Displaying items by tag: Welsh Government

10th April 2019

Welsh Government Should Do "Everything They Can" to Save Research Ship Used by Bangor University

Welsh RV Prince Madog of Bangor University and Irish counterpart RV Celtic Voyager of the Marine Institute, Oranmore, Co. Galway, berthed at Menai Bridge Pier, Anglesey, north Wales (in Sept. 2017) during the official launch of the BlueFish Project, a collaboration between the two nations to examine the effect of climate change on fish and shellfish sustainability in the Irish Sea. AFLOAT adds the design of RV Prince Madog (2001) is based on the older Irish vessel (1997) though the Welsh RV is some 4m longer, however the similarities end in terms of a significantly different superstructure on the Menai Strait based vessel. In the 2018 Irish budget provision was made to replace the RV Celtic Voyager with a 50m newbuild.

#marinescience - The Welsh Government should do "everything they can" to save a research ship used by Bangor University and utilise it as a National Research Vessel for Wales, according to Ynys Môn Assembly Member Rhun ap Iorwerth.

As the North Wales Chronicle writes there is an agreement in place between Bangor University and P&O, who own the Prince Madog ship, regarding the future of the vessel until 2021. However, what future it has beyond that time is unclear at present.

This uncertainty has led to Mr ap Iorwerth proposing the vessel be adopted as Wales’ National Research Vessel following the conclusion of the current agreement.

The Plaid Cymru AM led a short debate in the Assembly in Cardiff on the future of the research vessel last year, with Welsh Government officials having recently met with Bangor University and P&O as a result.

Talks regarding the future of the vessel had proved productive, only for Welsh Government procurement rules to prevent further progress.

To read more including a question raised by Rhun ap Iorwerth.in the Welsh Assembly Chamber read here.

Afloat adds the article refers to P&O, this is in fact P&O Maritime, a solutions provider to governments, businesses and organisations across the world. Among its global network of offices is an Irish base located in Galway.

Last year P&O Maritime Ireland was awarded a 7 year contract from the Marine Institute of Rinville, Oranmore in Co. Galway, to provide operational, management and technical support for the operation of the RV Celtic Voyager and the larger RV Celtic Explorer.

In addition the contract includes the deep-water Remotely Operated Vehicle Holland 1 together with management and technical support to related research and development programmes.

Published in Marine Science

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About Conor O'Brien, Irish Circumnavigator

In 1923-25, Conor O'Brien became the first amateur skipper to circle the world south of the Great Capes. O'Brien's boat Saoirse was reputedly the first small boat (42-foot, 13 metres long) to sail around the world since Joshua Slocum completed his voyage in the 'Spray' during 1895 to 1898. It is a journey that O' Brien documented in his book Across Three Oceans. O'Brien's voyage began and ended at the Port of Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland, where he lived.

Saoirse, under O'Brien's command and with three crew, was the first yacht to circumnavigate the world by way of the three great capes: Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin; and was the first boat flying the Irish tri-colour to enter many of the world's ports and harbours. He ran down his easting in the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties between the years 1923 to 1925.

Up until O'Brien's circumnavigation, this route was the preserve of square-rigged grain ships taking part in the grain race from Australia to England via Cape Horn (also known as the clipper route).

At a Glance - Conor O'Brien's Circumnavigation

In June 1923, Limerick man Conor O’Brien set off on his yacht, the Saoirse — named after the then newly created Irish Free State — on the two-year voyage from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that was to make him the first Irish amateur to sail around the world.

June 1923 - Saoirse’s arrival in Madeira after her maiden passage out from Dublin Bay

2nd December 1924 - Saoirse crossed the longitude of Cape Horn

June 20th 1925 - O’Brien’s return to Dun Laoghaire Harbour