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The Captain and the of Asgard II are highly praised for their professionalism in today's publication of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board's report of the investigation into the loss of the sail training vessel "Asgard II".

The impact assumption and liferaft issue in the report are already issues known about for some time.

The vessel which sank in the Bay of Biscay on 11 September 2008 while on route to La Rochelle, France was carrying 5 crew and 20 trainees.

All on board were evacuated safely from the vessel and transferred to the ships life rafts where they were brought to the island of Bel Ille by the French coastguard.

Minister or Defence, Mr. Tony Killeen commented that while the findings into the cause of the sinking are inconclusive it recognises that the vessel was equipped and maintained in excess of the statutory requirements and that higher safety standards were in place on the ship which were above those required by legislation.

The Minister also noted that the report acknowledges the leadership shown by the ship's Master, Colm Newport and he commended his and the crew's handling of the emergency situation.

The full report is available for download below.

Click this link for all Afloat's coverage of Asgard II's sinking, and the plans to raise, dive and replace her

Raise the Asgard - Afloat's 2008 online petition
Published in Asgard II
This morning's report into the sinking of Asgard II will indicate that collision with an underwater object such as a submerged container was the likely cause of the ship sinking. The final report of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board into the loss of the brigantine sailing ship STV "Asgard II " on 11th September 2008 will be published this morning.

On 10th September 2008 the STV "Asgard II" departed Dournenez, France bound for La Rochelle, France with 5 crew and 20 trainee crew onboard. At approximately 01:00 hrs GMT on 11th September 2008 when off St. Nazaire in the Bay of Biscay water ingress was observed in the Trainee Mess. At 01:05 hrs a Pan Pan message was broadcast. At about 01:15 hrs a Mayday Relay message was received by French Search and Rescue (French SAR) as the water in the Trainee Mess continued rising rapidly. The crew attempted to pump the flood water without success.

The ship was abandoned by liferaft at approximately 01:50 hrs. Two French lifeboats rescued all 25 persons from the liferafts.

During the abandonment the floor of one of the three liferafts launched failed and the persons onboard were successfully transferred to the other liferafts. No loss of life occurred and there were no injuries reported.

Click this link for all Afloat's coverage of Asgard II's sinking, and the plans to raise, dive and replace her

Raise the Asgard - Afloat's 2008 online petition
Published in Asgard II
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) has published its Report of Investigation into the Loss of a Crewmember Overboard from the MFV "Alma Amy" on 17th October 2007. The report found that on Wednesday 17th October 2007 Mr. Marijus Rudakov fell overboard from the MFV "Alma Amy" and drowned in an area off the South East coast of Ireland known as "The Smalls" approximately 50 miles southeast of the Wexford coast. (As shown in Appendix 8.5).
The cause of the death was determined by post mortem examination as being due to cardiorespiratory arrest secondary to drowning. The full report is available for download below.
Published in MCIB
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board has issued a report of Investigation into the loss of a crewmember overboard from the MFV "MDAC" on 15th July 2009. The report says while shooting a string of lobster pots on the morning of 15th July 2009 from the MFV "MDAC" off Fenit, Co. Kerry, Mr. Patrick Egan's leg became caught in a bight of rope and he was pulled over the side. Mr. Denis Williams, the Skipper, stopped the engine and took all way off the vessel. He then hauled Mr. Egan back on board the boat but was unable to resuscitate him. Mr. Egan died due to acute cardio-respiratory failure and drowning. The full MCIB report is available for download below.
Published in MCIB

The Marine Casualty investigation board has issued its Report of Investigation into the grounding and subsequent foundering of an Emerald Star Line Caprice 8, a Charter boat, The boat ran aground on rocks in the vicinity of Mountaineer Rock, off Ryan's Point on Lough Derg, Co. Tipperary last October 9th. The four persons on board were taken off by the Portumna Fire and Rescue RIB and ferried across the lake to Williamstown Harbour. The vessel was noted to have been severely holed. The vessel was pulled off the rocks and subsequently sank while under tow. There were no fatalities and no pollution associated with this incident. A copy of the report can be downloaded below.

Published in MCIB

The Marine Casualty Investigation Board has advised reports into the "Skellig Light II", Claddaghduff and "Ikom K" accidents will be released later today. Check back here for full details as we have them.

Published in MCIB

An investigation into the sinking of the FV "Strath Marie" off Inishowen Head, Co. Donegal on 14th March 2008 has found no direct cause for the loss of both lives. The FV "Strath Marie" left Bunagee Pier, Culdaff, Co. Donegal to lift strings of pots. Crewmembers Mr. Francis McDaid and Mr. Daniel McDaid were on board.

The weather forecast was for south to southwest Force 3 or 4 with good visibility and slight to moderate sea state. The reported weather conditions on the day were better than the forecast. At 17.17 hrs. on 14th of March 2008 a "999" call was made as the "Strath Marie" was overdue.

