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Displaying items by tag: Bangor harbour

Litter is the scourge of many coastlines, and Bangor in North Down in Northern Ireland is no exception. But one person (and there are many) regularly litter picks in an adopted place (#AdoptASpot) on Seacliff Road, near the Long Hole beside the Harbour.

This month there seemed to be far less litter than normal during November.

Lesley Crawshaw said on Facebook it is “something to celebrate whilst it lasts. 1 bag lifted - 94 items. 11 sweet/snack wrappers/packets, 10 cans, 6 bottles, 4 bottle caps, 4 cotton bud sticks, 2 forks, 1 balloon, 1 lip gloss, 1 pen, 1 face mask, 1 tyre and the usual small pieces of broken-down plastic”.

Harbour Master Kevin Baird remarked, “Well done, Lesley - thank you for adopting a spot close to the Marina, Harbour and Long Hole”.

1 bag of litter lifted contained 94 itemsOne bag of litter lifted contained 94 items

Published in Belfast Lough
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SUPhub NI is well known for its Santa SUP but this year the Halloween Social paddle in Bangor Harbour on Belfast Lough exceeded expectations as it was slotted in at short notice, taking advantage of a weather window on the evening of Sunday 30th when 28 paddlers braved the cold.

Iain McCarthy, who runs Suphub said “We were delighted with the turnout for such a last-minute event. Huge thanks to everyone who took part; even with such short notice, this was a cracking turnout with some particularly impressive costumes”. He continued – “Thanks also to the Lightfoot Zero Waste Market for the pumpkin soup and hot chocolate”.

The Halloween Social paddle in Bangor Harbour on Belfast Lough had costume awards for all agesThe Halloween Social paddle in Bangor Harbour on Belfast Lough had costume awards for all ages

A double win in the race and costume awards went to Jilly Sykes, and Theo Hamilton won the Junior race.

£220 was raised for Bangor Lifeboat. Iain McCarthy added; “ Given that the lifeboat volunteer crew had just finished a 20-hour rotation SAR operation in Belfast Lough with multiple agencies, we were delighted to raise some money and show support for our local lifeboats”.

The next big dressing-up opportunity will be the 2022 Santa SUP on 3rd December, when it’s hoped that last year’s turnout of 96 will be beaten.

£220 was raised for Bangor Lifeboat at The Halloween Social paddle in Bangor Harbour on Belfast Lough£220 was raised for Bangor Lifeboat at The Halloween Social paddle in Bangor Harbour on Belfast Lough

Published in Belfast Lough

Last week Jersey Coastguard was asked to go to the aid of a man dressed in red who reported that he had fallen out of his sleigh during a routine test flight and was stranded on a sandbank. Both RNLI St Helier Lifeboats were launched to assist the intriguing gentleman who was recovered safe and well.

It's good to know that there are people dressed in red suits who would have filled the gap had he not been rescued and 80 of these were seen yesterday braving the wind and driving rain in Bangor Harbour on Belfast Lough. In bubbles of up to 15 Santas, they took to the water in aid of the RNLI.

Santa and snowman on board a Stand Up PaddleboardSanta and snowman on board a Stand Up Paddleboard

Iain McCarthy who runs SuphubNI organised the event and he remarked " Stand-up paddleboarding is wonderful - cutting your way through the crystal clear waters of Bangor with the sun beating down on you, safe in your wetsuit and safety gear. Unfortunately, these were not the conditions that met our Santa SUP-pers yesterday, as the rain pelted down and the wind howled. Not enough to put people off though - and a great fun way to raise much-needed funds for RNLI Bangor".

Santa on board Bangor RNLI LifeboatSanta on board Bangor RNLI Lifeboat

The paddle coincided with a training exercise for the lifeboat crew and they welcomed Santa on board, under the watchful eye of volunteer helm Gavin Mitchell.

