MARINE NOTICE, No.155 of 2015
All Navigations
General Caution
Waterways Ireland wishes to advise masters, owners, users and the general public that it does not recommend any boating activity be undertaken during periods of stormy weather and especially when national weather alerts are in place.
When weather alerts have been withdrawn and the navigations return to relative calm users should be aware that the navigations will have changed significantly in nature and character.
Some rivers are prone to flash flooding causing the water level to rise very rapidly over a period of hours while other will rise more slowly over days. It is important to bear in mind that when the rains have stopped rivers will continue to rise over the coming days as rainfall drains into the river from the catchment area.
Currents will remain very strong and water levels will have risen to the extent that navigation marks will be difficult to see and the marked channel indistinguishable from adjacent flooded fields.
Trees weakened by wind will continue to fall into the navigations for some time later and present hazards to all vessels on the water both as underwater obstructions or entanglement hazards on the banks.
Charles J. Lawn, Inspector of Navigation, 8 Dec 2015
