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Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Dublin sailors Robert Dickson (right) and Sean Waddilove have narrowly qualified for the Gold fleet at the 49er World Championships in Lanzarote
One of the two Irish boats at the 49er World Championship in Lanzarote has qualified for the Gold fleet final series at the end of the nine-race qualification round on Thursday evening (7 March). Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and…
Agriculture, Food and Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue at the launch of the Farming for Water EIP at Lough Ennell on Thursday 7 March
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue was joined by Ministers of State Pippa Hackett and Malcolm Noonan on the shores of Lough Ennell on Thursday (7 March) to officially launch the €60 million Water EIP ‘Farming for…
Dublin sailors Robert Dickson (right) and Sean Waddilove are in 25th place (subject to protests) after the third day of racing at the 49er World Championships in Lanzarote
Irish sailors Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove have put their best foot forward at the 49er World Championship in Lanzarote. The duo is on the brink of qualifying for Gold fleet after the end of the nine-race qualification round on…
The shipyard group, Harland & Wolff has signed a contract for a five year subsea fabrication work at one of its yards, Arnish located on the Isle of Lewis (Outer Hebrides) off west Scotland. Above apprentices seen at the facility in recent years.
Shipyard group, Harland & Wolff has signed a five-year Master Services Agreement for the fabrication of large structures at one of their two Scotland based yard sites. The contract is with a global oil services company supplying subsea infrastructure across…
CHC runs the four Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue Helicopter bases, but the service is being taken over by Bristow
Bristow Ireland says it won’t comment on a new legal challenge pursued by CHC Ireland over the new Irish Coast Guard search and rescue (SAR) helicopter contract. As The Irish Independent reports, CHC Ireland claims that there has been a…
Lough Ennell in Co Westmeath
A €60 million project to improve the quality of inland waters has been initiated by Minister for Marine Charlie McConalogue. McConalogue was on the shores of Lough Ennell in Co Westmeath on Thursday (March 7) to mark the new programme…
Oscar Wilde, on charter with Irish Ferries, started sailing last May, ‘initially’ on the Rosslare-Pembroke route. AFLOAT highlights that the cruise ferry, until last week, had to leave its Dublin-Holyhead/Cherbourg routes. This was due to the southern corridor route’s ropax ‘economy’ ferry, Norbay, on charter too, went for dry-docking, forcing a reintroduction of Oscar Wilde. It is speculated, ICG has a 'short-term’ charter of Timca, albeit a freight-only ferry, to replace Oscar Wilde and its double Dublin roles, given that sailings run to 18 March, supporting Wales serving Ulysses and to France with W.B. Yeats. On the next day, Oscar Wilde will be back in Dublin, as according to the sailing schedule, an ‘economy’ ferry, understood to be Norbay, returns to Rosslare. This would see Oscar Wilde resume Ireland/France routes in advance of summer, whereas fast ferry, Dublin Swift is to link Holyhead earlier in May.
The parent company of Irish Ferries, the Irish Continental Group, has today reported higher profits for 2023, but this was set back as its revenues dipped against background challenges of high inflation coupled with a slowdown in global trade. According…
Kinsale Yacht Club, Howth Yacht Club and Royal Cork are the first teams to sign up for the Irish Sailing League 2024, which promises to decide who is the best sailing club in the country and then the world!' League…
Cindy O’Brien of Abalone Chonamara Teoranta and Sinead O’Brien of Mungo Murphy Seaweed are participating in an international study on the “challenges and benefits of a nature-positive economy”.
A south Connemara abalone aquaculture farm is one of over 100 ocean farming and marine businesses across Europe participating in an international study on the “challenges and benefits of a nature-positive economy”. The Western Development Commission (WDC) and Trinity Business…
New Ross boatyard owner Michael Kehoe with the new boat hoist installed through the Brexit Blue Economy enterprise development scheme
A Co Wexford boatyard says that a €340,000 investment under the Brexit Blue Economy enterprise development scheme will allow it to work with heavier fishing and leisure vessels for dry dock and repair. New Ross Boat Yard has taken delivery…
The winner of the Frank Godsell League in 2023 was Alan Mulcahy. He can be seen holding the trophy with sponsor Frank Godsell, along with his crew and the flag officers of Kinsale Yacht Club, Anthony Scannell (on the left) and Michele Kenelly. The league for 2024 will commence this Sunday
The 42nd annual Frank Godsell League kicks off this Sunday at Kinsale Yacht Club, located on the South Cork coastline. The cruiser league will run for three weeks, with two more races to follow after Sunday's opening. The next race…
MIIN is to host a free online event on March 28th when key players in the marine industry will focus around the future national skills needs for the offshore wind, maritime, ports and the blue economy.
