boat access on piers along the Hook Peninsula such as Ballyhack, Slade and Arthurstown Wexford County Council installed a small pontoon facility to encourage leisure boating in the area. As well as local boaters the faciility is also proving popular with local fishermen.

Published in Irish Marinas
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Boating facilities at the Dromquinna Manor resort in Kerry include pontoon berths offering the boating enthusiast a wonderful base to enjoy the south-west coast. The current facility comprises a long jetty in the Kenmare river.

Published in Irish Marinas

Dun Laoghaire's National Yacht Club has a small pontoon facility with limited berthing for visiting yachts. The facility also has diesel, water, power and overnight facilities are available to cruising yachtsmen with shopping facilities being a short walk away

The club's pontoon is primarily used by its members for the short term securing of dry sailec boats prior to and after racing. 

Boats dry-sailing from the platform and Club launches/RiB's have priority on the inside pontoons.

There is also a marked area for launches onto which no other vessel should berth.

Fuelling alongside may be arranged at non-racing times.

Boats may not remain overnight without the approval of the Club Boatman, unless arriving after service hours. The rate for berths are available from the club directly.

 

 

 

Foynes Yacht Club has a small pontoon facility at its base on the Shannon Estuary in County Limerick. The pontoon accommodates approximately eight visiting boats, four club boats, plus club rescue boats and  up to 12 dinghies.

The club is located at Cooleen Point, Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland. Tel: +353 69 65261 Location: Latitude: 52°36"54' N  Longitude: 09°06"484' W

Published in Irish Marinas
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Ireland & La Solitaire du Figaro

The Solitaire du Figaro, was originally called the course de l’Aurore until 1980, was created in 1970 by Jean-Louis Guillemard and Jean-Michel Barrault.

Half a decade later, the race has created some of France's top offshore sailors, and it celebrated its 50th anniversary with a new boat equipped with foils and almost 50 skippers Including novices, aficionados and six former winners.

The solo multi-stage offshore sailing race is one of the most cherished races in French sailing and one that has had Irish interest stretching back over 20 years due to the number of Irish stopovers, usually the only foreign leg of the French race.

What Irish ports have hosted The Solitaire du Figaro?

The race has previously called to Ireland to the following ports; Dingle, Kinsale, Crosshaven, Howth and Dun Laoghaire.

What Irish sailors have raced The Solitaire du Figaro?

So far there have been seven Irish skippers to participate in La Solitaire du Figaro. 

In 1997, County Kerry's Damian Foxall first tackled the Figaro from Ireland. His win in the Rookie division in DHL gave him the budget to compete again the following year with Barlo Plastics where he won the final leg of the race from Gijon to Concarneau. That same year a second Irish sailor Marcus Hutchinson sailing Bergamotte completed the course in 26th place and third Rookie.

In 2000, Hutchinson of Howth Yacht Club completed the course again with IMPACT, again finishing in the twenties.

In 2006, Paul O’Riain became the third Irish skipper to complete the course.

In 2013, Royal Cork's David Kenefick raised the bar by becoming a top rookie sailor in the race. 

In 2018, for the first time, Ireland had two Irish boats in the offshore race thanks to Tom Dolan and Joan Mulloy who joined the rookie ranks and kept the Irish tricolour flying high in France. Mulloy became the first Irish female to take on the race.

Tom Dolan in Smurfit Kappa competed for his third year in 2020 after a 25th place finish in 2019. Dolan sailed a remarkably consistent series in 2020 and took fifth overall, the best finish by a non-French skipper since 1997 when Switzerland’s Dominique Wavre finished runner up. Dolan wins the VIVI Trophy.

Dolan finished 10th on the first stage, 11th on the second and seventh into Saint Nazaire at the end of the third stage. Stage four was abandoned due to lack of wind. 

Also in 2020, Dun Laoghaire’s Kenneth Rumball became the eleventh Irish sailor to sail the Figaro.

At A Glance – Figaro Race

  • It starts in June or July from a French port.
  • The race is split into four stages varying from year to year, from the length of the French coast and making up a total of around 1,500 to 2,000 nautical miles (1,700 to 2,300 mi; 2,800 to 3,700 km) on average.
  • Over the years the race has lasted between 10 and 13 days at sea.
  • The competitor is alone in the boat, participation is mixed.
  • Since 1990, all boats are of one design.

2023 La Solitaire du Figaro Course

Stage #1 Caen – Kinsale : 610 nautical miles
Departure August 27 (expected arrival August 30)

Stage #2 Kinsale – Baie de Morlaix : 630 nautical miles
Departure September 3 (expected arrival September 6)

Stage #3 Baie de Morlaix – Piriac-sur-Mer : 620 nautical miles
Departure September 10 (expected arrival September 13)

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