Displaying items by tag: Waterways Ireland

27th October 2011

Waterways Ireland Warning: Shannon Erne Restriction

Waterways Ireland wishes to advise all masters of vessels and users of the Shannon - Erne Waterway that the stretch of navigation between Lock 14 Drumduff and Lock 15 Tirmactiernan will be closed from 7th November 2011 to the end of March 2012 to facilitate essential maintenance works. Waterways Ireland regrets any inconvenience that this may cause its customers.

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Waterways Ireland

20th October 2011

Search and Recovery Operation Underway at Banagher Bridge

A search and recovery operation is being conducted from Banagher bridge downstream towards Meelick Lock. A number of vessels are involved including a dive vessel and a sonar search craft.

Waterways Ireland request masters of vessels to proceed at slow speed and with minimum wash when in the area to avoid hindering or upsetting the search craft.

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18th October 2011

Lock and Portumna Bridge Times

Waterways Ireland wishes to advise masters and owners of vessels and boats of the Shannon Navigation that the schedule of lock and bridge opening times below will take effect from Nov 2 2011until 13 Mar 2012 inclusive.

Locks.

Weekdays: 0900 to 1230

Sunday: 1000 to 1230

Portumna Bridge.

Weekdays: 0945 1100 1200

Sunday: 1100 1200

View Larger Map

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16th September 2011

Waterways Ireland Begin Work on the Royal Canal in Dublin

Waterways Ireland has confirmed that work will begin on the Royal Canal to excavate and reline 410 metres of the canal that runs between Lock 6 and 7 in the Phibsborough/Cabra area. The work is key to keeping the Canal navigable for a range of boats and will also address seepage through the canal embankment adjacent to Shandon Gardens.

The work which requires the dewatering of the canal will remove sediment and rubbish deposits from the central navigation channel before the construction of a new impervious lining to the canal. All material removed from the canals will be transported to licensed disposal facilities. Restoration of the existing towpath walls will also be undertaken to heritage approved standards.

Environmental surveys have been undertaken in full compliance with the regulatory authorities along with the planned removal of all fish to be carried under licence before onsite work begins.
A Traffic Management Plan will be agreed with Dublin City Council and implemented to keep traffic disruption to a minimum. Works are due to be completed by year end.

To facilitate works, the Royal Canal will be closed to navigation from 19 September 2011. The towpath from Lock 6 to the Liffey Junction Bridge on the north side and the Shandon Park area on the south side of the Canal will be closed for the duration of the contract. Following consultation and agreement with residents, a temporary roadway and bridge will also be constructed to provide access for the Coke Oven Residents through Shandon Park. This access will be suitable for emergency vehicles.

An engineer will be full time in attendance for the duration of the contract to ensure that issues which arise are dealt with in a prompt and efficient manner. For further information on the project please visit the Waterways Ireland web site www.waterwaysireland.org and check out the 'Navigation Information, Planned Works' page.

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6th September 2011

Dublin Dragon Regatta - Grand Canal Disturbances

Waterways Ireland wishes to advise masters and owners of vessels that there will be a regatta of "DRAGON BOATS" in Grand Canal Dock on 10th and 11th September 2011 between 10:00hrs and 18:00hrs daily.

Racing will be on the North Side of the outer dock. Masters and owners of vessels operating in Grand Canal Dock should refrain from entering the race course and comply with guidance instructions from race officials.

Waterways Ireland apologises for any inconvenience caused by this restriction and thanks its customers for their cooperation.

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1st September 2011

Lough Key Triathlon Shannon Warning

A triathlon swim event will take place on the Shannon Navigation in the vicinity of the recreational facilities in Lough Key on Sun 4th Sep from 0900 hrs until 1200 hrs.

Masters of vessels are requested to note the advice of marshals when passing near the course and to proceed at slow speed with minimum wash.

