Port Radio:
Port Radio operates as a “Traffic Organisation Service”, and its main role is to locally manage the scheduling of all sailings, arrivals and shifts. Port Radio is no longer an “Advisory Service” but now controls the movement of all ships within the jurisdiction of “Dublin Port Company” as set out in the 1996, Harbours Act. Port Radio is authorised to issue instructions to vessels. These instructions shall be result orientated only and shall not encroach upon the master’s responsibility for safe navigation, or interfere with the traditional relationship that exists between the master and pilot. The details of execution for any such instruction, such as courses to be steered and engine movements to be at the discretion of the master or pilot on board the vessel.
“Port Radio control the space – Ships masters control their ships”
A minimum of two hours notice is required for all ships arriving at the Port of Dublin.
Priority 1 : Ro-Ro vessels when operating on their slot times shall have absolute priority
Priority 2 : Any ship arriving / departing on its allocated time.
Other Considerations :
(a) tidal window / weather / work dependent
(b) departing vessel if vessel awaiting that berth
(c) inbound vessels over outbound
Exception : One exception only to these priorities. Maximum draft vessel arriving and needing to work on arrival, when at least 12 hours notice has been given to the effected Ro-Ro operators
All ships with or without a Pilot or PEC holder on board and port craft must first obtain permission from Port Radio prior to :-
1. Approaching the harbour entrance and/or channel from seawards
2. Letting go and departing from a berth
3. Shifting within the Port
General
To facilitate channel management and to create a common reporting procedure, it is necessary that all vessels give their “ETA” to the same location. All vessels are required to give their “ETA” at the Dublin Bay Buoy. The ETA’s must be given as a specific time, based on the “24 hour clock” The allocation of Channel “Slot-time” and the observance of “Priorities” as specified will be dependent upon the “ETA’s” received.
The term “slot-time” refers to the time span allocated to a ship to enable it to pass unhindered through that area of the approach channel delineated at the Eastern end by buoys No’s 7 & 8 and at the Western end by buoys No’s 9 & 10 The absolute priority referred to in this Notice to Mariners applies to that constrained section of the channel and not the entire fairway
Conduct of ships within the Dublin Port Company Limits
Navigational Safety shall be the overriding consideration governing the movement of all vessels.
In addition to those regulations, set out in the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea, the following shall also apply:
1) Vessels are prohibited from meeting or overtaking within the constrained section of the channel between buoys No’s 7 & 8 and buoys No’s 9 & 10. This does not apply to harbour tugs, pilot boats, various workboats and leisure craft unless instructed to the contrary by Port Radio.
2) Where two or more vessels propose to agree a particular manoeuvre, then such a manoeuvre shall not be carried out until it has been reported to and is cleared by Port Radio.
3) No vessel shall enter the channel/fairway, unless it has been confirmed by Port Radio that it may do so and that the intended berth is clear or expected to be clear.
4) All communications between ships relating to movements, manoeuvring, berthing or un-berthing, shall take place on VHF Channel 12 only and shall be in the English language only. Instructions received from Port Radio, in relation to any confusion, ambiguity or the procedure of such communications, shall be followed immediately.
5) Traffic contra-flow is prohibited in circumstances where the visibility is reduced to less than 0.5 nautical miles, anywhere within the buoyed channel.
6) All vessels including all port craft, must report in to Port Radio at the designated reporting points.
7) Gas tankers when navigating in the channel shall not proceed against traffic moving in the opposite direction. At least a half-mile separation between vessels shall be maintained both ahead and astern of gas carriers when proceeding in the same direction.
Not withstanding anything contained in the above, exceptions to these rules may be made by the Harbour Master.
Captain David T. Dignam
Harbour Master.
1st January 2010