Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
#FerryNews - Following last week's hull launch of ICG's biggest cruiseferry W.B. Yeats in Germany, Isle of Inishmore completed a routine annual overhaul and departed a drydock in the UK on Monday, writes Jehan Ashmore. Afloat adds the Isle of…
#Ecuador - The body of a Tralee man has been recovered after a kayaking incident in central Ecuador that claimed the life of a Sligoman at the weekend, as previously reported on Afloat.ie. According to The Irish Times, 26-year-old David…
New Plans for Bulloch Harbour, Dalkey Redevelopment ‘Worse’ than Original
24th January 2018 Dublin Bay
#DublinBay - New plans to redevelop Bulloch Harbour, Dalkey in south Dublin writes The Irish Times has been dismissed by local opponents as “in some respects worse” than an original design rejected by planners a year ago. A public meeting…
North Sails Designer Talks Inventory For New Mark Mills One-Design Class
23rd January 2018 North Sails Ireland
#NorthSails - On the North Sails website, sail designer Mike Marshall outlines the development of North Sails’ 3Di inventory for the new Melges IC37 class. When his design team were notified that North Sails would be the official sailmaker for…
Helvick Head Lifeboat Rescues Fishing Vessel Crew In Midnight Callout
23rd January 2018 RNLI Lifeboats
#RNLI - Helvick Head RNLI had its first callout for 2018 in the early hours of Saturday morning (20 January) when the crew of a fishing vessel reported engine difficulty. Pagers sounded at 1.50am and volunteer crew Brian O’Rourke, Joe…
BG Freight Line’s latest new build MV ‘BG Diamond’ arrived in the Port of Cork today on her maiden call to Tivoli Container Terminal from Rotterdam. The brand new containership developed by BG Freight Line, in conjunction with designers CIMC…
Irish Tall Ship Trainee Numbers Back up to Asgard II Levels, Say Sail Training Ireland
23rd January 2018 Tall Ships
In 2017 over 300 trainees went to sea on Tall Ships from Ireland and across Europe. Sail Training Ireland aim to fund a similar number of trainees in 2018. These numbers have not been seen since the loss of Ireland’s National…
ESPO Supports New Ports Directive for Responsible Management of Waste from Ships
23rd January 2018 Ports & Shipping
#Ports&Shipping - The European Commission last week published the new proposal on the revision of the Port Reception Facilities (PRF) Directive. In response to the new proposal, the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) has welcomed in principle its objective to…
#ArcticBuoy - A marine research buoy found on the Connemara coast by local Sea Scouts recently had drifted over 6,000 kilometres across the Beaufort Sea, Arctic Ocean and Atlantic to Ireland. The buoy, around half a metre in diameter, was…
December’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2017 overall winner Gordon Maguire, originally of Howth and now sailing master of Matt Allen’s TP52 Ichi Ban in Australia, simply keeps on winning writes W M Nixon. The Australia Yachting Championship on Port Philip…
#ICRA - Norbert ‘Nobby’ Reilly has spoken to Afloat.ie to clarify his comments over his resignation from the Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) last week. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the Howth Yacht Club sailor and former ICRA commodore left…
Royal Cork Elects Pat Farnan to Lead Yacht Club Into Tricentenary Celebrations
23rd January 2018 Royal Cork YC
Last night in Crosshaven in Cork Harbour, Royal Cork Yacht Club elected its new Admiral and flag officers writes Bob Bateman As previously reported by Afloat.ie, Pat Farnan was elected Admiral of the club to lead it in to its…
The well-attended 66th AGM of the Mermaid Sailing Association was held on 1st December 2017 in Skerries Sailing Club and among the highlights discussed was the Cork Harbour National Championships in 2019. A proposal to amend the rule regarding maximum…
Microplastic Particles Found In Antarctic Waters By Volvo Ocean Race Team
22nd January 2018 Marine Science
#MarineScience - Microplastic particles have been found in the oceans close to Antarctica, data collected during the Volvo Ocean Race has revealed. Scientists with the Volvo Ocean Race Science Programme, funded by Volvo Cars, analysed water samples gathered at points…
To understand why the recent death of the kindly and hospitable Bridie Keating of Derrynane at the age of 83 has deeply affected so many people in the area, across the country, and throughout the world, we have to understand…
Entries Open For RWYC’s Round Britain & Ireland With June Start In Plymouth
22nd January 2018 Rd Britain & Ireland
#RB&I - The Royal Western Yacht Club of England is now taking entries for the latest Round Britain and Ireland two-handed race, which starts from Plymouth on Sunday 3 June. This year marks the 14th running of the quadrennial yacht…
Waterways Ireland advises masters, owners and the general public that recent rains have caused flooding at many harbours making them unsafe for pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the immediate surrounds of the harbour infrastructure. Banagher, Shannon Bridge, Mountshannon, Scarriff and Limerick harbours are severely…
The Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race 2018, run by Wicklow Sailing Club, is a little over 5 months away and is expecting a strong turn out with very positive interest from the off-shore sailing community in Ireland, the UK and…
#Ports&Shipping - Five ports in south Wales that are part of Associated British Ports (ABP) a major UK ports operator, saw the group's regional network handle 12.5 million tonnes of cargo in 2017. The strong performance of ABP South Wales…
‘Floating Homes’ Plan For Dun Laoghaire Harbour Moves Forward
22nd January 2018 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
#Property - Plans to develop “floating homes” in Dun Laoghaire Harbour — and refocus the area on accommodation as well as leisure — have moved a step forward as a formal procurement process is set to begin. Last September, the…