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Displaying items by tag: Cranes Refurb Investment

#Cranes&Cruises – Two ports in south Wales operated by Associated British Ports (ABP) have invested over £2.8 million in the refurbishment of five cranes at Newport and Swansea, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The work which took 14 months to improve operational efficiency and extend the lifespan of the cranes was carried out by Port Talbot based engineering company, Celtic Engineering. Among the products to be handled by the cranes are coal, aggregates, forest products and steel. The refurbishment also allowed for increased handling efficiency when loading and discharging vessels.

Afloat.ie has also been researching UK operator Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) whose 1,250 passenger capacity flagship Magellan is to offer a direct departure from Newport located to the east of Cardiff. Cruise-goers in season 2017 can take a two-night Dublin Mini-Cruise in June or remain on the 46,000 gross tonnage vessel as part of a longer 11 nights Fjordland Splendour & Dublin Cruise. More on Magellan but that of CMV's move to offer direct cruises from the Irish capital will appear on our Cruise Liners news.

Further along the coast beyond the Walsh capital to the west is Swansea where the investment programme by ABP to upgrade cranes will be complemented by a new Mantsinen Hydraulic Crane due to be installed at the port next month. The crane forms part of a £6 million deal that will see five new cranes delivered across the UK port group’s network of 21 ports.

Swansea has strong Irish maritime connections given the former Swansea-Cork Ferries service that was followed by last incumbent, Fastnet Line that ceased operations in 2011. In more recent times at Swansea Dry Docks the shiprepairer and recycling facility was last winter the recipient of Cork based Mainport Group’s disposed seismic support vessel Mainport Ash.

Published in Ports & Shipping

Dublin Bay Sailing Club Turkey Shoot Winter Series

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Turkey Shoot Series reached its 20th year in 2020.

The popular yacht series racing provides winter-racing for all the sailing clubs on the southside of Dublin Bay in the run-up to Christmas.

It regularly attracts a fleet of up to 70 boats of different shapes and sizes from all four yachts clubs at Dun Laoghaire: The National Yacht Club, The Royal St. George Yacht Club, The Royal Irish Yacht Club and the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as other clubs such as Sailing in Dublin. Typically the event is hosted by each club in rotation.

The series has a short, sharp format for racing that starts at approximately 10 am and concludes around noon. The event was the brainchild of former DBSC Commodore Fintan Cairns to give the club year-round racing on the Bay thanks to the arrival of the marina at Dun Laoghaire in 2001. Cairns, an IRC racer himself, continues to run the series each winter.

Typically, racing features separate starts for different cruiser-racers but in fact, any type of boat is allowed to participate, even those yachts that do not normally race are encouraged to do so.

Turkey Shoot results are calculated under a modified ECHO handicap system and there can be a fun aspect to some of the scoring in keeping with the Christmas spirit of the occasion.

As a result, the Turkey Shoot often receives entries from boats as large as Beneteau 50 footers and one designs as small as 20-foot flying Fifteens, all competing over the same course.

It also has legendary weekly prizegivings in the host waterfront yacht clubs immediately after racing. There are fun prizes and overall prizes based on series results.

Regular updates and DBSC Turkey Shoot Results are published on Afloat each week as the series progresses.

FAQs

Cruisers, cruising boats, one-designs and boats that do not normally race are very welcome. Boats range in size from ocean-going cruisers at 60 and 60 feet right down to small one-design keelboats such as 20-foot Flying Fifteens. A listing of boats for different starts is announced on Channel 74 before racing each week.

Each winter from the first Sunday in November until the last week before Christmas.

Usually no more than two hours. The racecourse time limit is 12.30 hours.

Between six and eight with one or two discards applied.

Racing is organised by Dublin Bay Sailing Club and the Series is rotated across different waterfront yacht clubs for the popular after race party and prizegiving. The waterfront clubs are National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC), Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC) and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC).

© Afloat 2020