Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Water Safety Ireland has announced the athletes selected to represent Ireland at two major international lifesaving events in 2026, with teams named for the Lifesaving World Championships in South Africa and the European Youth Lifesaving Championships in Donegal. Among those selected…
The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) has called on the Government to phase out open-net salmon farming in Ireland, arguing the practice is incompatible with protecting wild fish stocks, marine biodiversity and water quality. Launching a new aquaculture policy and public…
Two people died after a rigid inflatable boat travelling at unsafe speed struck a navigation beacon in Portsmouth Harbour while its driver was under the influence of alcohol, a UK accident investigation has found. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said…
Irish sailors and several familiar Irish Sea offshore campaigns will be on the start line when the Royal Ocean Racing Club's 50th anniversary Round Britain & Ireland Race gets under way from Cowes on Sunday 9 August. Fenit's Eimer McMorrow-Moriarty…
The full-scale replica of Christopher Columbus's flagship, the Nao Santa María, will make its first-ever visit to Drogheda this week, opening to the public at Fiddle Case Pier from Thursday 17 July to Saturday 26 July. The 200-ton wooden sailing…
Aran islanders demonstrated their skills when they won a lobster pot making contest at a new maritime festival on Inis Meáin. The first Féile Farraige Inis Meáin,drew a “fine field” of eight handmade pots for Comórtas an Phota Gliomach or…
Irish Sailing has renewed its appeal for sailors to report sightings of floating or poorly marked fishing gear as part of an ongoing campaign to improve safety afloat. The governing body is asking racing, cruising and recreational sailors to report…
Three people were brought safely to harbour after their 19ft boat suffered engine failure off Blackrock, Salthill, on Wednesday afternoon. Galway RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crew launched shortly before 4pm at the request of the Coast Guard after a call for…
25 Water Wags turned out for the AIB DBSC race on Wednesday July 15th. The Wags were racing for the Jubilee Cup which is awarded to the overall winner for the season. They were also racing for the Sri Lanka…
Stena Line has today signed a historic agreement with the Swedish Transport Administration that ensures continued train-ferry traffic between the Nordic nation and Germany. The agreement, the first of its kind, means that traffic on the Trelleborg–Rostock route can remain…
Ireland's Pam Lee continues her determined bid to complete the 2026 Drheam Cup after rejoining the race following emergency repairs in Baltimore, Co Cork. The Class40 skipper diverted into the West Cork harbour after flooding disabled the engine aboard her…
Killybegs-based Sinbad Marine Services, which provides a ships' agency to approximately 500 vessels each year, was kept busy with its latest client, writes Jehan Ashmore. The offshore survey vessel MV Kommandor Orca yesterday called to Co. Donegal harbour, though briefly;…
Entries have opened for the 11th edition of the Elmo Trophy, with Ireland's biggest team racing regatta set to return to Dun Laoghaire Harbour on 8–9 August. Hosted by the Royal St. George Yacht Club, the event will bring together…
Two paddleboarders were rescued off the Waterford coast after becoming stranded by an offshore wind while paddling in Tramore Bay on Monday evening. The pair got into difficulty west of Great Newtown Head when a strengthening north-easterly breeze prevented them…
Bookings have opened for the ninth edition of Mayo Mayhem, with Ireland's flagship wave windsurfing competition set to return this autumn on the Atlantic coast of Co Mayo. The 2026 event will again carry three-star World Wave Tour (WWT) and…
A major new scientific study has confirmed that escaped farmed salmon have interbred with wild Atlantic salmon in Irish rivers, although researchers say the genetic impact remains absent or low in most populations. The report, published by the Marine Institute…
Celebrity TV chef and cookery writer Rachel Allen will curate exclusive menus for Hibernia Line's daily ferry sailings on the new Cork-Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, route. The start-up ferry operator is proud to announce a brand ambassador partnership with Rachel Allen, one…
Two people and a dog were rescued after an inflatable drifted around half a mile offshore off the County Down coast on Sunday afternoon. Newcastle RNLI launched its relief Atlantic 85 lifeboat Enid Foster MBE at about 4pm after Belfast…
British Marine has launched a new accredited Foundation in Water Safety course aimed at reducing avoidable water-related incidents through practical training and improved awareness. Developed with Birmingham and Midland Marine Services Ltd, the two-hour course is accredited by the Institute…
The Grant Thornton ILCA Irish Championships have been officially launched at the Royal St George Yacht Club, with organisers expecting up to 100 sailors from more than 25 clubs when racing gets underway in Dún Laoghaire from 24–26 July. The…
