… the grass is riz.
I wonder where the brand new fleet of aircraft is.
I would welcome news of sightings of the fleet of (presumably) floatplanes/seaplanes/amphibians that Harbour Flights is to have operating “early in the new year … from [sic] destinations nationwide”.
There is some discussion on Boards.ie here, by folk who appear to know one end of an aeroplane from the other; the later posts on the second page discuss suitable types of craft.
Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Natural heritage, Non-waterway, Operations, People, Safety, Scenery, Shannon, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged 172, 206, amphibian, boats, Cessna, Clare, Dublin, eagle, floatplane, Harbour Flights, Ireland, Lough Derg, Mountshannon, Operations, seaplane, Shannon, waterways, Waterways Ireland
As a result of the new provisions, exemptions from the requirement to register will apply in future only to recreational craft less than 24 m in load line length, other than personal watercraft and small fast-powered craft, and to warships.
The saintly Leo Varadkar speaking in the Senate on the second stage of the debate on the Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Bill 2013 on 15 April 2014.
Feargal Quinn said:
[…] I have previously mentioned the lack of a small ships register in this country. Therefore, it is impossible to trace the ownership of most private boats unless they have a current free Shannon licence. […] Specifically, I note that this Bill will not include recreational craft less than 24 m in load line length, other than personal watercraft and small fast powered craft, which are required to register, and that warships will not be required to register. Can the Minister elaborate on whether we could move towards having a small ships register and not only one for merchant shipping? […]
Are there any plans by the Government to adopt the UK model in this country, whereby every boat on the waterways must have a boat safety certificate, which includes checks on gas and fuel lines and such matters?
St Leo said (amongt other things):
Senators Quinn and Naughton asked about a small ships register. As far as I understand it, this legislation does not provide for the creation of a small ships register, although it provides for one register with different parts. I see the point being made and will consider it. To the best of my knowledge there is no requirement for mandatory insurance, but I will revert on the issue.
Waterways Ireland’s annual report for 2012 has now been published and is available for download here [PDF].
The English-language version begins on page 77 of 144; the earlier pages are devoted to an Irish-language version, that tongue being widely used in Belfast North.
The Ulster Scots Foreword gets in twice, but Dawn Livingstone is described as Chief Executive and not, alas, as Heid Fector. In a blow for parity of esteem, only the Foreword has been translated into the Hamely Tongue. And we continue to find “Waterways Ireland” translated as “Watterweys Airlann” in WI’s logo but as “Watterwyes Airlan” in the text. No wonder the shinners are running rings around the unionists [although I see that David Cameron intends to fix that].
Now I must read the report to see if I can spot why its publication was so long delayed, but we must welcome the success of the peace process that has reconciled the NI Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure with the roI Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
I suppose there’s be no chance of the 2013 report being published soon …?
Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Foreign parts, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Non-waterway, Operations, People, Politics, Sources, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged dahg, dcal, department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, department of culture arts and leisure, Ireland, Operations, peace process, Ulster Scots, waterways, Waterways Ireland
In the original version of this post, I wrote:
I don’t know whether the Irish Boat Rental Association [IBRA] still exists. I can’t find a website for it, although there are references to it, and information about it, on other websites. The online Eircom phone book doesn’t have an entry for it, although the Yelp directory has an address in Bray. This site may be IBRA’s, although I can’t find anything saying so. If you know the true position, do please let me know and I’ll amend this.
In a Comment, Steve Conlon said:
IBRA is most certainly alive and well. http://www.boatholidaysireland.com is IBRA’s portal site and the IBRA logo is prominently displayed on the top right hand corner of the page in question. IBRA members were also members of the Irish Marine Federation which explains the listing on their website. With regards to membership, this stands at 7 despite the current difficulties of Shannon Castle Line. Barrow Line Cruisers have recently joined as a full member of IBRA. The IBRA website and group brochure are currently being up dated and a new industry led study into the market for hire boats is being undertaken. IBRA is a member of ITIC, the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation. I hope that this clarifies.
And Sven Neubert said:
IBRA is still “alive and kickin’ ” and we do have regular meetings (next one in June). The webpage is indeed http://www.boatholidaysireland.com and the IBRA-logo can be clearly seen on it, in the top left corner.
But everything else you are saying on this subject is correct and the hire boat industry has suffered big time over the last number of years.
