L&MK@GCD

On 10 January 2013 Waterways Ireland issued its Marine Notice 3/2013:

MARINE NOTICE 3/2013

GRAND CANAL RINGSEND BASIN – Remedial Works and Restrictions to Navigation

Waterways Ireland wishes to advise all masters and users of Ringsend Basin that major renovations of Ringsend Basin will commence on 14 January 2013. It is expected that these works will continue until mid May.

Diving operations will commence on 14 January which will involve strengthening quay walls at Charlotte Quay, replacement of slipway and installation of stop planks at Camden Lock (Large Sea Lock).

All works will take place from pontoons adjacent to area of works. Warning markers will be placed as required to advise all users of the basin.

As a result of the planned works water levels in the basin may fluctuate. Owners and masters of vessels moored on both Charlotte and Hanover Quays are advised to tend their mooring lines as required. Vessels may be required to move to facilitate works on Charlotte Quay. Advance notice will be given where possible.

Masters are requested to keep vessels clear of all works and comply with instructions from safety craft in the works areas.

Waterways Ireland thanks its customers for their cooperation in this matter.

Charles Lawn, Lt Cdr (rtd), Inspector of Navigation […]

Paul Quinn has very kindly supplied some photos of the works in progress; he owns the copyright but has permitted the photos to be used here. The sketch map below was kindly supplied by Waterways Ireland and the extract from the ~1840 map is courtesy of Ordnance Survey Ireland.

Update 24 April 2013: see the end of the page for some additional photos, kindly supplied by Paul Quinn, of the completed slipway and the strengthening of Hanover Quay. And see here for Paul’s photos of the new wakeboarding installation in GCD.

The works are being carried out by L & M Keating of Kilmihil, Co Clare, in conjunction with Marine Specialists Ltd of Foulksmills, Co Wexford. The same combination worked on dredging in Limerick; both companies have interesting photos on their website.

Plot 8

I have written before about the dry docks (graving docks) area of the Grand Canal Docks, which was known as Plot 8. In the throes of Celtic Tiger optimism, Waterways Ireland got into bed with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority [DDDA] to develop the area. The Irish government, with no justification that I could see, decided that WI’s take from Plot 8 (and from selling two other Dublin properties) could be seized to enable the government to honour its rash promise to fund the reconstruction of the Clones Sheugh (part of the abandoned Ulster Canal). The property crash prevented profitable development and the DDDA’s interesst in the site moved to NAMA; NamaWineLake commented on the matter.

The current work

The current work seems to be taking place around the edges of Plot 8; I don’t know whether NAMA had to be consulted.

The Marine Notice says that the work has three elements:

• strengthening quay walls at Charlotte Quay
• replacement of slipway
• installation of stop planks at Camden Lock.

Work at Camden Lock (the largest of the three tidal locks) doesn’t seem to have started yet, but the other two elements are under way.

It may help to start by looking at a map.

Charlotte Quay is the south quay of the outer dock. There were three graving docks along the east quay; the current slipway is in the entrance to the largest dock, which is filled in.

Strengthening the quay walls

We think the large white panel is shuttering for pouring cement, but are open to correction.

Here are two new photos of the work, kindly supplied by Paul Quinn in April 2013.

 

The slipway

It seemed from the photos that the slipway would extend towards the present position of the Naomh Éanna, so I asked Waterways Ireland about that. They kindly provided this sketch, showing that the Naomh Éanna will be moved a little backwards.

Waterways Ireland says that the slipway is being lengthened to provide a 1:10 gradient to suit the Viking Splash DUKWs.

Here is a photo of the completed slipway.

Paul Quinn says:

The new slipway is finished and in use. It is a full width of the entrance to the third and largest of the graving docks (filled in). The old slip was about half the width.

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