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Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Aerial view of the 26th Lock on the Grand Canal near Tullamore
Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels using the Grand Canal from Lowtown in Co Kildare to Shannon Harbour that water patrollers will assist with the operation of locks daily from 9.30am to 6pm during the boating season. Safe passage…
National Inshore Fishermen’s Association: (from left to right) NIFA director John Menarry, NIFA chairman Michael Desmond, and NIFA director Eamon Dixon
The National Inshore Fishermen’s Association has expressed concern about the draft Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) for the south coast published earlier this month. The draft DMAP identifies four areas off the south coast where offshore wind could be developed…
Portaferry RNLI volunteers at the cross-community service of thanksgiving on Sunday 26 May
The 200th anniversary of the RNLI was celebrated in Portaferry on Sunday (26 May) with a cross-community service of thanksgiving held in St Patrick’s Community Centre. The service hosted by Portaferry RNLI was greatly supported by both the local community…
Break bulk and other goods (main Irish ports) totalled 227 tonnes in Q4, 2022 and in the same quarter for last year, it amounted to 246, an increase of 8 %. Above: bulk-carrier, Menelaos, berthed at the Deepwater Berth in Ringaskiddy, Port of Cork.
According to new Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures, Irish Ports handled a total of 46.4 million metric tons of goods last year. This figure was a fall of 13% in 2022, according to the CSO’s Statistics of Port Traffic Q4 and Year…
11 teams from St Andrews College, CBC Monkstown, Gonzaga College, Holy Child Killiney, St. Conleth’s and Willow Park 1st Years were on the water, with a total of 66 sailors taking part in a combined Round Robin and League format
The Shanahan Cup is set to return in an enlarged format for the 2024/25 winter season. The event, organised by Gonzaga College and the INSS and sponsored by the Shanahan family, is a team racing series open to all schools in the Dublin…
Among the designs (above: initial concept 3) for Brittany Ferries, which has signed a partnership deal with Wärtsilä and Incat to explore the design and technical requirements for a 137-metre zero-emissions craft for English Channel service.
Ferry operator Brittany Ferries, marine power/technology firm Wärtsilä, and shipbuilder, Incat have signed a partnership deal to explore the design and technical requirements for a 137m zero-emissions craft. The project comes as Brittany Ferries nears completion of the biggest fleet…
Irish Sea ‘Green’ Corridor: Peel Ports Group and NatPower Marine have announced plans for the first ‘green shipping corridor’ between the UK and Ireland, as part of contributing to cutting global shipping emissions by developing an electric ship (e-ship) charging network and ‘cold ironing’. Above ro-ro freight vessels at Dublin Port, where the first Irish Sea routes identified in the Green proposals include Dublin-Birkenhead (Liverpool) and Belfast-Heysham.
The UK’s second-largest port owner, Peel Ports Group, and renewable energy and maritime specialists, NatPower Marine, have announced plans to establish the first “green shipping corridors” between Britain and Ireland. The ground-breaking collaboration could provide a blueprint to drastically cut…
Visitors travelling to the TT Races will be able to sail on board the Manxman, the flagship’s first year involved in the annual major sporting event.
