This was the RV Keary's first INFOMAR survey leg of 2011 and it was also the first time that both vessels have worked in tandem. The mapping of the estuary was from an area just west of the city's Rice Bridge to the open sea at the mouth of Waterford Harbour.

The estuary was mapped before in 2007 using the Marine Institutes larger vessel the RV Celtic Voyager, which covered the harbour approaches from the 10m contour to greater depth offshore. Both RV Keary and RV Geo overlapped their coverage with this previous data, producing a comprehensive and seamless seabed map of the area.

RV Keary is constructed of marine grade aluminium and was custom built in 2008 for the (GSI) by Veecraft Marine of Capetown, South Africa.
The 15m craft with a draft of just 2m is equipped with an extensive range of highly sophisticated technology. She has an open working area at the aft-deck to conduct operations and is licensed to carry up to 12 personnel. For further vessel characteristics click HERE.

The 34-tonne craft made her 7,000 mile delivery voyage from the African continent to Europe. She was firstly transported on the deck of a cargoship to Rotterdam. After unloading at the Dutch port the 22-knot capable craft set off with several calls along the UK south coast to include loading bunkers before finally reaching Dun Laoghaire, from where she entered service in April 2009.

Dublin Port last year had 88 cruisecalls and this number of vessels is to be closely repeated in 2011. One of the calls will be Princess Cruises 3,100 passenger Grand Princess. This was the first cruiseship of over 100,000grt to dock at Dublin which arrived on 31 August 2004 (click for photo on the day) and to read more about the cruiseship industry in Ireland from the IMDO click here.

Outside the capital the following vessels outlined are the first cruiseships to call at other ports in April. The season runs to September, though in recent years occasional calls are still made up to November.

The first cruise-caller at Waterford is Quark Expeditions adventure exploration vessel Ocean Nova. At only 2,118 tonnes the diminutive vessel is only 73m long and equally has the same number of passengers and a crew of 38.

Built in 1992 the polar adventure vessel has an ice-strengthened hull to enable the exploration of the icy waters of Greenland, the Weddell Sea and the Antarctic. A pair of Zodiac craft are provided for shore-landings.

The hosting of the Waterford Tall Ships Race Festival has led to funding of €1.7m from Failte Ireland to upgrade the city-centre's Frank Cassin Wharf. This will allow the large 'A' class tallships to berth and will be a lasting legacy of the festival. The wharf will then be used to berth cruiseships and other marine users. In total the crystal city is to welcome 12 callers to include the Crystal Serenity in July.

Cork is set to welcome 54 cruisecalls to include the return of the Cunard Line's 90,000grt Queen Victoria which made her first call to Cobh last year. The 2007 built vessel has a guest capacity for 2,000. The Cunard flagship Queen Mary is scheduled mid-September.

The deepwater berth at Cobh Cruise Terminal is capable of handling some of the largest cruiseships and which will see the return of the 122,000grt Celebrity Eclipse also in April.

Celebrity Eclipse made her maiden cruise and port of call to Cobh last year following her high profile repatriation voyage from Spain with stranded UK tourists arising from the fallout of the Icelandic volcanic ash-cloud. The 2,850 passenger €500m cruiseship which made an overnight call at Cobh during the May Bank holiday weekend.

From the south to the north at Belfast, the port's first caller on 24 April is the Ocean Nova which makes another appearance on the Irish cruiseship scene.

Belfast Harbour Commissioners have developed the 1km long Stormont Wharf to attract increasingly larger cruiseships to the city. The Ocean Nova's visit will mark over a dozen years since the first cruiseship docked in the northern capital.

In 2011 Belfast is scheduled to accommodate 30 cruise-calls bringing over 50,000 passengers to the city and surrounding environs.

Over 70 of the worlds tall-ships of all shapes and sizes will sail up the River Suir to take up residence on both sides of Waterford's city centre quays, where a major meeting of over 1,500 trainee sailors stretching from far and distant shores are to congregate.

One of the attending Class 'A' fully rigged ships, Christian Radich, which was built in 1937, incidentally provided sail-training opportunities for Irish trainees in an arrangement between her Norwegian owners and Coiste an Asgard. The sail-trainee agreement in 2009 followed the sinking of Coiste an Asgard's brigantine the Asgard II in the previous year. This was to be the last season of the state-owned sail training agency which was axed in the 2009 budget.

Another 'A' lister is the UK flagged Royalist, a brig built by Groves and Gutteridge in Cowes, Isle of Wight to a design by Colin Mudie. The 40 year old brig was named by HRH Princess Anne in 1971 for the Sea Cadet Association. She may be small for an 'A' class at just 28-metres long but the vessel can easily be spotted with her distinctive black and white painted hull.

While one of the oldest vessels to participant is the 87 year-old Brixham built trawler Provident, which along with Leader, are the only 'sailing' survivors of a once numerous traditional North Sea fishing craft. The 95-foot vessel was built at Galmpton on the River Dart. In 1991 there was a major refit of the 85 tonnes craft which has since 1999 worked from Brixham as part of the Trinity Sailing Foundation.

The event which is billed as the largest Irish festival in 2011 also presents young Irish people to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity to set sail onboard a tall-ship. The opportunity is open to those aged 16 or over by June 30 and are fit and active to be a trainee on the inaugural race leg from Waterford to Greenock (departing 3 July). For details click here.

On this date the eagerly awaited 'Parade of Sail' is set to depart the crystal city downriver on the Waterford Estuary and out into the open sea.

Looking for further reading on Tall Ships in Ireland? Click the links below:

Click this link to read all our Tall Ships Stories on one handy page

Previewing Ireland's Tall Ships 2011 Season

Can Ireland Get a New Tall Ship?

Looking ahead to the Waterford show, Bryan Ferry said,' I am delighted to be returning to perform in Ireland following Roxy Music's performance at
Electric Picnic last year'.

Ferry will perform on the festival's main stage at Bolton Street. On the same site of the following night, The Waterboys will be supported by Waterford's O Emperor. While on the 2 July the headline act will be the Sharon Shannon Show with special guests Damien Dempsey and Dessie O'Halloran.

The four-day maritime spectacle which runs to 3 July is set to host over 70 tallships, over 1,500 trainee sailors and an anticipated 500,000 visitors that are to throng the 'Noblest Quays in Europe' with the countdown to the festival edging closer to just 100 days.

Billed as the largest Irish festival event in 2011, the return of the Tall Ships for the second time to Ireland's oldest city, presents young Irish people to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity to set sail onboard a tall-ship.

The opportunity is open to those aged 16 or over by June 30, 2011 and are fit and active to be a trainee on the inaugural race leg from Waterford to Greenock (departing 3 July). For further information click here.

The festival is not just eagerly awaited by fans of all things maritime and musical but with a programme that is also to feature street theatre, culinary and craftwork 'villages' and firework displays.

Renowned street theatre company 'Spraoi' have commissioned almost 20 national and international street performance acts. In addition the award-winning illusionist, Keith Barry will perform another specially-commissioned piece at the launch on the afternoon of 30 June.

On the nautical front, highlights include the 'Crew Parade' on 1 July and ultimately culminating with the 'Parade of Sail' by the international fleet on 3 July. Asides the city quayside on the River Suir the Waterford estuary provides excellent viewing points, some at elevated sites.

Looking for further reading on Tall Ships in Ireland? Click the links below:

Click this link to read all our Tall Ships Stories on one handy page

Previewing Ireland's Tall Ships 2011 Season

Can Ireland Get a New Tall Ship?