Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
#Kayaking - A trio of intrepid kayakers have reached Carrick-on-Shannon this afternoon (Thursday 16 June) on the second day of their long-distance charity paddle along length of the Shannon from Lough Erne to Killaloe. Ger Harrington, Peter Brewitt and James…
#RecordPerformance -Turnover at Belfast Harbour, which handles 70% of Northern Ireland’s seaborne trade and 20% of the entire island’s, rose by 3.4% to £54.3m. According to the annual report for 2015, operating profit also increased by 3.4% to stand at…
#Larne - Coastal wildlife in Co Antrim is under threat after a significant diesel spill from a Caterpillar plant in Larne at the weekend, as the News Letter reports. The plant machinery firm faces likely enforcement action after 40,000 litres…
#Doonbeg - Doonbeg businesses and residents have come out in almost unanimous support for coastal defence works at Donald Trump's golf resort in the Co Clare village. Two months ago the billionaire businessman and US presidential hopeful was stumped in…
#RoyalNavieS – The UK’s Royal Navy Faslane-based mine hunter HMS Ramsey has returned Scottish home waters this week, after a successful term of deployment as part of Standing Mine Counter Measures Group 1 (MCM1) NATO flotilla which Afloat adds visited…
#DublinBay - A motorway across Dublin Bay? City councillors are opposed, but State policy may make its construction inevitable, as Louisa McGrath writes in the Dublin Inquirer. Proposals for a new stretch of high-capacity road running across or under Sandymount…
#BrexitTradeIrelandUK – An Taoiseach Enda Kenny is on a two-day visit to the UK to encourage support from the Irish diaspora to vote 'Remain' in the EU Referendum, when he visits Liverpool and Manchester, this follow’s yesterday Thames flotilla face-off , writes…
A new marine wildlife visitor centre has been launched in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull by conservation charity Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust – to strengthen conservation action for whales, dolphins, and porpoises, and to develop the Hebrides’ appeal…
#GovOrderOPV - Paul Kehoe, Junior Defence Minsiter has secured Government approval to purchase another OPV vessel for the Naval Service. This ensures that the service will continue to have at least eight ships while at the same time replacing older…
There will be at least eight Irish registered yachts in a fleet of up to 1,599 when Britain's annual Round the Island Race, a one-day yacht race around the Isle of Wight in just over two weeks time. The spectacle event,…
Royal Cork Yacht Club's Anchor Challenge counted a tenth and two fifth places after the first day of the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup in Cowes to be sixth overall in the 26–boat fleet yesterday. The Paul Gibbons skippered Farr–type design…
#GeldofThamesClash - Sir Bob Geldof and Nigel Farage reports the BBC News have traded insults in a nautical battle on the Thames over the EU referendum. Mr Farage led a flotilla of fishing boats up the Thames (trawlers occupying RMS St.…
#UserAgreement - Manx infrastructure minister says the Isle of Man Steam Packet's user agreement is no longer fit for purpose - and will not be extended without major change. Manx Radio reports that Phil Gawne faced a three-part question in…
Northern Ireland solo sailor Andrew Baker has announced his support of UKSA’s youth development campaign ‘#SeaChange’ during the 2016 Solitaire Bompard Le Figaro. #SeaChange provides life-changing opportunities to schools and groups, disadvantaged and disaffected young people who are not in…
#RNLI - Bangor RNLI assisted four people who got into difficulty on a broken-down motorboat on Belfast Lough on Monday evening (13 June). The volunteer lifeboat crew launched at 10.25pm to rescue the 19ft motorboat just off the Cloghan Jetty.…
Round Ireland Race competitor Phaedo3 came through Dalkey Sound under full sail this morning, touching speeds of 17–knots. The MOD70 skippered by American Lloyd Thornburg was on a training for Saturday's Volvo Round Ireland race start off Wicklow Head. Scroll down for…
#Coastguard - Shannon's Irish Coast Guard helicopter was launched yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 14 June) to evacuate an injured crewmember from an Irish fishing vessel off the Kerry coast. Top cover was provided by a second coastguard helicopter as Rescue 115…
If ever you call by Baltimore in a cruising boat at the height of the summer, you’ll find you’re rubbing shoulders with sailing families from all over Ireland writes W M Nixon. This is despite the popular view that the…
RMS St. Helena’s Farewell UK Voyage Passengers Sail With Mixed Cargoes!
15th June 2016 Ports & Shipping
#RMSstHelena – RMS St. Helena having been bid farewell by spectators in Tilbury, London on her final ever voyage from the UK, yesterday evening, is now almost out of the English Channel bound ultimately for St. Helena, some 4,500 miles…
88–Foot American Maxi Yacht Is Just Too Big To Berth At Royal Irish YC & Dun Laoghaire Marina
15th June 2016 Round Ireland
Following its arrival into Dun Laoghaire on Monday evening, maxi Round Ireland race entry Rambler 88 has been moored on St. Michael's Wharf, close to the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The special berth was arranged…