Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) Publish Unitised Traffic Report for Q4 2023
14th February 2024 Ports & Shipping
The latest Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) Unitised Traffic Report for Q4 2023 has been published with an Executive Summary below. As part of the Marine Institute, the IMDO is Irelands' dedicated, development, promotional and marketing office for the shipping…
Another “First” For Conor O'Brien: His Alternative Image of An Unknown Ibiza
14th February 2024 Conor O'Brien
Conor O'Brien’s outstanding pioneering achievement was in demonstrating that a sailing vessel as small as his own-designed 42ft Baltimore-built ketch Saoirse could complete a global circumnavigation through the vast expanse of the Southern Ocean, south of the Great Capes. The…
What Will Be The Effects on Watersports of Government Plans for Marine Protection?
14th February 2024 Tom MacSweeney
“It is not good enough to designate parts of the marine environment as conservation areas without talking to the people, groups and businesses which use and depend on an area for their livelihoods and recreation.” That comment from the Campaign…
British Team Dominates Challenging Fifth and Sixth Championship Races at 2024 Fireball Worlds
14th February 2024 Fireball
The fifth and sixth championship races of the 2024 Fireball Worlds were held on what was supposed to be a lay day, in switchy and gusty southerly winds. The conditions were challenging, with big shifts, big gusts, and some of…
Marine Institute Launches New Resources to Promote Ireland's Marine Biodiversity in Primary Schools
14th February 2024 Marine Science
The Marine Institute Explorers Education Programme team has launched a new set of resources for primary schools, aimed at promoting Ireland’s rich marine biodiversity in the classroom. The new class projects, called Fin-tastic Sharks+, will focus on the 71 species…
The RS Fest is back for 2024 after a hugely successful weekend in Blessington last year; this time, the fleets are heading to Lough Derg Yacht Club. The core ethos remains the same of all RS Sailing to have family-orientated…
RYA Northern Ireland Youth Squads Shine at Celtic Cup in Pwllheli
14th February 2024 RYA Northern Ireland
Ten of Northern Ireland’s Topper and ILCA sailors travelled to Plas Heli in Pwllheli for the Celtic Cup earlier this month (3-4 February). This annual event sees the best youth and junior sailors from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland compete…
In Sunshine and Wind, the 1720 'No Show' Wins Second Race of DBSC Spring Chicken Series
14th February 2024 DBSC
The AIB DBSC Spring Chicken Series on Dublin Bay came to an exciting conclusion last Sunday as 'No Show', the 1720 sportsboat, clinched the top spot. The second race of the six-race series saw sunny conditions accompanied by a good…
Dubai witnessed a spectacular start to the SB20 World Championship as forty-eight teams, with over 12 nationalities, took to the water for four races. The highly anticipated event commenced with two general recalls due to unstable wind and significant shifts,…
Captains Cook and Bligh and Their Place in Valentine's Day Maritime History
14th February 2024 Historic Boats
February the 14th is mostly known as Valentine’s Day, but it has a significance in maritime history far removed from romantic exploits – other, of course, than the romanticism of sailing the seas…..! In 1813, it was the day when…
Oil Company's Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) Vessel Arrives at Harland & Wolff, Belfast for Upgrade
13th February 2024 Shipyards
A Canadian flagged Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel which arrived at shipyard, Harland & Wolff, Belfast is to undergo a £61m base contract to deliver a mid-life upgrade of the large ship, writes Jehan Ashmore The contract for…
Waterways Ireland advises masters of all craft on the Shannon-Erne Waterway that repair works will be taking place at Roscarban Bridge in Co Leitrim from Wednesday 14 February until mid-March. During these works, a mechanical platform will be hung from…
Rosslare Harbour Lifeboat Assists Five on Fishing Vessel With Snagged Propeller
13th February 2024 RNLI Lifeboats
Rosslare Harbour RNLI’s volunteer crew were requested by the Irish Coast Guard on Sunday evening (11 February) to assist five crew on board a stricken fishing vessel. The all-weather lifeboat was launched shortly after the shout at 5.26pm and quickly…
Inland Fisheries Ireland Chief Addresses Oireachtas on New Barrier Programme for Irish Rivers
13th February 2024 Angling
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) chief executive Francis O’Donnell addressed the Oireachtas on Tuesday (13 February) on the State body’s programme to mitigate barriers to fish passage on Irish rivers. “Migratory species such as Atlantic salmon, sea trout, sea lamprey, river…
Marine Minister Announces Public Consultation on Review of Trawling Inside Six-Nautical-Mile Zone and Baselines
13th February 2024 Fishing
Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue has launched a public consultation on fishing with trawls inside the six-nautical-mile zone and the baselines. Speaking on Tuesday (13 February), Minister McConalogue said: “Five years ago, in December 2018, a transition to a ban on…
Viking Marine DMYC Dinghy Frostbites Returns to Dun Laoghaire Harbour After Three Week Hiatus
13th February 2024 DMYC
After an adverse weather-enforced hiatus of three Sundays without sailing, a reduced Frostbite fleet took to the waters of Dun Laoghaire Harbour to resume activity in the Viking Marine-sponsored Frostbites hosted by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club. While the forecast…
Howth’s Hot Frostbites Set Three-Race-Pace To Put 2024 Series Back On Track
13th February 2024 Howth YC
Although some five day forecasts had made any resumption of Howth’s Frostbites seem unlikely, a sudden change of tone and a very welcome weather window arrived over the weekend. After a three-week enforced break, when each named storm had seemed…
Fireball Worlds Day Three Blown Out as Sailors Get Set to Sail on Lay Day
13th February 2024 Fireball
The third day of the 2024 Fireball Worlds in Geelong, Australia, has been blown out after a lengthy wait on shore that ultimately ended with a decision to make up the races on tomorrow’s lay day. Sailors were met with…
Promoted
Here at North Sails Ireland, we are blessed with having two of the best sailors in the country on our Team. Maurice O’Connell or “Prof” as most of you know him and Shane Hughes who is also running the North…
Bristow Secures Air Operator Certificate For Irish Coast Guard SAR Contract
13th February 2024 Coastguard
Bristow Ireland Ltd has taken another step towards fulfilling its Irish Coast Guard contract with approval of an air operator certificate by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). The air operator certificate is a “fundamental requirement to provide search and rescue…