Passenger ferry figures for those booked on the Isle of Man Steam Packet sailings for the annual TT are up this year. This will be the first year for visitors traveling for the motorsport fortnight (May 27–June 8) when coming…
Shane McCarthy and Hugh McNally in winning mode at the Flying Fifteen Western Championships
The first provincial regatta of the 2024 Irish Flying Fifteen season saw the fleet congregate in what has become, in a very short space of time, a very popular venue. In 2022, a small group of Dun Laoghaire Flying Fifteens…
A start at the 22-boat 2024 Squib Northern Championship at the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club on Belfast Lough
The Squib Northern Championship went right down to the wire last weekend when the far travelled Ian Travers and Keith O’Riordan in Atomic from Kinsale Yacht Club won the final of five races to knock Dick Batt and Gordy Wright,…
The Murphy family's vintage Moody 30, Shelly D, was the overall winner of the Schull Harbour Sailing Club May Series
The final race of the Schull Harbour Sailing Club May Series was run on Sunday in West Cork following cancellation due to inclement weather on the previous day. The fleet started in the harbour in a fresh 22 knots westerly…
The Impala 28 Arcade won CYCA 2 division at the 2024 Scottish Series
There was something for all 90 competitors in the Jura Scottish Series regatta just ended in Loch Fyne – variety of courses, weather, scenery, excellent racing and of course entertainment. SS24 delivered a full race schedule for all classes with…
A good entry of 12 boats will race in the northwest corner of Lough Neagh at Antrim Boat Club’s Summer Series
Antrim Boat Club’s Summer Series returned on 25th May. Eight races, in round-the-can style, are scheduled for Thursday evenings. A good entry of 12 boats will race in the northwest corner of Lough Neagh. As in the Winter Series, the…
Minister Charlie McConalogue with Michael Mannion, Director of Ward and Burke (Contractors), at the sod-turning event for the new Deep Water Quay Development at the Rossaveal Fishery Harbour Centre. (Forbairt Ché Dhomhain, Lárionad Chuan Iascaigh Ros An Mhíl) in February
Work has stopped on the extension to Ros-a-Mhíl fishery harbour in south Connemara, following a legal challenge. As The Irish Independent reports, the 200 metre deepwater quay to facilitate floating offshore wind is three-quarters complete. The 30 million euro project,…
With nearly 50 boats already moored, With nearly 50 boats already moored, the organisers hope that up to 100 boats will attend the Jamestown Heritage Festival
The Village of Jamestown in County Leitrim is holding its Third Heritage Festival from May 24 to June 2. Members of the Heritage Boat Association and Inland Waterways Association of Ireland will visit Jamestown Harbour. With nearly 50 boats already…
Southern Corridor: The news follows an uncertain winter for both services across the St. Georges Channel, operated by Irish Ferris and Stena Line, but will now be enhanced heading into the busier summer.
St. Georges Channel ferry routes between Fishguard and Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, and Rosslare in Co. Wexford look set to sail into calmer waters this summer. Operator Irish Ferries has announced that an existing Dover-Calais cruise ferry, the Isle of Innisfree,…
Crosshaven Lifeboat's Yellow Wellies, on the last of their Sunday-Morning-in-May-2024 outings tip a nod to the Beatles Abbey Road image with (left to right) Kline Pennefather, Darryl Hughes, Maeve Leonard, Stormy Stan), Aisling Ryan and Hugh Tully
Time was - and it's not so very long ago - that if you wanted to see the nearest set of traffic lights and other road control paraphernalia to Crosshaven, then you'd have to go well into Cork City. Not…
Lough Ree Yacht Club - the home of Double Ree, a festival of youth Double-handed sailing
The age-old issue of what boat to progress into after Optimists is often answered by opting for another single-handed boat, writes John McGonigle of Lough Ree. And why not? The skills learned in an Optimist dinghy can be easily carried over…
Overall winners Alex Barry, Richard Leonard and Kieran O'Connell sailing 'Howlin' Mad' (IRL 407) lead the one day 2024 National 18 Championships at Royal Cork Yacht Club
Counting three race wins but bouncing back from a disqualification in the third race of five sailed, Alex Barry, Richard Leonard and Kieran O'Connell sailing 'Howlin' Mad' won the National 18 Irish Championship crown at Royal Cork Yacht Club on…
Helen Boland, Manager of the Dublin Bay Birds Project and Eamon McElroy, Port Engineer at Dublin Port Company, at the purpose-built platform for common and arctic terns running alongside Dublin's iconic Great South Wall
Dublin Port Company (DPC) is welcoming back its breeding terns for the summer months. Among these returning birds is likely an Arctic Tern that was first ringed in Dublin Port in the year 2000 and has been flying back and…

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