Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

#SeaFest - This year’s SeaFest in Galway is offering activities specifically for children with sensory issues as well as watersports sessions for children and adults with disabilities or impairments. Irish Sailing and its team of volunteers from sailing clubs across…

#Crayfish - The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is investigating the widespread deaths of white-clawed crayfish in Lough Owel that may be linked to an outbreak of crayfish plague. As TheJournal.ie reports, the Co Westmeath inland waterway is home…

#LoughNeagh - The UK’s National Trust is seeking a new warden — or wardens — to care for the historic Coney Island in Lough Neagh, as Belfast Live reports. The island’s restored 19th-century cottage, which until last year was home…

Nicholas O'Leary's 'Ireland Ocean Racing team' say it is making 'great strides' towards securing the Cork solo sailor a position on the Vendee Globe 2020 startline despite the fact his boat, purchased last November, has appeared on the international boats…

Cruiser 3 Tuesday ECHO: 1. Papytoo, 2. Pamafe, 3. Maranda PY Class: 1. G Bua, 2. T Hennig IDRA 14: 1. Slipstream, 2. Doody, 3. Sapphire Laser PY: 1. R Wallace, 2. M Sorgassi, 3. R O'Leary Race 2: IDRA…

Masters and users of the Shannon Navigation are advised that a Smart Card system will be introduced at all locks on the navigation from 01 July 2018. As Afloat.ie reported in March, Waterways Ireland says Masters of vessels will be…

Many events have been organised this season to celebrate the 50th birthday of Oliver Lee’s National Squib two-man keelboat. One of those events was the open Welsh Championship raced at South Caernarfonshire Yacht Club, over the weekend of 15th to…

A €100 million investment by Seatruck Ferries, the Irish Sea freight specialist, will increase capacity on Warrenpoint to Heysham route by 30%. Seatruck will deploy two larger freight ferries on the route later this summer, in direct response to growing…

#MarineNotice - The survey vessel VOS Sweet (Callsign PCPE) is currently conducting offshore geotechnical and environmental survey operations associated with the proposed Celtic Interconnector on behalf of EirGrid. The VOS Sweet was set to commence operations yesterday, Monday 18 June,…

Carrickfergus on Belfast Lough hosted the RS Elite Championships last weekend. There was strong competition on the start line of a 16–strong fleet. The Current UK Champion Mike McIntyre on Foudafafa was over from England to get the feel of…

#Seafood - Marine Minister Michael Creed has called for European Maritime & Fisheries Funding (EMFF) for small to medium enterprises in aquaculture and seafood processing to be continued post-2020. Addressing the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers meeting in Luxembourg…

Volvo has an ingenious solution to one of the more stressful manoeuvres in sailing with the unveiling of its advanced self-docking technology. In a live demonstration at the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Gothenburg, a 68ft yacht fitted with Volvo…

#Ports&Shipping - Forest products operator Scotline Ltd whose vessels are regular callers to Irish east and south coast ports, have announced in partnership with a Dutch yard to exercise an option for a second newbuild of the 4785dwat Bodewes Trader…

Cormac Gebruers has been appointed to the post of Head of College at the National Maritime College of Ireland. Cormac began his career as a deck officer in the merchant navy, graduating from Cork RTC (subsequently CIT) in 1993. He…

#PortOfCork - The Port of Cork’s relocation to Ringaskiddy could be delayed by a ‘mistake’ in a tender for the civil engineering part of the the €82 million project, as the Irish Independent reports. BAM Civil Ltd says it made…

The Dublin Bay Laser fleet is making a push for more entries for the Laser fleets in the forthcoming Dun Laoghaire Regattas starting this weekend with the National Yacht Club fixture. Laser Class Captain Ross O'Leary has come up with…

Entries closed yesterday for the Sigma 33 Class UK and Irish Championships 2018 on Dublin Bay this weekend. The Royal St. George Yacht Club organisers have confirmed 23 entries, being 161 competitors from five countries. Racing takes place from Friday…

There’s an informal international network of wooden boat adherents - both classic and traditional - which has found in Ireland an increasingly useful source of recognised designs of intriguing boat types to provide many building challenges for skilled craftsmen and…

Last weekend, the 16th and 17th of June, saw the Dublin Bay Mermaid fleet making a very welcome return to Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club for their 2018 Leinster Championship event. In what were undoubtedly testing conditions for the fleet…

Dubliner Greg McGuckin, who will set sail around the world on July 1 has finished ninth in his Golden Globe fleet of 27 in the race to the round the world French startline. The Golden Globe Race village in Les Sables…