Blasket Islands Eco Marine Tours has the use of two boats – M.V. “Blasket Princess” and M.V. “ An Blascaod Mór” – one an Aquastar 43ft. and the other a Lochin 40 ft. but M.V. “Blasket Princess” is generally used for the marine tours as it has a flying bridge for viewing wildlife and inside seating for 20 passengers and on deck seating for 24 passengers
M.V. “An Blascaod Mór” which is faster, is used for more specialised long distance trips, especially offshore pelagic trips 60 miles offshore to the Porcupine Sea bight / Continental shelf area in the fall of the year [Sept./Oct.] for tuna fishing and big whale [fin whale and blue whale] watching trips.
Both boats are available for special charter at €120 per hour plus fuel surcharge, minimum charter period 4 hrs.
M.V. “Blasket Princess” is powered by twin 250hp John Deere marine diesel engines [“nothing runs like a Deere”]. We are very aware of the footprint we leave on our tours and consequently the engines are usually run a little over half throttle at about 8 to 10 knots, and the engines are very economical and regularly maintained for optimum economical performance.
M.V. “Blasket Princess” uses the same amount of fuel for a full 8/9 hr working day that some boats engaged in a similar activity use in 1 hour.
Check it out!
The boat is a comfortable sea kindly vessel, ideally suited to the sometimes testing conditions encountered around the Blaskets where tidal rips and ocean swell are not uncommon.
Your skipper makes up his mind in the morning where is the optimum place to go for viewing wildlife and also endeavours to take the calmest route taking into account weather, tides and sea conditions.