Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement for Ships in Ireland

Where ships are gauged in Ireland

The east coast is the freight gateway. Dublin Port is the country's busiest, with ro-ro, lo-lo container, bulk and cruise traffic; Drogheda, a short distance north, handles bulk and general cargo; and Rosslare in the south-east is the principal ferry port for services to Wales and France. Ships here are largely short-sea cargo vessels and ro-pax ferries, and many are on fixed rotations, so the same hull can be measured in successive visits at the same berth.

On the south and west coasts the picture changes. Cork, with its deep harbour, serves tankers, containers and cruise ships, and Waterford takes bulk cargo, containers and agribulk on the River Suir. Shannon Foynes, on the Shannon Estuary, is the country's main bulk port, receiving carriers that supply the alumina, power and agribulk industries nearby. Galway and Killybegs round out the list, with Killybegs being the major fishing port and a base for large fishing vessels.

Rules and port state control

Port state control in Ireland falls under the Marine Survey Office of the Department of Transport, and the country is a member of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding. Inspectors use the same targeting criteria as elsewhere in the region: age, flag, recognised organisation performance and recent deficiencies all raise a ship's profile, and hull condition is one of the first things looked at.

As an EU member, Ireland applies the EU Ship Recycling Regulation to ships under European flags, which makes a hazardous materials inventory a standing requirement for many owners. The Irish coast lies outside the North Sea and Baltic Emission Control Areas, so the global fuel sulphur limit applies and scrubber use is less widespread than on the North Sea, although some deep-sea callers still run exhaust gas cleaning systems.

Planning a job from India

Ireland is outside the Schengen area, so Indian nationals need an Irish visa for a visit, which is separate from the visa for most other European states. We confirm the route once the ship's call is known and build the programme around the time it takes. The ship's agent arranges the berth, shore access, port security passes and the safety briefing, and gives us the gangway arrangement and available lighting.

Dublin and Cork have strict access rules at container and energy terminals, and a gas-free certificate is a condition for entering tanks. The brief names the thickness measurement plan, the frames and strakes to be gauged and the reporting format the owner needs, so the work can be completed within the vessel's stay.

Fishing vessels and smaller ferries often berth at quays with limited lighting and uneven fendering, so we ask the agent in advance about deck access, shore power and where equipment can be set down. A short pre-job call with the chief engineer or superintendent settles which tanks and spaces are open, which are still to be cleaned, and whether the ship can provide a person to accompany the team on board.

Port pages in Ireland

There are 8 Ireland port pages: Dublin, Cork, Shannon Foynes, Waterford, Rosslare, Drogheda, Galway, Killybegs. Each covers the ships that call, the yards and berths where gauging happens, the port state control picture and the jobs we see there; the links are under "In this section" below.

Frequently asked questions

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