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Displaying items by tag: BJ Marine

Irish Beneteau agents BJ Marine has announced the launch of its Grand Trawler 62.

The Trawler 62 builds on the already established and market-leading range of Swift Trawlers, with boats from 30ft-50ft.

The new Grand Trawler 62 offers incredible interior living space with either 3 or 4 cabin configurations, finished and detailed to a remarkably luxurious standard. She has the ability to do true long-distance cruising, with a range of 900 nautical miles. Ideal for exploring the Irish coast or enjoying the best of what the Mediterranean has to offer.

2020 has again seen the continued popularity Beneteau's Swift Trawler range in Irish waters. BJ Marine handed over the first Swift Trawler 47 sold in the UK/Ireland in August and also had a new Swift Trawler 44 arrive in Greystones.

New Beneteau Swift Trawler 47 and Beneteau Swift Trawler 44 in IrelandBJ Marine handed over the first Swift Trawler 47 sold in the UK/Ireland in August and also had a new Swift Trawler 44 arrive in Greystones Marina

This builds on an existing fleet for the ’30s, '34s, '35s, '42s and 44s in Ireland. The Swift Trawlers have always been designed for owners to spend extended periods on board and The Grand Trawler 62 takes that to another level, becoming the flagship of the Beneteau powerboat offering.

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Irish Beneteau agents BJ Marine are the people to see for spare and replacements parts ahead of the next week’s limited return to boating.

Whether it’s a replacement canvas, a cutlass bearing, a stanchion or just a locker catch — whatever it is, get in touch with [email protected] for pricing and availability and they will do the rest.

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It’ll pay to act fast on this new cruising-spec Beneteau Oceanis 51.1 ready for delivery in June from BJ Marine.

The popular Oceanis 51.1 is sold out until later this year so this may be the last chance for a while to get your hands on a next-generation cruising yacht with three cabins (2 has) finished with Alpi brushed oak.

Other features include electric genoa winches, mainsail arch, thruster, coastal and offshore electronic packs, wood decks and much more besides.

The ticket price is €399,000 but trade-in is possible if you’re looking for a luxury upgrade to make the most of summer — once coronavirus restrictions allow.

For further details contact James Kirwan at BJ Marine at [email protected] or call +353877712223.

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French boatbuilder Beneteau has restarted production at three of its sites as it announced half-year earnings that showed a 4.7% rise in consolidated revenues by the end of February.

International Boat Industry reports that this was thanks to sustained business in both its boat and housing divisions — though it represents a period before the impact of coronavirus on the economy worldwide.

In response to the current crisis, Beneteau’s CEO has taken a salary reduction and a new strategic plan will follow in July to reflect significant changes in global markets.

Beneteau’s Irish agents are BJ Marine, who recently delivered a new Beneteau 27 sports cruiser — the first in the UK and Ireland — to an Irish Sea customer in Cardiff.

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The first Beneteau 27 in the UK and Ireland was delivered by BJ Marine to a new Irish Sea customer last week. As regular Afloat readers will recall, the deal on the new design was done at January's Boot Dusseldorf boat show by BJ's Cardiff brokerage office. 

The First 27 is a small towable sports cruiser packed with potential. She is certified in the CE B category (Offshore) and ISAF OSR Category 3 and is designed for offshore racing by naval architect Sam Manuard, taking inspiration from his own racing experience.

Featuring a hard chine as far as the stem, vertical sides, a good beam on the waterline and twin rudders, she has all the makings of a robust competitive boat. Her hull shape, carbon rig, and deep draught lead keel combine to make here remarkably stable. With her keel taking up 50% of her weight, she is a powerful little yacht. A manually operated hydraulic jack lifts the keel making the First 27 is easy to tow. 

The First 27 is also pitched as a boat that is ideal for a few days cruising with a crew of four. The fore cabin has a large double berth while two berths sliding below the cockpit double the length of the saloon seats. The style of the interior is simple yet boldly contemporary, featuring many clever details that everyone will love: folding doors held by magnets, shelves that double up as bags to embark/disembark everyone’s personal effects, a large table on keel casing leg, and the companionway steps housing storage with a bottom compartment the perfect size for a fridge.

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Immediately following last month's Dusseldorf Boat Show, French giant boatbuilder Beneteau has been swift to maket two important launches both particularly relevant for the Irish sailing market writes James Kirwan of Irish agents BJ Marine.

We had a successful outing at the German show with this year’s boat of the year winner in the Family Cruiser category being the Beneteau Oceanis 30.1, one of the stars of last autumn’s Southampton International Boat Show and the Beneteau stand at boot Düsseldorf alike. 

Now, in February, the news of these two Oceanis models is another boost for the brand.

