Marine Notice No. 35 of 2021
Notice to all Shipowners, Fishing Vessel Owners, Agents, Shipmasters, Skippers, Fishers, Yachtsmen and Seafarers
1. Notice of activity
The Department of Transport has been advised of a Geophysical Marine Route Survey Operation taking place in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. The survey activity is scheduled to begin on 7 June 2021 and will be completed by early November 2021, weather permitting.
2. Location of Activity
All survey activities will take place within the Irish TS, Irish CZ and Irish EEZ. Coordinates of major boundaries along the survey route, together with estimated dates at which the vessel is likely to be in position, are summarized below.
3. Vessel Details and Safety Information
The survey will be conducted by the “RV Ridley Thomas” (callsign: V7JK2). The vessel will undertake 24/7 cable route survey operations. Survey operations will include the stern deployment of a sonar towfish tethered with steel cable at varying water depths, to collect geophysical/bathymetric mapping data for a proposed undersea telecommunications cable. The towfish towing wire layback will be 3 times the water depth behind the vessel stern. The maximum depth of the tow operations will be 100 metres. The sonar sensor will be towed approximately 20-40 metres from the seafloor.
Geophysical Route Survey Operations:
Northeast Atlantic Ocean.
The survey corridor is 500 metres centred on the survey centreline and will include cone penetration tests and gravity coring. This will take place outside of the 12 nautical miles boundary only to the end of survey operations within the EEZ; total length of the centreline is approximately 175 kilometres.
The vessel will be Monitoring Channels VHF 16 & 13. The vessel will display appropriate lights and signals. All vessels operating within this area are requested to keep their distance, maintaining a safety zone around the survey vessel, and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash.
4. Contact Details
For any fisheries related queries, please contact:
Jim McMahon on +353 (0)1 8536500 or at jim@mdmeng.ie
All mariners are reminded of their responsibilities under the International Collision Regulations and are reminded of Marine Notice No. 17 of 2007, which gives general advice in relation to the activities of vessels engaged in survey work for hydrographic, seismic, fishing research and underwater operations.
The International Regulations for Prevention of Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) are implemented in Irish law by the Merchant Shipping (Collision Regulations) (Ships and Water Craft on the Water) Order 2012 [S.I. No. 507 of 2012], and the Signals of Distress (Ships) Rules 2012 [S.I. No.170 of 2012]. See Marine Notice No. 06 of 2013. These Statutory Instruments may be purchased by mail order from Government Publications, Office of Public Works, 52 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2. Tel: (01) 6476834/1890-213434. They are also available online at: www.irishstatutebook.ie.
Note: Marine Notices are issued purely for maritime safety and navigation reasons and should not be construed as conferring rights or granting permissions.
Irish Maritime Administration,
Department of Transport,
Leeson Lane, Dublin 2, D02 TR60, Ireland.
31/05/2021
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