Storm Agnes and pilot boat Safehaven Marine

Impressive to see how the Cork Pilot boat ‘Fáilte’ draws parallel to the bow of the moving Brittany Ferries ferry ‘Pont-Aven’, as it departs Cork harbour on a warm sunny afternoon, on Saturday, October 3rd, 2020. Cork harbour is a beautiful place, with plenty of stunning views to enjoy, while departing for the open sea, enroute to Roscoff, France. This particular sailing was very enjoyable, though quiet, due to coping with the Corona virus, which was managed excellently onboard. The ‘Pont-...

New pilot boat CORUÑA PILOTS 8, build by #SafehavenMarine in Cork, Ireland. The Interceptor 48 is typically powered by twin Volvo D13 500/550hp engines and twin Disc or ZF gearboxes providing the vessel with an operational speed of 24-26kts. The vessel is 15m LOA, with a 4.4m beam and 17,200kg Displacement.
Nueva lancha de Prácticos Coruña, la Prácticos Coruña 8, construída por los astilleros Safehaven Marine en Cork, Irlanda. El tipo de lancha es una Interceptor 48 propulsada por dos...

The entrance to Cork Harbour situated on the South coast of Ireland can produce some pretty extreme sea states during the winter storm months. There are two main factors that influence the sea state at the entrance, the first being the ebbing tide, the second being shoaling waters over the Harbour Rock, this is situated at the entrance to the Harbour off Roches Point lighthouse, right in the middle between the Western and Eastern channel entrances.

Safehaven Marine have just launched an Interceptor 48 pilot ‘Ederra 7’for the MVD Pilots Association, Montevideo, Uruguay. Here’s a nice video with some fabulous drone footage of her undergoing rough weather sea trials ensuring she’s well up to the task of an ‘All weather pilot boat’.

17 m wavepiercing pilot boat

A few shots from the day, with Elisabeth-S and H&S Fairness plus the pilot boat. I put music to it as it was such a windy day.

If you fancy seeing what it’s like aboard during some rough weather sea trials, here’s a pretty cool little video of our Interceptor 48 pilot built for the Port of Sines. Some really great Arial drone footage and interesting POV (Point of view) with narration from aboard her in 5-6m seas and in 50kt winds 25 miles offshore.
How difficult is to land a drone back down on the boat in 5-6m swells and 45-50kt wind gusts? Pretty damn difficult as it turns out! Sometimes we fail as you’ll see at...

For the safety of maritime pilots

Our Pilot Boats play a crucial role in maintaining the daily flow of maritime traffic to and from Belfast Harbour. Working 24/7, 365 days a year, in all kinds of weather conditions, this dedicated team carries out the vital task of bringing the Harbour Pilots out to arriving vessels, where they guide them safely into their berths, as well as disembarking them, often in challenging sea conditions on Belfast Lough.
Kayleigh Ward, our sole female pilot boat crew member, reveals how she gave up...