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Bangor on Belfast Lough is hoping to secure through Ards and North Down Borough Council, around £40m from the Belfast City Regional Deal to fund the Bangor Waterfront Development and will submit the Outline Business Case to the Belfast Region City Deal in October. The outcome of the bid will be confirmed by the end of 2020 and if successful, the Council will contribute a further £20M approximately and the private sector about £4M to the project.

The Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) offers a bespoke package of funding from Westminster to help achieve inclusive economic growth across the Belfast region, and the business case will detail concept proposals for five key regeneration projects.

This plan aims to redevelop a two-mile stretch of the seafront to re-establish Bangor as a thriving town and prime visitor attraction in Northern Ireland by connecting the waterfront to the rest of the town and, in so doing, provide a unique range of opportunities for residents and visitors to have their lives and businesses enriched by a mix of public spaces, creative events, activities, attractions and experiences that speak of local stories to a global audience.

This plan aims to redevelop a two-mile stretch of the seafront to re-establish Bangor as a thriving town and prime visitor attraction in Northern IrelandThis plan aims to redevelop a two-mile stretch of the seafront to re-establish Bangor as a thriving town and prime visitor attraction in Northern Ireland

The projects encompass sections of the coastline. Skippingstone Beach, popular with sea swimmers, at the west end of the area and overlooking the entrance to the Harbour, will benefit from multi-use pods for beach activities, accessibility features, feature lighting/benches; Pickie Family Fun Park will be enhanced with new all-weather attractions for both children and young adults, and an extension to the Pickie Puffer train ride, which will take visitors from Pickie to the Queen's Parade area closer to the town centre. For Bangor Marina, the 530 berth Five Anchor facility right in the town centre, the proposals recommend redeveloping Bregenz House which houses the Coastguard Station and Marina office and facilities with, on the upper floors, bars, restaurants, an artisan corner and roof garden and a public deck offering views across the marina. Better public access around this building was a clear ask when the public surveys and stakeholder workshops on the development on Bangor Waterfront were undertaken.

 In a comment about this particular part of the proposals, a spokesperson for the Council said "We have recognised this in the Outline Business Case (OBC) proposals but would stress that there are a number of steps to work through and matters to be considered before we can confirm whether Bregenz House will be redeveloped or not - most significant being approval of the OBC and provision of funding support from the Belfast Region City Deal. It is our hope that any redeveloped facility will include a range of users - new and existing, including the Coastguard. Initial discussions with the Coastguard indicate that they are keen to be part of the Bangor Waterfront Development plans and we will be engaging with them further as we move this exciting project forward".

Proposed changes to the Bangor coastlineThe Bangor town coastline

The regenerated Bangor Court House opposite the Harbour is earmarked for the Music Hub, a permanent home for the Open House Festival and a much-needed multi-purpose venue serving the town.

Moving east Kingsland, which began life as an amusement park in the early 20th century, is another green area between Bangor town and the suburb of Ballyholme currently with tennis courts, pitch and put and a dog park – here it is aimed to have café kiosks, a skate park and accommodation;

Nearby is Ballyholme Yacht Club which has been identified as the preferred location in Northern Ireland for major sailing and water sports events by the Royal Yachting Association. The redevelopment of BYC would provide Bangor with a world-class facility for water sports and the ability to host international events.

Welcoming the plans, Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Trevor Cummings said: "Bangor has great potential. We need to build on its strengths, particularly its leisure and cultural assets, high-quality environment, and accessibility, to deliver sustainable regeneration. I would stress that these are proposals, rather than confirmed final plans".

Wayne Hemingway of Hemingway Design is part of the design team working on the Waterfront Development. He is co-founder of the fashion house Red or Dead and on the Design Council Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) Committee. He commented " I was struck immediately on coming to Bangor by the beauty of the coastline and the potential in the town.
In designing the Waterfront Development, our research indicated that a series of attractions would offer more sustainable and inclusive benefits for Bangor than a single iconic attraction - particularly for those who live and work in the town".

Kevin Baird, Harbour and Marina Manager are enthusiastic." We are delighted with these concept proposals; they will ensure that the Bangor Waterfront will become a prime attraction for residents and visitors to Northern Ireland. Our vision of allowing safe access to the water for everyone is becoming a reality".