Oceanis 40.1

Oceanis40.1Oceanis40.1 - taller rig option as well as the usual in-mast furling or traditional mainsail with lazy bag

The Oceanis 40.1 replaces the Oceanis 41.1 which BJ Marine sold in great numbers both at home and overseas. The 40.1 offers 3 excellent cabins, made possible by the max beam carried all the way aft, giving two huge aft cabins and providing a massive cockpit on deck. As ever, the Oceanis 40.1 will offer excellent sailing performance in whichever configuration the client wants, noting we offer a taller rig option as well as the usual in-mast furling or traditional mainsail with lazy bag. With a self-tacking jib too, we can really customise the boat for every client. The boat will also come with a choice of the wood interior which can really personalize your boat.

Oceanis Yacht 54

Oceanis Yacht 54Oceanis Yacht 54 - redesign of the cockpit will set her apart, offering great comfort and making handling the 54 very manageable

The new Oceanis Yacht 54, is very much the little sister of the multi-award-winning Oceanis Yacht 62. Finished to an incredibly high standard, the 62 and now the 54, offers something completely different to the market. The level of detailing in the interior, with endless options, ensures that the owner will have a boat exactly as they want it. The redesign of the cockpit will set her apart, offering great comfort and making handling the 54 very manageable for all those that step aboard. Again, with the different rig and keel options, Beneteau really are staying true to their values of designing and building an excellent sailing boat first and foremost and then building the interior and luxuries around that principle.

I will be sailing both boats at the end of April, with clients already booked for sea trials at our sea trial base in Port Ginesta near Barcelona, and we will report back in full to Afloat.ie

The full Beneteau press release on the new models is downloadable below

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BJ Marine is looking to recruit a yacht broker for our busy sales office at Greystones Harbour Marina, just south of Dublin.

BJ Marine has a strong network of offices throughout Ireland, the UK and the Mediterranean, representing market-leading brands such as Beneteau (Sail + Power), Sea Ray and Fountaine Pajot.

The successful applicant will be an 'energetic and motivated candidate' with a strong interest in boats and the marine industry. Computer skills are essential.

Brief description of requirements:

  • Answering sales enquiries for new and used boats.
  • Managing leads and prospects and to seek out new leads.
  • Seek out and secure new brokerage listings.
  • Participation in National and International Sales events.
  • Communicate with fellow employees to generate sales across all markets
  • Report to management on activity progress.

Location: Greystones Harbour Marina, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Salary/Rate: €TBD & Commission

To apply, please send a CV to James Kirwan, BJ Marine Group Manager, at [email protected]

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French giant Beneteau has announced the launch of two passage-making yachts at Boot Dusseldorf this week.

The aim, according to James Kirwan of Irish agents BJ Marine, is to capitalise on the success of its Swift Trawler range, and the new yachts to be known and coded as 'Project E' to highlight they are built for: Exceptional cruises, long-distance blue water Expeditions, and unforgettable Experiences in Extra-voluminous
spaces.

These two yachts, one of which is over 20 metres (over 65’) long, are the result of Beneteau’s collaboration with Massimo Gino (Nauta Design) and Amedeo Migali (MICAD) and build on the highly successful Trawler range of practical, spacious boats, with a considerable cruising range, and put Groupe Bénéteau’s experience in producing luxury boats to good use.

The new boats have a distinctive displacement hull, developed by MICAD with the aim of improving their cruising range and efficiency, making it easier for owners to cast off on long-distance cruises.

A satin wax finished wood, leather and elegant textiles make for a stylish interior and exterior, carefully designed by the experts at Nauta Design.

Strikingly spacious inside, with volumes similar to much bigger yachts, and ingeniously designed, these large passagemakers also have enough space to comfortably house a crew.

The first model is 18.95 metres long (62’) and has a hull beam of over 5 metres (16’5”). Designed for 6 to 8 people on board (+ crew), the boat has an impressive flybridge – one of the biggest on the market. The interior spaces are spacious and well-appointed. The galley can be completely enclosed. The VIP guest cabin in the bow has
a considerable amount of headroom so that you feel like you are in a hotel suite. Comfortable and seaworthy, with a cruising range of 900 nautical miles and a central raised helm station, she is ideal for slow cruises, favouring introspection as much as getting away from it all or leisure activities.

The second model is 22.28 metres long (73’1’’) designed for 8 people and 4 crew. With space inside similar to an 85-foot boat, a little patience will be needed to see every detail of the second model. Careful attention has been paid to the low of movement on board, to make crew circulation easier. A raised pilothouse is located midships, cleverly positioned between the main deck and the flybridge and accessed by a dedicated stairway.

