Hugeferryblamed formakingwaves

September 1997

THE world’s biggest ferry is being blamed for freak tidal conditions which have been soaking sunbathers on Bray beach in recent weeks.

Bray Urban Council are investigating the situation, which they believe may have been caused by the wake from the company’s new Stena HSS cross-channel vessel.

The freak wave conditions have been occurring intermittently over the past month, and according to Cllr Pat Vance have coincided noticeably with the afternoon arrivals of the ferry to Dun Laoghaire.

‘Out of the blue there have been these huge waves washing up onto the beach, and sunbathers who have been enjoying the weather conditions have found themselves suddenly afloat,’ said Cllr Vance.

‘On a few occasions there have been items of clothing and the like washed out to sea on the wave.’

Cllr Vance, who is the chairman of Wicklow County Council, said that the problems which Bray has been experiencing in recent times are a carbon copy of the difficulties which were being encountered in South Dublin and Dalkey earlier this year.

‘On one level people might consider that there is a funny side to all this, but at the same time it is potentially a very serious problem and the lives of young children could be put at risk,’ he said.

A spokesman for Stena Lines said this week that they had taken steps earlier this year to remedy a problem which had occurred in the south Dublin area as a result of the wash from their ferry into Dun Laoghaire.

‘We spent a considerable amount of time trying to solve that problem, and even retained the services of an international expert on hydrodynamics to find a solutio. Following a period of monitoring, a particular speed limit requirement was introduced, while it was also agreed that the ferry should approach the harbour from a particular direction,’ he said.

‘We believe that this had remedied the problems which had been occurring, but obviously if we hear differently from Bray or any other area, we will investigate,’ he said.

Town Clerk Joe Boland said this week that reports that freak waves had been washing on to Bray beach in recent times was currently being checked out by the local authority.

‘We have people monitoring the situation at present. If they come back with a report which points a finger at the ferry companies then we will naturally take the matter up with them,’ he said. just trying to talk to the Bosnian Serbs and the peace-keeping troops haven’t been able to defend themselves properly,’ she said.

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