Displaying items by tag: Largest ShortSea fleet

5th September 2022

Europe's Largest Short-Sea Operator Wilson Says No Newbuilds on Horizon as It Posts Record Profits

Norwegian based small-bulker shipping giant Wilson ASA of Bergen has turned in a booming second quarter result with its fleet of over 100 owned vessels under 8,500 dwt.

The Oslo-listed owner and operator is keen to use some of the money on fleet renewal in the form of secondhand purchases, but no newbuildings are on the horizon, chief financial officer Stig Vangen.

“Last year was already a very good year and this year we are already almost at the same result level of full-year 2021,” he said to TradeWinds which has more here.

Afloat adds that on an annual basis, Europe's largest short-sea operator, Wilson ASA transport about 15 million tonnes dry cargo throughout the continent and with approximately 10,000 port calls a year.

As a fully integrated shipping company, they handle in house: chartering and operations, ship management, marine accounting, crewing, purchasing, legal and insurance. This involves employing about 2,000 staff employees with a head office in Bergen and branch offices strategically located in Europe.

Their blue-hulled cargoships ranging from 1,500-8,500dwt commonly trade in Irish waters. Among them Wilson Blyth (3,713dwt) which in 2015 made a most unusual call to Dun Laoghaire Harbour to enable a project cargo bound for the Guinness St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin.

The Wilson Blyth which recently sailed to Dublin Port from Rouen, France, has departed the capital's port this afternoon bound for El Ferrol, Spain.

Afloat has also identified another example of their extensive fleet operating in Irish waters, the Cork Wilson (4,450dwt) as pictured above aptly at the ship's namesake port city when berthed at the South Quays nearby to the former R&H Hall silo.

The 1998 built cargoship at just shy of 100m length overall, also features on the front cover of the Wilson quarterly report (download in Norwegian), with the vessel seen on the same occasion during the call to the Port of Cork.

Further research reveals that other Irish Ports form the ship names of the following cargoships; Wilson Dunmore, Wilson Dundalk, Wilson Dublin and Wilson Drogheda respectively. In addition they are all of the 3,000dwt plus category.

Published in Ports & Shipping

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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.