Built for long-distance blue water expeditions, these code-name “PROJECT E” yachts can be seen this weekend at BOOT Düsseldorf before they are officially launched in 2021.

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The upcoming launch of the new 59 sailing catamaran represents a massive development in the continued growth of Fountaine Pajot.

'The 59 model will stay true to the FP DNA of delivering a catamaran with true sailing performance, that also delivers market-leading comfort and spaciousness through a brilliantly thought-out interior design', says James Kirwan of Irish agents, BJ Marine.

BJ Marine has a team at Dusseldorf for the duration of the show for anyone looking to explore the Astrea 42 on display, or to discuss any of the Sailing Catamarans or Motor Yachts available from Fountaine Pajot.

For time aboard, call James Kirwan on +353877712223 or email [email protected]

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Greystones Harbour and Irish Sea dealer BJ Marine is showcasing an extensive range of sailing yachts at the 2020 boot Düsseldorf Boat Show (18th – 26th Jan). Potential owners will be able to explore the award-winning Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 (2019 European Yacht of the Year Winner in the “Best Yacht” category) as well as the award-nominated Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 (2020 European Yacht of the Year in “Family Cruiser” category).

Making her show debut the Beneteau First 53 (2020 European Yacht of the Year nominee in the “Performance Cruiser” category) is a must for anyone wanting to experience high-performance cruising.

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Irish Fishing industry 

The Irish Commercial Fishing Industry employs around 11,000 people in fishing, processing and ancillary services such as sales and marketing. The industry is worth about €1.22 billion annually to the Irish economy. Irish fisheries products are exported all over the world as far as Africa, Japan and China.

FAQs

Over 16,000 people are employed directly or indirectly around the coast, working on over 2,000 registered fishing vessels, in over 160 seafood processing businesses and in 278 aquaculture production units, according to the State's sea fisheries development body Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).

All activities that are concerned with growing, catching, processing or transporting fish are part of the commercial fishing industry, the development of which is overseen by BIM. Recreational fishing, as in angling at sea or inland, is the responsibility of Inland Fisheries Ireland.

The Irish fishing industry is valued at 1.22 billion euro in gross domestic product (GDP), according to 2019 figures issued by BIM. Only 179 of Ireland's 2,000 vessels are over 18 metres in length. Where does Irish commercially caught fish come from? Irish fish and shellfish is caught or cultivated within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but Irish fishing grounds are part of the common EU "blue" pond. Commercial fishing is regulated under the terms of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), initiated in 1983 and with ten-yearly reviews.

The total value of seafood landed into Irish ports was 424 million euro in 2019, according to BIM. High value landings identified in 2019 were haddock, hake, monkfish and megrim. Irish vessels also land into foreign ports, while non-Irish vessels land into Irish ports, principally Castletownbere, Co Cork, and Killybegs, Co Donegal.

There are a number of different methods for catching fish, with technological advances meaning skippers have detailed real time information at their disposal. Fisheries are classified as inshore, midwater, pelagic or deep water. Inshore targets species close to shore and in depths of up to 200 metres, and may include trawling and gillnetting and long-lining. Trawling is regarded as "active", while "passive" or less environmentally harmful fishing methods include use of gill nets, long lines, traps and pots. Pelagic fisheries focus on species which swim close to the surface and up to depths of 200 metres, including migratory mackerel, and tuna, and methods for catching include pair trawling, purse seining, trolling and longlining. Midwater fisheries target species at depths of around 200 metres, using trawling, longlining and jigging. Deepwater fisheries mainly use trawling for species which are found at depths of over 600 metres.

There are several segments for different catching methods in the registered Irish fleet – the largest segment being polyvalent or multi-purpose vessels using several types of gear which may be active and passive. The polyvalent segment ranges from small inshore vessels engaged in netting and potting to medium and larger vessels targeting whitefish, pelagic (herring, mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting) species and bivalve molluscs. The refrigerated seawater (RSW) pelagic segment is engaged mainly in fishing for herring, mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting only. The beam trawling segment focuses on flatfish such as sole and plaice. The aquaculture segment is exclusively for managing, developing and servicing fish farming areas and can collect spat from wild mussel stocks.

The top 20 species landed by value in 2019 were mackerel (78 million euro); Dublin Bay prawn (59 million euro); horse mackerel (17 million euro); monkfish (17 million euro); brown crab (16 million euro); hake (11 million euro); blue whiting (10 million euro); megrim (10 million euro); haddock (9 million euro); tuna (7 million euro); scallop (6 million euro); whelk (5 million euro); whiting (4 million euro); sprat (3 million euro); herring (3 million euro); lobster (2 million euro); turbot (2 million euro); cod (2 million euro); boarfish (2 million euro).

