Betty Armstrong
Betty Armstrong is Afloat and Yachting Life's Northern Ireland Correspondent. Betty grew up racing dinghies but now sails a more sedate Dehler 36 around County Down.
Northern Ireland’s coastline is dotted with cold water swimmers who go out no matter what the weather or temperature. The group who swim near Jenny Watts Cave just past Wilson’s Point at Bangor on Belfast Lough are known as the…
The opening up of Royal Ulster Yacht Club on Belfast Lough has been long-awaited and tomorrow (Friday 3rd July) is the big day. During the past week bar and waiting staff have undergone training on the new way of working.…
The rescue services were so busy over the weekend that they have related several incidents together. A jetskier needed medical assistance after coming off his jetski. Donaghadee Lifeboat brought the casualty from Millisle into Donaghadee harbour and was met by…
Bangor Town Regatta on Belfast Lough was a casualty of COVID-19 this year, (in fact the regatta would have been on the water last week), but a 2021 date has now been set for Thursday 24th till Sunday 27th June.…
Bangor Marina Now Accepts Visitors Travelling From Any Part of Common Travel Area
27th June 2020 Belfast Lough Kevin Baird, Harbour Master and Marina Manager in Bangor, has posted a substantial update to the state of harbour and marina opening dates in the North of Ireland and beyond. The situation continues to be fluid. Among the notable changes…
Standup Paddleboarding, Sea Swimming, Kayaking & Windsurfing To Have A Voice at Ballyholme Yacht Club
27th June 2020 Northern Ireland Waters Ballyholme Yacht Club is planning to form a Sub Committee to ensure members who are interested in Standup Paddleboarding, Sea Swimming, Kayaking and Windsurfing have a voice. Before the Lockdown the club had plans in place for a new Social…
This morning Newcastle RNLI were tasked along with their colleagues from Newcastle and Kilkeel Coastguard to assist a casualty who had trapped his foot under the vehicle with an incoming tide while in the process of trying to launch their…
Women on Water became Women online for a festival which should have been held at Carrickfergus Sailing Club but had to be redesigned due to COVID 19. The festival brought together like-minded women who have been involved in sailing from…
Answering what was the Bangor Coastguard Rescue Team’s third shout of the day yesterday (Sat 20th), after a telephone call from former Lifeboat Operations Manager Kevin Byers, a volunteer RNLI crew was tasked with rescuing three kayakers in Ballyholme Bay…
East Antrim Boat Club Quick off the Mark To Make the Most of Lockdown Easing
21st June 2020 Northern Ireland Waters Members of the Larne club will welcome its General Committee’s decision to make the most of the lockdown easing, for hot on the heels of RYA NI advice that Step 2 of the Northern Ireland Executive’s Pathway to Recovery has…
On 15th June the Northern Ireland Executive announced further relaxations to the Coronavirus Regulations and subsequently Bangor Marina updated its information yesterday on Northern Ireland Marinas and Harbours. These developments make some changes to the information here. From 26th June,…
A new £6.6M ship-to-shore container handling crane is Belfast Harbour’s largest-ever investment in a single piece of port equipment. The installation is part of a £40M upgrade of its Victoria Terminal 3 (VT3) container terminal. The new fully electric crane…
Northern Ireland Sailors Stay Connected Through RYA NI's Virtual Forums
18th June 2020 RYA Northern Ireland Many sailors are slowly returning to the water as the lockdown eases, but they have kept in touch by taking part in RYA Northern Ireland’s virtual forums, learning more about support, opportunities for funding and other important updates. The club…
The second Northern Ireland entry for August's Round Ireland Race is, as Afloat previously reported, the Belfast Lough IMX 38 eXcession entered by owners Ruan O'Tiarnaigh from Ballyholme YC, John Harrington (Royal Ulster) and Johnny Mulholland, also from Bangor. Joining…
Junior Strangford Lough Sailor Uses 3D Printers to Make PPE Equipment in Fight Against COVID-19
12th June 2020 Northern Ireland Waters Adam Fernor is a junior member of Strangford Lough Yacht Club and having not been able to sail his Laser dinghy during Lockdown, he joined a community of 8,000 volunteers, through 3D Crowd UK, who are using their 3D printers…
Foyle Port Marina in the North West of Ireland is now open to visitors; however, the self-Isolating restrictions introduced on Monday 8th June by the Government will apply to vessels visiting from outside the UK and Ireland. These can be…
Some Northern Ireland Marinas & Harbours Open But Others Stay Closed
9th June 2020 Northern Ireland Waters The situation around the opening of marinas and harbours in Northern Ireland in COVID-19 appears fluid but the latest news is good for those wanting to relax, sail and visit. Bangor Harbour Master Kevin Baird says that Bangor, Carrickfergus, and…
Harbours by their nature attract a myriad of marine wildlife and Bangor on Belfast Lough is no exception. Most people would associate Bangor with the guillemots that make their nests in holes in the marina wall but there is so…
Another water activity on the go again under Step 1 of the Northern Ireland Executive’s plan is Standup Paddleboarding. SuphubNI is a mobile venture based in Bangor on Belfast Lough run by Iain McCarthy and he is delighted to get…
Friends of 'Trasnagh' Island on the Shores of Strangford Lough
30th May 2020 Northern Ireland Waters John McCann is a well-known farmer in Whiterock, on the west shore of Strangford Lough in County Down, and his late father, Thomas McCann farmed the land on which Strangford Lough Yacht Club now stands. John has a vision of…
