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Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.

Posted by Liam 
Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
07 May, 2012 13:04
Hi All,

Firsrtly let me apologiese if this topic has already been raised, I went through the previous thread on Lough Key but didn't see any mention of it.
I am moored in Lough Key marina which is the one you see to your right after you have locked through into the lake.
There are probably about 25 craft cover ing all types (barges to day boats and everything in between) moored on the outside of the fixed jetties and due to our position we are very exposed to the wake of craft passing through this first section of Lough Key.
My craft along with many others get the full beam on hit due to to our position.

I respectfully ask all current and new users of this fabolus lake to please spare a thought for us and continue at displacment speed for another 5 minutes until they have cleared the Lough Key marina.

I realise how tempting it must be to open the throttles once you have cleared the lock, its a very busy lock with severley limited waiting jetty space prior to the lock so most people can spend an hour plus mid channel down stream waiting to lock through and of course this will only get worse given the increaed use that the extra jetties in Rockingham will generate.
Personaly I think it is this wait that is partly responsible for the behavour of crafts we somtimes see coming through, we will regulary see large twin enginged sports cruisers dig a hole once through the new navigation marks and hold the throttles open unitl they are on the plane.

The Lough Key marina may look way way over to the right but every boat moored on the outside will confirm that distance is no barrier to wake, so please allow yourself 5 more minutes of tranquility, pass the marina and have fun.

Many thanks for reading this,

Liam.

Liam.
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
07 May, 2012 18:37
Hi Liam
I'm in the same marina and have the same problem but not just at the marina but find it common to meet boats with big wake on the river, they don't even slow when passing.
Most of the speeding boats are private boats who seem to think they have to speed. 
I think there should be a thread for photos and boat names that
Speed could be posted. 
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
07 May, 2012 20:07
Hi Folks,

Well, here we go again.

Name & shame? This forum will be closed down if we start making allegations against any person, even though this is not an official IWAI view.

Please don't risk it - we need all our cash reserves. We have some projects which require the money.

Regards

Kieran
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
07 May, 2012 21:04
Quote:
P.A.D
Hi Liam
I'm in the same marina and have the same problem but not just at the marina but find it common to meet boats with big wake on the river, they don't even slow when passing.
Most of the speeding boats are private boats who seem to think they have to speed. 
I think there should be a thread for photos and boat names that
Speed could be posted. 

While this issue has my entire sympathies, I advise strongly against posting photos here of alleged incidents or naming alleged vessels here. The correct place is to send evidence to the inspector of navigation. With all the smart phones about it should be easy to submit same to the relevant authorities.

Ps. Issuing a VHF "securite" call on ch16 with an appropriate safety navigation warning on a working channel is an option and has worked for me in the past as the offending vessel may well hear the call.

OceanFroggie
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
07 May, 2012 23:28
Perhaps a few of you might invest in a sign asking boats to slow down and place it at the lock.

PJ
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
07 May, 2012 23:39
Hi All,

Thought that with the new season upon us and the new berths in Rockingham it was an opportunity to publicise this problem.

A sign is the obvious solution, something simillar to that at the narrow stretch at Butlers in Carrick.

Cheers,
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
08 May, 2012 01:21
Liam a sign would be great. Mind you I would constantly argue that marinas built without protective breakwaters should not be allowed. I wonder as to the planning situations as regards many of these as I know that any that go through the process are generally required to provide such protection. Certainly WI put them in at the drop of a hat.

Dave



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/2012 01:21 by Dave McCabe.
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
08 May, 2012 08:01
Agree, on "Health & Safety" grounds a good idea to ask WI to place two large "NO WAKE" signs on both approches to the marina.

OceanFroggie
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
08 May, 2012 18:48
I suggest a charity duck race, that will slow everyone down it seems

Dave
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
08 May, 2012 19:53
Liam,

'NO WAKE' signs would be a total waste of time and money.

The signs noted above at Butlers Marina in Carrick are mostly ignored, in fact I watched a speed boat use the narrow stretch for testing how fast he could go this weekend! I had a near miss at your Marina last year, as I was heading into the lock from Lough Key, couple of young lads in a boat came out of the narrow stretch between the lock and lake at 15 - 20 knots, missed me by 3/4 feet as they saw me late given the turn needed to get on to the lake. So I appreciate you situation.