At 18.13 hrs. on 14th March 2008 the first casualty was recovered from the water and at 20.38 hrs. the second casualty was recovered. Both men were brought to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry where they were later pronounced dead.

Parts of the fishing vessel were later recovered and examined along with other evidence to try and establish the cause of the loss of the FV "Strath Marie". The full report is downloadable below.

 

Published in MCIB

A Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) report into the death of Mr. Alain Adler after the six metre boat in he which he travelling capsized from a pier in West Cork in 2008 has found there was no single cause for this casualty. It was the accumulation of several poor decisions which resulted in the capsize of the vessel and related fatality. The post mortem found that Mr. Alder died as a result of acute cardio-respiratory failure and drowning associated with hypothermia.

In the early hours of 5th December 2008, ten people set off from Colla Pier near Schull, Co. Cork in an open boat (with sealed deck) powered by a 30 HP outboard engine to spend the weekend on Coney Island, which lies about one kilometre off the coast of Cork, in the south west of Ireland.

Shortly afterwards the boat capsized resulting in the death of Mr. Alain Adler.  The post mortem found that Mr. Adler died as a result of acute cardio-respiratory failure and drowning associated with hypothermia.

The report also concludes that although several members of the group were familiar with boats and the dangers of the sea, none wore the lifejackets/PFD's provided.

The full MCIB report is downloadable below.mcib

Published in MCIB
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Dun Laoghaire Harbour Information

Dun Laoghaire Harbour is the second port for Dublin and is located on the south shore of Dublin Bay. Marine uses for this 200-year-old man-made harbour have changed over its lifetime. Originally built as a port of refuge for sailing ships entering the narrow channel at Dublin Port, the harbour has had a continuous ferry link with Wales, and this was the principal activity of the harbour until the service stopped in 2015. In all this time, however, one thing has remained constant, and that is the popularity of sailing and boating from the port, making it Ireland's marine leisure capital with a harbour fleet of between 1,200 -1,600 pleasure craft based at the country's largest marina (800 berths) and its four waterfront yacht clubs.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Bye-Laws

Download the bye-laws on this link here

FAQs

A live stream Dublin Bay webcam showing Dun Laoghaire Harbour entrance and East Pier is here

Dun Laoghaire is a Dublin suburb situated on the south side of Dublin Bay, approximately, 15km from Dublin city centre.

The east and west piers of the harbour are each of 1 kilometre (0.62 miles) long.

The harbour entrance is 232 metres (761 ft) across from East to West Pier.

  • Public Boatyard
  • Public slipway
  • Public Marina

23 clubs, 14 activity providers and eight state-related organisations operate from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that facilitates a full range of sports - Sailing, Rowing, Diving, Windsurfing, Angling, Canoeing, Swimming, Triathlon, Powerboating, Kayaking and Paddleboarding. Participants include members of the public, club members, tourists, disabled, disadvantaged, event competitors, schools, youth groups and college students.

  • Commissioners of Irish Lights
  • Dun Laoghaire Marina
  • MGM Boats & Boatyard
  • Coastguard
  • Naval Service Reserve
  • Royal National Lifeboat Institution
  • Marine Activity Centre
  • Rowing clubs
  • Yachting and Sailing Clubs
  • Sailing Schools
  • Irish Olympic Sailing Team
  • Chandlery & Boat Supply Stores

The east and west granite-built piers of Dun Laoghaire harbour are each of one kilometre (0.62 mi) long and enclose an area of 250 acres (1.0 km2) with the harbour entrance being 232 metres (761 ft) in width.

In 2018, the ownership of the great granite was transferred in its entirety to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council who now operate and manage the harbour. Prior to that, the harbour was operated by The Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company, a state company, dissolved in 2018 under the Ports Act.