Published in Belfast Lough

A Notice to Mariners issued on 29th August by Bangor Harbour on Belfast Lough warns that the slipway in front of the Lifeboat house has been closed due to a sunken vessel.

On Wednesday night (26th August) the owners of a 27 ft approx Beneteau Antares reported while out fishing they had " hit something" and as they were taking on water took the boat back to their marina berth.

But the Marina staff inspection showed that it was actually sinking and so it was towed by the Harbour workboat, the Guillemot, to the slipway in front of the RNLI station. On arrival, it was virtually underwater and as two fire engines were unable to pump it out it was left secured to the jetty.

A Bangor Harbour workboat towing the sinking vesselA Bangor Harbour workboat towing the sinking vessel

Very strong winds on Friday (28th) blew the boat across the slipway against the Eisenhower Pier and the lifeboat was moved to a Marina berth.

The sunken vessel alongside Bangor Harbour slipway jettyThe sunken vessel alongside Bangor Harbour slipway jetty

The Notice to Mariners states "The safety of Boat Owners, Paddle Boarders, Canoeists, Kayakers and Rowers who use the slipway is paramount. The slipway at Bangor Harbour is now closed. Bangor RNLI Lifeboat has been relocated to Bangor Marina – this is a temporary measure. The slipway will be reopened next week after the sunken vessel has been removed. Thank you for your cooperation".

Published in Belfast Lough

Twelve celebrities are taking part in the challenge of a lifetime, to row the entire length of Britain, in a brand new, epic adventure series called 'Don't Rock The Boat'.

The 5 x 60-minute series will see 12 famous faces step out of their comfort zones and onto their sea legs as they compete in one of the toughest shows ever filmed on both land and sea.

British politician and author Tom Watson, sports presenter and Olympic gold medalist Denise Lewis OBE, supermodel and broadcaster Jodie Kidd, actor Craig Charles, singer-songwriter Fleur East, YouTuber Joe Weller, Love Island winner Jack Fincham, Coronation Street actress Lucy Fallon, Olympic, World and European Champion Victoria Pendleton CBE, The Chase's Dark Destroyer Shaun Wallace, actor and presenter Adam Thomas and International girl group, The Pussycat Dolls, member Kimberly Wyatt were in Bangor Marina this morning to start the N.Irish leg of the race.

The 'Don't Rock the Boat' in Bangor HarbourThe 'Don't Rock the Boat' in Bangor Harbour

At 0930 they boarded their rowing boats and started to row from the Long Hole to Glenarm.

Taking the helm are sporting legend Freddie Flintoff and The Voice's AJ Odudu as they present the series and guide the celebrities through each leg of the race on the water and preside over the colossal coastal challenges on land.

Published in Belfast Lough
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Black guillemots have been driven out of their long-time homes around Bangor harbour - by hooded crows.
BBC News reports that the crafty crows have been raiding nesting holes throughout the harbour, and have almost eliminated this year's brood of guillemots - affectionately known as 'black penguins'.
"Often there's been the odd egg or chick which has disappeared but this year it's been extraordinary,' said black guillemot expert Dr Julian Greenwood. "It's been a virtual wipe-out."
Dr Greenwood plans to thwart the crows next year by fixing small pieces of plywood across the openings of nesting holes, keeping the predators out.
BBC News has more on the story HERE.

Black guillemots have been driven out of their long-time homes around Bangor harbour - by hooded crows.

BBC News reports that the crafty crows have been raiding nesting holes throughout the harbour, and have almost eliminated this year's brood of guillemots - affectionately known as 'black penguins'.

"Often there's been the odd egg or chick which has disappeared but this year it's been extraordinary,' said black guillemot expert Dr Julian Greenwood. "It's been a virtual wipe-out."

Dr Greenwood plans to thwart the crows next year by fixing small pieces of plywood across the openings of nesting holes, keeping the predators out.

BBC News has more on the story HERE.

