Boatbuilder Frank Kowalski of Safehaven Marine Ltd in Youghal, Co Cork, could certainly give the makers of Deadliest Catch a run for their money with his cool videos set to stirring musical scores.
One of his latest is of sea trials on board the Port Láirge, the Port of Waterford’s new pilot boat, in 55-knot winds with swells reaching five metres.
While testing the vessel’s capabilities, Kowalski recounts how “we captured some great aerial drone footage of her punching through the breakers and some fabulous imagery of her offshore in very strong winds, although a drone did bite the dust and went for a swim in the getting of it!”
The Interceptor 48 was delivered to Waterford’s harbourmaster Capt Darren Doyle in mid-November, and he spoke to Wavelengths about the new vessel and how it was commissioned.
The Port Láirge is powered by a pair of Scania D13 500hp engines, has an operational speed of over 25 knots and can carry five pilots and two crew in comfort.
Capt Doyle also talked about other recent developments, including the re-introduction of rail freight between Ballina in Co Mayo and Belview - what transport minister Eamon Ryan describes as a “climate friendly option” which could take hundreds of trucks delivering goods between the west coast and south-east off the road.
And he spoke about the inevitable, but fairly limited, impact of Brexit...