Ireland has approximately 220 million acres of marine territory, rich in marine biodiversity. A marine biodiversity scheme under Ireland's operational programme, which is co-funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Government, aims to reduce the impact of fisheries and aquaculture on the marine environment, including avoidance and reduction of unwanted catch.

EU fisheries ministers hold an annual pre-Christmas council in Brussels to decide on total allowable catches and quotas for the following year. This is based on advice from scientific bodies such as the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. In Ireland's case, the State's Marine Institute publishes an annual "stock book" which provides the most up to date stock status and scientific advice on over 60 fish stocks exploited by the Irish fleet. Total allowable catches are supplemented by various technical measures to control effort, such as the size of net mesh for various species.

The west Cork harbour of Castletownbere is Ireland's biggest whitefish port. Killybegs, Co Donegal is the most important port for pelagic (herring, mackerel, blue whiting) landings. Fish are also landed into Dingle, Co Kerry, Rossaveal, Co Galway, Howth, Co Dublin and Dunmore East, Co Waterford, Union Hall, Co Cork, Greencastle, Co Donegal, and Clogherhead, Co Louth. The busiest Northern Irish ports are Portavogie, Ardglass and Kilkeel, Co Down.

Yes, EU quotas are allocated to other fleets within the Irish EEZ, and Ireland has long been a transhipment point for fish caught by the Spanish whitefish fleet in particular. Dingle, Co Kerry has seen an increase in foreign landings, as has Castletownbere. The west Cork port recorded foreign landings of 36 million euro or 48 per cent in 2019, and has long been nicknamed the "peseta" port, due to the presence of Spanish-owned transhipment plant, Eiranova, on Dinish island.

Most fish and shellfish caught or cultivated in Irish waters is for the export market, and this was hit hard from the early stages of this year's Covid-19 pandemic. The EU, Asia and Britain are the main export markets, while the middle Eastern market is also developing and the African market has seen a fall in value and volume, according to figures for 2019 issued by BIM.

Fish was once a penitential food, eaten for religious reasons every Friday. BIM has worked hard over several decades to develop its appeal. Ireland is not like Spain – our land is too good to transform us into a nation of fish eaters, but the obvious health benefits are seeing a growth in demand. Seafood retail sales rose by one per cent in 2019 to 300 million euro. Salmon and cod remain the most popular species, while BIM reports an increase in sales of haddock, trout and the pangasius or freshwater catfish which is cultivated primarily in Vietnam and Cambodia and imported by supermarkets here.

The EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), initiated in 1983, pooled marine resources – with Ireland having some of the richest grounds and one of the largest sea areas at the time, but only receiving four per cent of allocated catch by a quota system. A system known as the "Hague Preferences" did recognise the need to safeguard the particular needs of regions where local populations are especially dependent on fisheries and related activities. The State's Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, based in Clonakilty, Co Cork, works with the Naval Service on administering the EU CFP. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and Department of Transport regulate licensing and training requirements, while the Marine Survey Office is responsible for the implementation of all national and international legislation in relation to safety of shipping and the prevention of pollution.

Yes, a range of certificates of competency are required for skippers and crew. Training is the remit of BIM, which runs two national fisheries colleges at Greencastle, Co Donegal and Castletownbere, Co Cork. There have been calls for the colleges to be incorporated into the third-level structure of education, with qualifications recognised as such.

Safety is always an issue, in spite of technological improvements, as fishing is a hazardous occupation and climate change is having its impact on the severity of storms at sea. Fishing skippers and crews are required to hold a number of certificates of competency, including safety and navigation, and wearing of personal flotation devices is a legal requirement. Accidents come under the remit of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board, and the Health and Safety Authority. The MCIB does not find fault or blame, but will make recommendations to the Minister for Transport to avoid a recurrence of incidents.

Fish are part of a marine ecosystem and an integral part of the marine food web. Changing climate is having a negative impact on the health of the oceans, and there have been more frequent reports of warmer water species being caught further and further north in Irish waters.

Brexit, Covid 19, EU policies and safety – Britain is a key market for Irish seafood, and 38 per cent of the Irish catch is taken from the waters around its coast. Ireland's top two species – mackerel and prawns - are 60 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively, dependent on British waters. Also, there are serious fears within the Irish industry about the impact of EU vessels, should they be expelled from British waters, opting to focus even more efforts on Ireland's rich marine resource. Covid-19 has forced closure of international seafood markets, with high value fish sold to restaurants taking a large hit. A temporary tie-up support scheme for whitefish vessels introduced for the summer of 2020 was condemned by industry organisations as "designed to fail".

Sources: Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Marine Institute, Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, Department of Transport © Afloat 2020