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Moving towards
e-Navigation
The GLA strategy document
“2025 & Beyond” was published
in July 2011. This strategy is for a
balanced mix of physical and radio
aids to navigation (AtoN) that
will meet the UK’s and Ireland’s
SOLAS responsibilities and support
the introduction of the imo’s
e-Navigation project. But what is
e-Navigation?
The concept of e-Navigation
is to integrate existing and new
navigational tools, in particular
electronic tools, in an all-embracing
system that will contribute to
enhanced navigational safety
while simultaneously reducing the
workload on the navigator. This
concept covers not only the safe
navigation of vessels, but also their
efficiency, cost effectiveness and
environmental impact.
The technology to do this
already exists: accurate positioning
by satellite is well established
through gps and glonass, while
other systems such as compass
are being developed.
Systems, like Loran,
are available to provide
a complementary
ground based accurate
positioning capability.
Accurate electronic
navigational charts
(enc) covering the
majority of the world’s
major shipping areas
are readily available
and a multiplicity
of communications
systems are available
using ground based
stations or satellites. The
challenge is to put it all together into
an integrated system with a target
date of perhaps 2018. For the glas
our challenge today is to adapt to
this new world.
For CIL this means a significant
shift in the service provided.
Lights of shorter range use high
efficiency and high reliability light
sources such as leds. The range of
buoy lights may be increased in
some areas with synchronisation
to improve conspicuity. A Virtual
AtoN deployed using ais provides
an electronic version of an AtoN
which is visible on encs/Radar
while Racons further enable their
identification on a radar display.
dgps provides a virtual integrity
warning and accuracy improvement
for gps while eLoran can provide
an independent complementary
electronic positioning system.
Fog signals are no longer classified
as AtoNs and the remaining signals
at Fastnet, Old Head of Kinsale,
Roches Point, Ballycotton, Hook
Haulbowline Lighthouse
Seamus Doyle
Head of Engineering
Head, Tuskar Rock, Kish Tower,
Dundalk and St John’s Point (Down)
Lighthouses were withdrawn on
11th January 2011.
Despite ongoing financial
pressures, our maintenance and
project teams continue to maintain
a busy schedule of maintenance,
refurbishment and the replacement
of obsolete equipment and systems.
H aulbowline
Haulbowline lighthouse was
built after a request was made
in 1817 to the Corporation for
Preserving and Improving the
Port of Dublin (the Ballast Board)
by the merchants of Newry. The
new light was to replace the 1803
Cranfield Point Lighthouse due to
the latter’s poor position in marking
the dangerous rocks at the entrance
to Carlingford Lough and also its
inadequacy for the guiding of vessels
at the west end of the Lough. A fixed
white light was first exhibited on 1
September 1824 and was changed to
flashing in 1899.
A fog signal was provided
by a bell which was struck by
a machine every 30 seconds
during foggy weather. This
was changed to an explosive
fog signal in 1898 and to a
pneumatic diaphone signal
in 1932. The pneumatic fog
signal was replaced with an
electric signal in 1990 and was
disestablished in January 2009.
The station became unwatched
automatic on 17th March 1965
at which time the light was
converted to electric. Following
a complete re-equip in 1990, the
station was powered by diesel
driven generators with dual PRB46
lanterns providing a 17 nm light
during hours of darkness and in
reduced visibility.
Following improvements to
the buoyage provided by Local
Lighthouse Authorities in the
vicinity, the revolving light at
Haulbowline Lighthouse was
discontinued on 16th July 2008.
The station was converted to solar
power in July 2011 and the existing
lanterns were replaced with two
tier VLB44 led 10nm lights. Power
is provided by a solar array of four
12 volt 50 watt photovoltaic panels
mounted on the tower balcony
and charging a 12 volt 250 Ah lead
acid battery. The Datac monitoring
system was replaced with
monitoring via ais. As Haulbowline
is a Listed 1 Building, Listed
Building Consent for the proposed
works was required before work was
allowed to commence.
Castletownbere
Directional Light
The directional light and leading
daymarks at Castletownbere provide
guidance for ships entering the
harbour of refuge or Dinnish Island.
