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Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
A generated representation of the view of the proposed Codling Wind Park from Wicklow Harbour
Ireland’s largest Phase One offshore wind project, Codling Wind Park, has confirmed a 25% reduction in the number of turbines required to deliver the project. The wind park will be located off the County Wicklow coast and was initially estimated…
Ambition of Ambassador Cruise Line was the first vessel to visit Cobh today, opening the start of a season that is also to welcome a further 100 plus calls. The 1,400 passenger guest cruise ship previously called to Belfast and beforehand became the first ever cruise ship to use the new berth at the Scottish port of Stornoway (above) on the Isle of Harris & Lewis, off the west coast. Up to now the port could only handle anchorage available for ships the size of Ambition and fleet-mate flagship Ambience which too has called to Cobh in the past two years.
Ambition, one of two cruise ships of UK operator Ambassador Cruise Line, overnight sailed from Belfast Harbour to arrive this morning at the Port of Cork, where it made a maiden visit to Cobh, writes Jehan Ashmore. Afloat tracked yesterday…
Colleen Deas is a Classic Dublin Bay class and this stunning GRP reproduction is an absolute head-turner
A classic reproduction of the early Dublin Bay "Colleen" class is up for sale at €9,750. Doyle of Kingstown - Dun Laoghaire designed this stunning GRP boat, an absolute head-turner. With a gaff rig, main and jib, and simulated clinker…
Mainport Edge is the newest acquisition of Cork-based Irish Mainport Holdings (IMH), which is undergoing an upgrade in Turkey. Works include improvements to the survey support ship to enhance and meet the roles required when placed on the international charter market for the global geo-data and offshore energy industry sectors.
Mainport Edge, the name of the Cork-based Irish Mainport Holdings (IMH) newly acquired survey support ship from a shipyard in China last year and since relocated to Europe, is where further upgrade works continue, writes Jehan Ashmore. As Afloat previously…
Some of the junior 4.7 fleet racing in the ILCA Munster Championships 2024 at Baltimore Sailing Club in West Cork
For ILCA sailors Easter always means the Munster Championships in Baltimore Sailing Club in West Cork. Despite the early Easter this year the Munster Championships lived up to all expectations, with nearly a hundred boats travelling from around the country,…
An Irish fishing trawler operating off Cork Harbour. The Irish fishing industry should have bigger catch quotas, according to MEP Billy Kelliher
Following the announcement by EU Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius that he has ordered a “full evaluation” of the Common Fisheries Policy and reports that 43,000 tonnes of fish were uncaught by Member States, other than Ireland, European fishing regulations under…
Port Dinorwic Marina
Marine Industry News reports that a company providing berthing and marine services at a storied North Wales marina has been sold after going into administration last year. Port Dinorwic Marina, on the Menai Strait south-west of Bangor, is now in…
29er action at the 2021 Irish Sailing Youth National Championships held in Cork Harbour. The 2024 event returns to Royal Cork Yacht Club this morning
Over 170 young sailors are set to compete in Ireland’s largest youth regatta, which starts today, April 4th at Crosshaven in Cork Harbour. The 2024 Irish Sailing Youth National Championships, which will be hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club…
Simon Knowles' J109 Indian is confirmed for Saturday's first ISORA coastal race from Dun Laoghaire Harbour
ISORA's first Dublin Bay Coastal race of the season is in doubt due to this Saturday's forecasted strong southerly winds. A new JPK design is set to challenge reigning ISORA champion Rockabill VI in the Viking Marine-sponsored race to and…
The boss of CalMac Robbie Drummond is standing down 'with immediate effect' after a leadership review of the Scottish government owned ferry operator with its extensive route network to west coast islands.
