Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine

Diverting streams and rivers to irrigate crops or provide drinking water may “significantly extend” the time microplastics spend in river catchments, new research states. Diverted water from rivers disperse tiny plastic particles across farmland from where they may be flushed…

IFI Secures Prosecution and Fines of €5,500 Against Farmer for Riverbed Destruction in Co Laois
5th June 2023 Angling
A Co Laois farmer has been found guilty of two breaches of fisheries legislation for deliberate destruction caused at a local river. The defendant was prosecuted for damaging spawning beds and disturbing spawn or fry during destructive gravel removal works…

Two white-tailed sea eagle chicks have hatched in a successful pairing of two adults under Ireland’s re-introduction programme. A male white-tailed sea eagle released in 2008 which had lived alone in east Clare for the past four years, has bonded…

A Co Antrim angler was found guilty of fishing offences and fined a total of £541 at Laganside Magistrates Court on Tuesday 23 May. Aurel Ciurar (23) of Ava Park, Belfast was convicted, in his absence, of five breaches of…

The Loughs Agency recently took its StreamKeepers programme to the Glenelly Valley in Co Tyrone for an event aimed at encouraging people to get involved with their local waterways and environment. The community outreach programme collaborated with the Glenelly Historical…

550 Conquer 'Rás Mór' as Cork Harbour Ocean to City Festival Celebrates Prizewinners (Photos Here!)
5th June 2023 Cork Harbour
There were huge congratulations to all 550 international and national participants who conquered the Rás Mór this year, the highlight of Cork Harbour's Ocean to City Festival. Royal Cork Yacht Club was the centre of attention on Saturday as rowing craft…

Baltimore RNLI was on two shouts within the hour on Sunday evening in West Cork. The volunteer lifeboat crew launched their all-weather lifeboat at approximately 6 pm yesterday evening, following a request from the Irish Coast Guard to provide a…

RORC Resurrect The Admiral’s Cup for 2025; Two Boat Teams Will Represent a Yacht Club or Country
5th June 2023 Admiral’s Cup
The Admiral’s Cup is back for 2025 and will be held biennially thereafter by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. Established in 1957, The Admiral’s Cup is honoured throughout the world of sailing as the "unofficial world cup for offshore racing".…

On Saturday afternoon (3 June), Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI to launch to assist two people on a 15ft speedboat that had suffered damage to one of its propellers and was at anchor three miles south of Terryglass…

CHC Search and Rescue Crew Concerned About Jobs After Bristow Secures Irish Coast Guard Contract
5th June 2023 Coastguard
Search and rescue air crew and staff at the Irish Coast Guard’s four helicopter bases are concerned about their future employment when Bristow takes over the new contract. As The Sunday Independent reports, staff in Dublin, Waterford, Shannon and Sligo…

Greystones Harbour's Pamela Lee is Racing Class 40 in Normandy Channel Race
5th June 2023 Transatlantic Jacques Vabre
Twenty-four hours into the CIC Normandy Channel Race and Irish Offshore sailor Pamela Lee co-skippering the Class 40 yacht '154' is lying 23rd in the fleet. The 1000-miler that started on Sunday sees Lee embark on a new journey with French co-skipper Tiphanie Ragueneau.…

49er Bronze Goes Down to Wire at Allianz Regatta, Royal Cork Duo Just Miss Top Ten
5th June 2023 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
The host nations Bart Lambriex and Floris van de Werken had the 49er title sewn up with the medal race to spare, so attention turned to the battle for bronze at the Allianz Regatta in the Netherlands on Sunday. Australia’s Jim…

Bos Survives Late Fright to Win Allianz Regatta ILCA 7s, Howth's Ewan McMahon is 13th
5th June 2023 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
Olympic campaigner for Paris 2024, Duko Bos claimed victory in the ILCA 7 class but not before a medal-race scare that left the Dutchman scrambling for the finish line. Bos’ nine-point lead at the top of the standings looked in…

June is a big month for RS Elite events in Northern Ireland, as both the Irish Championships and the UK National Championships will be held in the region. On the 24th and 25th of June, it’s the turn of the…

The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) has issued a reminder to the public about a ban on catching angelsharks, after a sighting of the endangered species in Galway Bay. “Angelsharks (Squatina squatina) are among Ireland’s rarest native (as opposed to migrant)…

The "Science of a Sting" Explained at Jellyfish Garden In Dublin's Bloom Festival
4th June 2023 Maritime Festivals
The “science” of the jellyfish sting, what to do if you get stung, and the different species in Irish waters are themes of a dedicated garden at the Bloom festival in Dublin’s Phoenix Park this weekend. The jellyfish garden has…

The Ocean Race: Biotherm and WindWhisper are Winners on a Day of Comebacks in Aarhus In-Port Race
4th June 2023 Ocean Race
The sun was shining on Sunday (4 June), as it has been throughout the entire Aarhus stopover, and that meant a building sea breeze would be the order of the day for the In-Port Racing programme. This marked the return…

Erne System: Navigation Restrictions Around Castle Island Water Activity Area
4th June 2023 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland advises all masters and users of the Erne System in Northern Ireland that the channel east of Castle Island in Enniskillen will be closed from this Wednesday 7 June to 30 September 2023. This is for the creation of…

Waterways Ireland wishes to advise users of the Grand Canal in Dublin city centre that the north-bank towpath between Locks C3 and C4, at Huband Bridge and Wilton Terrace respectively, will be closed for approximately two weeks for maintenance works…

The volunteer crew of the Aran Islands RNLI were asked to launch their all-weather Severn class lifeboat two minutes after noon on Saturday 3 June after a gentleman visiting the island of Inis Mór for the day became unwell and was…