Displaying items by tag: Shannon Navigation

14th September 2010

Portumna Bridge Not Opening and Closing Correctly

Waterways Ireland has advised that technical difficulties are presently preventing the Portumna bridge on the Shannon navigation on the inland waterways from opening and closing correctly. Corrective action is being taken to rectify the problem. Any master planning a voyage on this stretch of the navigation should first contact the Bridge Keeper on 090-9741011 for the most recent information.

Published in Inland Waterways

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10th September 2010

Waterways Ireland Commences Work on Killaloe Canal

Waterways Ireland has announced the commencement of the second phase of the improvements at the Killaloe Canal on the inland waterways.

The works on the Shannon Navigation at Killaloe involve the repair and widening of the canal wall. Flow Control Gates will be installed in the canal and new moorings have already been put in place to provide greater capacity. A further outcome of the flow control gates is the incorporation of a pedestrian footbridge creating a looped walk along the canal. The entire walkway will be resurfaced as part of the project.

The works have been designed by Waterways Ireland and will be undertaken by a contractor. The work will commence on the 13th September 2010 and is expected to be completed in March 2011. During this period the footpath between the R463 Killaloe to Scarriff Road and the canal will be closed.

The remedial works to the canal wall include the installation of approximately 400 m of sheet piles to incorporate the extension to the moorings and underpin the existing canal wall. The installation of boat pump-out facility and new mains pump chamber has been included in the programme.

When complete three walkways will link the newly installed floating moorings to the canal wall. The 250m of floating moorings were installed by Waterways Ireland earlier in the year in preparation for this work to take place.
Waterways Ireland would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused during the contract period. Queries about this work can be directed to the Waterways Ireland Western Regional Office in Scarriff, Tel 061 922033.

Published in Inland Waterways

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23rd August 2010

Take Care Navigating Abbey River When Turbines Operate

Waterways Ireland has issued a reminder to users of the inland waterways on the Shannon Navigation that it is advised not to undertake a voyage if more than one turbine is operating, due to increased velocity of flow in the navigation which can be dangerous. The situation may also arise when flood conditions prevail.

Contact the lock keeper at Ardnacrusha (tel: 087-7972998) for information on the number of turbines in operation at Ardnacrusha before commencing transit of this part of the river.

Published in Inland Waterways

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2nd August 2010

Lough Derg Lifeboat Assists Vessel Aground

This afternoon at 15.47hrs, Lough RNLI Derg lifeboat Toshiba Wave Warrior launched to assist eight persons on board a 31ft cruiser aground on Lough Derg.

At 15.30hrs on Monday afternoon August 2, Derg RNLI lifeboat was requested to launch following a sighting of a vessel aground off Crane Island close to Church Bay on the south-western shore of Lough Derg. The lifeboat with helm Eleanor Hooker, Peter Clark and Colin Knight on board, launched at 15.47hrs. Winds were south-westerly, Force 2 to 3. The lifeboat was alongside the casualty vessel at 15.58hrs and found all passengers to be safe and unharmed. They were asked to put on their lifejackets. The RNLI Lifeboat Training Officer, Fergal Kerney was afloat at the time and stood-by to reassure the persons on board until the lifeboat arrived. A RNLI crew member climbed aboard the cruiser and after he established that the vessel was not holed or damaged, it was taken off the rocks and towed out into safe water, where another check of steering and rudder was carried out. The cruiser then continued on its journey.

Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, Charles Stanley-Smith commended the "the swift response the lifeboat crew and the professional manner in which the rescue was carried out".

The lifeboat returned to station and was ready for service again at 16.40hrs

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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7th May 2010

Shannon Navigation – Sarsfield Lock, Limerick

Waterways Ireland advises that Sarsfield lock, Limerick is now fully operational.

Published in Inland Waterways

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26th April 2010

Shannon Navigation - Limerick City Moorings

Waterways Ireland advises Masters and Owners of reduced draft below weir level at moorings in Limerick as follows;

Custom House Quay

0.5m at inside moorings

1.3m at outside moorings

Arthur Quay Moorings

1.2m

Published in Inland Waterways

Tagged under

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Page 19 of 19

About the 29er Skiff Dinghy

The 29er is a one-design double-handed, single trapeze skiff for youth sailors.

There is an active class in Ireland, just one of the 38-countries from across all continents now racing the high-performance skiff.

The 29er is one of the latest dinghy classes to arrive in Ireland and has a 50/50 split between boys and girls.

The class like to describe the boat as "The most popular skiff for sailors who want to go fast!".

Derived from the Olympic class 49er class and designed by Julian Bethwaite the 29er was first produced in 1998.

Two sailors sail the 29er, one on trapeze.

The 6.25-metre high rig features a fractional asymmetrical spinnaker; a self-tacking jib decreases the workload of the crew, making manoeuvres more efficient and freeing the crew to take the mainsheet upwind and on two-sail reaches.

The 15.00 m2 spinnaker rigging set-up challenges crews to be fit and coordinated, and manoeuvres in the boat require athleticism due to its lack of inherent stability and the high speed with which the fully battened mainsail and jib power up.

The 74kg weight hull is constructed of fibreglass-reinforced polyester in a foam sandwich layout.

The fully battened mainsail and jib are made from a transparent Mylar laminate with orange or red Dacron trimming, while the spinnaker is manufactured from ripstop Nylon.

The mast is in three parts - an aluminium bottom and middle section, with a polyester-fibreglass composite tip to increase mast bend and decrease both overall weights, and the capsizing moment a heavy mast tip can generate. Foils are aluminium or fibreglass.

About the ILCA/Laser Dinghy

The ILCA, formerly known as the Laser, is the most produced boat in the world, with 220,000 units built since 1971.

It's easy to see why the single-handed dinghy has won the title of the most widely distributed boat of all time.

The Laser is a one-design dinghy, the hulls being identical but three rigs that can be used according to the size and weight of the sailor.

The class is international, with sailors from 120 countries. The boat has also been an Olympic class since 1996, being both the men's and women's singlehanded dinghy.

Three rigs are recognised by the International Laser Class Association (ILCA):

ILCA 4: sail of 4.70m2

ILCA 6: sail of 5.76 m2

ILCA 7: sail of 7.06 m2