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Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Razor clams fished in Ireland are big on menus in Spain and China
#Fishing - Marine Minister Michael Creed has signed a statutory instrument to increase the minimum conservation reference size for razor clam in the North Irish Sea. This new measure, which was initiated by local fishermen, comes into effect on 1…
The Waterford yacht Fools Gold now moves up to fourth overall in the 12–boat fleet
Waterford Harbour yacht Fools Gold skippered by Rob McConnell was the winner of the second race of the IRC European Championships in Cowes yesterday.  In IRC Three, Dane Michael Mollmann and his immaculately sailed X-37 Hansen put in a 3-1…
Man Convicted of Possession of Large Number of Undersize Oysters
On Tuesday 5th June 2018, a man was convicted by Judge Mary Fahy at Galway District Court for being in possession of 1,425 undersized native oysters (Ostrea edulis), contrary to Bye-Law 628 of 1982. Patrick Cormican, with an address at…
Leg 10 leaders Dongfeng Race Team in sight of Fastnet Rock, Monday 11 June
#VOR - The Volvo Ocean Race’s overall leaders Dongfeng Race Team were at the head of the fleet on Monday (11 June) as the teams passed the iconic Fastnet Rock off Ireland’s southern tip. With just under 24 hours of…
The migrants are aboard the Aquarius in the Mediterranean Sea
#MigrantCrisis - An offer by Spain to take in a rescue ship reports RTE News, that is drifting in the Mediterranean sea with 629 migrants on board after Malta and Italy refused to let it dock. The humanitarian ship Aquarius…
The RV Celtic Voyager is undertaking the survey off the Celtic Sea shelf southwest of Cork and Kerry
#MarineScience - Researchers at NUI Galway, along with partners at the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG) and the Marine Institute, are currently carrying out a marine hydroacoustic survey in the eastern margin of the Porcupine Basin. Continuing…
Arklow Lifeboat Rescues Lone Swimmer In Late Evening Callout
#RNLI#RNLI - Arklow RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat launched on Saturday evening (9 June) following a report of a lone swimmer in difficulty and being carried out to sea. A concerned member of the public had been out walking at North Quay…
Denis Murphy and crew on Nieulargo were the winners of RCYC's first pop up race. Scroll down for more photos
Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork Harbour introduced the first of its Keelboat 'Pop up' family-oriented races last Friday. The idea was to start at 1800 and round as many marks as possible in 1hr and 30mins, for every minute…
Water Wags are visiting Drogheda as part of the Irish Maritime Festival 2018
15 years of dedicated voluntary work by the Boyne Navigation Branch, part of Inland Waterways Association of Ireland, will be celebrated at the Irish Maritime Festival in Drogheda next week. For many years the Boyne Canal had been closed to…
Rob McConnell's Fools Gold from Waterford Harbour is the only Irish competitor at the IRC Euros this week in Cowes
There was a tricky start to the IRC European Championships for Ireland's sole entry Fools Gold from Waterford Harbour Sailing Club but the Rob McConnell skippered entry is still very much in the hunt and lies fifth from 12 starters…
SOS Méditerranée posted photos of rescued migrants
#MigrantCrisis - BBC News reports a rescue vessel carrying 629 migrants is stranded in the Mediterranean after Italy's new interior minister refused permission for it to dock. Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing League, said Malta should accept the Aquarius…
J24 National Champions - Maurice Johnson & Partners- Killian Dickson, Gareth Nolan, John Malone, Stefan Hyde, Graeme Grant
The J24 National Championships concluded at Foynes Yacht Club today in a light to moderate westerly breeze. OOD Derek Bothwell was able to start on schedule for the first time this weekend after hours spent waiting around for wind. Race…
Barry McCartin and Conor Kinsella, back in the Fireball after an absence of a year but already showing great form
Barry McCartin and Conor Kinsella are the newly crowned Fireball National Champions after nine races at Skerries Sailing Club over three days. The pair had an almost perfect score winning every race bar the first when a technical issue delayed…
Water Wag dinghy is launched at the Royal St. George Yacht Club
With a history going back to 1887, some sixty-eight double-ended Water Wags were built between 1887 and 1900. All but one of these has fallen by the wayside and its location is no longer known. That one surviving Water Wag…
Andrew Algeo's J109 Juggerknot is the DMYC'King of the Bay'
Andrew Algeo's J109 Juggerknot continues its winning run this season adding the DMYC 'King of the Bay' title to last weekend's Howth Yacht Club Wave Regatta triumph in Class One IRC. Dawn broke, and the club web camera showed a sea…
A visual montage of how Brittany Ferries newbuild of the Stena E-Flexer series will be when introduced on the long-haul UK-Spain routes, among them Portsmouth (above) which will be the hub-port for both sisters with the first due in service in 2021. Afloat also adds directly beyond the newbuild in the background is the current main Portsmouth-Spain cruiseferry, Cap Finistère seen arriving to the ferryport.
#FerryNews - Brittany Ferries has confirmed recently the charter of two brand new cruise-ferries to serve its long-haul UK to Spain routes. Both ships adds Afloat are of the Stena E-Flexer design (see Stena Line Irish Sea debut in 2020)…
 M770 Antares, one of the three visiting French navy vessels visiting Drogheda Port next weekend for the Irish Maritime Festival
Next weekend, the Irish Maritime Festival in Drogheda Port welcomes the French Navy for the very first time. On Friday, as part of the Parade of Sail (noon on Friday 15th June), three French Sonar Towing Ships will join the…
Aerial shot over Aran Islands with shadow of aircraft
#IslandNews - "It’s like Groundhog Day"… reports RTE News as residents on the Aran Islands could be forgiven a touch of dark humour this week, after it emerged that the contract to operate daily flights to and from the mainland…
#FerryNews - Stena Carrier, the ro-ro freight-only ferry that made a notable call to Dun Laoghaire Harbour at the end of April, finally departed the former Stena HSS ferryport last week for further charter work with P&O, writes Jehan Ashmore.…
Water Activity Zone Coming To Enniskillen Blueway
#InlandWaters - That new Enniskillen Blueway water activity zone located beside Erneside footbridge will be opening soon. A range of family-friendly water activities including canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding will be offered at the zone developed by Waterways Ireland…

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