Posted: June 2, 2015
A new report has proposed an ambitious new tourist attraction for Cork that would open up its harbour to over 60km of recreational water trails for kayaking, canoeing, and other small vessels.
The Cork Harbour Blueway Feasibility Report, commissioned by South and East Cork Area Development (Secad), examined the feasibility of developing a recreational water activity trail in the greater Cork Harbour area. The report identified major potential trail areas, or Blueways: Cork City Blueway, Lough Mahon Blueway, West Passage Blueway, East Harbour Blueway, and the South Harbour Blueway.
Get the full story here.
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Posted: May 20, 2015
The summer of 2015 is one of great importance for the Port of Cork. With several Cruise Ships set to dock in our harbour, whether it be at the deep water berth in Ringaskiddy or at the dedicated cruise berth in Cobh, it looks like this summer will see Cork become the tourist destination of choice for many cruise passengers. Most recently the MSC Splendida stopped in the dedicated cruise berth in Cobh on Tuesday May 12th.
Before entering Dublin Port, which has 300m operational limit on ship length, MSC Splendida’s captain flew from Italy to Cork to practice the navigation on our high-tech bridge simulator at the National Maritime College of Ireland. The MSC Splendida had previously cruised into the history books with the arrival of the 333m long MSC Splendida cruise liner, the longest ship to ever call at Dublin Port.
She is one of 83 cruise calls confirmed for Dublin Port this year, which will see a total of 140,000 passengers arriving to sample the sights of Dublin. The MSC Cruises ship built in 2009 has 4,600 passengers and crew that were greeted by a Celtic-inspired welcome on the quayside. This featured a live ceili band, Irish drummers, dancers and entertainment before passengers departed for the city’s shops and attractions.
We can’t just let Dublin have all the credit though, Port of Cork is set to welcome a staggering 43 cruise ships by the end of October. Cruise companies are acknowledging the value of Port of Cork and what Cork has to offer its passengers.
With the proposed future development plans for the Port of Cork we are sure to see this figure increase in the coming years. For the full schedule why not check out the Port of Cork website here.
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Posted: May 12, 2015
Union asks UK government to lead new efforts to cut “appalling” death toll
Nautilus International is calling for the UK to lead a new and concerted drive to end the appalling litany of seafarer fatalities in enclosed spaces. You may remember we did a blog on this a few weeks ago. It can be found by clicking here.
The Union has written to shipping minister |John Hayes following an incident in which two seafarers died in a cargo hold of the Carisbrooke shipping general cargo vessel Sally Ann C in March.
Investigations into the incident – which took place off the coast of West Africa- are underway, but it is known that the chief office and chief engineer died after entering a hold where timber was stowed and the second officer had to be rescued after losing consciousness when he went to the aid of his colleagues.
In a letter to the minister, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said the case followed a ‘very familiar pattern of one crew member collapsing in an oxygen deficient area, and two more being overcome after entering the space without personal protection equipment in an attempt to rescue their colleagues’.
Mr Dickson said there is evidence to show that more seafarers die or are injured in enclosed spaces than through any other on board work activity.
‘Changes in ship design and operation, the nature of cargoes, the increasing amounts of chemicals being carried, along with reduced manning levels and radical changes in crewing practices are all factors which have driven the increase in such accidents’ he added.
He warned the minister that simply continuing to warn seafarers of the dangers is not sufficient, and he urged the UK to lead European and international efforts to develop fresh approaches to the issue.
Nautilus says mandatory training requirements are needed and IMO rules should ensure that all ships are equipped with oxygen to ensure crew can test the atmosphere in enclosed spaces.
‘Better consideration should be given during the design and build stages to address some of the inherent risks – and the arrangements for rescue in particular’ Mr Dickson added. ‘We believe that requirements for oxygen meters to be positioned at the entrance to enclosed spaces would reinforce to seafarers the potential risks that they face, as well as providing ready access to information about the state of such spaces’.
The Union is also calling for improvements to secure a much better standard of risk assessments – moving away from a generic assessment to one that addresses particular hazards or design features associated with each individual enclosed space.
‘The tragic accidents in the enclosed spaces have resulted in a spate of investigation reports and resulting recommendations, as well as a steady flow of material to reinforce the precautions that should be taken’ Mr Dickinson told the minister. ‘However, the continued death toll should surely tell us that something is wrong with this approach. I hope you can support our aim to deliver innovative thinking to address the situation and to find improved ways of tackling some of the fundamental problems. We really cannot afford to continue witnessing the shocking scale of fatalities that blight the industry’.
Three dock workers died in the Belgian port of Antwerp last month after entering the hold of a Hong Kong flagged general cargo ship to unload coal.
International Transport Workers’ Federation president Paddy Crumlin commented “Antwerp is a port where health and safety is taken very seriously, and, like the three men’s trade unions, we are confident that a full investigation will take place into what happened and how any resulting lessons can be implemented”.
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Posted: May 8, 2015
SEFtec NMCI Offshore (SNO) are delighted to announce that they have gained full membership with The International Association for Safety and Survival Training (IASST).
So who are The IASST?
The International Association for Safety and Survival Training was founded in 1980 by a group of major safety training providers whose aim was to enhance the quality of emergency response training by encouraging an interchange of knowledge and experience between training providers on a global basis. Since those early days, the membership has expanded dramatically into a truly international organisation with worldwide representation.
Within the Association there is a wide variety of expertise, which encompasses universities, nautical colleges and scientific institutions, as well as both privately and publicly owned safety training schools, professional organisations and manufacturers of all types of safety equipment.
We made the cut…
SNO officially made the list to become a full member this week and we couldn’t be more delighted. It is a privilege for us to be ranked among the top training centres in the world and to be part of an international organization whose mission is: “To facilitate the exchange of information on matters relating to safety in the maritime environment and to promote continuous improvement in safety and survival training internationally. The IASST aims to improve safety and survival training by sharing of best practice information between its members.”
Being part of this organization will enable us to further develop and strengthen our roots on an international level. Check out our membership information over here.
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Posted: April 21, 2015
Great news to report that NMCI Sailing Club successfully secured 3rd in France! As the only Irish team to compete in the “Hydro’s Cup” in Le Havre, Normandy, they certainly flew the Irish flag in style, with a top class performance. The boats in 1st and 2nd were two of the local teams who know the boats and waters very well. The top three boats finished within 40 seconds of each other in nearly every race, making for a superb spectacle. On board was: Conor Haughton – Nautical Science, Andy Verso– Marine Engineering, Rob Scandrett – Nautical Science, Audrius Kaminskas – Nautical Science, Aaron Little – Nautical Science.
Congratulations from the team here at NMCI Services.
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