Where is the Salthill Raft?

ErnieBert · 14-07-2011 11:20pm #1

I went for a wee dip in Salthill today for the first time this year and was shocked to see there is no Raft at Blackrock. Is this City Council cutbacks or Health & Safety goner nuts?

What's the story, people?

T2daK · 15-07-2011 11:19am

ErnieBert wrote: »

I went for a wee dip in Salthill today for the first time this year and was shocked to see there is no Raft at Blackrock. Is this City Council cutbacks or Health & Safety goner nuts?

What's the story, people?

It causes more trouble than good and council is open to being sued because it is clearly unsafe. Its not gone nuts its a serious health hazard, and believe me I am one to take risks

FlashD · 15-07-2011 1:48pm

3 questions for you T2dak.

What trouble did it cause?

How is it clearly unsafe?

What's the health hazard?

Rafts been out every Summer for as long as I can remember and I never heard of any accident with it.

Anyone know how many Summers it's been out?

Columc · 15-07-2011 3:36pm

It has been out for the last 12+ years, I remember it being out every summer I would go there

3fullback · 15-07-2011 3:59pm

OP - You were a day too early just put the raft out this morning!

ErnieBert · 15-07-2011 11:01pm

3fullback wrote: »

OP - You were a day too early just put the raft out this morning!

I saw it as I cycled passed in the lashing rain this evening.

FlashD · 17-07-2011 5:53am

Hooray, the rafts out, another WIN for the common people.

Coucil can go stuff their health and safety!

Fuinseog · 18-07-2011 11:24pm

FlashD wrote: »

3 questions for you T2dak.

What trouble did it cause?

How is it clearly unsafe?

What's the health hazard?

Rafts been out every Summer for as long as I can remember and I never heard of any accident with it.

Anyone know how many Summers it's been out?

easy to slip on and break something

BTW is Silver Strand not good enough for a raft?

bildo · 20-07-2011 2:31am

Fuinseog wrote: »

easy to slip on and break something

What unlike, rocks, or er, millions of other wet things we manage to come into contact regularly without mishap?

Fuinseog · 20-07-2011 10:32am

bildo wrote: »

What unlike, rocks, or er, millions of other wet things we manage to come into contact regularly without mishap?

I have been swimming all my life at Blackrock and the council does try to eliminate slippy green plants from the concrete for fear of slipping.
I myself slipped and broke my teeth on the raft a number of years ago and no I did not look for compo. at the time there was more wood than rubber on the surface and was easy to slip if you stood up and walked around it.

buzz11 · 20-07-2011 10:53am

I was on the raft last w'end and thought it was unsafe. Its made of plastic modular sections which have gaps between them which open/close with the movement of the water. Its quite easy to get fingers/toes caught in these gaps which then close and a painful squeeze results. The old wooden one was much better as it was solid. The sides of this raft have raw plastic edges which make getting up on very difficult, not everyone uses the ladder. Try it out and you'll see what I mean, you won't see this from the shore.

Unfortunately, it would be unrealistic to point this out to the dictators at city council because they would just remove it "on safety" grounds instead of actually improving it (at modest cost). So the average citizen must put up with the dangers and be glad of the facility, like just one shower on the slip.
Its maddening when you think about it...:mad:

joeKel73 · 20-07-2011 12:32pm

buzz11 wrote: »

So the average citizen must put up with the dangers and be glad of the facility, like just one shower on the slip.
Its maddening when you think about it...:mad:

Yeah we should be glad of the facility, it's completely free for us to use. If you consider it dangerous, avoid. If not, enjoy.

sign21.jpg?w=320&h=270

JohnCleary · 20-07-2011 11:50pm

If you think the raft is unsafe, don't use it. Don't ruin the fun for the rest of us

Fuinseog · 21-07-2011 12:25pm

JohnCleary wrote: »

If you think the raft is unsafe, don't use it. Don't ruin the fun for the rest of us

we live in a compensation culture so the council has to watch their ass. I notice its of plastic these days.