Plans to build a new road in front
of the existing directional light
necessitated the construction of a
new directional light building on
the seaward side of the new road to
replace the front light structure. This
provided an opportunity to up-date
equipment and discontinue the rear
mark. A new daytime/night-time
directional light comprising a Vega
PEL6 was installed in November
2010 providing a night time range
of 12 nm (Green and Red) and 15 nm
(White) and a daytime range of 2 nm
(Red and Green) and 4 nm (White).
The station is mains powered with
battery backup.
V alentia
Two unlighted beacons, were
established on 20th January 1891 to
guide vessels past the dangerous
Harbour Rock at the northern
entrance to Valentia Harbour during
daylight. The beacons were lighted
on 1st May 1913 using acetylene
made in a carbide generator close
to the lower front mark. Whilst they
were unwatched, the Lightkeeper
who was ashore
from either
Skelligs or
Inishtearaght
and living at the
Knightstown
dwellings,
cleaned and
charged the
generator
periodically.
When the
front light was
converted to an electric direction
light on 16th August 1967 the
rear light mark was discontinued,
however it was re-established on 9th
March 1977.
The equipment building at the
front light at Valentia was made
of timber lath and plaster and
was no longer structurally sound.
The building was replaced with a
concrete structure in February 2011.
At the same time, the leading lights
were replaced with a daytime/night
time directional sector light at the
Front Light. The new night time
range is 11 nm (White) and 8 nm
(Green and Red), while the daytime
Light range is 3 nm (White) and 2
nm (Green and Red). The existing
rear light and rear daymark were
discontinued.
Castletownbere Directional Light
(photo: Brian Kelly)
Blackrock Mayo
The light on Blackrock Mayo
was first established on 1st June
1864. The circular tower, 50 feet
high, is positioned on the western
extremity and built out of stone from
the rock. The light is 282 feet above
high water and was visible for 22
miles when established.
Following 146 years in the harsh
exposed environment of the west
coast of Ireland the dome was
seriously corroded and in need of
replacement. During the summer of
2011, the lantern was scaffolded and
the dome replaced with a moulded
grp dome. The solar battery and
optic controls were also replaced for
improved reliability. Granuaile was
used as the base from which to fly
the scaffolding and various materials
and plant items required for the
project to and from the station
which helped reduce
helicopter flying time
and costs.
A temporary light,
with range 10 nm
(White), 8 nm (Red),
was established on
10th June for a 12 week
period to facilitate the
dome replacement
project. The existing
optic comprising a
Pelangi PRL400 with
35W CDM-T lamp, together with the
red sector filter was retained as was
the solar array.
Lower Rosses
The light at Lower Rosses in
Sligo Bay was powered from utility
mains via a buried undersea cable.
With the ever changing beach sand,
the cable became exposed and
eventually failed in February 2011. A
number of solutions were examined,
the most cost effective of which, was
to convert the light to solar power.
A VLS46 Projector sector light was
installed on 9th March with sectors
set up in accordance with Notice to
Mariners No.17 (2010). The SLP54
solar power supply consists of a
polyethylene enclosure fitted with
a 50 watt solar panel and charge
regulator, charging 3 off 110 amphour
SEC gel electrolyte lead acid
batteries. The range of the red and
green sectors was maintained at 10
nm while the white sector range was
reduced from 13 nm to 10 nm.
D undalk
Dundalk is a busy industrial
cross-border town with mythical
and historical roots dating back to
Cuchullin. On 13th January 1846 the
Dundalk Harbour Commissioners
wrote to the Corporation for
Preserving and Improving the
Port of Dublin requesting them to
consider two suitable lighthouses to
guide the ever increasing number of
vessels into the harbour.
Background: Loophead Lighthouse (photo: Kim Fahlen)
Engineering
Department
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After a number of reminders, the
construction of a lighthouse was
approved. Two further approaches
were made to the Board, one a
reminder from Dundalk Harbour
Commissioners and the other by
Daniel O’Connell who was the
MP for Dundalk at the time. The
outcome was to erect
a Mitchell’s Patent
Screw Pile structure
which would be
similar to but smaller
than the one then
proposed for the
Kish Bank.
Alexander Mitchell
was a blind Belfast
engineer who had
patented a wrought
and cast-iron screw
pile. A contract was
placed with him in
August 1848 to construct a lighthouse
at the entrance to Dundalk, based
on piles screwed into the sand and
supporting a wooden decking on
which was placed limited wooden
accommodation and a small lantern.
