Displaying items by tag: Cranes Dismantled

23rd February 2018

Iconic Cranes at Verolme Cork Harbour Come Down

The changing waterfront scene of the old Verolme dockyard in Rusbrooke, Cork Harbour as the cranes are dismantled this week.

#CorkHarbour - A pair of historic cranes which have loomed large over Cork Harbour for six decades are being dismantled.

The cranes the Evening Echo writes, were used for building ships at the Verolme Dockyard at Rushbrooke, which closed in 1984 (see: Afloat's coverage on 160 years of Cork Shipbuilding).

They have been central to the skyline of Rushbrooke, west of Cobh and across the harbour from Monkstown for over 60 years.

Dutch company Verolme once employed more than 1,100 workers at the site and many ships were launched there including Irish Naval Vessel LÉ Eithne.

The site is now run by the Doyle Shipping Group which has confirmed that the iconic twin cranes will be dismantled fully within the next week due to concerns that they are dangerous.

To read more click the report here.

Afloat adds the site is ironically where much larger gantry cranes have recently been assembled by manufacturer Liebherr for export.

Last week the heavylift vessel HHL Lagos loaded with the cranes on board called to a UK port where the ship-to-shore cranes will be used in a container terminal.

Published in Cork Harbour

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Scottish Series Background

Although the format of the Scottish Series varies little from year to year, it is interesting to see some of the changes which the event has seen over the years:

CYCA handicap class added to IOR (1976)

IOR level rating classes to reflect the popular sizes and World Championships being held in the UK

Separate one design class for Sonatas (1980 to date)

Campbeltown dropped with offshore races direct to Tarbert (1982)

Unique light displacement CYCA class - the forerunner of today's sportboats (1982)

Computer results system introduced in 1982 and now recognised as the best in the UK

Separate one design class for Sigma 33 (1987 to date)

Separate one design classes in certain years for Impalas, Sigma 38, Melges 24 and Cork 1720

Inner triangle to shorten courses for smaller classes (1986)

Points loading for offshore race reduced from 2 to 1.5 to 1

First racing in Scotland under Channel Handicap (1988)

Second racecourse for smaller classes (1989)

Discard introduced

Windward leeward races - two per day (1993)

Sportboat classes with no overnight races (1994)

Marquee on quayside for main social events (1995-2008)

Restricted Sail Class (1998)

Third racecourse for sportboats with up to three races per day (1998)

Day feeder races (2002)

Overnight and day feeder races discontinued (2005)

Stand-alone Tarbert Inbound and Outbound passage races introduced (2005/6)

With all these changes, some things have stayed the same:

Huge support from Ireland every year since 1975

A magnificent effort ashore and afloat from the volunteer helpers of the Clyde Cruising Club, Royal Scottish Motor Yacht Club and Tarbert Loch Fyne Yacht Club

Results and communications service at the forefront of technology

The best competition and the best social scene in the country

An overall Series winner, the roll call including many of the top sailors in Scotland and beyond.