DRakE · 21-07-2011 4:04pm

Fuinseog wrote: »

we live in a compensation culture so the council has to watch their ass. I notice its of plastic these days.

you broke your teeth

Fuinseog · 21-07-2011 4:35pm

DRakE wrote: »

you broke your teeth

I did and it was far from funny at the time.

beeintheknow · 21-07-2011 4:50pm

Fuinseog wrote: »

I did and it was far from funny at the time.

Well I would have laughed then and I'm laughing now :cool:

Fuinseog · 21-07-2011 4:59pm

beeintheknow wrote: »

Well I would have laughed then and I'm laughing now :cool:

whatever. sure maybe you will drown one of these days and I will be able to watch it from the shore. Its mighty craic altogether to see someone else have a an accident.

McTigs · 22-07-2011 12:04pm

buzz11 wrote: »

like just one shower on the slip.
Its maddening when you think about it...:mad:

I can honestly say in all my years swimming at blackrock i have never once had to que for that shower. One is quite enough.

Fuinseog · 22-07-2011 12:16pm

McTigs wrote: »

I can honestly say in all my years swimming at blackrock i have never once had to que for that shower. One is quite enough.

hear hear. very few even use that one. I see they have built a new ladder at the spliway so you do not have to walk over the rocks.

Fuinseog · 22-07-2011 12:17pm

McTigs wrote: »

I can honestly say in all my years swimming at blackrock i have never once had to que for that shower. One is quite enough.

hear hear. very few even use that one. I see they have built a new ladder at the slipway so you do not have to walk over the rocks.

buzz11 · 29-08-2011 9:31am

I see the raft has been removed already, it seems to have been taken out for the Bay swim but still hasn't been put back.
So it went out on 15th July and removed around 26th Aug (approx) About 6 weeks.

I guess it was getting in the way of the school book run...

martin6651 · 29-08-2011 8:25pm

It broke its mooring the day before the bay swim, got washed up on the rocks and was damaged so they took it away.

nuac · 30-08-2011 5:28pm

That raft, or an earlier timber version, has been there since at least 1956.

It's a good idea. Hope it won't be discontinued on health and safety grounds

Paddyfield · 18-06-2012 9:57pm

BUMP (from last year)

Where is the raft this year?

biko · 18-06-2012 10:10pm

It wasn't put out until mid July last year so could be a while yet.

Fuinseog · 18-06-2012 10:48pm

Paddyfield wrote: »

BUMP (from last year)

Where is the raft this year?

maybe they are waiting for summer for start i.e fine weather.

buzz11 · 09-07-2012 8:56pm

Still no raft but lifeguards have started now....so anyone who plans to need rescue should do it now.;)

Fuinseog · 10-07-2012 9:33am

buzz11 wrote: »

Still no raft but lifeguards have started now....so anyone who plans to need rescue should do it now.;)

maybe they are waiting for the summer to start?

buzz11 · 03-08-2012 7:45pm

Raft is out....enjoy little people, local government has delivered at last

its being installed later and later each year;
3-aug-12
15-jul-11
13-jul-10

BhoscaCapall · 05-08-2012 2:20am

Fuinseog wrote: »

whatever. sure maybe you will drown one of these days and I will be able to watch it from the shore. Its mighty craic altogether to see someone else have a an accident.

No need for the sarcasm, watching other people have accidents can be a great laugh when done right.

antoobrien · 10-08-2012 9:39am

buzz11 wrote: »

Raft is out....enjoy little people, local government has delivered at last

its being installed later and later each year;
3-aug-12
15-jul-11
13-jul-10

This is a new raft as the old one has sadly succumbed to wear and tear. From this week's sentinel:

The raft in Salthill which appears every summer at Blackrock was put out on Friday – following a delay.

The raft which is much loved by the people of Galway during the summer months seemed to be missing; however this was due to the fact that a new raft was being constructed following wear and tear to the old one.

