Some might have mistaken them in the past few days for eco-warriors bound for Mutton Island, but Marguerite and Finbarr O'Regan have no intention of camping out among the rocks and rats in Galway Bay. Business and weather permitting, they intend to stick to the water this summer in their rigid inflatable boat (RIB) Celtic Raider.
The couple, who are both qualified instructors in adventure sports, have just been licensed by the Department of the Marine to carry 12 passengers on trips in the bay. But if anyone is under the illusion that setting up a marine leisure enterprise is easy, their experience over the last 18 months will certainly shatter that.
Finbarr, who is an advanced powerboat and sailing instructor, has additional expertise in windsurfing, rock-climbing, hillwalking and archery. Marguerite is a busy mother and former instructor at the Little Killary Adventure Centre, with a particular interest in both watersports and rock-climbing.
Having moved to Knocknacarra in Galway, the couple's initial plan was to run corporate outings, such as day-trips to Kinvara and Ballyvaughan, Co Clare; to serve as a rescue vessel for windsurfing and provide transport for divers; and to host shore-based navigation courses in the winter months. They set up a company, Bow Waves, and began looking for support, and a boat.
The initial response was encouraging, at a time when the Marine Institute had published a policy document on marine leisure. The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, predicted that there could be thousands of jobs in the sector. Yet the couple found many hurdles, including a multiplicity of agencies to deal with. The fact that their craft did not fit into certain bureaucratic categories made for some trying months.
They both agree that safety regulations are more than necessary, and have done much themselves to contribute to a safety culture among the younger generation. But too much red tape can deter the faint-hearted, and those without their determination and persistence could be tempted to break the law.
Significantly, this is borne out by the Brady Shipman Martin report for the Irish Sailing Association (ISA), published earlier this year, which identified over-regulation as a threat to development of that particular sector. It was critical of the fact that several government departments, State agencies and local authorities all share responsibility for the development of water-based activities.
It recommended the establishment of an inter-departmental committee to oversee the co-ordination of policies, programmes and actions related to leisure boating activities, a body which could also play a role in a coherent policy on national water safety.
Meanwhile, the 6.3-metre Celtic Raider has already begun working from Claddagh Quay, and is fully kitted out to Department of Marine and ISA standards.