Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Just as the joint christening ceremony of Wicklow RNLI Coxswain Nick Keoghs daughter Gracie and 3rd Coxswain David O Leary's daughter Megan at St Patricks Church was just coming to an end at lunchtime today (Sunday 20th March) several lifeboat…
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council is now recruiting beach lifeguards for the summer season. Applicants must be 17 years old on 1 April 2011, and hold a valid Beach Lifesaving Award/Qualification from the Irish Water Safety Authority, Royal Lifesaving Society…
Feeding harbour seals could land Howth visitors with a fine for thousands of euro, according to a recent letter in The Irish Times. Milo Kane writes of a new notice placed near the west pier by harbour officials which "threatens…
The BBC News website has video of a new Olympic-style slalom course on the River Lagan for canoeists to test their skills. The professional facility was constructed at Shaws Bridge by local enthusiasts who have been training on the Lagan…
One of the of first officers appointed to the Irish Naval Service, Cdr Liam Ahern passed away last week in Cork aged 90. Ahern was recruited into the new Irish Naval Service which had been established in 1947 following the…
In the same week that Irish Continental Line (ICG) Group released end of year figures for 2010, their subdidiary Irish Ferries recorded a near 8% rise in passenger volumes and an announcement of a 10 year deal to continue operating…
The Irish Canoe Union will host a sprint head-to-head regatta in Kildare next weekend. All canoeists in classes K1 200m and 500m are welcome to take part in the event, on the Grand Canal in Prosperous on Saturday 26 March…
Negotiations to land €11 million in sponsorship for the finals of the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway next summer are at a 'delicate stage', the Galway City Tribune reports. Six teams have so far been confirmed for the world's biggest…
UK Shipping Minister Mike Penning's praise of staff at Northern Ireland's only coastguard station has been described as 'hollow' by a DUP MLA. Penning had described his meeting with staff at the Bangor coastguard centre, which is threatened with closure…
Scotland's west coast will be home to the world's largest tidal power facility, it has been announced. The £40 million (€45.9 million) 10MW tidal array, to be developed by ScottishPower Renewables in the Sound of Islay, will generate power for…
With just over a fortnight to go to resumption of Stena Line's Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead fast-craft sailings on 1 April, the route to Wales is to see the larger HSS Stena Explorer return instead of Stena Lynx III, writes Jehan Ashmore.…
Lough Derg Lifeboat assisted a person on board a 26ft–yacht after it grounded on a sand back north of Kilgarvin on Lough Derg On Thursday evening. Lough RNLI Derg lifeboat Toshiba Wave Warrior towed a 26ft yacht to safety after…
In a joint operation, Howth Coast Guard and Howth lifeboat rescued a teenage girl who collapsed on Howth Head today at approx 6pm (March 17th). Scroll down for Video. The teenager had walked down a 100 foot steep cliff path…
The self-appointed group of 17 business, public and political figures who drew up their Blueprint for Ireland's Recovery were well-intentioned but appear to have lacked maritime awareness. To propose the sale of the country's ports is a nonsense which must…
UCD beat Trinity by four and a half lengths in the Gannon Rowing Cup for senior men on the river Liffey in Dublin yesterday. It was their fourth consecutive Gannon and it headed up a clean sweep of colours titles…
The well attended ICRA meeting of March 10th held at Kilkenny covered many interesting sailing topics not least the forthcoming ICRA Championships June 17th to 19th at Crosshaven writes Claire Bateman. Simon McGibney of WIORA confirmed there are already at…
Bryan Ferry one of the UK's most influential pop artists of the last four decades, has been announced as the headline act for the opening night of the Waterford Tall Ships Races, one of the biggest sailing event of the…
The Daily Edge reports on an Irishman who has announced plans to be the youngest man to row across the Indian Ocean - naked. Keith Whelan, 30, intends to row the 6,000km route from Australia to Mauritius completely naked in…
Irish kayakers will make their debut at the Special Olympics World Games in Athens this summer. They will be part of a 126-strong team representing Ireland at the games, which was celebrated by new Minister for Sport Leo Varadkar at…
The Irish Wildlife Trust has welcomed the proposed EU ban on discarding fish as part of the Common Fisheries Policy. The organisation said it was a "vital step" towards "restoring the ecological balance in Irish seas". IWT chairman Pádraic Fogarty…
