Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta (FST) will be undertaking both a geotechnical survey and geophysical survey for the Sceirde Rocks Windfarm Project in the Western Coastal Area (Connemara/Outer Galway Bay) and Atlantic Ocean, between Monday 15 April and Monday 10 June, subject to weather and operational constraints.

These surveys follow last September’s geophysical survey and will be undertaken by the multi-purpose offshore vessel Dina Polaris (callsign CQOF), which is fitted with a geotechnical drilling rig, and the research vessel Lady Kathleen (callsign EIXT2). Both vessels will operate up to 24 hours per day and will be displaying the appropriate lights and shapes.

During operations, the vessels will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre. Therefore, passing vessels are requested to leave a wide berth during the deployment operations. Radio transmissions will be conducted with other seafarers to notify them of the operations. The vessels will be monitoring VHF Channel 16 at all times for safety purposes.

The equipment for each survey will be deployed within the bounds of the survey areas detailed in Marine Notice No 17 of 2024, attached below.

Following cable lay operations set to conclude this weekend, Greenlink Interconnector Ltd will perform cable burial and trenching activities along the planned interconnector route.

These activities will be undertaken between Saturday 13 April and Thursday 20 June, subject to weather and operational constraints.

Operations will take place along the planned interconnector route between the landfall location near Baginbun Beach in Co Wexford and the middle of the Irish Sea. Coordinates and maps can be found in Marine Notice No 21 of 2024, attached below.

The works will be performed by the trenching support vessel Symphony (callsign LXTT). This vessel will have a trenching vehicle deployed or a remotely operated vehicle for survey activities deployed over the side.

As the work vessel will be restricted in its ability to manoeuvre, all other vessels operating within this area are requested to keep a wide berth and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash. The work vessel will be listening to VHF Channel 16 and can set any other channel as required.

For further details, including contact information, see the Marine Notice below.

Following the first and second legs in February and March, the third leg of this year’s Irish Anglerfish and Megrim Survey (IAMS 2024) is being carried out from Friday 12 to Sunday 21 April.

Surveys will be conducted to the North and North-West Coasts of Ireland by the Marine Institute in fulfilment of Ireland’s obligations under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

Leg 3 is a demersal trawl survey consisting of approximately 50 otter trawls, each of 60 minutes duration, in ICES area 6a. Fishing in 2024 will take place within a three-nautical-mile radius of the positions indicated in Appendices 1 and 2 of Marine Notice No 12 of 2024, a PDF of which is attached below.

The survey will be conducted by the RV Celtic Explorer (callsign EIGB) which will display appropriate lights and signals. The vessel will be towing a Jackson demersal trawl during fishing operations.

The Marine Institute requests that commercial fishing and other marine operators keep a 3nm radius area around the tow points clear of any gear or apparatus during the survey period.

Further details are included in the Marine Notice below.

The Department of Transport has been advised that Next Geosolutions will perform shallow geotechnical surveys, pUXO ID surveys and KP5 Omega Loop surveys as part of the Celtic Interconnector Project cable route between the South-East Coast of Ireland and the coast of France.

The survey is expected to be completed over a 10-day period from this Wednesday 10 April, subject to weather and operational constraints.

Survey operations will be conducted within the cable corridor extending around 50m each side of the planned cable centreline.

The survey vessel NG Worker (callsign ICID) will carry out the survey works. Mariners are advised to provide a wide berth and navigate with caution in the area.

During survey operations, the vessel will keep a listening watch on VHF Channel 16 and will actively transmit an Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal. A listening watch will also be maintained on VTS VHF channels as appropriate.

The survey vessel shall broadcast daily, and at shorter intervals as may be required by passing traffic, the vessel position, operational information and planned operations for the next 24 hours. It is requested that fixed fishing gear within 1,000m of the route centreline be removed.

Coordinates and a map of the survey area as well as contact details can be found in Marine Notice No 13 of 2024 attached below.

Following the recent pre-lay grapnel run, Greenlink Interconnector Ltd will be conducting offshore and nearshore operations for its electricity interconnector from Friday 22 March to Sunday 14 April, subject to weather and operational constraints.

Beach-pull operations in the nearshore are to be undertaken within around one nautical mile of Baginbun Beach. The cable lay operations following the beach pull operations, involving divers, will take place along the planned interconnector route from the landfall location at Baginbun Beach towards the middle of the interconnector route.

