The good news for West Cork boaters is that the €200,000 pontoons procured for Cape Clear island's North Harbour will be installed this Summer. And as our photo taken this week shows there's little doubt that they will be put to immediate use.

Under the 2017 fishery harbour and coastal infrastructure capital programme, Junior Minister Andrew Doyle told the Dail Harbour's debate in June he had allocated €720,000 for maintenance and development works at the Island's North Harbour. 'The 2017 programme provides €200,000 for pontoons at Cape Clear and €250,000 for the design, preparation of contract documents and planning for additional repair work to Duffy's Pier' he said.

After storm damage wrecked the coastal infrastructure there, construction work has been underway at Cape Clear island since 2014. As Afloat previously reported in March that year, the works have involved the construction of a slipway; replacement of the Bull's Nose structure incorporating a storm gate and an extension to the end of Duffy's Pier; excavation, dredging and reclamation works including the construction of an armoured embankment at the seaward side of the new Bull's Nose structure.

It is expected the Duffy’s Pier preparatory work will also be completed in 2017. However, further work will be subject to permission and funding in future years.

#dublinport – Dublin Port Company have installed new permanent pontoons on the River Liffey at North Wall Quay (beside the O2). Dublin Port Company, Sail Training Ireland and the Irish Sailing Association have linked up with the Cruising Association of Ireland's yearly Liffey Cruise to create the Dublin Port Parade of Sail on Dublin Bay on the weekend of 27 & 28 September 2014.

The Cruising Flotilla coincides with Dublin Port Vintage Car Rally, 27th - 28th of September. The boating community isinvited to take part in a flotilla to officially open these pontoons, which are now available for use by vessels wishing to visit the Capital city.

More information on the cruise HERE.

A core Dublin Port aim of the cruise is to protect and develop Dublin's heritage as a port and maritime city. By partnering with the Cruising Association of Ireland and the Irish Sailing Association in this initiative it is hoped to further increase the level of boating activity on the River Liffey and to highlight the availability of the new North Wall Quay pontoons for visiting vessels.

Cruising Flotilla Itinerary
All boats gather in Dublin Bay Saturday 27th September 
Parade of Sail up the River Liffey for a bridge lift
Over-Night berthing on the new pontoons

Reception with welcome drinks and buffet on board the Cill Airne Boat-Bar and Restaurant
Music entertainment including a Harpist
Departure on Sunday morning or afternoon
Tickets for buffet BBQ €20 per person.

Charlie Murphy, Communications Manager at Dublin Port announced "The purpose of this event is to promote the River Liffey as a destination for the boating community. The river has so much potential as a recreational resource for Dublin City. We hope that this event will increase awareness among the boating community that the River is a destination that welcomes them"

Vintage Car Rally
This event takes place all weekend and will see an array of vintage vehicles descend on Dublin Port for the annual Vintage Car Rally. There will be vehicles on show, transport sales and exhibition stalls; a vintage bus service touring Dublin Port. Funds from this event will go to support the excellent work undertaken by Barnardo's Ireland. Ticket prices: €4 for kids, €8 for adults & €20 for a family. More here.

Sail Training Ireland (S.T.IRL.) is the National Sail Training Charity, with President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins as our Patron. The aim of S.T.IRL. is to provide access for Irish youths to sail training voyages at sea, regardless of background, social or financial constraints or ability. Since 2011 over 500 youths have undertaken voyages as a result of our work. Dublin Port Company and Dublin City Council are our main supporters. Members include: The Irish Naval Service, NMCI, Ports of Dublin, Drogheda, Cork and Galway, Spirit of Oysterhaven Trust. S.T.IRL. is a member of the ISA.

The Cruising Association of Ireland is a voluntary ISA-affiliated organisation. Working with the ISA, the ICC and other related organisations, it represents the interests of cruising sailors in Ireland, and promotes cruising among the wider sailing community via www.cruising.ie. The Liffey Cruise has been a regular feature of its calendar on the East Coast.

Dublin Port Company and Dublin City Council have signed an agreement with Sail Training Ireland to develop a local Dublin-based Sail Training Programme as a legacy to their partnership formed during the 2012 Tall Ships Festival. This is built on a platform of regenerating the River Liffey as a resource for the community of Dublin, integrating the community of Dublin and Ireland with the Port, the sea, maritime activities and maritime industries. 

#tourism – A new Dungarvan pontoon facility to provide short term temporary berthing on the Copper coast in West County Waterford has been opened. The facility opened by Dungarvan Harbour Sailing Club will provide berthing for approximately 30 berths on the West Waterford coast. The new facility replaces an older interim structure which had been in place since the early 1990s.

The facility is for Club members on a daily fee basis as well as access for visiting boats. It is expected the latter aspect will support the development of marien tourism on the West Waterford coast.

The facility was opened on 11th of May the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Simon Coveney T.D. 

Speaking at the opening, the Commodore of Dungarvan Harbour Sailing Club, Joan Moloney, said "This is a proud day for sailing in Dungarvan as it represents another important development in the 68 year history of the club. The modernisation of the pontoon facilities will provide safer boat access for families and sailors and will support tourism development in the town". She then went on to thank those in the club who have worked tirelessly to bring the project to fruition.

Moloney thanked Dungarvan Town Council and in particular the unstinting efforts of Joe O'Flaherty the recently retired Town Clerk and Eoin McGarry of McGarry Construction was also praised for his effective and efficient installation of the facilities together with the suppliers Inland and Coastal. During the project a late technical hitch prevented dredging work being undertaken in addition to the pontoon installation. 

