Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine

Greystones Harbour Marina in County Wicklow wants to appoint a new marina manager. The marina opened in 2013 and has grown consistently to become a busy 230 berth marina with 24-hour access and fuel on site. Marine experience is desirable,…

Europe’s Ports Where Focus on Implementation is the Best Port Strategy Forward - ESPO Welcomes
8th December 2023 Ports & Shipping
The Transport Committee in the European Parliament has adopted the own-initiative report on building a comprehensive European Port Strategy. On foot of this the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) has highly welcomed that the report embraces the comprehensive role of…

Embark on a holiday shopping spree with Viking Marine's Christmas Gift Guide! Whether you're shopping for children, dinghy sailors, boat owners, or anyone else who loves the sea, Viking Marine has meticulously curated options that are sure to bring satisfaction.…

Coastal Works in Dalkey, Co. Dublin Sees Completion of Coliemore Harbour Remedial Repair Project
8th December 2023 Dublin Bay
Engineering works which took place over recent months in Dalkey, Co. Dublin involving the Coliemore Harbour Remedial Repair project have been completed this week, writes Jehan Ashmore. A section of bedrock along the cliff face as Afloat reported in 2020,…

Tender Process For Belfast Lough's Bangor Marina Operator Contract Opens
8th December 2023 Irish Marinas
It will be all change in the operation of Bangor Marina on Belfast Lough from September 2024. This has been outsourced to a private operator since 1 April 2008, with the latest agreement expiring on 30 September 2024. An opportunity…

The Aran islands have linked up with a new energy agency which has been established for west Galway. Gníomhaireacht Fuinnimh an Iarthar (GFI), as it is called, is one of three local energy agencies established to support homeowners, communities and…

Royal St. George Crew Finish Fifth at International Youth Match Racing Championship
8th December 2023 Match Racing
Ireland's Tom Higgins, Jamie McMahon, Fiona Ferguson, Xavier McLachlan and Riley Evans from Dun Laoghaire's Royal St. George Yacht Club have finished fifth overall at the Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship in Australia. In a thrilling final between Ben Tylecote from…

Lo-Lo Traffic Declines at All Irish Container Ports for Q3 2023 - IMDO Say Long Term is for Increased Volume
8th December 2023 Ports & Shipping
The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) has released its Unitised Traffic Report for the third quarter of 2023. The volume of RoRo traffic at Republic of Ireland ports declined by 2% to 291,879 units in the third quarter of 2023…

2024 European ILCA 6 Youth Championships For Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough
8th December 2023 Laser
The European ILCA 6 Youth Championships 2024 will be sailed at Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough next season. “This is a very significant championship for Europe’s youth sailors and hosting the event is a feather in the cap for…

The winner of the Retour a La Base is forecasted to cross the Lorient finish line on Saturday afternoon. It is looking increasingly likely to be a maiden solo IMOCA race triumph for longtime race leader Yoann Richomme on the…

Sustainability Gong for The Ocean Race in International Sports Awards 2023
7th December 2023 Ocean Race
The Ocean Race has taken the top prize in the sustainability category of the 2023 International Sports Awards, hosted by the International Sports Convention. The award recognises the efforts of the race’s Racing with Purpose initiative, which was created with…

British Sailing Team Reveals Plans for ‘Cutting-Edge’ Performance Centre
7th December 2023 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
The British Sailing Team has unveiled plans for a state-of-the-art training base at its home in Dorset. The new Performance and Innovation Centre will bring together sailors, coaches and support staff in one location designed to promote collaboration and innovation.…

W.B.Yeats Returns to Irish Ferries Service On France Route Albeit Today's Overnight Sailing Is Cancelled Due to Adverse Weather
7th December 2023 Irish Ferries
W.B. Yeats which was delayed in dry-dock has finally re-entered Irish Ferries Dublin-Cherbourg route as the cruise-ferry completed the Ireland-France round trip today, however this afternoon's sailing to the continent is cancelled due to bad weather, writes Jehan Ashmore. It was…

Underwater noise levels and movement of marine mammals are being tracked in European waters by a scientific team led by Dr Joanne O’Brien and a team from the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Galway. The devices were deployed in Turkey and…

Fishing Organisations Guaranteed Consultation in Offshore Wind Energy Development
7th December 2023 Marine Planning
Co-operation, mutual understanding and respect amongst all involved in offshore wind energy development is the best way forward for this island nation. It is a welcome and important step in this process and the protection of traditional fishing grounds that…

Ireland’s expenditure of EU Brexit compensatory funding for the seafood sector is to be extended into next year. The so-called Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) was paid by the EU to Ireland and other affected member states to mitigate the impact…

The success of the Under 25 team sailing the club J24 ’Kinsailor’ is one of the many successes highlighted in the annual Class reports at Kinsale Yacht Club which, like many clubs, had to deal with the occasional ravages the…

National Watersports Campus Plans Get a Boost From Top-Up Funding Pot of Over €37M for Major Sports Projects
6th December 2023 Dun Laoghaire Watersports Campus
The proposed National Watersports Campus for Dun Laoghaire has received a major boost in the form of a €410,000-plus top-up grant under the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). Sport Minister Catherine Martin and Minister of State Thomas Byrne made the announcement on…

After a weather-challenged year for events in 2023, ICRA Commodore David Cullen is looking forward to a busy calendar in 2024. Key events for ICRA members include the Wave Regatta at Howth Yacht Club over the weekend of 24-26 May,…

Courtown RNLI volunteers invite everyone in the community to their ‘Jingle Mingle’ event this Saturday 9 December. The fundraising committee is hosting the Christmas afternoon from 2pm-5pm on the North Pier in Courtown, Co Wexford. It’s an opportunity to gather…