A problem with no solution I'm afraid.

Happy Boating!

Rob
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
08 May, 2012 20:07
rather then a No wake sign , a notice appealing for a little help and consideration might be better.

Dave
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
08 May, 2012 21:09
A "We'd be grateful if you slowed down" sign or "Thanks for slowing down" might evoke a few smiles and positive responses.


PJ
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
08 May, 2012 21:55
Or "Warning - Gun boat ahead" . . . smiling smiley

OceanFroggie
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
08 May, 2012 22:21
How about "UNEXPLODED MINES AHEAD. PROCEED WITH CAUTION"?

Rich
COOL BLUE
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
08 May, 2012 22:50
Lads, Lads, Lads,

I have some bad news.

Like the poor - the Wash/Wake will always be with us.

So, I say to one and all - this is a fact of life. You may not like it, but you might just have to accept that it goes with the territory.

Every year on hear we hear more stories of inappropriate wash/wake. Of course, such large wash/wake can be caused by big or small boats, some on the plane others at semi-displacement speed.

The broad church of people who use the waterways are not all going to be able (or willing?) to eliminate the wash/wake problem.

We've had stories on here of barges being rolled to the gunnells by inconsiderate folk overtaking, I personally have had my boat damaged at the quay wall at Meelick by fast cruisers who raced out of the lock. We could see the Tsunami coming but were not able to get back on board to release warps and take evasive action quick enough. That brought an end to our picnic that day.

Some years back, one of my guests who was in bed as we approached Butlers Marina in Carrick, from the downstream direction, was thrown from his bunk. The first I was aware of the offender was as he disapeared into the distance ahead of me heading for Carrick.

These people are out there. They will not attend any training that might be suggested. They do not like to be approached later on and told of the error of their ways. You could end up with a black eye or worse.

I provided the photographic evidence from the incident at Meelick to the Inspector of Navigations (Shane Anderson) at the time. And that was the end of that.

So to sum up - no hot drinks allowed on board, crew to be secured in their bunks using nets as appropriate, two large fenders for every one foot of boat (averaging 100 per boat), tie everything down, be prepared.

Most importantly, don't jump up and down waving fists at the offender because he thinks you are just waving at him and he waves back, or else he doesn't give a sh1t anyway. Mind the blood pressure.

Enjoy the waterways, and no more talk of gunships, speed cameras, u-boats etc.

Have fun.

Be Safe.

Don't rock the boat.

Regards

Kieran
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
11 May, 2012 20:28
Shoot the @#$%&!

Mac Brandrick
"Marion of Wimborne"
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
15 August, 2012 15:19
Two boats badly damaged on Monday due to a speeding 40foot cruiser, believed to be from Butlers marina.
Name and number passed onto authorities.
It's becoming a big problem with pirvate boats making big wake since the new berths opened in lough key.
Could people please go slow untill you pass the marina.
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
15 August, 2012 16:32
Quote:
P.A.D
Name and number passed onto authorities.

Sorry to hear about this incident. Glad the evidence has been submitted to the appropriate authority for investigation.

OceanFroggie
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
15 August, 2012 16:38
Bad news for the owners of those vessels just curious as to whether any notices or warning signs were put up since your first posting On this matter as was suggested at the time to try and alleviate this problem?
Also are said wake causing vessels within the permitted 100m 5km/h no wake zone or further away than that?
Re: Lough Key Marina and increased traffic on lake.
15 August, 2012 17:30
Quote:
ralf
Bad news for the owners of those vessels just curious as to whether any notices or warning signs were put up since your first posting On this matter as was suggested at the time to try and alleviate this problem?
Also are said wake causing vessels within the permitted 100m 5km/h no wake zone or further away than that?

Hi Conor
My understanding is 6kph within 200m applies as the vessels were moored at a jetty. Might be no harm to ask local marina managers to bulk email their berthholders to advise them on the issue and request their cooperation when passing this spot.
Noel

Quote:
Shannon Bylaws
6km/h within 200m of a bridge or jetty, 100m of a lock, in a canal or harbour and when passing within 100m of a moored vessel.

OceanFroggie
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