Blogs
All right folks, nothing to see here, move along. That's the message that's coming from the Green Dragon camp, if you care to read between the lines. Missives from the Irish-Chinese entry are increasingly downbeat, with little to show for…
The first Irish Times yachting columnist didn’t exactly push the boat out to uncover a story this time 150 years ago. The first edition of the newspaper carried the less than provocative opening line: “There is but little stirring at…
When the media showed up in the RDS I did not hesitate to tell them in my role as Marine Federation Chairman that the marine sector could develop jobs. I called it a 'potential gold mine'. A wise man I…
It is almost 12 months since the Irish Marine Federation called for the immediate introduction of a National Marine Policy for Ireland. To date, there has been almost no progress to report. The European Union has requested each coastal member…
Just over a year ago, consultants were pointing to the fact that leisure craft berths needed to triple in Dun Laoghaire harbour to cater for extra demand. It was obvious to the watersports community at that time, but Dun Laoghaire…
Asgard sank, and so did the economy. The doomsayers are taking to the lifeboats but the Taoiseach says we can't afford to "wallow in a sea of doubt". It's not the most auspicious start to the 2009 Allianz Boat Show…
In the last month or so, it has become much harder to take out our wallets without feeling guilty. No one in authority has told us not to spend. But people are scared, and that fear is showing up in…
Not many of us will need to be reminded that 2008 represented the toughest set of business circumstances in decades. Few will be sorry to see the back of it. Senior members have make the point that that these times…
Until this summer, feeling the pinch was something you did upwind if you weren't paying attention. But nowadays, even posh yotties have to admit they're tightening their belts, so here at Afloat HQ, we're talking money. We've put a question…
Those of us who get to look at the back-end cogs and wheels of the machine that is Afloat.ie get an interesting view of the website. One thing that certainly grabs attention is when a reader poll goes nuts all…
We picked up on a new blog out there this last week, belonging to one Mike Perham, who's trying to become the youngest ever person to circumnavigate the globe non-stop. He's writing daily(ish) missives from his nav station, and the…
SEASCAPES – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008 As another sailing season moves to its conclusion with a generally poor summer where weather was concerned, one of the topics regularly debated has been the accuracy of weather forecasts. Neither Met Eireann nor any other…
SEASCAPES – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008 I find the world of cities and big towns increasingly artificial. I prefer coastal towns and villages, where the sense of life and what is important is influenced by the sea which laps the shores. Coastal…
SEASCAPES – JUNE/JULY 2008 “This Island Nation...” are words which I have used to introduce Seascapes on RTÉ Radio 1 for nearly 20 years. They have come to be used regularly in everyday conversation to describe how this country is…
SEASCAPES – APRIL/MAY 2008 Life on Valentia Island and around Malin Head in Donegal is much different to that in Dublin. It is arguable that there is a better quality of life in the coastal regions, free from the everyday…
SEASCAPES – FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 “Ships and boats are the nearest things to dreams that human hands have ever made.” I remember those words being spoken to me by an experienced old boat-builder many years ago and they came to mind…
