Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: 118m tonnes Q3

Irish Ports handled 11.8 million tonnes of goods in Q3 of 2023, according to Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures - for the period of July, August and September - a 4% decrease compared with same quarter 2022.

As RTE News reports, the amount of goods forwarded from Irish Ports was 3.8 million tonnes in Q3 last year, while almost 8m tonnes of goods were received.

The CSO figures reveal, when compared with Q2 also of 2023, the total amount of tonnes in goods fell by 3% through the nation’s ports.

During Q3, 2023 the total number of merchant ships (3,130) that arrived to Ireland’s main ports: Bantry, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Rosslare, Shannon and Waterford - fell by 2% (3,202) when compared with the third quarter of 2022.

In the capital, the state owned Dublin Port Company, accounted for 61% of all vessel arrivals in Irish ports and 51% accounted in the total tonnage of goods handled over the three-months under review.

The CSO’s Statistics Of Port Traffic results (click here) has shown that Great Britain & Northern Ireland accounted for 38% of the total tonnage of goods handled through main ports by region of trade in Q3, while EU countries made up 40% of total tonnage of goods handled throughout the bloc's main ports.

Published in Irish Ports

About Electric outboard engines

The direct-drive component in electric outboard engines means that the electric motors are incredibly efficient compared to conventional marine combustion motors, operating with considerably higher torque whilst using less power.

Without any need for gears, cooling systems and moving parts the motors are maintenance free, highly efficient and economic to run.

As a result, electric boat engines are becoming more popular on Irish waters as the world transitions from fossil fuels to green energy.

To date, popular electric engine sizes have been trolling engines typically used by fishermen on lakes.

These marine engines are available in models that can be used in fresh water and sea water, for your boat or kayak.

Electric motors are Ideal for fishermen because they are quiet and create little in the way of disturbance 

Popular electric trolling models range from 30lb thrust to 55lb thrust in a range of shaft lengths.

But use is becoming broader now in 2021 and electric outboard engines are being used on small runabouts and RIBS where electric outboard engine sizes are getting bigger.

Outboard electric engines are economical and environmentally friendly. Battery technology is also improving at a rapid rate meaning they are becoming smaller and lighter and run for longer.

Built in hydro-generation provides alternative recharging options whilst under sail are also options meaning the electric outboard now has a home on the stern on small yachts and dayboats too.

As far back as 2014, Torqeedo owner Jack O'Keefe from Cork Harbour told Afloat readers of his sailing adventures in a Drascombe Coaster dinghy and how after swapping from a petrol version the rewards from his new electric outboard engine are less noise, no smells, more stowage, better sailing performance and a motor that can be started by a small child. But it's still not silent, there's a whine he says here 

Popular brands in Ireland are Torqeedo, ePropulsion, Pulsar and Minn Kota but there are more arriving all the time as the technology advances