More Changes More Challenges
Kieran O'Higgins
For the past two years, I have mentioned change as a fact of life in our modern world. There was a time when, following a period of significant change, came a period of stability when things would settle down allowing us to draw our breath before embarking on the next program of change. Today's world is different. New technology, new ways of working, global competition and global factors increasingly mean that we cannot remain cocooned and isolated. This is especially the case in today's challenging climate both at home and abroad. The world outside places increasing demands on us to perform better, more competitively and more efficiently. One of the key issues in the past year has been the push for commonality of service and systems across the three General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs).
GLA Fleet
Last year I wrote about the GLA Fleet Review that was to take place in 2009. The review examined the work loads of the individual GLAs, types and capability of their vessels and assessed whether they were sufficient for our collective needs or indeed in excess of requirements. A secondary part of this review was to examine whether the GLAs are utilising their vessels efficiently and whether centralised fleet management was a serious and viable option.
Following a tender competition C-Mar were appointed as Consultants in October 2008. As part of the review process C-Mar visited each of the three GLAs to assess their work requirements and to interview key personnel. They combined the definitive lists of the three GLAs into a Geographic Information System compatible database (GIS) to help them fully understand the work requirements. They visited each of the ships, reviewed the historical work performed, the operational capability, and looked at the work methodology. In March 2009 C-Mar produced their recommendations. The key findings of which are:
Fleet Review-The current fleet of 6 vessels (Granuaile, Galatea, Pharos, Patricia, Pole Star and Alert) is the appropriate size to meet our requirements to 2020. Additional chartered vessel support will also be used on a localised basis as required. The Patricia is due to be de-commissioned in 2012 and will be replaced while the Granuaile and Pole Star will require modest mid-life upgrades to ensure their continued operation through to 2020. C-Mar paid particular importance to the emergency response capability of the GLAs.
Centralised Fleet Management-The fleet should be managed by an intra-GLA team, comprised of seconded personnel from the individual GLAs and supported by the individual GLAs' core support staff. They also made recommendations regarding planning and management software as well as working towards standard operating procedures across the fleet. While the three GLAs accept the principles of these recommendations, further and detailed work is being carried out to ensure firstly that the recommendations are practical and secondly that the outcomes can be achieved without either increasing cost or adding additional lines of communication or bureaucracy.
Granuaile Activities
As she approaches 10 years of age, the Granuaile continues to work effectively and efficiently around the coast. In September she went in to dry-dock in Birkenhead for 2 weeks for her special 10 year survey. This was also an opportunity to up-grade some systems and overhaul others. By and large there were not too many surprises and the vessel has been given a clean bill of health. A notable activity this year has been her assistance in the lighting of previously unlit beacons. An unlit beacon is of limited value to the mariner in the dark and recent advances in the development of integrated solar panel, battery and lantern units allows these jobs to be carried out in a very cost effective manner.
Granuaile also continues to carry out contract work which helps defray the costs of delivering CIL services in general. Most notable this year was the charter to Kinsale Energy Ltd for the provision of ship support for Remote Operated Vessel (ROV) inspections of the underwater structure of the gas platforms off Kinsale. The contract involved working at close quarters, on occasions only 5 metres away from the rig, which required considerable skill and nerve. Captain Harry McClenahan and his crew spent some 4 weeks working on this contract which was carried out to the entire satisfaction of the client.
Withdrawal of Major Floating Aids (MFAs)
Our programme of withdrawing MFAs continued this year with the withdrawal of the South Rock Lightfloat and the Arklow Lanby. 25 February witnessed the withdrawal of the South Rock Lightfloat and her replacement by a port lateral Superbuoy. Following the ceremony, she was taken in tow by Granuaile for her final voyage to Dun Laoghaire. The Arklow Lanby was withdrawn from station on 22 May and was replaced by a south cardinal superbuoy. The Codling Lanby, which is the last remaining Lanby, is scheduled to be withdrawn from service in June 2010 and will be replaced by an east cardinal superbuoy. We in Irish Lights will always be indebted to the skill and dedication of the many lightshipmen who have served on our lightships over the years. Their's was a lonely existence, living in cramped conditions and secured to the seabed by a single anchor. Maintaining the light was their only concern, a task they carried out with great professionalism and often at considerable personal risk to themselves.
Calendar-200 years of CIL
This year we have broken from our tradition of selecting lighthouse and ship pictures for our calendar. In 1810 the Corporation for Improving the Port of Dublin was made responsible for the provision of buoys and beacons around the coast. Although The Corporation for Improving the Port of Dublin Act had been passed in 1786, its function was to improve the trade of Dublin by rendering its Port and Harbour more commodious! It was on 5 June 1810 that the Corporation held its first Board meeting and the month of June in this year's calendar has a facsimile of the Board minutes from this date 200 years ago. The theme of the calendar is an appreciation of the many disciplines within the Lighthouse Service which were so important for the provision of safety services to the mariner.
Helicopter Operations
In December last year the new EC135 began operations and the Bolkow was retired. The new aircraft is fundamentally different to what we had become accustomed. Comfort, passenger carrying capability and lifting ability are also enhanced over and above the previous Bolkow workhorse. One small criticism has been a slightly more confined boot space but this is a minor challenge for pilots and attendants to solve and maximise efficiency. Times have become tough in the helicopter industry and the statistic that Ireland had more helicopters on the registry per head of population than any other country in the world is now only a memory with many machines having been sold or mothballed.
AS ALWAYS, this time of year is an opportunity to reflect on friends and colleagues and shipmates who have passed on. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all at sea and ashore a safe year ahead.