From my point of view this has been widely ignored by the powers to be. The industry may be too small, but some important people seem to forget, that we bring in many tourist every year, and a good share of them spend another while in the country. But that fact doesn’t appear in the statistics…
It is very sad to see the company of a colleague go, with Shannon Castle Line being one of the oldest IBRA members.
You can see my responses in the Comments.
CarrickCraft and Waveline have announced today that they will be merging after the 2014 season [the same press release is on the two websites]. The combined fleet of 125 boats is to be based at the CarrickCraft bases.
And, according to InsolvencyJournal.ie, receivers have been appointed to Skyline Entertainment Ltd and to Twinross Holdings Ltd, two of the companies that have registered the business name Shannon Castle Line. On 11 April 2014 that business name was registered by DDL Marine Limited, a company whose application to register with the Companies Registration Office was lodged on 7 March 2014. For both Skyline and Twinross,
Brian McEnery of BDO was appointed Receiver and Manager by Bank of Scotland Plc on 30th April 2014.
[Update] The 7 May 2014 issue of Iris Oifigiúil covers the matter.
The shrinking of the Shannon hire business, to which I have often drawn attention on this site, seems to be continuing.
Posted in Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged boats, Carrickcraft, Clare, Ireland, Lough Derg, Lough Ree, Operations, Shannon, Shannon Castle Line, Shannon-Erne Waterway, waterways, Waterways Ireland, Waveline
I have been pointing out for many years that the Mineral Oil Tax is paid by only a tiny minority of Irish boat-owners, although it should be paid by all those who use rebated (green) diesel for propulsion of private pleasure craft. You can read my previous postings here, here, here and here, with information on how to pay, in 2014, the tax due for 2013 here.
Twelve months ago I gave the figures for the years 2009–2012.
In 2010, 38 boat-owners paid the tax for 2009.
In 2011, 41 boat-owners paid the tax for 2010.
In 2012, 22 boat-owners paid the tax for 2011. The total amount received was €53,398.58 on 141,503.29 litres of diesel, an average of 6432.1 litres per return; I reckoned that much of that figure was accounted for by the hire fleets.
In 2013, 23 boat-owners paid the tax for 2012. The total amount received was €113,841.45 on 301,674 litres of diesel. I was unable to explain the increase.
I now have the latest figures. In 2014, 20 boat-owners paid the tax for 2013. The amount received was €105,561.74 on 279,842.4 litres of diesel. This is the smallest number of returns since the idiotic tax was introduced.
I have suggested to the Revenue Commissioners that they should compare the reported total number of litres of diesel bought with the total sales reported by those Licensed Marked Fuel Traders who sell at marinas. The licensing system has been in operation since October 2012 so Revenue should be able to determine the total sales for 2013 and compare them with the reported purchases. The match is unlikely to be exact but the orders of magnitude would be interesting. If Revenue releases the figures to me I will report them here.
Posted in Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Politics, Sea, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged excise, green diesel, Ireland, licensed marked fuel traders, mineral oil tax, private pleasure craft, Revenue
On 1 April 1976 the business name Shannon Castle Line was registered. Its address was Williamstown Harbour, Whitegate, Co Clare. The business number was 57837.
On 6 July 1999 a statement of particulars for the business name Shannon Castle Line was registered. The company Skyline Entertainment Limited had adopted the business name on 11 June 1999; its business was Hire of cruiser fleet.
On 25 April 2005 the business name Shannon Castle Line was registered by a company named Twinross Holdings Limited; its business was as a holding company. The company number was 299191.
On 11 April 2014 the business name Shannon Castle Line was registered by DDL Marine Limited, whose business is the renting of water transport equipment. DDL’s application to register was received by the Companies Registration Office on 7 March 2014.
All companies gave their address as Williamstown Harbour, [Whitegate,] Co Clare.
I am unable to reach the website of Shannon Castle Line, which is a member of the Irish Marine Federation.
There were once four cruiser hire firms on Lough Derg below Portumna Bridge, plus Emerald Star just above it.
Posted in Charles Wye Williams, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged Clare, Lough Derg, Operations, Shannon, Shannon Castle Line, Waterways Ireland, Whitegate, Williamstown
Yes, folks, the Waterways Ireland waterways are not the only ones that come under the scrutiny of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: the Lakes of Killarney are in there too. And the managment system was outlined in the Dáil.
Posted in Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Operations, People, Politics, Scenery, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management
Tagged department of arts heritage and the gaeltacht, Ireland, Lakes of Killarney, waterways
Irish waterways history 