Category Archives: Water sports activities

Stands the church clock at ten to three?

Posted on Monday 25 March 2013 | Leave a comment

No, but the number of licensed sellers of green diesel along the Shannon stands at seven.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Politics, Shannon, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

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NAMA the boat-owner

Posted on Wednesday 20 March 2013 | Leave a comment

I asked NAMA (or rather its PR agency) how many private pleasure craft (boats) are “in NAMA”, having been owned by individuals or companies whose loans are now with NAMA.

I was told that “[…] the Agency has had an interest in less than five boats; all bar one of these have been sold.”

My guess is that that means four boats, which is not many, although I don’t see why private pleasure craft should be business assets (other than for, say, hire firms) in the first place. I don’t know whether any of them were based on inland waterways.

I have not asked banks or other lenders how many boats they have had in their fleets.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, Politics, Sources, Water sports activities, waterways

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Lock sizes on the Shannon Navigation

Posted on Wednesday 20 March 2013 | Leave a comment

Some figures.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Restoration and rebuilding, Shannon, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, The turf trade, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

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Buying diesel

Posted on Tuesday 19 March 2013 | Leave a comment

The Revenue Commissioners’ latest list of holders of marked fuel trader’s licences doesn’t seem to have any new names on it. So, as far as I can see, there are no licensed sellers on the Grand Canal, the Royal Canal, the Barrow, the Shannon–Erne Waterway or that part of the Erne in the republic. There are seven licensed sellers on the Shannon, with none north of Carrick-on-Shannon or south of Portumna. The seven licensed sellers are (north to south):

  • CarrickCraft, Carrick-on-Shannon
  • Emerald Star, Carrick-on-Shannon
  • Rooskey Craft & Tackle, Rooskey Quay
  • Hanley’s Marina, Ballyleague (opposite Lanesborough)
  • Quigley’s Marina, Killinure, Lough Ree
  • CarrickCraft, Banagher
  • Emerald Star, Portumna.

If I’ve left anybody out, please let me know and I’ll correct my error.

Note that the requirement for a licence includes anyone delivering green diesel, or keeping it for delivery, so that purporting not to charge for the diesel makes no difference.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Politics, Shannon, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

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Quoth the raving …

Posted on Monday 11 March 2013 | Leave a comment

… never! More? No, not if you mean Shannon-based fuel suppliers: I can’t find any more on the latest list.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Extant waterways, Ireland, Operations, Politics, Scenery, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways

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Sailing in the Lowtown high

Posted on Friday 8 March 2013 | Leave a comment

WI & L&MK at Lowtown, with pics and map, here.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Charles Wye Williams, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Operations, Restoration and rebuilding, Sources, Steamers, The cattle trade, The turf trade, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

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The last round-up

Posted on Monday 4 March 2013 | Leave a comment

A press release from Waterways Ireland says:

Since November 2012 Waterways Ireland has offered Boaters on the Grand Canal, Barrow Navigation and Royal Canal a new Extended Mooring Permit which enables the boat to remain in a single location for more than five days. Extended Mooring Locations have been offered at two week intervals until the 4th March when the final 2013 locations will open. In total, 68 Extended Mooring Locations will have been offered across urban and rural locations on the three waterways. Each location has multiple moorings available; more than ample space for every boat currently on the system should all wish to apply. More locations are being prepared should demand increase.

Applications for the last set of locations begin on March 4th 2013. On the Barrow extended mooring locations will open at Moneybeg, Co Carlow and Lowtown, Co Kildare and on the Grand Canal at Derrymullen, Ticknevin and Allenwood Middle also in Co Kildare.

There follows the usual material about enforcement, which can be read here.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Sources, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

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On wires and worked with steam*

Posted on Monday 4 March 2013 | 2 comments

Thanks again to Paul Quinn for another set of photographs, this time of the newly-installed wakeboarding system thingie in Grand Canal Dock, Dublin, which is to be opened on 9 March 2013.

Wakeboarding, as I understand it, involves dressing up in brightly coloured plastics, standing on a plank and being towed around behind a boat. I don’t myself see the appeal, being more the sedentary sort, but chacun a son gout, as the French don’t say, apparently, although why they’re supposed to know anything about it I don’t … but I digress. The wakeboarding system thingie seems to allow wakeboarding without a boat; it might also require less sea room.

A system was installed temporarily last year; there is information about it here. I don’t know whether that is the same system as has now been installed. You can read the environmental report here [PDF]. Waterways Ireland tells me that

Waterways Ireland has entered into a three year commercial operating licence agreement with Colin Harris T/A Wakedock Ltd., to place and operate a mobile wakeboarding system in Grand Canal Dock.

There seems to be an association between Wakedock and the Surfdock business in the Naomh Éanna, although Wakedock also has its own website.

I asked Waterways Ireland how much it was earning from this; it refused to tell me:

Waterways Ireland do not release license fees charged to individual commercial licence holders as this would be detrimental to our business interest in future license fee valuations.

DSCF0958

A tower tower

from grand canal theatre.

Looking from Grand Canal Theatre: note the white ramps

from hanover quay.

Seen from Hanover Quay

looking east towards ringsend

The ramps (looking east towards Ringsend)

looking south from hanover quay at ramps.

A close-up from Hanover Quay

looking south from hanover quay.approx.25 meters

The Naomh Éanna in the background

looking south from sea locks.aprox 50 meters

About 50m from the sea locks

looking west to gallery quay.

Looking west to Gallery Quay

ramp with dredger at charlotte quay.

Ramp in the foreground; excavator at Charlotte Quay in the background

ramps and far line support

Ramps and western line support

ramps and new position of naomh eanna.

Naomh Éanne in its new position

Waterways Ireland tells me that:

When agreeing the location, consideration was given to maintaining access to the pump-out on Hanover Quay and also access to vessels wishing to enter via the lock gates. No detrimental impact on navigation for other users is anticipated.

WI kindly provided this map.

GCD wakeboarding map

GCD wakeboarding map

Semper aliquid novi Africam adferre, as my old grandmother used to say.

 

* see The Third Policeman

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Drainage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Operations, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

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No new thing …

Posted on Monday 4 March 2013 | Leave a comment

… has arisen: Friday’s list of holders of marked fuel traders’ licences did not, as far as I could see, include any new Shannon-based suppliers. Oh well; there should be more news tomorrow.

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Posted in Ashore, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Operations, People, Politics, Shannon, Water sports activities, waterways

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News from the Suir

Posted on Friday 1 March 2013 | 2 comments

Some chap from Limerick has been quoted in the Nationalist (Clonmel) as supporting South Tipperary County Council’s proposed taking in charge of the towing-path between Carrick-on-Suir and Clonmel.

And Carrick-on-Suir River Rescue needs help raising funds to buy a premises.

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Posted in Ashore, Built heritage, Economic activities, Engineering and construction, Extant waterways, Forgotten navigations, Industrial heritage, Ireland, Irish inland waterways vessels, Irish waterways general, Natural heritage, Operations, People, Restoration and rebuilding, Scenery, Sources, Suir, Tourism, Water sports activities, waterways, Waterways management

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