Who wants to sink a Naval vessel in Killala Bay

dilallio

From the Irish Government's public tenders site etenders:

http://www.etenders.gov.ie/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=NOV185175

It's not good enough that the country is sinking, but now, our government now wants to pay someone to conduct a Feasibility Study of the Economic and Technical Viability of creating an Artificial Reef in Killala Bay by placing a retired naval vessel on the seabed.

Do they really need to spend taxpayers money on finding out whether the future benefit of blowing up an old ship and letting it sink to the bottom of killala bay and in twenty plus years time when weeds have grown all around it they will then have a scuba diving tourist market big enough to offset the costs ?

I would be delighted to support this project, but only if Mr. Cowen & co agree to be on the ship when it's blown up!

Pookah

A metaphor for our times.

Cookie_Monster

Great idea.

starbelgrade

C7

KeithM89_old

You sunk my battleship...

Donny5

KeithM89 wrote: »

You sunk my offshore patrol vessel...

There you go, fixed!

Promac

Artificial reefs promote fish yields and surfing and diving tourism and are extremely cheap to create. What's the problem?

In fact - the plan is currently in jeopardy because it's not actually expensive enough... even thought it's highly profitable:

For an investment of just over €3m, the return over 50 years is expected to be €150m.

http://www.westernpeople.ie/news/story/?trs=eymheyojmh

Manic Moran

I don't know if the tourism is going to be what it's cracked up to be. There are certainly SCUBA divers who flock to some artificial reefs made from ships, the former USS Oriskany being one of the most notable. However, you're going to have a lot more people interested in diving to an aircraft carrier in the warm, clear waters of Florida than you will interested in diving to a rather small and uninteresting ship smaller than some trawlers in the rather colder, murkier Irish waters.

NTM

tommyhaas

Could the navy not do it? Im sure they'd be delighted to auctually use their weapons for something other then a drill

Promac

Wouldn't fancy it myself in the slightest but it takes all sorts eh?

the_syco

dilallio wrote: »

Do they really need to spend taxpayers money on finding out whether the future benefit of blowing up an old ship and letting it sink to the bottom of killala bay and in twenty plus years time when weeds have grown all around it they will then have a scuba diving tourist market big enough to offset the costs ?

I would be delighted to support this project, but only if Mr. Cowen & co agree to be on the ship when it's blown up!

The ship is already retired, and most likely has already been stripped. To get it towed to a ship yard, and to get it salvaged costs a serious amount of money. Towing it nearby and sinking it may work out a lot cheaper.

Pookah

How would they scuttle it?

helimachoptor

Charges on the hull or leave it off shore and the army try and sink it from land!

Cookie_Monster

the_syco wrote: »

The ship is already retired, and most likely has already been stripped. To get it towed to a ship yard, and to get it salvaged costs a serious amount of money.

Yards pay to take ships, not the other way around (apart from some highly contaminated military vessels) have a look at Alang in India for serious ship breaking. I'm sure it's a lovely place to live too

Pookah wrote: »

How would they scuttle it?

explosives carefully placed to ensure it sinks on an even keel

smk89

Manic Moran wrote: »

I don't know if the tourism is going to be what it's cracked up to be. There are certainly SCUBA divers who flock to some artificial reefs made from ships, the former USS Oriskany being one of the most notable. However, you're going to have a lot more people interested in diving to an aircraft carrier in the warm, clear waters of Florida than you will interested in diving to a rather small and uninteresting ship smaller than some trawlers in the rather colder, murkier Irish waters.

NTM

I think the opposite in fact. As most Dublin dive clubs go west every 2 weekends there will be much more tourism. The main problem with going to Florida is the cost where as diving in the west cost €150 for a weekend.

tommyhaas

the_syco wrote: »

The ship is already retired, and most likely has already been stripped. To get it towed to a ship yard, and to get it salvaged costs a serious amount of money. Towing it nearby and sinking it may work out a lot cheaper.

Do they already have a ship in mind or are they planning on retiring one of the older INS ships?

If so, it must be cheaper to put it up on a beach for scrap in India. Only problem would be the INS making it all the way to India. Very far from Haulbowline

Manic Moran

smk89 wrote: »

I think the opposite in fact. As most Dublin dive clubs go west every 2 weekends there will be much more tourism. The main problem with going to Florida is the cost where as diving in the west cost €150 for a weekend.

If they're already going West every two weekends, I'm not sure of the perceived benefit to having the ship there. Are the Dublin clubs going to go two weeks out of every three? You'd be looking to attract people who aren't already going to the West of Ireland, surely?

NTM

Cookie_Monster

Maybe the Us would like to tow it down to Florida and sink for us eh?

maxwell smart

I'm sure if we gave Kim IL Jung a call we find out there is a North Korean sub off our coast that would be happy to help us out.

HellFireClub

Maybe we could use it as a kind of floating trailer for towing the billions of Euro of cash we owe the German banks, would it be big enough???

cyrusdvirus

we'd need the entire US Navy Carrier force to make up that amount of money

Steyr

tommyhaas wrote: »

Only problem would be the INS making it all the way to India. Very far from Haulbowline

The INS have been to India/America/Argentina/Eritrea/Malaysia/Singapore/China/Korea/Japan/Uruguay/Brazil/Mexico/Chile etc.

So no, getting to India or anywhere else on this Planet is not an issue.

Steyr

tommyhaas wrote: »

Do they already have a ship in mind or are they planning on retiring one of the older INS ships?

Id imagine it would be the oldest of the Fleet ( LÉ Emer ) to go first.

tommyhaas

Steyr wrote: »

The INS have been to India/America/Argentina/Eritrea/Malaysia/Singapore/China/Korea/Japan/Uruguay/Brazil/Mexico/Chile etc.

So no getting to India or anywhere else on this Planet is not an issue.

Did they go there with Aer Lingus or something?

Nah Im only messin mate,I saw they were in South America last year alright.

The only reason Id be sceptical about them scrapping her in India is that due to the size of the ships the scrap value would be minimal in comparrison to that of the average Merchant Ship. To be honest, Iv no idea what the economical option would be

smk89

Manic Moran wrote: »

If they're already going West every two weekends, I'm not sure of the perceived benefit to having the ship there. Are the Dublin clubs going to go two weeks out of every three? You'd be looking to attract people who aren't already going to the West of Ireland, surely?

NTM

Well a sunken ship will only attract divers tbh, but it will also help the environment.

flanum

"she was only an admirals daughter, but her Naval Base was always full of seamen!