#IRISH HARBOURS - Yachts berthing at Ireland's main fishing harbours could see their charges hiked by an incredible 800 per cent.

According to The Irish Times, Marine Minister Simon Coveney has announced a mere 21 days for comment and consultation on the draft Fishery Harbour Centres (Rates and Charges) Order 2012. The consultation document is attached to the bottom of this post and available to download as a pdf.

The proposed new charges include an annual fee of €250 per metre for yachts, which could see a 10-metre yacht currently paying €312 a year for a berth shell out as much as €2,500 annually for the same space.

Additional water and electricity costs could even see this bill rise to €3,100 - for berths that come "without proper marina facilities in most cases".

The proposals apply to the State's six fishery centres at Killybegs, Rossaveal, Dingle, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and Howth, only two of which have pontoons suitable for leisure boats.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

#ISLAND NEWS - The Irish Times reports that pontoons are to be installed at Portmagee in Co Kerry to provide easier access to ferry services for Skellig Michael.

Some 10,000 people visit the Unesco world heritage site every year. But a safety audit last year was critical of facilities at Portmagee, finding there was a risk of slipping on concrete steps leading to the boats.

Minister for Transpirt Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar has earmarked €200,000 to fund the new pontoons for tourist ferries to the island, which will be located in closer proximity to the fishing village.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

New, state-of-the-art Breakwater Pontoons are to be installed next week in the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire, in advance of a major sailing championship to be staged there this summer.

The prestigious club, which was founded in 1838, is hosting the week-long SF Marina IRL Squibs National Sailing Championships from June 18th. Over 100 boats and 600 sailors from Ireland and the UK will descend on Dun Laoghaire for the event, providing a welcome boost to the local economy.

Today Kilkenny based company, SF MARINA IRL, who build floating concrete pontoons and breakwaters for marinas, will embark on the task of putting into place 4 permanent pontoons weighing 252 tons each and measuring 5 metres wide and 80 metres in length.

The pontoons were manufactured in Sweden and shipped by coaster to Ireland. They were offloaded by crane at Dublin Port last week and were floated across Dublin Bay to Dun Laoghaire for installation today. A team of experienced riggers from Bere Island in Cork who have worked closely with SF Marina Irl for the past 12 years will be anchoring the pontoons today. Because of the difficult wave conditions in Dunlaoghaire the pontoons will be anchored with 30 tonnes of heavy steel chain and twenty four five tonne anchor blocks buried in the mud in the sea bed.

The pontoons have a core of styrofoam encased in high quality reinforced concrete. They are designed to endure storms, floods and hurricanes and are unsinkable.

SF Marina Irl, sponsors of this year National Squib Championships - are the only company of its type in Ireland, and has built marinas and installed floating pontoons and breakwaters all over the country, north and south, as well as the UK.  The directors are Rod and Julie Calder-Potts who trade under Milford Marina Systems and are based in Cuffesgrange, Co Kilkenny.

Recently the company designed and fitted concrete pontoons weighing 1,000 tonnes on the River Liffey to service the Waterbuses Spirit of Docklands and Liffey Voyage . The project consisted of a megayacht visitors berthing facility on the Custom House Quay and three waterbus landing stages - one at The Point, one south-east of The Ha’Penny bridge and one at the mouth of George’s Dock on Custom House Quay.

The pontoons have been praised for the fact they merge perfectly with the backdrop of the cityscape.

Other projects have included breakwaters in Garrykennedy, Cahirciveen, Lough Allen, Lough Erne, Inisturk beg, Dinish Island, the lower Ban River and Stangford Lough, to name but a few. SF Marina Irl are also involved in project management of marina installation in the UAE using Irish expertise and personnel.

SF Marina Irl is the sole Irish agent for Swedish company SF MARINA Sweden specializing in the supply and installation of floating concrete breakwaters that can stand up to the rigorous maritime conditions.

Rod Calder Potts of SF Marina Irl said today: “We are very proud to be associated with the Historic Royal Saint George Yacht club and with the Squibs national Championships. This is our third major installation in Dunlaoghaire Harbour and the eighth in the Dublin Bay area. We enjoy the challenge of dealing with the difficult Irish tides, winds and waves. It is a pleasure and a privilege dealing with the wonderful sailing clubs around Dublin Bay. “

The annual National Squib Championship, with competitors from all over Britain and Ireland, is held in Ireland every Fifth year, and this years event will be the biggest sailing event on the 2010 calendar in Dublin Bay.

The Squib Class fleet is one of the largest one-design fleets in Britain and Ireland, with over 810 boats. The National Squib Owners Association (NSOA) has 640 members from all over the UK and Ireland. Squib Sailors at the Championships will range in ages from mid 20s to 60s.

Squibs-  which are two-man keelboats measuring 7 metres long - are also owned in many other parts of the world and are favoured both as an exciting racing boat and, because of their strength and safe design, as a teaching boat.

A National Championship has been held for the Squib Class every year since 1972. Every fifth year it is held in Ireland, where the Class is expanding and is this year attracting interest from a wide range of clubs from Royal North of Ireland YC to Kinsale YC. There are particularly strong fleets in Dun Laoghaire and Howth.

With such superb facilities, both on and off the water, the Royal St George Yacht Club says it is confident that the SF Marina Irl. Squib National Championships will be a most memorable event.

The club has a long history and tradition in Irish Sailing and is Ireland’s current Sailing Club of the Year, reflecting its magnificent waterside setting, attractive Clubhouse and full range of sailing, social and race activities.