Published in Marine Wildlife

The Irish Coast Guard

The Irish Coast Guard is Ireland's fourth 'Blue Light' service (along with An Garda Síochána, the Ambulance Service and the Fire Service). It provides a nationwide maritime emergency organisation as well as a variety of services to shipping and other government agencies.

The purpose of the Irish Coast Guard is to promote safety and security standards, and by doing so, prevent as far as possible, the loss of life at sea, and on inland waters, mountains and caves, and to provide effective emergency response services and to safeguard the quality of the marine environment.

The Irish Coast Guard has responsibility for Ireland's system of marine communications, surveillance and emergency management in Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and certain inland waterways.

It is responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue and counter-pollution and ship casualty operations. It also has responsibility for vessel traffic monitoring.

Operations in respect of maritime security, illegal drug trafficking, illegal migration and fisheries enforcement are co-ordinated by other bodies within the Irish Government.

On average, each year, the Irish Coast Guard is expected to:

  • handle 3,000 marine emergencies
  • assist 4,500 people and save about 200 lives
  • task Coast Guard helicopters on missions

The Coast Guard has been around in some form in Ireland since 1908.

Coast Guard helicopters

The Irish Coast Guard has contracted five medium-lift Sikorsky Search and Rescue helicopters deployed at bases in Dublin, Waterford, Shannon and Sligo.

The helicopters are designated wheels up from initial notification in 15 minutes during daylight hours and 45 minutes at night. One aircraft is fitted and its crew trained for under slung cargo operations up to 3000kgs and is available on short notice based at Waterford.

These aircraft respond to emergencies at sea, inland waterways, offshore islands and mountains of Ireland (32 counties).

They can also be used for assistance in flooding, major inland emergencies, intra-hospital transfers, pollution, and aerial surveillance during daylight hours, lifting and passenger operations and other operations as authorised by the Coast Guard within appropriate regulations.

Irish Coastguard FAQs

The Irish Coast Guard provides nationwide maritime emergency response, while also promoting safety and security standards. It aims to prevent the loss of life at sea, on inland waters, on mountains and in caves; and to safeguard the quality of the marine environment.

The main role of the Irish Coast Guard is to rescue people from danger at sea or on land, to organise immediate medical transport and to assist boats and ships within the country's jurisdiction. It has three marine rescue centres in Dublin, Malin Head, Co Donegal, and Valentia Island, Co Kerry. The Dublin National Maritime Operations centre provides marine search and rescue responses and coordinates the response to marine casualty incidents with the Irish exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Yes, effectively, it is the fourth "blue light" service. The Marine Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) Valentia is the contact point for the coastal area between Ballycotton, Co Cork and Clifden, Co Galway. At the same time, the MRSC Malin Head covers the area between Clifden and Lough Foyle. Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) Dublin covers Carlingford Lough, Co Louth to Ballycotton, Co Cork. Each MRCC/MRSC also broadcasts maritime safety information on VHF and MF radio, including navigational and gale warnings, shipping forecasts, local inshore forecasts, strong wind warnings and small craft warnings.

The Irish Coast Guard handles about 3,000 marine emergencies annually, and assists 4,500 people - saving an estimated 200 lives, according to the Department of Transport. In 2016, Irish Coast Guard helicopters completed 1,000 missions in a single year for the first time.

Yes, Irish Coast Guard helicopters evacuate medical patients from offshore islands to hospital on average about 100 times a year. In September 2017, the Department of Health announced that search and rescue pilots who work 24-hour duties would not be expected to perform any inter-hospital patient transfers. The Air Corps flies the Emergency Aeromedical Service, established in 2012 and using an AW139 twin-engine helicopter. Known by its call sign "Air Corps 112", it airlifted its 3,000th patient in autumn 2020.

The Irish Coast Guard works closely with the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which is responsible for the Northern Irish coast.

