Displaying items by tag: Brexit Timed

23rd August 2019

Brexit Time: Ferry Route Planned from Scotland to Netherlands

A previous (freight-only) service from Rosyth, Scotland AFLOAT adds to Zeebrugge in Belgium which ended last year was operated by DFDS ro-ro Finlandia Seaways

A shipping company based in Scotland is planning to start a daily ferry service linking Rosyth with the Netherlands.

Operations according to BBC News Scotland, would start around the time that Brexit is scheduled by the Westminster government.

That could make such a route a vital link for freight, if there are delays on crossings further south.

The ferry service would run between the Fife port and Groningen Seaport at Eemshaven, in the far north of the Netherlands near the German border.

News of the service first broke through Dutch news service RTV Noord, and was confirmed by David Kellas, director at TEC Offshore.

Offshore Activities

He explained the Perthshire-based company already has a wide portfolio of offshore activities.

These include drill ships, dive boats, floating oil and gas production vessels and floating accommodation for offshore workers.

He told BBC Scotland: "Eeemshaven is a more central port than people give it credit for".

However, it is not usually used for passenger services, and arrangements for that are still being discussed.

The operation would involve chartering two ships, each carrying up to 2,000 passengers.

Zeebrugge Service

There was a passenger ferry service between Rosyth and Zeebrugge in Belgium between 2002 and 2010. It became a freight-only operation until 2018 as Afloat previously reported.

For more click this link about the North Sea ferry development.

Published in Ferry

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Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.