The Department of Transport wishes to highlight the provisions of SOLAS Chapter V to small, privately owned recreational craft.

Although regulation 34 of Chapter V — “Safe navigation and avoidance of dangerous situations” — only applies when proceeding to sea, the department advises all recreational craft users to comply with the voyage planning principles.

These were previously highlighted in Marine Notice No 19 of 2021 following an MCIB report into the rescue of five Kinsale Yacht Club sailors from the yacht Loa Zour amid severe storm conditions off the Spanish coast in June 2019.

In Marine Notice No 30 of 2023, the department underscores this as well as the benefits of radar reflectors, the need for access to an illustrated table of the recognised life-saving signals, requirements around the assistance of other craft, the consequences of misuse of distress signals and more.

Full details can be found in Marine Notice No 30 of 2023 attached below.

The Department of Transport has issued an updated advisory for 2023 over the risk of vessels becoming entangled in ropes used in pot fishing.

Marine Notice No 31 of 2023 supersedes No 43 of 2021 and reminds all vessel owners, agents, shipmasters, skippers, fishers, yachtsmen, seafarers and those engaged in pot fishing about the risks of vessels’ propellers becoming entangled in ropes of marker buoys used to indicate the position of pots used for fishing lobster, crab or other fish or shellfish.

This can occur because the length of rope used to fix marker buoys is too long, resulting in the line floating on or just below the surface.

The use of too long a line of rope can result in a situation where even vessels that have taken a wide berth around marker buoys could have their propellers fouled by the rope.

Specifically, the department reminds those engaged in pot fishing not to use unsuitable ‘floats’ (eg empty drink cans, plastic bottles, dark-coloured floats, etc) which offer poor visibility and/or could be mistaken for floating debris.

Fishers who carry out pot fishing (whether commercially or non-commercially) are reminded of their obligations to other users of the sea.

Furthermore, non-commercial pot fishers are reminded of the regulations made by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine covering such activity (SI No 31 of 2016 - Non-Commercial Pot Fishing (Lobster and Crab) Regulations 2016) which, inter alia, limits the numbers of pots permitted per boat to a maximum of six, and such pot fishing to the months of May to September.

Any mariners who spot any marker buoys/ropes (or any other object) in the water, which they deem to represent a danger to navigation, should communicate information on same to other vessels in the area and to the Irish Coast Guard or to the local competent authority so that a hazard warning can be issued if appropriate, and any required follow-up action can be taken.

An updated guide on good practice for pots and marker buoys is included in Marine Notice No 31 of 2023 attached below.

The Ocean Research Conservation Association of Ireland (ORCA Ireland) intends to deploy a data buoy as an aid to navigation off the South Coast of Ireland this weekend.

The deployment will take place on Saturday 22 April, subject to weather and operational constraints. The buoy will remain in place until November.

The buoy will be deployed by the vessel Sabrina II (callsign EIQR2), a RO-RO barge. During the deployment, this vessel will be restricted in its ability to manoeuvre. All other vessels are requested to leave a wide berth during the deployment operation.

Further details, including coordinates, a map and contact information, can be found in Marine Notice No 32 of 2023 attached below.

Next Geosolutions will perform a detailed marine, geotechnical and UXO survey on behalf of Nexans for CIDAC as part of the Celtic Interconnector project.

These surveys will follow the planned route of the Celtic Interconnector offshore power cable route between the South East Coast of Ireland and the coast of France.

Works will begin on Saturday 29 April (subject to weather and operational constraints) and will take approximately 169 days, of which 26 will be within Irish waters.

The surveys will be conducted by two vessels for both offshore and nearshore operations. The OSV Relume (callsign C6TR4) will be conducting the detailed marine, geotechnical and UXO survey works in the offshore areas and operations will be conducted on a 24-hour basis. Nearshore operations will be conducted by the vessel Deep Volans (callsign PETL) on a 12-hours basis.

Both vessels will display the relevant lights and shapes during periods of restricted manoeuvrability and adhere to COLREGS and all licensing requirements.

During operations both vessels will be running survey lines, and all other vessels operating in the area are requested to leave a wide berth. Both survey vessels will keep a listening watch on VHF Channel 16 and will actively transmit an AIS signal. A listening watch will also be maintained on VTS VHF channels as appropriate.

Maps and coordinates of the survey areas as well as contact details can be found in Marine Notice No 29 of 2023 attached below.

Geotechnical site investigations will be conducted on the Codling Wind Park project site off the coast of Co Wicklow from early next month.

Project works will commence on Monday 8 May and continue through to late July, subject to weather and operational constraints.

The Codling Wind Park is an offshore wind energy project on the Codling Bank some 13km off the East Coast of Ireland. The geotechnical investigation (including boreholes and cone penetration tests) is intended to take place at 15 different locations within the project work site.

Operations will be conducted by the Dutch Pearl (callsign PBZP), a support vessel/tug, and the Excalibur (callsign YJKQ5), a jack-up barge, both of which are engaged in site investigations at the Kish and Bray banks this month.

The Excalibur will be positioned at each of the investigation points for several days which may extend in the event of inclement weather. The Dutch Pearl will be assisting the Excalibur in its daily operations and towing the barge between investigation points. The standby tug will be at anchor on the project site and will be conducting transits between the site and Dublin Port.