The Irish Coast Guard is a State-funded service, with both paid management personnel and volunteers, and is under the auspices of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. It is allocated approximately 74 million euro annually in funding, some 85 per cent of which pays for a helicopter contract that costs 60 million euro annually. The overall funding figure is "variable", an Oireachtas committee was told in 2019. Other significant expenditure items include volunteer training exercises, equipment, maintenance, renewal, and information technology.

The Irish Coast Guard has four search and rescue helicopter bases at Dublin, Waterford, Shannon and Sligo, run on a contract worth 50 million euro annually with an additional 10 million euro in costs by CHC Ireland. It provides five medium-lift Sikorsky S-92 helicopters and trained crew. The 44 Irish Coast Guard coastal units with 1,000 volunteers are classed as onshore search units, with 23 of the 44 units having rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) and 17 units having cliff rescue capability. The Irish Coast Guard has 60 buildings in total around the coast, and units have search vehicles fitted with blue lights, all-terrain vehicles or quads, first aid equipment, generators and area lighting, search equipment, marine radios, pyrotechnics and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Community Rescue Boats Ireland also provide lifeboats and crews to assist in search and rescue. The Irish Coast Guard works closely with the Garda Siochána, National Ambulance Service, Naval Service and Air Corps, Civil Defence, while fishing vessels, ships and other craft at sea offer assistance in search operations.

The helicopters are designated as airborne from initial notification in 15 minutes during daylight hours, and 45 minutes at night. The aircraft respond to emergencies at sea, on inland waterways, offshore islands and mountains and cover the 32 counties. They can also assist in flooding, major inland emergencies, intra-hospital transfers, pollution, and can transport offshore firefighters and ambulance teams. The Irish Coast Guard volunteers units are expected to achieve a 90 per cent response time of departing from the station house in ten minutes from notification during daylight and 20 minutes at night. They are also expected to achieve a 90 per cent response time to the scene of the incident in less than 60 minutes from notification by day and 75 minutes at night, subject to geographical limitations.

Units are managed by an officer-in-charge (three stripes on the uniform) and a deputy officer in charge (two stripes). Each team is trained in search skills, first aid, setting up helicopter landing sites and a range of maritime skills, while certain units are also trained in cliff rescue.

Volunteers receive an allowance for time spent on exercises and call-outs. What is the difference between the Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI? The RNLI is a registered charity which has been saving lives at sea since 1824, and runs a 24/7 volunteer lifeboat service around the British and Irish coasts. It is a declared asset of the British Maritime and Coast Guard Agency and the Irish Coast Guard. Community Rescue Boats Ireland is a community rescue network of volunteers under the auspices of Water Safety Ireland.

No, it does not charge for rescue and nor do the RNLI or Community Rescue Boats Ireland.

The marine rescue centres maintain 19 VHF voice and DSC radio sites around the Irish coastline and a digital paging system. There are two VHF repeater test sites, four MF radio sites and two NAVTEX transmitter sites. Does Ireland have a national search and rescue plan? The first national search and rescue plan was published in July, 2019. It establishes the national framework for the overall development, deployment and improvement of search and rescue services within the Irish Search and Rescue Region and to meet domestic and international commitments. The purpose of the national search and rescue plan is to promote a planned and nationally coordinated search and rescue response to persons in distress at sea, in the air or on land.

Yes, the Irish Coast Guard is responsible for responding to spills of oil and other hazardous substances with the Irish pollution responsibility zone, along with providing an effective response to marine casualties and monitoring or intervening in marine salvage operations. It provides and maintains a 24-hour marine pollution notification at the three marine rescue centres. It coordinates exercises and tests of national and local pollution response plans.

The first Irish Coast Guard volunteer to die on duty was Caitriona Lucas, a highly trained member of the Doolin Coast Guard unit, while assisting in a search for a missing man by the Kilkee unit in September 2016. Six months later, four Irish Coast Guard helicopter crew – Dara Fitzpatrick, Mark Duffy, Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith -died when their Sikorsky S-92 struck Blackrock island off the Mayo coast on March 14, 2017. The Dublin-based Rescue 116 crew were providing "top cover" or communications for a medical emergency off the west coast and had been approaching Blacksod to refuel. Up until the five fatalities, the Irish Coast Guard recorded that more than a million "man hours" had been spent on more than 30,000 rescue missions since 1991.

