Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Castletownbere RNLI to Feature in Maritime TV Docu Series as 'Saving Lives at Sea' Returns to the Screen
25th March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats
As the RNLI marks 200 years of lifesaving, the volunteer lifeboat crew at Castletownbere, West Cork will take to the television screens on Tuesday, 2 April, at 8 p.m. They will feature in the ninth series of the popular maritime…
Irish Sailor Tom Dolan Set to Compete in Laura Vergne Trophy Offshore Race
25th March 2024 Tom Dolan
Irish offshore sailor Tom Dolan is all set to take part in the Laura Vergne Trophy offshore race, which is a part of the 2024 French Elite Offshore Racing Championship. The event is named in memory of Laura Vergne, who…
The Frank Godsell March League 2024 for mixed cruisers at Kinsale Yacht Club was won overall on IRC on Sunday, March 24th, by Michael Carroll's Elan 40 Chancer. The Carroll brothers entry won on four points from Stephen Lysaght's Elan 333, Reavra Too on seven. Cian…
Annalise Murphy Rides to Victory in First Event of Cycling’s Road National Series
24th March 2024 Annalise Murphy
Annalise Murphy has begun a new pursuit in competitive road cycling in winning style with first place in the 43rd Des Hanlon Memorial, the first event of the Road National Series on Sunday (24 March). As Cycling Ireland reports, the…
Lough Derg Lifeboat Assists Family of Four on 34ft Cruiser Aground Near Portumna
24th March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats
Following an emergency call from a member of the public on shore on Sunday morning (24 March), Lough Derg RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Jean Spier was requested by Valentia Coast Guard to assist a family of four on a 34ft cruiser…
Another Sighting of Dredger ‘Charnock’ as Warrenpoint Port Maintenance Works Continue
24th March 2024 Dredging
Afloat reader Lee Maginnis has shared a new image of the suction dredger Charnock returning to Warrenpoint in Co Down after emptying its load in the open sea on Sunday (24 March). As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the vessel has…
MGM Boats To Feature Prestige M-Line and Lagoon Catamarans at International Multihull Show
24th March 2024 MGM Boats
The International Multihull Show will take place in La Grande Motte, France, from April 3rd to 7th, and Ireland's MGM Boats, agents for Prestige motor boats, are inviting visitors to discover their M-Line features as well as the new Lagoon…
Candela Secures €24.5m Funding to Scale Production of Revolutionary Electric Hydrofoil Ferry
24th March 2024 Ferry
Candela, the electric hydrofoil vessel manufacturer, has secured €24.5m in funding, marking the largest round in the company's history. The funding will be used to expand production of the Candela P-12 ferry, the first fast and long-range electric ferry on…
RNLI's Carrybridge Lifeboat Crew to be Featured in BBC's Saving Lives at Sea
24th March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats
The RNLI, renowned for its 200 years of lifesaving, is set to feature on the popular maritimeTV show Saving Lives at Sea on BBC Two and iPlayer. The ninth series, which focuses on the lifesaving work of today's lifeboat crews…
New Guide to Responsible Boating Is a ‘Call to Action’ Against Plastic Pollution in Oceans and Waterways
24th March 2024 Environment
EBI, which represents the European boating industry, has teamed up with NGO The SeaCleaners to publish a new Guide to Responsible Boating. Released on Friday (22 March) to coincide with World Water Day, the comprehensive guide is being touted as…
A new book provides an illustrated account of one Dublin kayaker’s intrepid solo voyage around the island of Ireland. Big Dream, Little Boat follows Skerries Sailing Club member Kevin O’Sullivan on his mission to circumnavigate the whole of Ireland by kayak —…
Howth's Eve McMahon Recovers to Finish Fourth Overall at Women's U21 ILCA 6 European Championships in Mallorca
23rd March 2024 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
A retiral in race nine of the 2024 Women's U21 European Championships dropped Ireland's Paris 2024 representative in the ILCA 6 class, Eve McMahon, off the podium. Just crowned Irish Sailor of the Year recovered four places overall but despite scoring a second in race…
Hopes for Concrete Blocks With Imprint of Ringaskiddy Shoreline to Boost Biodiversity in Dublin Bay
23rd March 2024 Dublin Bay
Dublin’s Great South Wall has taken on the appearance of the Cork Harbour shoreline thanks to a new biodiversity project. According to RTÉ News, a series of large concrete blocks imprinted with a mould of the Ringaskiddy coastline have been…
Taxpayer Picks Up €13m Bill for Naval Service Outsourcing Maintenance of P60 Class Vessels
23rd March 2024 Navy
Taxpayers are paying nearly four times as much to employ an overseas company to get stricken Naval Service patrol ships operating, than they would have if the Navy's engineering experts had not quit for better pay and conditions in the…
Isle of Man Steam Packet Reaches Agreement with Officers' Union Nautilus Over Live Aboard Terms
23rd March 2024 Ferry
An agreement has been reached says the Isle of Man Steam Packet, with the union representing its officers, in resolving the issue regarding terms which the ferry operator said they must live aboard the fleet at times. According to Manx…
World Water Day has been marked with funding for over 150 projects to improve water quality across the island of Ireland. The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), which works for Ireland’s 31 local authorities to protect and restore good water…
Ireland "Already A Wind Success Story" and "Now Looking to Our Seas" - Ryan
23rd March 2024 Power From the Sea
Minister for Environment and Climate Eamon Ryan has said that Ireland is “already a wind energy success story” on land and is “now looking to our seas.” “We get 35% of our electricity from onshore wind farms, which is more…
The Frank Godsell March League 2024 for mixed cruisers at Kinsale Yacht Club that was cancelled last weekend due to 'adverse wind and sea conditions' will sail two races this Sunday to compensate. Although racing under IRC and ECHO, the White Sails…
'Disappointing Cancellations' Leads Women’s World Match Racing Tour to Update 2024 Schedule
23rd March 2024 Match Racing
The Women’s World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) has announced an updated schedule for the 2024 Tour after the unfortunate cancellation of the opening season events in Annapolis and San Francisco due to a shortage of registered teams. The revised schedule…
Friday evening’s announcement of the Irish Sailor of the Year 2023 title for 19-year-old Eve McMahon at her sailing home of Howth Yacht Club well captures the zeitgeist of mid-2020s Ireland, not least in the fact that the title holder…