Both vessels will display the relevant light and shapes as required under COLREGS. Both vessels will keep continuous watch on VHF Channels 16 and 72. During operations, the vessels will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre. All other vessels are requested to leave a wide berth during the operations.

Contact details, a map and coordinates of the survey area can be found in Marine Notice No 28 of 2023, attached below.

Kish Offshore Wind Ltd and Bray Offshore Wind Ltd will be conducting geotechnical investigations on the Dublin Array project site and associated export cable corridor off the coast of counties Dublin and Wicklow from later this month.

The geotechnical investigations will include 27 vibrocores which will be sampled at locations within the offshore wind farm site. Project works will commence on Saturday 29 April and continue through to late May, subject to weather and operational constraints.

Investigations will be conducted within the Kish lease area, Bray lease area and the expert cable corridor, all of which are off the coast of counties Dublin and Wicklow.

Operations will be conducted by the multipurpose vessel Voe Vanguard (callsign MBEN9). The vessel will be positioned at each of the investigation points for approximately two hours, which may extend in the event of inclement weather.

The vessel is supplied with a VHF multi-channel radio and mobile phone. It will be operating 24 hours a day during the survey works and will display relevant lights and shapes as required under COLREGS.

All other vessels operating within the planned area of survey are requested to keep their distance and give a wide berth wherever possible.

Contact details, a map and coordinates of the survey area can be found in Marine Notice No 24 of 2023, attached below.

Vessel owners and operators, masters, skippers, fishers and seafarers are reminded of their responsibilities in relation to carrying out routine tasks and maintenance on board their vessels.

The advice from the Department of Transport comes on the foot of two incident reports from the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) published in November last year, which cover marine casualties that resulted in serious injury.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the MCIB has warned of the dangers of working on ships at height after a 29-year-old Polish national fell from the Arklow Clan while it was berthed in Aberdeen, Scotland in August 2021.

The casualty sustained injuries both legs that required extensive hospitalisation, multiple surgeries and rehab.

Also for Afloat.ie, Lorna Siggins wrote about the MCIB’s report into an incident on the trawler FV Marliona in Co Donegal in February 2021, whereby the skipper’s arm was trapped by a trawl door and it was only by the quick action of a crew member that he did not sustain more serious injury or even lose his life.

Marine Notice No 27 of 2023 draws attention to the International Labour Office publication titled Accident prevention on board ship at sea and in port, highlighting its sections on risk assessment and hazard identification, use of PPE, working at height, operating heavy equipment, the dangers associated with particular fishing methods such as trawling and dredging, and adherence to applicable work hours and rest legislation.

For more, see the Marine Notice attached below.

The Department of Transport has been advised that a geophysical survey will be undertaken in the North Celtic Sea to provide site investigation information to facilitate SSE Renewables’ development of the Celtic Sea Array.

This survey work is anticipated to commence next Monday 17 April and is expected to be complete by the end of May, subject to weather and operational constraints.

The campaign will be confined to the proposed Celtic Sea Array offshore wind site in the North Celtic Sea, off the coast of Co Waterford and situated on the Nymph Bank, approximately 23km from the coast at its closest point.

Works are being conducted on a 24-hour and 12-hour basis respectively by the Roman Rebel (callsign 2ICA5) and Lady Kathleen (callsign EIXT2), which are currently engaged in a similar survey for the Setanta Wind Park.

During operations, these vessels will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre due to the deployment of the towed survey equipment. They will also display appropriate lights and signals.

All other vessels are requested to leave a wide berth during the operations. Mariners are also advised to keep continuous watch on VHF Channel 16 when navigating the area.

For contact details, coordinates and a map of the survey area, see Marine Notice No 25 of 2023 attached below.

Following the first two legs between February and March, the third leg of this year’s Irish Anglerfish and Megrim Survey (IAMS 2022) will be carried out from Friday 14 to Sunday 23 April.

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

This leg of IAMS 2023 is a demersal trawl survey consisting of approximately 490 otter trawls, each of 60 minutes duration, in ICES areas 6a.

Fishing will take place within a three-nautical-mile radius of the positions indicated in Appendices 1 and 2 of Marine Notice No 21 of 2023, 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.

PSE Kinsale Energy Limited is undertaking an inshore pipeline survey along the route of a decommissioned pipeline from the Kinsale Gas Field.

Works will focus on the pipeline in the Celtic Sea close to Inch Beach in Co Cork.

The estimated duration of the survey is up to two days within a window from Friday 7 to Sunday 30 April, subject to weather and operational constraints.

Survey works will be conducted by the survey vessel Barnacle (callsign EIA2122) which will operate during daytime only and will display appropriate lights and signals.

Within the defined work areas, the vessel will be undertaking an acoustic survey using a multi-beam echo-sounder and a towed side-scan sonar.

All other vessels, particularly those engaged in fishing, are requested to leave a wide berth during the operations and to keep a sharp lookout in the relevant areas. The work vessel can be contacted on VHF Channel 13.

A map of the survey area, relevant coordinates and contact details are included in Marine Notice No 19 of 2023, attached below.