The new raft was meant to be put out on Wednesday but due to strong winds, had to be postponed until today.

JohnCleary · 10-08-2012 9:50am

UGh, fair enough, the old old one was made of timber (The red one) and had lived it's life

But then they replaced it with green Versadock pallets - these are plastic things that stick together and last yearssssss. Unless it got lost/damaged in transit, no way it needed replacing

The council are stinging btw, the new raft is WAY smaller than the old one. I'm guessing this was due to finances, as you can build the things as big or small as you want, you just screw plastic floating blocks together.

Either way, great to see it out. It also now has a boarding ladder, which I think takes away from the fun :pac:

Fuinseog · 10-08-2012 3:59pm

BhoscaCapall wrote: »

No need for the sarcasm, watching other people have accidents can be a great laugh when done right.

it takes you a year to respond

beeintheknow · 15-08-2012 4:59pm

Fuinseog wrote: »

it takes you a year to respond

Have you not drowned yet??

joeKel73 · 15-08-2012 5:11pm

JohnCleary wrote: »

But then they replaced it with green Versadock pallets - these are plastic things that stick together and last yearssssss. Unless it got lost/damaged in transit, no way it needed replacing

Could be because of this;

martin6651 wrote: »

It broke its mooring the day before the bay swim, got washed up on the rocks and was damaged so they took it away.

buzz11 · 03-09-2012 7:11pm

buzz11 · 17-09-2012 9:56pm

Raft has been taken away

Its been out for 6 weeks. It should really be out for three times that.

Maybe next year...

Seaneh · 17-09-2012 10:05pm

Yeah, I reckon it should be out from late april until about now.

buzz11 · 29-08-2013 11:34am

Raft removed last Monday 26th Aug, not sure why its been taken away so early.

Perhaps the logic is that its only for kids and now that they are going back to school..blah blah.

Hold on, did I just put logic and galway city council in the same sentence ?

Redhairedguy · 29-08-2013 7:37pm

buzz11 wrote: »

Raft removed last Monday 26th Aug, not sure why its been taken away so early.

Arse pops... Was considering a little snámh tomorrow afternoon, and I always like having an auld mosey on the raft.

buzz11 · 16-06-2014 5:42pm

Has anyone seen lifeguards on duty yet in Salthill?

The place is packed with swimmers, especially blackrock but there doesn't seem to be any lifeguards working yet this summer.

biko · 16-06-2014 5:50pm

Is the raft out?

martin6651 · 16-06-2014 9:49pm

No raft yet, the life guards have been on duty. They are on weekends only for June and full time Jul/Aug.

Cheshire Cat · 16-06-2014 10:11pm

buzz11 wrote: »

Has anyone seen lifeguards on duty yet in Salthill?

The place is packed with swimmers, especially blackrock but there doesn't seem to be any lifeguards working yet this summer.

In June lifeguards are on duty at weekends only. They are on every day in July and August.
The County Council is responsible for hiring and rostering lifeguards, just in case you are wondering where to complain.

nuac · 17-06-2014 8:57am

that raft is part of Galway. Remember using the earlier version in the fifties.

With modern compo culture the Council have to be careful. Insurers rule

ErnieBert · 22-07-2014 10:42pm

BUMP:

Where is the raft this year?

It'll soon be Christmas.

ErnieBert · 31-07-2014 11:14pm

Seriously, where's the raft this year?

Eeden · 31-07-2014 11:19pm

Jeez! Seems like if it's not out by now, it's not happening. Races almost over, and tomorrow's August! It's a pity, when the weather's been reasonable this year.

snubbleste · 24-08-2014 11:59am

So, did anyone request the Council to explain the scéal with the raft?

Long Gone · 25-08-2014 1:54pm

That raft is a part of Salthill's heritage - I remember swimming out to it in the early seventies when it was a wooden structure lashed onto (and over) about 10 barrels.

Where is the Salthill Raft?

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