Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
#ClipperRace - Skippers in the Clipper Race were reporting relief this morning (Tuesday 6 March) as winds and boat speeds picked up — though with the high level of fishing fleets around, teams are also on high alert in this opening…
#Property - Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company has now launched the procurement process for its plans to develop ‘floating homes’ on the waterfront, as promised in January. The tender published to the State’s eTenders website is “seeking proposals for the development…
#FerryNews - As Afloat reported yesterday, ropax Stena Horizon starts Dublin-Holyhead sailings tonight to enable a fleemate to be drydocked, however additional freight-only capacity is already in place, writes Jehan Ashmore. The larger of the two routine ferries on the…
Efficient travel between the Ilen Boat-Building School in Limerick and Liam Hegarty’s boatyard at Oldcourt near Baltimore, where work continues on restoring the 56ft 1926-built ketch Ilen, has been a key factor in progressing the project writes W M Nixon.…
There have been a number of warnings about seamanship and navigational issues in the past few weeks that are important as the sailing season draws nearer. I wonder if the boating community takes enough notice of them? Gail McAllister, who ran…
In what might be the first competitive meeting since the controversial 2008 Olympic Star selection trials – that ended up in front of an Olympic Council of Ireland Appeal hearing – two of Ireland's 2008 keelboat campaigners Peter O'Leary of Baltimore and…
During the latter half of last week few would have expected that by Sunday it would be “warm” enough to permit racing in Dun Laoghaire Harbour for the Frostbite Series hosted by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club. While the “Beast…
Winning With North Sails Onboard a Melges 32 at Chile's Regata Chiloe
6th March 2018 North Sails Ireland
Shane Hughes of North Sails Ireland left the cold Irish weather and the Northern hemisphere behind and headed south to Chile to compete in the biennial Regata Chiloe, one of Chile’s biggest and most prestigious regattas based around the beautiful…
The deck lights used by cruise ships have been identified as a potential navigation risk at sea at night, in the investigation of a complaint by a yacht Skipper following an encounter with a cruise vessel, writes Tom MacSweeney. It…
#FerryNews - Fresh from a Falmouth dry-docking, Stena Horizon arrived in Dublin Port today, not Rosslare from where the ropax routinely operates on the France route to Cherbourg, writes Jehan Ashmore. The reason for the call to the capital of…
In Howth, sailing life goes on after the destructive shock of Storm Emma on Friday, with its Force 12 onshore east to northeast winds, and the serious damage to the roof of the end-of-pier shed in which the classic gaff-rigged…
An Tánaiste, Simon Coveney, TD, launched, Volvo Cork Week, today on Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour, following the cancellation of the original launch last Friday due to the arrival of Storm Emma. Royal Cork Yacht Club has reconfigured its biennial…
#Kayaking - A German woman who circumnavigated Ireland by kayak in 2016 is taking the story of her remarkable global padding adventures on tour across Europe, as the Irish Examiner reports. Freya Hoffmeister recently returned to Ireland to give talks…
#Laser - Irish Laser Radial Olympian Ciara Peelo will be head coach for the Irish Laser Class Association’s upcoming training weekend on 24-25 March. The Beijing 2008 flag-bearer will offer her guidance especially to lighter and female Laser sailors over…
#Optimist - Wednesday 21 March is the closing date for registrations for the 2018 Irish Optimist trials. The Royal St George and National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire will be the host venues for this year’s trials taking place from…
Irish Skipper Departs In All-China Clipper Yacht Race From Sanya To Qingdao
5th March 2018 Clipper Race
The final section of the Asia-Pacific Leg 5, officially known as Race 8: The Sailing City Qingdao Cup, has got underway following the inaugural Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Stopover in Sanya, China. Sanya, which made its debut on…
#IrishSailing - The Irish Sailing Race Officials Conference for 2018, originally set for this past weekend, has been rescheduled for next month on Sunday 15 April. Irish Sailing made the decision on Friday (2 March) on account of the extreme…
Dun Laoghaire Pier Sustains 'Substantial Damage' in Storm Emma
5th March 2018 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
There is 'substantial damage' to Dun Laoghaire's East Pier following Storm Emma. The bad news for the harbour, following its bicentenary year, comes as Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will recommend the dissolution of Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company and the transfer of its assets…
Donaghadee RNLI Lifeboat Tow 117ft Spanish Fishing Vessel to Belfast Harbour
5th March 2018 RNLI Lifeboats
Volunteer lifeboat crew with Donaghadee RNLI abandoned their Saturday evening to assist a 315 tonne Spanish fishing boat with 18 crew members onboard, which had a broken down engine, and bring it safety in Belfast Harbour. Donaghadee RNLI all-weather lifeboat…
#FerryNews - There are fears that the ferry operating to Arran, Scotland, was docking at Troon because of issues with Ardrossan Harbour have been quashed by Calmac. As the Herald reports, on Saturday, Calmac sparked debate when confirming that the…