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19th July 2011

National Canoe Polo Championships - Royal Canal

Waterways Ireland wishes to advise all masters and users of the Royal Canal that the above National Championships will take place in Richmond Harbour on Sat 23rd. and Sun 24th. July.
The following timetable will apply:

Date	Time	Event
Fri 22 Jul	14.00hrs onwards	Course set up
Sat 23 Jul	09.00hrs to 13.00hrs	Competitions
	13.00hrs to 14.00hrs	"Harbour open to through traffic
	14.0hrs to 19.00hrs	Competitions
Sun 24 Jul	09.00hrs to 13.00hrs	Competitions
	13.00hrs to 14.00hrs	"Harbour open to through traffic
	14.0hrs to 17.00hrs	Competitions

All vessels will be required to be clear of the harbour by 14.00hrs on Fri 22 July to facilitate the setting up of the course but may return after 17.00 hrs on Sun on completion of the event.Further information may be had from Mr Ciaran Clinton , North Kildare Canoe Club on 00-353-87-8482191.

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24th June 2011

Summer Festival in the Heart of Dublin’s ‘Docklands’

The Docklands Summer Festival takes place this weekend in Dublin's 'Docklands' and it is to host the Waterways Ireland Inter-County Sailing Championship, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Other events taking place on the River Liffey and throughout the docklands range from a Dragon Boat display in the Grand Canal Dock (outer basin) and a Boat Show (inner basin) see map. In addition the Waterways Ireland Visitor Centre will be open, noting all these activities and venues are to take place between 10am-6pm on Saturday.

On the following Sunday the Waterways Ireland Inter-County Sailing Championship Races are scheduled between 10am-4pm in the Grand Canal Dock's outer basin. City Canal Cruises will operate each day as well as an International Food Market, held in the Grand Canal Square, opposite the Grand Canal Theatre.

The pristinely kept M.V. Cill Airne, now a floating restaurant and bar will be open at her berth alongside North Wall Quay, close to the striking Samuel Beckett Bridge and The Convention Centre.

The historic veteran vessel built in Dublin at the Liffey Shipyard in the early 1960's was launched as a passenger tender to serve trans-Atlantic liners that called to Cobh. During her tender-duties she brought the rich and famous ashore to include Laurel & Hardy and US President Eisenhower.

The festival is sponsored by Waterways Ireland and the Docklands Business Forum. To see the full festival programme and a map of the docklands click HERE and www.ddda.ie

Published in Maritime Festivals

23rd June 2011

Waterways Ireland Marine Notice: No. 61 of 2011

Carrick-on-Shannon - Rowing Regatta

Waterways Ireland wishes to advise all Masters and users of the Shannon Navigation of mooring and navigation restrictions in Carrick-on-Shannon on Sun 31st July 2011, to facilitate rowing competitions.

The regatta will be held on a 400 metre stretch of water immediately south of the town bridge commencing at 08.00hrs and finishing at approx. 18.00hrs on Sun 31st July 2011.

Craft wishing to make a through passage during the course of the regatta will be facilitated every 2 hrs approximately.

Waterways Ireland will commence monitoring access to the public floating jetties on Mon 25th of Jul.

Masters should note that ONLY vessels of an overall length of 22ft. / 6.8m or less will be permitted on the floating jetties from Fri 29th July to Sun 31st of July

This is necessary in the interest of marine safety and to facilitate the laying of the competition course.

Vessels berthed from Fri 16.00hr will be required to remain in place until racing finishes at approx 18.00hr on Sun 31st of July

No vessels should approach the jetties between 16.00hr Fri and approx. 18.00hr Sun as the entrance to the berths will be closed off and manoeuvring room will be severely restricted due to the proximity of the course.

Masters are advised to proceed at slow speed and with due caution and to take note of advice from course marshals when passing through the area.

Waterways Ireland takes this opportunity to thank its customers for their co-operation with these arrangements.
C.J.Lawn
Lt Cdr RNS
Inspector of Navigation
22 Jun 2010
Tel: 353 90 6494232 Fax: 353 90 6494147

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23rd June 2011

Waterways Ireland Marine Notice: No. 60 of 2011

Shannon Navigation

Lough Key (North Shannon) -Erris Bay - Aids to Navigation

This notice supersedes Marine Notice No. 7 of 2011.

Waterways Ireland wishes to advise masters of vessels that recent works to place additional aids to navigation in the Erris Bay area of Lough Key are now complete.

These include new red and green conical markers plus two 'End of Navigation' markers as indicated in the attached drawing.

Please refer to the drawing for approximate locations of new and existing markers in this area.

Charles Lawn
Lt Cdr (rtd)
Inspector of Navigation
22 Jun 2011
Tel: 00 353 (0)90 6494232

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Page 62 of 68

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.