Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) – Deployment in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

Marine Notice No. 09 of 2019
Notice to all Shipowners, Fishing Vessel Owners, Agents, Shipmasters, Skippers, Fishers, Yachtsmen and Seafarers

The ADP frames to be deployed on the seabed (image clearly showing the ADCP seabed frame with ADCP and Recovery Buoy inside the frame).

The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has been advised thatTechWorks Marine Ltd are planning on deploying 4 Trawl-resistant bottommounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) frames in Dungarvan, Co.Waterford,   at locations provided below and also shown on the accompanyingAdmiralty Chart (please refer to Appendix A).

TechWorks Marine Ltd intend to deploy the ADCPs on the next neap tide betweenthe 22nd and 26th April 2019 depending on the weather. If the deployment isdelayed due to the weather, the deployment will be carried out on the next viable tide and weather window.

The frames will be on the seafloor for a minimum period of one calendar monthand a maximum period of two months (weather permitting). The ADCPs will bemeasuring currents through the water column at each location over thedeployment. This data will be used to validate a Hydrodynamic model of the areabeing developed for Irish Water.

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Not all navigation lights are created equal.

Navigation lights intended for use on power driven vessels may be different from navigation lights intended for use on sailing vessels. Although the horizontal arc of visibility is the same for all lights, the vertical divergence (i.e. vertical arc of visibility) requirements for lights on vessels under sail are larger to accommodate greater heeling. Manufacturer labeling may not discriminate between the different requirements. Navigation lights that claim compliance with the navigation rules1 may meet the vertical visibility requirements for a power-driven vessel, however, they may not comply with the vertical visibility standards for sailing vessels. Manufacturer labeling may not indicate that the lights are designed for use on power-driven vessels only.

Annex I (COLREGs section 10 and Inland 33 C.F.R. part 84.16 “Vertical sectors”) prescribes the degrees and intensities that navigation lights must meet on the vertical plane. Many boat owners may not be aware of the +/- 25° vertical light divergence requirement for sailing vessels, a 17.5° increase from the power-driven vessel standard. Installing a navigation light, designed for use on a power-driven vessel, on a sailing vessel may result in the light losing visibility when the vessel heels beyond the narrower +/- 7.5° vertical divergence angle established for power-driven vessels. A sailing vessel operator in this situation would likely not realize that the sailing vessel’s lights were not visible when heeling beyond 7.5°.

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Hydrographic and Geophysical Surveys in the Celtic Sea and Atlantic Ocean during 2019

Marine Notice No. 08 of 2019
Notice to all Shipowners, Fishing Vessel Owners, Agents, Shipmasters, Skippers, Fishers and Seafarers

The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has been advised that hydrographic and geophysical surveys will be undertaken in the Celtic sea andAtlantic Ocean under the INFOMAR (Integrated Mapping for the SustainableDevelopment of Ireland’s Marine Resources) programme, between April andOctober 2019.

The vessels involved are as follows, Marine Institute vessels: the ‘RV CelticVoyager’ (Callsign: EIQN) and the ‘RV Celtic Explorer’ (Callsign: EIGB) and Geological Survey Ireland Vessels: the ‘RV Keary’ (Callsign: EI-GO-9), the ‘RVGeo’ (Callsign: EI-DK-6), the ‘RV Mallet’ (Callsign: EI-SN-9), and the ‘RV Lir’ (Callsign: EI-HI-2).

The ‘RV Celtic Voyager’ and the ‘RV Celtic Explorer’ will be towing amagnetometer sensor  with  a  single  cable  of  up  to  200  metres  in  length.  The  vessels  will  display appropriate  lights  and  markers.  The  vessels  will  be  listening  on  VHF  Channel  16 throughout the course of the surveys.

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Lowrance®, Simrad® & B&G® Announce Products Will Not Be Affected by GPS Week Rollover

Lowrance, Simrad and B&G – leading brands in the design and manufacture of world-class marine navigation, autopilot, radar, communications and fishfinding systems – announced today that the 2019 GPS Week Rollover will not adversely impact their products. Experts in Research and Development from Lowrance, Simrad and B&G have been preparing for the upcoming event for months, testing a wide range of equipment and have confirmed that all current generation devices are 100-percent compatible with the GPS rollover event.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has its own date and time scale based on counting weeks and seconds within a week; however, the field that contains the week number is limited to 1024. A GPS rollover event occurs when this counter reaches week 1023 and then rolls back to week 0. The event happens approximately every 20 years, with the upcoming GPS Week Rollover taking place on April 6, 2019. This will be the second time the rollover has occurred.

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The extent of sea ice in the Bering Sea has dropped lower than it has been since written records began in 1850.

Bering in dire straits - contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2019), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

The Bering Strait is a sea passage that separates Russia and Alaska. It is usually covered with sea ice at this time of year – but as this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission on 7 March 2019 shows, it is virtually ice-free.

The Bering Strait is a narrow passage - around 80 km wide - connecting the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. The few patches of sea ice are shown in light-blue colours.

The extent of sea ice in the Bering Sea has dropped lower than it has been since written records began in 1850, and is most likely because of warm air and water temperatures. On average, the fluctuating sea ice in this region increases until early April, depending on wind and wave movement.

