SAILING: If ever the writing was on the wall, if ever a recipe for disaster was set to fulfil its destiny then look no further than Dun Laoghaire Harbour next week if significant avoidance measures aren't implemented.
As reported in recent weeks, Stena Line have amended their summer schedule to reduce the number of mid-week ferry sailings on their Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire route. The new arrival and departure time of the HSS Explorer conflicts at the worst possible point with Dublin Bay Sailing Club's popular club sailing series.
Under the mid-week schedule, the ferry is expected to berth in Dún Laoghaire around 5.45pm and thanks to its fast turnaround system, will depart the port before 6.30pm. Currently, the vessel sails from Dublin Bay at 4.30pm and returns less than five hours later.
However, the new arrival time clashes with the fleet of yachts leaving the harbour for club racing from 5.30pm onwards.
The busiest area of activity centres around the harbour fairway and approaches and on peak evenings, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and to a smaller extent Wednesdays; there can be upwards of 300 yachts of varying sizes in very close proximity.
According to industry sources, the revised sailing schedule is an inevitable response to increasing competition on the Irish Sea shipping corridor and the new timings are intended to optimise the carrier's services from the port of Holyhead.
The HSS vessel operates three return sailings year round. The revised schedule of two sailings per day will apply Monday to Thursday with the usual three services from Friday to Sunday.
It is understood that from next autumn, the latter services will also be reduced to the weekday schedule.
To date, responses from various organisations have varied from restating the harbour bye-laws that gives priority to commercial traffic over leisure vessels, issuing reminders that masters of vessels (including yachts) must observe the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea (IRPCS) and plans to place a small patrol craft close to the harbour entrance.
Although the likelihood of accident may be remote for most yachts, especially those with engine auxiliary power and provided proper look-out and adherence to regulations are maintained, certain conditions have in the past given rise to "near-miss" type incidents.
One scenario that causes particular concern is in light winds during spring tides that can set boats at a rate of two knots. Engineless yachts such as Glens, Flying 15s and Mermaids plus other dinghy classes allow for the tide affect which frequently means crossing to the centre of the harbour mouth and fairway.
If suddenly becalmed, the crew would be powerless to avoid hindering the approach or departure of the HSS ferry, which would in turn have limited manoeuvring options in the thronged harbour mouth area.
The berthing manoeuvre of the HSS ferry requires a large turning area that would present a hazard to a large number of small craft gathered there.
Whether compromise solutions are found to alleviate the problem, final responsibility falls to individual skippers to avoid collision situations, regardless of the cost to racing prospects.
