Displaying items by tag: emergency call

22nd January 2024

Tanker Requiring Emergency Repairs Calls to Harland & Wolff's Belfast Dry-Dock

A Maltese flagged oil/chemical tanker which required emergency repairs is at the shipyard of Harland & Wolff, Belfast having arrived earlier this month, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 127m red hulled tanker, Songa Crystal called to Belfast Lough on 8 January and is from a fleet of chemical, crude and product tankers. Afloat.ie has identified the tanker is part of Songa Shipholding, of the Blystad Group which owns the vessel and technically is managed by division, Songa Shipmanagement Ltd, based in Paisley, Scotland.

Once in the fairway in Belfast, Songa Crystal proceeded to H&W’s Belfast Dry-Dock, the smaller of two dry-docks at the marine engineering facility located on Queens Island.

Emergency repairs took place of the 12,927 deadweight tonnes (dwt) tanker which has Panama as a port and registry and was built in 2006 by Samho Shipbuilding, in Masan, South Korea.

During dry-docking of the 18 year-old tanker which has had two previous names, has seen the H&W team involved in extensive cleaning and replacing works to both the engine room. This has also applied to the fuel tanks and to the port and starboard side shells.

According to H&W, they have been liaising closely with the ship's staff, ships superintendent and classification society, which has led to efficiency that has enabled progress with the steel repair process.

This was to ensure that the Songa Crystal will be fully operational as soon as possible, as the tanker it is understood, is to depart this week to rejoin the 21 strong fleet, which ranges up to 25,000dwt.

Published in Shipyards

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Crosshaven Lifeboat Rescues Crew from Sinking Fishing Vessel

Following our weekend report on the major rescue operation swung into operation on Saturday Morning ( 13 Nov) outside Cork Harbour when a 27' fishing boat sank in minutes with two people on board there has been further details issue by the RNLI in Crosshaven.

At 11.19am , Valentia Coast Guard alerted Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat that the fishing vessel was in serious trouble off the Church Bay area and requested an immediate launch. Crosshaven lifeboat launched within 5 minutes and with its volunteer crew of Kieran Coniry, Dan O'Donoghue and Vincent Fleming, made good progress through a two metre sea swell arriving on scene to find the fishing boat had at this stage sank and the crew safely in the Liferaft.

The Ballycotton RNLI all weather Lifeboat was at sea on exercise at the time and immediately altered course to the incident. Crosshaven Coast Guard were also tasked and en route.

When it became clear that the two crewmen were safely aboard the Crosshaven Lifeboat, the other emergency services were stood down. Crosshaven Lifeboat then brought the two fishermen back to Crosshaven.

While it is unknown what caused the fishing boat to flounder, the crew had little time to deploy their liferaft and make an emergency call before the boat sank.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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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