News January 2003

All available transatlantic voyage berths are reported sold out, as Jeanie Johnston Company indicates breath of voyage itinerary in North America.

As the Jeanie Johnston continues its successful tour of Irish ports, the Company has confirmed that all available voyage berths to North America have been sold out. Its main focus now is to complete its Irish tour, make final voyage preparations, indicate the scope of the North American voyage itinerary and prepare the initial, and then the full, port visit schedule.

“The response of visitors to the Jeanie Johnston during the Irish tour, still in progress, has been quite amazing. Dublin, Belfast and Waterford have all generously ‘received’ the ship and the support and general goodwill toward the ship and the crew, as it moves nearer to its historic North America voyage, has been quite superb” according to Chief Executive, Denis Reen.

“The whole positive momentum continues to build, as our voyage start-date from Tralee / Fenit on Sunday, February 16th approaches. All the voyage berths have now been sold out (although we are wait-listing in case of cancellations) and the Jeanie Johnston will now carry a full complement of thirty-nine crew on its transatlantic voyages; this will consist of eleven professional crew and twenty-eight sail-trainees. Continuing the important North-South dimension of the project, the crew will include fifteen young sail-trainees from both sides of the community in Northern Ireland and from the South of Ireland – made possible through the support of the International Fund for Ireland”.

“Expectation and support from North America continues to build, and much of our focus now is on completing the port itinerary. As we practiced on our Irish Tour, our policy is to only confirm port visits, when all arrangements have been agreed. In this way our great support base can plan with certainty. In the case of the North America we are not yet in a position to announce the detailed port schedule, but will announce the initial ports by February 14th and will announce further ports at the earliest possible time”.

“The broad outline of the historic North American tour will see the Jeanie Johnston arrive in the Southern States on, or close to, April 16th. During the 2003 voyage we will visit approximately 20 ports. The first ports will be in the Florida / South Carolina area and the ship will then move up along the East Coast taking in the broad Chesapeake area in May, the broad Delaware area in June, the New York / Boston area in July and will visit the area North of Boston and right up into Canada, home of the original Jeanie Johnston, during August and September. It will then return home to Ireland in October. Throughout the tour, in addition to the port visits, we do expect to be able to offer sail-training voyages of three or more days duration, between the ports” said Denis Reen.

“We are working very closely with event-specialists Conventures of Boston, who represent the Jeanie Johnston in North America, in finalising the port schedule. The Jeanie Johnston’s objective is to radiate the new Ireland, that is proud to remember its past and we want to ensure our message resonates throughout North America. Therefore, one of the most important criteria in port selection is the strength of the support base that will receive and practically support our efforts. We know, from every message we receive, that there is a tremendous interest throughout North America. However, because we can only visit a relatively limited number of ports, we will have to choose those where we believe both the interest levels and the support is strongest....and that’s the process we are quickly working through”.

"On February 14th we will give an up-date on the overall voyage plans and will also give details of the arrival port in the United States and the initial ports the Jeanie Johnston will visit. Our internet site at www.jeaniejohnston.ie will be up-dated daily to ensure everyone can follow the progress of the Jeanie Johnston" said Denis Reen.

PRINCESS VICTORIA

A plaque is to be unveiled at Donaghadee Harbour on Friday to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the loss of the British Railways ship PRINCESS VICTORIA.

Donaghadee, whose lifeboat rescued 34 of the ferry's survivors, is at the centre of the act of remembrance.

Ards Borough Council has commissioned the bronze plaque in memory of the
tragedy.

It will be dedicated at a ceremony before the local lifeboat takes to the water and joins up with its counterparts from Larne and from Portpatrick in Scotland to carry out a wreath-laying ceremony at sea.

The final resting of the ferry was only found by divers 10 years ago off the Copeland Islands at the mouth of Belfast Lough.

Members of the original lifeboat crews and survivors are expected to attend the dedication.

Mayor of Ards Jeff Magill said yesterday: "The Princess Victoria disaster is a sad part of our recent past in Ards and many local people still vividly remember the harrowing experience of 31 January, 1953.

"This bronze plaque is, we hope, a fitting and permanent memorial which seeks to remember not only those who perished in what was a huge maritime disaster, but also to recognise everyone who was involved in the rescue efforts, from all the lifeboat crews and emergency services to the many local people on land who rallied to help."

The Department of Regional Development is erecting a flagpole above the plaque and the RNLI has been seeking a replica of the ferry's flag to fly from it.

Among those who died were the then deputy prime minister of Northern Ireland, Maynard Sinclair MP, and Sir Walter Smiles, the MP for North Down in the Commons, who died within site of his home at Portavoe Point on the north Down coast.

Many of the rescuers were awarded medals for their bravery.

There was also a posthumous George Medal for Captain James Ferguson of the Princess Victoria and a posthumous George Cross for his radio officer, David Broadfoot, who went down with him, still sending out the SOS.

The Cornish Guardian reports that investigation is under way to determine the cause of a devastating fire at Falmouth Docks on Wednesday January 8.

The blaze, which it is estimated caused over £3 million damage, began in the early hours and destroyed Queen's Wharf.

As fire-fighters were battling to control the incident, the flames caused a 100 foot, 132-tonne crane to crash spectacularly into the sea. A generator used to supply power to a nearby vessel exploded in the heat.

About 100 firemen from all over Cornwall, as well as lifeboat men, ambulance paramedics, members of the Falmouth and Porthoustock Coastguard rescue teams, Falmouth Bay pilots and A &P employees were involved in the operation to tackle the blaze.

Their job was hampered by strong winds, bitter cold and, later, snow.

Trevor Heath, docks services manager, said: "This is absolutely disastrous. It removes yet another facility. Various vessels, including HMS CORNWALL, were planning to come alongside Queen's Wharf and these have now had to be postponed."