Several investigations were initiated into each incident. The Marine Casualty Investigation Board was critical of the Irish Coast Guard in its final report into the death of Caitriona Lucas, while a separate Health and Safety Authority investigation has been completed, but not published. The Air Accident Investigation Unit final report into the Rescue 116 helicopter crash has not yet been published.

The Irish Coast Guard in its present form dates back to 1991, when the Irish Marine Emergency Service was formed after a campaign initiated by Dr Joan McGinley to improve air/sea rescue services on the west Irish coast. Before Irish independence, the British Admiralty was responsible for a Coast Guard (formerly the Water Guard or Preventative Boat Service) dating back to 1809. The West Coast Search and Rescue Action Committee was initiated with a public meeting in Killybegs, Co Donegal, in 1988 and the group was so effective that a Government report was commissioned, which recommended setting up a new division of the Department of the Marine to run the Marine Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (MRCC), then based at Shannon, along with the existing coast radio service, and coast and cliff rescue. A medium-range helicopter base was established at Shannon within two years. Initially, the base was served by the Air Corps.

The first director of what was then IMES was Capt Liam Kirwan, who had spent 20 years at sea and latterly worked with the Marine Survey Office. Capt Kirwan transformed a poorly funded voluntary coast and cliff rescue service into a trained network of cliff and sea rescue units – largely voluntary, but with paid management. The MRCC was relocated from Shannon to an IMES headquarters at the then Department of the Marine (now Department of Transport) in Leeson Lane, Dublin. The coast radio stations at Valentia, Co Kerry, and Malin Head, Co Donegal, became marine rescue-sub-centres.

The current director is Chris Reynolds, who has been in place since August 2007 and was formerly with the Naval Service. He has been seconded to the head of mission with the EUCAP Somalia - which has a mandate to enhance Somalia's maritime civilian law enforcement capacity – since January 2019.

  • Achill, Co. Mayo
  • Ardmore, Co. Waterford
  • Arklow, Co. Wicklow
  • Ballybunion, Co. Kerry
  • Ballycotton, Co. Cork
  • Ballyglass, Co. Mayo
  • Bonmahon, Co. Waterford
  • Bunbeg, Co. Donegal
  • Carnsore, Co. Wexford
  • Castlefreake, Co. Cork
  • Castletownbere, Co. Cork
  • Cleggan, Co. Galway
  • Clogherhead, Co. Louth
  • Costelloe Bay, Co. Galway
  • Courtown, Co. Wexford
  • Crosshaven, Co. Cork
  • Curracloe, Co. Wexford
  • Dingle, Co. Kerry
  • Doolin, Co. Clare
  • Drogheda, Co. Louth
  • Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
  • Dunmore East, Co. Waterford
  • Fethard, Co. Wexford
  • Glandore, Co. Cork
  • Glenderry, Co. Kerry
  • Goleen, Co. Cork
  • Greencastle, Co. Donegal
  • Greenore, Co. Louth
  • Greystones, Co. Wicklow
  • Guileen, Co. Cork
  • Howth, Co. Dublin
  • Kilkee, Co. Clare
  • Killala, Co. Mayo
  • Killybegs, Co. Donegal
  • Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford
  • Knightstown, Co. Kerry
  • Mulroy, Co. Donegal
  • North Aran, Co. Galway
  • Old Head Of Kinsale, Co. Cork
  • Oysterhaven, Co. Cork
  • Rosslare, Co. Wexford
  • Seven Heads, Co. Cork
  • Skerries, Co. Dublin Summercove, Co. Cork
  • Toe Head, Co. Cork
  • Tory Island, Co. Donegal
  • Tramore, Co. Waterford
  • Waterville, Co. Kerry
  • Westport, Co. Mayo
  • Wicklow
  • Youghal, Co. Cork

Sources: Department of Transport © Afloat 2020