The new light, 33 feet above high
water, comprising a fourth order
dioptric white light with red
sectors flashing every 15 seconds,
was established on 18th June 1855.
The cost to the end of 1855 was
£6,769:4s:9d. A fog signal bell was
established in November 1860.
In December 1968 the light and
fog signal were electrified using
an underwater buried utility
mains cable from shore. A further
equipment upgrade was carried out
in 2002.
Due to a reduction in traffic the
station was simplified in June 2011.
The rotating lens PRL400 optic was
replaced with an ML300 light fitted
with a Maxi Halo 60 Eff led Flasher
with range reduction from 21 nm
to 10 nm. The emergency lights,
fog detector and Datac rcms were
also removed. Mains power supply
via a buried underwater cable was
retained though, with the reduced
energy demand, the size of the
battery was reduced.
Bouys
In an e-Navigation world, buoy
lights continue to be an important
Aid to Navigation and a number
of changes have been made to
improve performance and align buoy
AtoN with the envisaged needs of
e-Navigation. The Horseshoe buoy
off Wicklow Head and the No1
and No2 Glassgorman buoys, just
south of Arklow, were repositioned
as recommended in the Aids to
Navigation Review 2010-2015. The
South Long buoy, off
Wexford, was moved
1.5 cables to south west,
changed from a south
cardinal to starboard
lateral and synchronised
with the Splaugh buoy
while further south, the
height of the daymark
on the South Rock buoy
was increased to improve
conspicuity.
Top: VLS46 Projector Lights
at Lower Rosses Point
(photo: P. Lawlor)
Bottom: Dundalk Pile Light
(photo: D. Byrne)
At the entrance to the Shannon,
the Kilcreduane Buoy was changed
to a port lateral mark and its light
synchronised with the Tail of Beal
Buoy in June 2011 which was
changed to a starboard lateral mark.
At the same time the Beal Spit Buoy
was changed to a starboard lateral
mark and its light synchronised with
the Carrigaholt Buoy. This provides
two “gates” marking the deep
channel. Kilcredaune lighthouse
navigational light was switched off
permanently on the 11th March 2011.
On the North Coast, a port hand
lateral buoy, equipped with an 5 nm
light and ais, was established on a
new buoy station at Skerries, 0.5 nm
NNE of the large Skerries Island near
Portrush, on 25th August 2011.
B eacons
A red can topmark was
established on the North Rocks
beacon on 16th July 2011. The new
topmark comprises a stainless steel
structure secured to the top of the
beacon and equipped with flexible
polyethylene wings. This was a
challenging project, ably completed
by combined engineering and marine
teams.
Monitoring Centre
The introduction of centralised
remote monitoring and control
started in the late 1980s with the
introduction of the Datac monitoring
system. Initially centralised
monitoring was carried out as
part of the Security Officer role
in Dun Laoghaire. With on-going
automation and demanning of major
stations, a dedicated 24/7 Monitoring
Centre manned by a team of
Telemetry & Security Officers
(tso) was established in 1993. This
quickly became the nerve centre for
monitoring and reporting from the
coast, providing a first class service.
All stations reported to the
Monitoring Centre automatically
four times per day though with
immediate reporting of alarms
requiring attention. A command
facility enables lighthouse systems to
be controlled by the tso so that AtoN
outages can be avoided or corrected
promptly thereby removing the
requirement for an immediate visit
to station. The tso was also the out of
hours central telephone contact point
for the public and outside Agencies.
Maintenance operations support for
technicians and Attendants on the
coast and security was also provided
by the tso.
Improvements in equipment
reliability, maintenance techniques
and computer communications
provided an opportunity to
streamline this service. Using
modern digital communications,
Monitoring Officers in the Trinity
House Operations and Planning
Centre (opc) in Harwich were
provided with access to the CIL
Datac Central System and ais
monitoring in Dun Laoghaire to
enable them monitor critical alarms
and AtoN outages. The dgps already
had capability for monitoring in th.
Multiple redundant communications
pathways were configured between
CIL and th to allow for the
encrypted rcms data feeds.