The fire comes at a time when A &P (Falmouth) Ltd, dock owners, are negotiating with the South West Regional Development Agency for help with a massive redevelopment plan to generate income to renew the aging wharves.

But Ian Pike, A &P's managing director in Falmouth, said that this fire would not affect the bid. In October Queen's Wharf was downgraded and crane use had been restricted.

"We will have to review the implications about what has happened," said Mr Pike. "But we had a meeting with the RDA on Tuesday and they were very positive."

The fire began at about 2am and was spotted by the watchman on a P &O ferry in dry dock.

The dock's ancient and creosote-coated hardwood timbers burned quickly. Near gale force easterlies fanned the flames and by the time fire-fighters arrived the blaze had spread the length of the wharf.

David Barnicoat, Falmouth pilot, said: "This is a devastating blow. I could see the fire from three miles away and when I got there the entire jetty was ablaze."

He praised pilot cutter coxswains Andrew Dale and Keith Wing whose quick thinking saved the crew of the only vessel tied at Queen's Wharf.

The men, in the L K Mitchell, towed the TORNADO, a recently repaired tug, away from encroaching flames.

The flames had reached the side of the TORNADO by the time rescue arrived and the six-man Russian crew asleep on board helped to tie the tow line.

Once out of danger they were transferred to Falmouth's offshore lifeboat and treated for smoke inhalation.

Mike Reynolds, port operations manager for A&P, said: "If the fire had got hold of the TORNADO the crew would have had to go over the side and the vessel would have been lost."

He added that John Parslow, of Plantain Marine, whose office is near Queen's Wharf, also helped in his vessel Valid.

A team of emergency services helped to fight the fire. Cornwall County Fire Brigade assistant divisional officer Chris Ruberry said: "We regularly work and train with the docks here and the co-operation between A &P, Falmouth Towage, the lifeboat, the Coastguard, ambulance and all others assisting has been absolutely brilliant."

When ADO Ruberry and others arrived electricity from the 440 volt substations that run to the wharf had to be cut.

And a 200-foot exclusion zone was set up because it was believed acetylene cylinders were on the wharf.

"When they go up acetylene cylinders are like Exocets," said ADO Ruberry.

"They will travel remarkable distances and take anything out that they hit."

When it was established there were no cylinders the exclusion zone was reduced to 100 feet to allow clearance for the crane.

Two tugs, PERCUIL and ANKORVA, which had fire fighting equipment on board, were soon brought into play.

ADO Ruberry said: "One of my main tasks was to keep an eye on personnel because it was bitter out there and when you are being lashed by spray you get very cold very quickly."

The crane, which had been moved off its rails, finally fell and sank between Queen's and Empire wharves, at about 05:00.

Mr Reynolds said: "The good news is that the crane fell this way and not out to sea or it would have blocked the main shipping lane which would have been disastrous for us and for Falmouth."

He estimated that recovery of the equipment, involving a floating crane, would take weeks.

Meanwhile, a warning has been put out to shipping in the Falmouth area to look out for debris. Nigel Warren, station officer for Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team, said: "There are pieces of wood up to 30 feet long out there and they are like icebergs with just a small bit sticking out of the water.

"They are a hazard to all boats in the harbour."

By yesterday afternoon the operation had been scaled down and the destroyed wharf was left smouldering.

A&P (Falmouth) Ltd has long recognised the need to upgrade the ageing wooden wharves at the town's docks and, earlier this year, plans for a massive development project were announced in an effort to raise money for that work.

A&P (Falmouth) Ltd has long recognised the need to upgrade the ageing wooden wharves at the town's docks and, earlier this year, plans for a massive development project were announced in an effort to raise money for that work.

The £85 million plan, with designs by Broadway Malyan architects, whose key projects include the new Met Office in Exeter, Imperial Wharf, Fulham, and London Bridge Tower, includes a marina, 450 apartments and shops.

Money generated from this would be put towards upgrading cruise ship facilities, refurbishing the wharves, the youngest of which was built in 1937, and dredging the gradually silting up harbour.

County Wharf, the one closest to mainland, would be developed and the adjacent Duchy Wharf would be turned into a marina.

Existing docks buildings would be moved and additional wharfage would have been built across from Kings, Empire and Queen's wharves, tripling usable space.

But A &P chiefs maintain that they do not have the money to carry out the project alone and have been pushing for help from the South West Regional Development Agency (SWERDA)

On Tuesday, a private meeting was held with representatives from both sides and from Government Office South West to discuss the plans.

Mike Reynolds, A &P port operations manager, said yesterday: "The meeting went well. The RDA are very enthusiastic to help us but we have to convince them that we will give them what they need for the public sector."

And Ian Pike, managing director, said: "They (the RDA) are looking very positive. They said they are going to set up a team to look at a business plan."

And a spokesperson for SWERDA explained that the agency had already committed £160,000 to a series of studies to look into the viability of the docks and the scheme.

The agency has also agreed to work alongside the Government Office South West to speed up the process.

The spokesperson said: "SWERDA will not commit to any more money until the results of the studies are known but specialists consultants are due to be appointed very soon to carry out the studies."

At the time the scheme went on show to the public, Teresa Cavallo, of De Facto project management, said: "The success of the development plan is essential in order to secure the 2,500 jobs dependent on the docks and the other maritime businesses within the site.

"With a turnover in excess of £50 million, A &P spend £25m per annum in the local economy, and with 25 per cent of the economically active population in the Falmouth/Penryn areas dependent (directly or indirectly) on the docks, the importance of getting this right cannot be underestimated."

All available transatlantic voyage berths are reported sold out, as Jeanie Johnston Company indicates breath of voyage itinerary in North America.

DECEMBER HARBOUR TRAFFIC FIGURES