Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Bundoran RNLI Rescues Four People from Rip Currents off Main Beach
5th September 2023 RNLI Lifeboats
Four people had to be rescued by the Bundoran RNLI over the weekend after getting caught in rip currents off Main Beach. In two separate incidents, three teenagers and a man were plucked from the water and brought to safety by…
For Europe's Ports EU’s Net-Zero Industry Policy Should Look Both at Production and Supply Chains
5th September 2023 Ports & Shipping
The European SeaPorts Organisation (ESPO) welcomes the aim of the Commission’s Green Deal Industrial Plan to ensure that the European Union can become an important player in the production and supply of net-zero products and technologies and a competitive player…
Record Engagement with Water Safety Programme Reported by Sport Northern Ireland
5th September 2023 Water Safety
Sport Northern Ireland has announced that the 2023 Get Wet Stay Safe Programme has achieved record engagement this year. The initiative, now in its second year, aims to raise awareness about water safety and has seen over 1,300 people participate…
Dublin Port Company has today reported trade figures for the first half of 2023. Volumes declined by 3.6% to end June as the war in Ukraine, global inflation and a slower than expected recovery in China from Covid-19 lockdown dampened…
Sports Capital Grants 2023 - Is Your Club or Training Centre Looking for a Boat to Provide Disabled Access to Sailing?
5th September 2023 INSS
Sports Capital Grants 2023 - Is your club or training centre looking for a boat to provide disabled access to sailing? With deadlines due at the end of the week, there is still time to get your quote from Marine…
Royal Cork Yacht Club's Autumn League Sets October 1 as First Race Date
5th September 2023 Royal Cork YC
The Royal Cork's Autumn League will start on Sunday, October 1 and continue for four further Sundays to the end of the month. Eight races are planned over the five Sundays, varying between one and two on different days. The…
Dublin Port has published SafePort Golden Rules today, a set of 10 rules designed to enable Port Management and the seven Terminal Operators to engage with employees and visitors on Dublin Port sites safely. The publication follows the introduction of…
Drogheda Port is Ireland’s premier regional port. Established under the Harbours Act 1996, this commercial semi-State multi-modal port has a tonnage throughput of circa 1.5m tonnes and 800 ship movements per annum. Vessels are typically in the range of 4,000-5,500dwt.…
Impressive Irish Rowing Performance on Day Two of the World Rowing Championships in Belgrade
4th September 2023 Rowing
Seven Irish crews were afloat for the second day of the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, with impressive performances across multiple events. The women's pair of Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh secured a place in the repechage after…
ESB and Shannon Foynes Port Announce Support for Floating Offshore Wind Research at UCC
4th September 2023 Power From the Sea
The ESB and Shannon Foynes Port have announced a funding collaboration for a €250k study at MaREI — the SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine at University College Cork (UCC) — in the latest step towards helping Ireland to…
Irish Sailor Tom Dolan Climbs Up Leaderboard on Second Stage of La Solitaire du Figaro Despite Strong Tides and Light Winds
4th September 2023 Figaro
Irish sailor Tom Dolan battles strong tides and light winds to climb up the leaderboard on the second stage of the 54th La Solitaire du Figaro, the famous French offshore sailing race. Dolan, the winner of stage 1, is currently…
A very successful Flying Fifteen National Championship with 24 boats concluded on Sunday 3rd September in Belfast Lough with a win for the cousins Niall & Ronan O’Briain (4092) from Flying Fifteens Chonamara, after they affected a 10-point swing in…
Ireland's Seafood Development Agency Hosts Conference to Boost Aquatech Industry
4th September 2023 Aquaculture
Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s seafood development agency, is set to host a conference aimed at positioning the country as the centre of excellence for aquatech. The event, scheduled for Thursday, October 19th, will also mark the announcement of the…
Wychcraft Dinghy Restoration: A Tale of 1,000 Stainless Steel Screws and a Fascinating History
4th September 2023 Historic Boats
One thousand stainless steel screws and then more. That is what it took to restore Oliver Curran’s Wychcraft dinghy. They’re used to building boats in strange locations on either side of the Strangford Narrows in Co Down, with Billy Brown’s…
Birdwatch Ireland is seeking volunteers to participate in its Irish Wetland Bird Survey, which informs waterbird conservation and management in Ireland. Individuals with a telescope and good bird identification skills are encouraged to volunteer, as there are a number of…
Final Dutch Report Into Fatalities Due to Wood Rot on Traditional Craft Due Shortly
4th September 2023 Historic Boats
The Dutch Safety Board says its final report into another fatal marine accident involving wood rot on a traditional craft is due to be issued shortly. The board initiated an investigation last year after a fatal incident on August 31st,…
Despite placing fourth and a strong final challenge from Welsh yachts in Saturday's end-of-season ISORA cross-channel race, Paul O'Higgins's Rockabill VI of Dun Laoghaire maintained her overall advantage and was crowned 2023 ISORA champion by a 3.1 points difference. In the…
Two kayakers were rescued by the Wicklow RNLI Inshore lifeboat volunteers on Sunday afternoon, 3rd September, after they got into trouble near Wicklow Head. The Inshore lifeboat was launched shortly after 4 pm after a member of the public walking…
A Catapult Catamaran sailed by Gary Mangan took first place in the dinghy class in this year’s Cong-Galway race across Lough Corrib and down the river into the city. A 420 helmed by Cumann Seoltóireachta an Spidéil’s (CSS) Rob Talbot…
National Yacht Club's 'Prospect' Retains Beneteau 31.7 National Title on Dublin Bay
4th September 2023 Beneteau 31.7
With three wins in a five-race series, defending Beneteau 31.7 champion Chris Johnston sailing Prospect was the clear winner at the Royal St. George hosted 2023 National Championships on Dublin Bay on Sunday. Racing in light sea breezes of up…