Marine Ireland Industry Network (MIIN) is to hold an online event, Skilling Up: Meeting the Future Needs of the Marine Industry, on Tuesday, 28th March (between 14:30 and 16:00). MIIN represents and promotes the interests of their members working in…
Finished job - Quarter tonner Purple Haze' Arrives on Strangford Lough with (from left to right) yacht designer John Corby, skipper Stuart Cranston and Will Watson, Head Painter
The Ker 32 Hijacker was a popular competitor owned by Stuart Cranston of Strangford Lough YC at Whiterock and the nearby Down Cruising club, but he was struggling to get enough regular crew (eight) so downsizing was the answer, and…
Dublin sailors Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove have moved up to 18th overall after the second day of racing at the 49er World Championships in Lanzarote
Dublin sailors Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove made a strong start on the second day of racing at the 49er World Championship in Lanzarote, Spain on Wednesday. Despite challenging conditions, including an unstable northerly wind, the duo managed to score…
American's Eric Doyle and Payson Infelise claimed the overall lead in the Bacardi Cup after winning race 3 on Biscayne Bay
Cork-Belfast duo Peter O'Leary and Stephen Milne continue their march back up the 97th Bacardi Cup in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday after Monday's low opening result. The sole Irish pair, sailing IRL 8118, 'The Iron Lotus,' finished 39th in the opening race. With a…
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Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels on and users of the Shannon Navigation that the lifting bridge at Tarmonbarry in Co Roscommon will remain closed until at least Thursday 18 April to facilitate essential maintenance works. Works at Tarmonbarry…
The Ardrossan-Arran’s main route ferry, MV Caledonian Isles remains out of action, leaving just one ferry, MV Isle of Arran to operate and also during the summer months. This has forced CalMac to axe the Ardrossan-Campbeltown (Mull of Kintyre) summer-only service also operated by the vessel that in 2013 opened the route between North Ayrshire and Argyll from where above, AFLOAT captured the ferry berthed at the peninsula port. The tourist route offered a convenient short-cut across the Firth of Clyde saving mileage and time for those travelling in south-west Scotland.
Scotland's west coast operator, CalMac, has revealed their summer timetable - confirming a single ferry will service the Ardrossan-Brodick route at the busiest time of the year, using the company's oldest large vessel on the Firth of Clyde route. As…
What funding is there to replace the Isle of Man Steam Packet’s fast-ferry Manannan in 2026? – the topic was discussed during a sitting of the Tynwald. As above Afloat captured the catamaran craft underway having departed Douglas Harbour whilst operating on a seasonal service that involves routes linking Liverpool, Belfast and Dublin.
In two years’s time, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. is due to replace the fast-ferry Manannan which has operated on seasonal-only sailings since its introduction in 2009. The 865 passenger/200 car capacity catamaran routinely operates seasonal routes, chiefly…
AQUARIUS - this 48-month project aims to provide free access to state-of-the-art research facilities across Europe to enable collaborative marine and freshwater research
The Marine Institute has announced that it will lead a major €14.5m Europe-wide project called Aquatic Research Infrastructure Services for the health and protection of our unique oceans, seas, and freshwater ecosystems (AQUARIUS). This 48-month project aims to provide free…
The restored Dublin Bay 24 Periwinkle has been brought back to the original racer/cruiser concept as first developed in Dun Laoghaire in the 1930s
The concept of the Dublin Bay 24, envisaged as a 24ft waterline 37ft LOA Bermuda-rigged racer-cruiser, was first suggested in 1934 at a Committee Meeting of the innovative yet “homeless” Royal Alfred YC in Dun Laoghaire by the owner-skipper of…

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