Caledonian MacBrayne's (CalMac) chief executive is stepping down as the Scottish state-owned ferry operator faces ongoing challenges with its aging fleet. The ferry company announced on Wednesday (3 April) that Robbie Drummond is stepping down with immediate effect from the…
Arklow RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat tows the 16m yacht into the safety of Arklow Harbour on Tuesday morning 2 April
Arklow RNLI in Co Wicklow were requested to launch early on Tuesday morning (2 April) following reports of a large yacht with four crew onboard in difficulty near the Arklow Bank. Shortly after 6.30am, Arklow volunteers launched the station’s all-weather lifeboat…
Royal Cork duo Seafra Guilfyole and Johnny Durcan have moved up one place to 24th overall at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Trophy in Mallorca
Another sea breeze day kept the giant 53 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by Iberostar rolling through a demanding schedule of races. Across the classes are some marked, understandable differences between the mindsets of those who are in the throes of…
Met Eireann has issued a small craft warning for all coasts of Ireland valid from Thursday afternoon
Ahead of a forecasted breezy weekend, Met Eireann has issued a small craft warning for all coasts of Ireland valid from Thursday afternoon.  Easterly winds, veering southwesterly in southern sea areas, will reach force six or higher, the State forecaster…
Marine advisors have been appointed to support the procurement of a multi-role vessel (MRV) to replace the Naval Service’s decommissioned flagship, LÉ Eithne which departed the navy’s base in Cork Harbour last month and awaits to be recycled from an EU approved facility. AFLOAT also adds above at the city’s north quays, the bow of Arklow Fame, previously reported in 2016 as the last vessel to be dry-docked (asides static museum ship Jeanie Johnston) then the state’s largest such facility in Dublin Port, before ‘finally’ forced to close in 2017, in order to facilitate major infrastructure works, since completed. Currently, the only ‘ship’ dry-dock in the Republic is the Rushbrooke based Cork Dockyard (Doyle Shipping Group) which is used by the Navy.
Advisers from the marine sector have been appointed to help procure a multi-role vessel (MRV) to replace the former flagship of the Naval Service, the LÉ Eithne which was decommissioned in 2022. According to the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, who is…
The mighty John Alden schooner Puritan is just one chapter in Bob Fannin Jnr’s very varied history of sailing experience
Bob Fannin Jnr feels most at home on the high seas. For as the Bristol-based writer, broadcaster and university lecturer told the members of the Cruising Group at his former club of Howth on Tuesday night, when sailing the sea,…
Pictured at Cork City quays is Captain Damien O’Sullivan, marine engineer Brendan Courtney and Dave Ronayne with the background of the two 17m suction sail-towers stern-mounted on the cargo ship Eems Traveller. Read below to find out more, as AFLOAT’s research further led to the Airbus component carrying vessel, Ville de Bordeaux which this week, Monday, 1 April, completed its first Europe-USA round voyage (based on the automated sail-assisted technology) to save on fuel and importantly reduce (C02) emissions.
Dock operatives of Ronayne Shipping, part of Irish Mainport Holdings, were discharging fertilizer in the Port of Cork recently from a short-sea cargo ship that had distinctive towers mounted at the stern, writes Jehan Ashmore. The 2,850-dwt vessel, Eems Traveller,…
Ballycastle, on the island’s famous Causeway Coast, will host the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series on Friday, July 19th and Saturday, July 20th
Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, is all set to host a leg of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2024. This July, the global event will witness the world’s best cliff divers competing against each other on the beautiful Causeway Coast.…
Cian McCarthy addresses the Kinsale Yacht Club gathering saluting his achievements with Sam Hunt in the 2023 Sydney-Hobart Race
Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt were honoured at home on the Easter weekend by Kinsale Yacht Club, the West Cork club joining a long list of organisations that saluted the duo's Christmas 2003 achievements competing in Australia's Sydney Hobart Race.…
European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) is excited to join forces with 44 European transport organizations in advocating for robust funding for Europe's transport sector. ESPO’s new investment study reveals that Europe’s ports alone require over 80 billion EUR in investment over the next decade. These ports are crucial not only for maritime supply chains but also for energy security, green transition, cohesion, agriculture, industry, and military capabilities.
European transport organisations (totalling 44), representing the key spectrum of Europe’s transport network, operators and stakeholders, are again joining forces in a campaign to call the Council and the European Parliament for a robust transport funding instrument in the upcoming…
Ireland's Finn Lynch moved up nine places in the ILCA 7 class to 11th as the thermal sea-breeze conditions for which Mallorca’s Bay of Palma is world renowned returned to allow a full programme of competition to be completed on Tuesday, getting the giant 53 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar Olympic classes regatta back on course after Monday’s schedule was curtailed by strong winds and big waves
Great Britain’s Olympic hopeful Micky Beckett took advantage of a dramatic change of conditions at the 53 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca on the second day of the World Cup Series event. Ireland's Finn Lynch also made good on a lighter…

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