A Trio of Maritime Achievers
A sailor racing 26,000 nautical miles alone for a year around the world in a 19-foot plywood self-built yacht; the man who runs a family boatyard in Kerry which has built the first vessel for the Irish Navy in Ireland in 40 years and the sailmaker who has built his own maritime cannon, because he was told it could not be done, are the trio of stories in the new
15-minute monthly Podcast starting this month.
Jakub Ziemkiewicz, originally from Poland, has lived in Ireland for twenty years and built the yacht he has named BIBI of Cork, at his home in Aghada on the eastern bank of Cork Harbour.
Fionán Murphy runs his family’s boatyard – FM Marine Services – on Valentia Island. It has has entered a new phase of development – building the first new vessel for the Naval Service in Ireland in 40 years.
Fionnghuala is an impressive vessel. the first of four motor launches for the Naval Reserve, which formerly was known as Slua Muiri. There are four Reserve Units, based in Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Waterford.
Sailmaker Barry Hayes, who owns the former UK McWilliams Sailmakers business in Crosshaven, is the only man in Ireland who has his own ship’s signal cannon, which he built over two years. He describes on the Podcast why he did it.