Under a
Service Level
Agreement, opc
use this system
to monitor
CIL critical
alarms outside
of business
hours thereby
enabling the
discontinuation
of the 24/7
shift working
arrangement in
Dun Laoghaire.
During normal
office hours, the
tso continues
to deal with
all aspects of
monitoring and
reporting as
heretofore. The project to transfer
CIL ‘out of hours’ critical alarm
monitoring to Harwich opc went
operational on 1st July 2011.
Light Intensity Tests
Light intensity tests are carried
out annually by gla R&RNav
lights specialists to test or verify
optic performance. The objective
is to confirm the published range
of recently changed Navigational
Lights and to test proposed optic
arrangements for some of the
forthcoming re-equip projects.
Recent tests have confirmed
the performance of the lights at
Howth, St John’s Point Down,
Dunree, Inishowen, and Achillbeg
Lighthouses.
Mizen Head
CIL has had a long association
with the Mizen Head footbridge,
having constructed the original
footbridge 1908/09 to provide access
across the deep gorge. Throughout
the 100 year life of the bridge, it has
been subject to extreme weather and
environmental conditions. These
conditions slowly took their toll
and caused serious deterioration
of the structure. The last issue of
Beam contained a report on the
North Rocks Beacon
(photo: K. Whitney)
construction of the new footbridge
which was opened to the public on
17th March 2011.
The Engineers Ireland Excellence
Awards showcase Irish engineering
at its best. There are several award
categories
culminating with
the announcement
of the Engineering
Project of the
Year. Engineering
projects
throughout
Ireland were
shortlisted
by an expert
judging panel
and the winning
Engineering
Project of the
Year is selected
through an
online public
vote. At the 2011
Engineers Ireland
Excellence Awards
held on 4th
November 2011, the new Mizen
Head Footbridge won the premier
award as Engineering Project of the
Year.
The Mizen Head Footbridge
project also won a second award for
the Best Paper or Presentation of the
Year. The Mizen Head Project was
a collaborative effort between Irish
Lights and Cork County Council
with funding support from Fáilte
Ireland.
Loop Head
As the need for accommodation
at lighthouses decreases, houses
become available for sale or
alternative use. Successful
alternative use projects like Hook
Heritage, Mizen Vision and the Irish
Landmark Trust houses provide
encouragement that the valuable
heritage of lighthouse stations can
live.
Under a Licence Agreement, Clare
County Council arranged visitor
access to Loop Head lighthouse
tower during Summer 2011 in order
to gauge interest from visitors in
the area. Limited visitor facilities
were provided in one of the old
Lightkeepers houses and guided
tours of the lighthouse tower were
provided. The Council reported a
highly successful period with very
positive comments.
Work in progress
The present economic
climate has necessitated a review of
methods of both provision of AtoN
and maintenance practices. With a
focus on AtoN provision and future
e-Navigation services, a review of
all stations is being carried out to
minimise operating costs through
consolidation to the minimum
station footprint and equipment
simplification.
Major re-equip projects at Tory
Island, Roancarrig, Skellig Rock, Bull
Rock, Achillbeg and Eagle Island
are in progress. Obsolete Racons are
being replaced and the roll out of the
ais programme continues.
Storm damage repairs, routine and
breakdown maintenance, painting
and building operations continue
to be carried out to ensure that CIL
not only meet iala AtoN availability
targets but also ensure that our
structures, buildings and heritage
are maintained in a cost effective and
efficient manner.
This programme of work could not
be achieved without the dedication,
enthusiasm and hard work of
the members of the Engineering
Team. There are too many people
to mention individually; however,
to the Design Engineers, members
of the Drawing Office Team,
Maintenance, Dun Laoghaire,
Planning and Project Teams,
Operations Administration Team
and the Civil Team, both in Dun
Laoghaire and on the Coast, I would
like to thank each and every one of
you for the part you played.
This is my last Engineering report
following my retirement on 29th
February after 28 years with Irish
Lights. As you can imagine the
Service has undergone significant
change during my time and, in some
instances, is barely recognisable
from what it was when I first joined.
The coming years will see further
significant changes as we position
the Service to face the challenges that
lie ahead.
I would like to thank you all for
the help and friendship that I have
enjoyed during my time in Irish
Lights and to wish you all the very
best in the years ahead.
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