The operations will be conducted by three survey vessels: the multicat Forth Warrior (callsign 2JHR8), Connector (DP3) (callsign LXEV) and CRC Voyager (callsign MBZZ7).

These vessels carrying out the works will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre, therefore all other passing vessels are requested to keep a wide berth and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash. The vessels will display the appropriate lights and shapes if applicable (two black spheres and in the middle a black diamond shape, in a vertical line) and will monitor VHF Channel 16 at all times.

Coordinates and a map of the work area as well as contact details can be found in Marine Notice No 16 of 2024 attached below.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Greenlink Interconnector Ltd is proposing to develop an electricity interconnector to allow for offshore cable installation and burial at a later stage.

A pre-lay grapnel run (PLGR) will be performed along the planned interconnector route to ensure clearance of debris from this Friday 15 March to next Tuesday 19 March, subject to weather and operational constraints.

During the PLGR, a grapnel shall be deployed on the planned cable route and dragged over the seabed. Whenever an increase in tension is recorded or in any case at five-kilometre intervals, the grapnel will be recovered cleaned and inspected. Afterwards, the grapnel will be redeployed to the seabed. The operation will be repeated until the complete route of about 80km has been finished.

The PLGR operations will take place along the planned interconnector route from the landfall location at Baginbun Beach towards the middle of the interconnector route.

Operations will be performed by the Forth Warrior (callsign 2JHR8). The vessel will have the PLGR grapnel deployed on the bow roller.

As the vessel will be restricted in its ability to maneuver, all other vessels operating within this area are requested to keep a wide berth and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash. The vessel will be listening to VHF Channel 16 and can set any other channel as required.

Coordinates and a map of the work area as well as contact details can be found in Marine Notice No 15 of 2024, available to read or download HERE.

The Marine Survey Office (MSO) of the Department of Transport has appointed four companies to the panel as Recognised Security Organisations (Ports) for the period covering 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2028.

These companies appointed as RSOs for the creation of port security assessments, port facility security assessments, port security plans and port facility security plans are as follows:

CMG (Crime Management Group),
Regus House,
Harcourt Road,
Dublin,
D02 HW77
Tel: +353 1 417 4242
Email: [email protected]

Crime Management Services,
Block B, The Crescent Building,
Northwood, Santry,
Dublin D09 C6X8
Tel: +353 1 893 4906
Email: [email protected]

Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore UK and Ireland
1 & 2, Keel House,
South Shields
NE34 9PY, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 191 427 8170
Email: [email protected]

Seaport Services Crann Centre,
Classis, Ovens,
Co Cork P31 TX39
Tel. +353 86 190 1913/+353 87 237 8103
Email: [email protected]

The appointment will cover work as an RSO in relation to both Regulation (EC) No 725/2004 and Directive 2005/65/EC on Port Security.

The Department of Transport has been advised that Greenlink Interconnector Ltd (GIL) is developing an electricity interconnector between the southeast of Ireland, from Great Island in Co Wexford to the southwest of Wales at Pembroke in Pembrokeshire.

To allow the offshore cable to be pulled onshore in a later stage, a shore-based sub-contractor Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCV) has completed drilling and diving operations at the Baginbun Beach landfall site for installation of two high-density polyethylene (HDPE) ducts with a bell mouth. Both pipes are stabilised with six rock bags per pipe.

All operations related to the installation of the HDPE ducts are completed. The HDPE pipes and rock bags will be in place until effective high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable installation, which is expected to start on Monday 1 April. The dive preparations will start from around Wednesday 20 March.

Coordinates and a diagram of the survey area as well as contact details and more can be found in Marine Notice No 09 of 2024, attached below.

The Department of Transport advises ship owners, ship operators, shipmasters, harbourmasters and ships’ agents of the requirements for passenger ships engaged in the tendering of passengers between the ship and the shore and for the transfer of crew/technicians embarking or disembarking a seagoing vessel at anchor.

Passenger ship tendering operations, like those between a cruise liner and the shore, will normally be permitted in the summer period only and are subject to annual review. All tender vessels must comply with the relevant provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts.

Full details of the relevant tendering types and requirements can be found in Marine Notice No 08 of 2024, attached below.

The Department of Transport advises that it has re-established a panel of surveyors to conduct surveys of small fishing vessels of less than 15 metres in length, to check for compliance with the department’s Code of Practice for such vessels.

This panel is established until 24 January 2027. Contact details for the panel can be found in Marine Notice No 07 of 2024, attached below.