dún laoghaire harbour company

Major refurbishment of
Boatyard under way

A major refurbishment is currently taking place in and around the public Boatyard which will enhance the area for all. On the Patent Slipway (the official, nautical "nomenclature" of the apparatus!) the "turntable " already has its flooring renewed and rails painted; its next phase is the restoration of the cradles and placing of a boat upon one. In this way a memory to the Harbour's industrial heritage will be preserved and, although no longer in use, it will present how it operated.

The cradles were hauled up and down the slipway by a steel wire rope, the rope being lead (via snatch blocks) to the "winchhouse" (still standing at the far harbour wall). There are still a few remaining "strongpoints" set into the ground around the Boatyard, and also a continual heavy chain clamped to the base of the boatyard walls. These provided points for the "snatch blocks " (a single block with a hinged cheek (side) that permitted the hauling wire to be slipped directly onto the block - instead of having to thread it through like a needle!) and so enabled the cradle and /or boat to be hauled around to whatever location in the yard.

The cradles were then either dismantled or assembled under the boats, the boats propped up, and the cradle then hauled clear back to the slipway again. As is obvious, the health and safety risks of such activity nowadays is precluded in a public boatyard.

Over last winter the iron rails have been removed from the lowest section of the Patent Slipway and accumulated debris cleared from the seabed at its foot. This had the effect of widening the (directly) adjoining Boatyard's slipway, and indeed enhances it as the additional cleared slope is of a steeper incline and offers a further reach than the main slipway into the water in very low spring tides. Originally two handcranes were in place, one has been long removed and it is intended to refurbish and retain the remaining one as a heritage memory. The cranes were operated by two (removable) winding handles, one for slewing the crane around and the other for hauling / lowering.

A seven metre wide concrete pathway is being laid from the front to the back gates, and the remaining Boatyard surfaces (with the exception of existing granite paving stones that are being left intact) will be cleaned up, regraded and resurfaced.

The two rusted main gates will be replaced with new gates incorporating a pedestrian entrance and so allow the main gates to remain locked. This will allow four pedestrian entrances for the public to freely use during the day. A brand new, rollertype, swipe card operated gate will also be installed between the slipway and the Boatyard. Boatyard licensees will be issued with cards to operate the gate. The removal of open access for vehicular traffic to the Boatyard will provide greater security to those using the yard for storage.

At the public slipway an opening has been made in the wall at the head of the slipway and it provides direct access from the adjacent car park, and so removes the necessity of trailer drowning vehicles having to first traverse (as at present) the Boatyard.

The slipway itself has to be kept clear, and so with the vehicles and trailers concerned, once craft are launched, they are clear to return and make use of the car park. This will be of great convenience to those launching and recovering boats or jet skis for a few hours use.

New junior racing programme launched

The Harbour Company is very pleased to support a new initiative to develop junior sailing in the Harbour organised by the four Harbour waterfront clubs and the Irish National Sailing School.

A Friday evening junior race league will be held th from June 9 to July 28th for sailors under 19 st on January 1 2006 sailing in the Optimist, Mirror, Laser, 420, Feva, Topper, 420 and Py classes. There will be two back to back races each day with the first gun at 1630. On each of the race days, one club will be responsible for organising the racing and hosting the after sail activities. Racing will take place in, or in the vicinity of, Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Entries should be in by Wednesday 7th June to: - The Friday Junior Race League Secretary, Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, West Pier, Dun Laoghaire. Late entries will be accepted up to 6pm on each subsequent Wednesday.