Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Afloat.ie in association with Dubarry brings you a bi-monthly nautical crossword competition (No. 189). Win a pair of Dubarry Commodore X LT or Sailmaker X LT deck shoes! Complete the crossword below and add your details below and the first…

A collision involving a yacht and a tanker in August 2019 has prompted a reminder for boaters to brush up on the “rules of the road” for seafarers in the Department of Transport’s latest Marine Notice. The 38ft yacht Medi…

Once far more familiar in coastal areas, three of Ireland’s most endangered birds are the subject of a webinar hosted today by the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT). The threats posed to and monitoring projects on the curlew, the corncrake and…

Registration is now open for the 28th annual International Optimist Regatta (IOR), TOTE Maritime Clinic and TOTE Team Race will take place from 14-20 June at the St Thomas Yacht Club in the US Virgin Islands. Clinic and regatta director…

Portrush RNLI’s volunteers rescued two surfers who got into difficulty while surfing at Co Antrim’s East Strand earlier today (Monday 1 February). The inshore lifeboat launched before 1.30pm following a number of 999 calls to both the coastguard and the…

Saturday's strong northeasterly winds that kicked up such a storm in the south of Dublin Bay (as our photos of the Dun Laoghaire baths site showed) also presented some ideal surf conditions for Stand Up Paddleboarders (SUPs) in the north-west of…

Irish Port figures according to authorities following the Brexit transition that ended a month ago, have seen volumes of goods inbound from the UK remaining at around 50% of normal. As RTE News reports, the quantities of freight however are…

North Sails Ireland’s Maurice “Prof” O’Connell’s top ten tips talk to RIYC Members and guests pulled in the crowds with a record-breaking 105 attending. Prof’s insights for racing in Dublin Bay ranged on how to gain maximum advantage through adequate…

Dubarry sailing boots have long had a connection with top offshore teams around the world so it was no surprise to many sailors when Vendee Globe winner Yannick Bestaven wore the same as he crossed the Les Sables d’Olonne line.  When…

The Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofía, a reference event among international sailing regattas, has postponed its 51st edition to October.  The March regatta due to take place in 50 days time was the final qualification event for the last European berth…

Ferry services running out of Rosslare Europort has reported a 45% jump in freight traffic during January compared to the same period last year. UK traffic is down 49% for the month, but European freight is up by 446% year-on-year,…

The number of entries for June's O'Leary Insurance Group Sovereign's Cup exceeded the target of 50 boats over the weekend. As Afloat reported last month, there was an immediate uptake for the even when entries. The current entry list is…

When the New Year was ushered in, the announcement that Bill O'Hara of Bangor had been awarded the OBE for Services to Sailing was a cause of special pleasure in the sailing community, not just in Ireland but worldwide. Our…

The retirement of Kieran Cotter, after 45 years of distinguished service with the Baltimore RNLI Lifeboat, puts the focus on a remarkable individual who combines a busy life afloat with solid community and commercial activity ashore in playing a key…

In order to protect the Scottish Series from another year of cancellation, the Clyde Cruising Club has stripped its May regatta right back to a racing event-based over multiple locations on the Clyde. In the face of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions,…

A Norwegian naval architect consultancy that has designed the Marine Institute's new research vessel, Afloat.ie reveals is to be named RV Tom Crean after the Irish seaman and polar explorer in Antarctica, writes Jehan Ashmore. The name chosen for the…

A site near Dun Laoghaire’s waterfront has been earmarked for a new high-rise strategic housing development. Plans for St Michael’s SHD consist of more than 100 built-to-rent apartments across two buildings on Crofton Road, one of them as tall as…

Irish Ferries have further responded to demands from hauliers and new competition from Stena by boosting freight capacity with a second ferry added onto the Dublin-Cherbourg service this weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore. Afloat ascertained this development having observed the chartered…

Queen's Parade on the seafront in Bangor on Belfast Lough has been largely derelict for well over twenty years. But just this week the Ards and North Down Borough Council approved a £50m scheme for large scale redevelopment of the…

Irish Coast Guard volunteer Bernard Lucas has called for a re-investigation into the cause of his wife Caitriona’s death off the Clare coast in 2016. In an interview with today’s Sunday Independent, Mr Lucas says he finds as “shocking” the…