  • 1817 - Construction of the East Pier to a design by John Rennie began in 1817 with Earl Whitworth Lord Lieutenant of Ireland laying the first stone.
  • 1820 - Rennie had concerns a single pier would be subject to silting, and by 1820 gained support for the construction of the West pier to begin shortly afterwards. When King George IV left Ireland from the harbour in 1820, Dunleary was renamed Kingstown, a name that was to remain in use for nearly 100 years. The harbour was named the Royal Harbour of George the Fourth which seems not to have remained for so long.
  • 1824 - saw over 3,000 boats shelter in the partially completed harbour, but it also saw the beginning of operations off the North Wall which alleviated many of the issues ships were having accessing Dublin Port.
  • 1826 - Kingstown harbour gained the important mail packet service which at the time was under the stewardship of the Admiralty with a wharf completed on the East Pier in the following year. The service was transferred from Howth whose harbour had suffered from silting and the need for frequent dredging.
  • 1831 - Royal Irish Yacht Club founded
  • 1837 - saw the creation of Victoria Wharf, since renamed St. Michael's Wharf with the D&KR extended and a new terminus created convenient to the wharf.[8] The extended line had cut a chord across the old harbour with the landward pool so created later filled in.
  • 1838 - Royal St George Yacht Club founded
  • 1842 - By this time the largest man-made harbour in Western Europe had been completed with the construction of the East Pier lighthouse.
  • 1855 - The harbour was further enhanced by the completion of Traders Wharf in 1855 and Carlisle Pier in 1856. The mid-1850s also saw the completion of the West Pier lighthouse. The railway was connected to Bray in 1856
  • 1871 - National Yacht Club founded
  • 1884 - Dublin Bay Sailing Club founded
  • 1918 - The Mailboat, “The RMS Leinster” sailed out of Dún Laoghaire with 685 people on board. 22 were post office workers sorting the mail; 70 were crew and the vast majority of the passengers were soldiers returning to the battlefields of World War I. The ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat near the Kish lighthouse killing many of those onboard.
  • 1920 - Kingstown reverted to the name Dún Laoghaire in 1920 and in 1924 the harbour was officially renamed "Dun Laoghaire Harbour"
  • 1944 - a diaphone fog signal was installed at the East Pier
  • 1965 - Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club founded
  • 1968 - The East Pier lighthouse station switched from vapourised paraffin to electricity, and became unmanned. The new candle-power was 226,000
  • 1977- A flying boat landed in Dun Laoghaire Harbour, one of the most unusual visitors
  • 1978 - Irish National Sailing School founded
  • 1934 - saw the Dublin and Kingstown Railway begin operations from their terminus at Westland Row to a terminus at the West Pier which began at the old harbour
  • 2001 - Dun Laoghaire Marina opens with 500 berths
  • 2015 - Ferry services cease bringing to an end a 200-year continuous link with Wales.
  • 2017- Bicentenary celebrations and time capsule laid.
  • 2018 - Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company dissolved, the harbour is transferred into the hands of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council

From East pier to West Pier the waterfront clubs are:

  • National Yacht Club. Read latest NYC news here
  • Royal St. George Yacht Club. Read latest RSTGYC news here
  • Royal Irish Yacht Club. Read latest RIYC news here
  • Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club. Read latest DMYC news here

 

The umbrella organisation that organises weekly racing in summer and winter on Dublin Bay for all the yacht clubs is Dublin Bay Sailing Club. It has no clubhouse of its own but operates through the clubs with two x Committee vessels and a starters hut on the West Pier. Read the latest DBSC news here.

The sailing community is a key stakeholder in Dún Laoghaire. The clubs attract many visitors from home and abroad and attract major international sailing events to the harbour.

 

Dun Laoghaire Regatta

Dun Laoghaire's biennial town regatta was started in 2005 as a joint cooperation by the town's major yacht clubs. It was an immediate success and is now in its eighth edition and has become Ireland's biggest sailing event. The combined club's regatta is held in the first week of July.

  • Attracts 500 boats and more from overseas and around the country
  • Four-day championship involving 2,500 sailors with supporting family and friends
  • Economic study carried out by the Irish Marine Federation estimated the economic value of the 2009 Regatta at €2.5 million

The dates for the 2021 edition of Ireland's biggest sailing event on Dublin Bay is: 8-11 July 2021. More details here

Dun Laoghaire-Dingle Offshore Race

The biennial Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race is a 320-miles race down the East coast of Ireland, across the south coast and into Dingle harbour in County Kerry. The latest news on the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race can be found by clicking on the link here. The race is organised by the National Yacht Club.

The 2021 Race will start from the National Yacht Club on Wednesday 9th, June 2021.

Round Ireland Yacht Race

This is a Wicklow Sailing Club race but in 2013 the Garden County Club made an arrangement that sees see entries berthed at the RIYC in Dun Laoghaire Harbour for scrutineering prior to the biennial 704–mile race start off Wicklow harbour. Larger boats have been unable to berth in the confines of Wicklow harbour, a factor WSC believes has restricted the growth of the Round Ireland fleet. 'It means we can now encourage larger boats that have shown an interest in competing but we have been unable to cater for in Wicklow' harbour, WSC Commodore Peter Shearer told Afloat.ie here. The race also holds a pre-ace launch party at the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

Laser Masters World Championship 2018

  • 301 boats from 25 nations

Laser Radial World Championship 2016

  • 436 competitors from 48 nations

ISAF Youth Worlds 2012

  • The Youth Olympics of Sailing run on behalf of World Sailing in 2012.
  • Two-week event attracting 61 nations, 255 boats, 450 volunteers.
  • Generated 9,000 bed nights and valued at €9 million to the local economy.

The Harbour Police are authorised by the company to police the harbour and to enforce and implement bye-laws within the harbour, and all regulations made by the company in relation to the harbour.

There are four ship/ferry berths in Dun Laoghaire:

  • No 1 berth (East Pier)
  • No 2 berth (east side of Carlisle Pier)
  • No 3 berth (west side of Carlisle Pier)
  • No 4 berth  (St, Michaels Wharf)

Berthing facilities for smaller craft exist in the town's 800-berth marina and on swinging moorings.

© Afloat 2020