According to the National Snow & Ice Data Center, between 27 January to 3 March 2019, sea-ice extent decreased from 566 000 sq km to 193 000 sq km. Sea ice was also exceptionally low last year, but it has been reported that this March the extent of sea ice is the lowest in the 40-year satellite record.

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Processing Applications for National Officer/Rating Endorsements that Expire on March 24, 2019

The Coast Guard amended regulations to qualify for national officer and rating endorsements in a final rule titled Implementation of the Amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, and Changes to National Endorsements (78 FR 77796).  The rule was published on December 24, 2013.  The portions applicable to national endorsements became effective on March 24, 2014.

The final rule provided grandfathering provisions for mariners who began the service and/or training for their endorsement before March 24, 2014.  Under these grandfathering provisions, mariners who began service or training for a national endorsement may qualify for the endorsement under the regulation and polices existing before March 24, 2014, provided they apply for the endorsement before March 24, 2019.

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The shipwreck that changed the Coast Guard forever

Story and artwork by Petty Officer 2nd Class Corinne Zilnicki

When the clock tolled 12 a.m. on Feb. 12, 1983, the 605-foot cargo ship Marine Electric trekked northward 30 miles off Virginia's Eastern Shore, plowing slowly through the gale-force winds and waves stirred up by a winter storm.

An able-bodied seaman relieved the watch and peered forward, noticing for the first time that the ship's bow seemed to be riding unusually low in the water. Dense curls of green ocean rushed over the bow, some of them arching 10 feet over the deck before crashing back down. The crew had been battling 25-foot waves for hours, but until now, the bow had bucked and dipped as normal.

Now it seemed only to dip.

Over the next two hours, the waves intruded with increasing vigor. The entire foredeck was swallowed in 6 feet of water. The main deck was completely awash.

At 2:30 a.m., the ship's master, Phillip Corl, summoned his chief mate, Robert Cusick, to the bridge and shared his fears: the bow was settling, they were taking on too much water, and the crew was in real trouble.

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Port Facility Security Assessments & Port Security Assessments 01/07/2019 - 30/06/2024

Marine Notice No. 03 of 2019

Notice to Port Authorities, Port Security Officers and Port Facility Security Officers, Recognised Security Organisations (Ports)

The Department wishes to inform Port Authorities, Port Security Officers and Port Facility Security Officers of the procedure and arrangements in place for the completion and review of security assessments required for the period 2019 -2024 as per the requirements of Directive 65/2005/EC and Regulation 725/04/EC (ISPS).

Port Security Assessment

A new Port Security Assessment (PSA) template has been developed pursuant to the European Communities (Port Security) Regulations 2007 (transposing Directive 2005/65/EC). See PSA template.  The port authority or the entity responsible for the port will organise the PSA to be carried out by a Recognised Security Organisation (Ports).   A single PSA document must be completed for each port and is to be submitted by the Port Authority / Company to the SafeSeasIreland (SSI) portal.  (This is to be submitted in SSI using the page corresponding to the “Main Facility” in each port).

Port Facility Security Assessment

A new Port Facility Security Assessment (PFSA) template has been developed pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 725/2004 (ISPS).  See PFSA template.  This is to be completed for every port facility. The port facility security officer will organise the PFSA to be carried out by a Recognised Security Organisation (Ports). This template also includes the waterside assessment of the port facility area.  The PFSO should liaise with the Port Security Office / Harbour Master, to ensure as far as possible, that the waterside assessment for the facility is complementary to the waterside assessment for the wider port area contained in the PSA.  The completed PFSA is to be submitted by the Port Authority / Company to the SafeSeasIreland (SSI) portal.

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Coast Guard urges caution ahead of heavy weather conditions along California coast

A Coast Guard Station Humboldt Bay 47-foot Motor Lifeboat conducting surf training in heavy weather.

The Coast Guard encourages mariners to prepare for heavy sea conditions and high winds, which are expected to impact the California region over the next few days.

The San Francisco Bay Area is expected to experience gale-force winds up to 40 knots and seas up to 11 feet.  

The Los Angeles area is expected to experience winds up to 35 knots and seas up to 9 feet.

"We encourage boaters to avoid the incoming severe weather if possible," said Lt. Cmdr. John Suckow, Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach incident management division chief. "Mariners who need to get underway in these conditions should make sure they check all their survival and safety equipment before going out."

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Draft Merchant Mariner Medical Manual Notification of Availability and Request for Comments

Revised Comment Period: Draft Merchant Mariner Medical Manual Notification of Availability and Request for Comments

The Coast Guard is seeking public comment regarding the draft Merchant Mariner Medical Manual. The guidance in this manual should assist medical practitioners, the maritime industry, individual mariners, and Coast Guard personnel in evaluating mariner applicants’ physical and medical statuses to meet the requirements of the merchant mariner medical certificate. This draft commandant instruction manual incorporates and consolidates prior guidance on the medical evaluation of merchant mariners contained in several Coast Guard documents. The manual includes guidance on the medical certificate and related processes, including procedures for application, issuance, and cancellation of the medical certificate.

The Coast Guard requests public comment on the draft Medical Manual, with emphasis on its readability, clarity, and ease of use. We welcome suggestions on how the manual can be improved.

We are particularly interested in whether the draft manual adequately addresses safety concerns in situations where the Coast Guard receives information indicating that a medical certificate holder has developed a medical condition that poses a significant risk of sudden incapacitation, or is taking a medication that poses a significant risk of impairment.

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