Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Irish watersport school BigStyle has announced the development of a new hub for stand-up paddleboarding at Dun Laoghaire’s Coal Harbour. The news comes just months after the business, which has expanded as far afield as East Africa, mooted plans for…

Proposals for a ‘food court’ at Dun Laoghaire Harbour’s currently vacant ferry terminal have been welcomed by one leading local stakeholder. In a written submission seen by Afloat.ie, Alistair Rumball of the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School supports the…

A captain found drunk in charge of his ship in Belfast docks has been fined £500, as the Belfast Telegraph reports. Fifty-eight-year-old Oleg Okolobvich was arrested after fellow crew were forced to step in to avoid the cargo vessel Danica…

Malahide Yacht Club’s new commodore Daniel Flavin promises continued expansion of the north Co Dublin club’s training and development programme in the year ahead. In addition, moves to improve facilities at both clubhouses will be part of an overall work…

New rules for sports grants introduced after a controversy involving private schools two years ago could affect eligibility for yachts clubs in the future, it is feared. Ten sports clubs across the country — two private schools and eight golf…

A number of public events scheduled for later this month and early February on the draft National Marine Planning Framework have been postponed. Events had been due to take place in Killybegs on Monday 27 January, Wexford town on Thursday…

Shared stories of folklore and the history of spiritual sites around Lough Erne will be the subject of a public meeting at Waterways Ireland HQ in Enniskillen later this month. Hosted by Waterways Ireland in partnership with the Lough Erne…

An Arctic ringed seal pup recovered from the Kerry coast ahead of Storm Brendan has delighted her carers by finding her appetite. Named Cloudberry, after an Arctic flower, the little marine mammal was first spotted on 2 January but scarpered…

Safehaven Marine put Thunder Child II to the test against the might of Storm Brendan yesterday — showing just how well the wave-piercing powerboat can handle the roughest elements at sea. Sea trials for the XSV20 design began a year ago…

New footage from Emirates Team NZ (see below) shows just how fast its AC75 foiling yacht can glide over the water. The team is continuing training ahead of the first leg in the America’s Cup World Series which begins this April…

Five years into his remarkable and challenging project to photograph all RNLI lifeboat station in the UK and Ireland with a Victorian-era camera, Jack Lowe has visited 147 stations and met more than 2,000 volunteers. And it’s not over yet,…

The owners of three rental cottages on Great Blasket Island have been “inundated” with queries about a caretaker vacancy on the Co Kerry island, according to Extra.ie. The “unique” job position advertised on the Great Blasket Island Twitter account calls…

The National Rowing Centre is among 25 initiatives benefiting from a €77.4 million cash injection under the new Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The Cork facility, advocated by Cork County Council and Rowing Ireland, is on the provisional list…

Sailing and Cruising NI is RYANI’s newest affiliated body, and over the last two years has established what’s been described as a “one stop shop run by sailors for sailors” in Northern Ireland. In a new interview with RYANI development…

The wife of a Scottish businessman has appealed for help in finding his whereabouts after his yacht was discovered empty during a 5,000-mile solo trip. Colin Finnie (67) was last in contact with his family six days before his 45ft…

An Australian sailor who took part in the former Volvo Ocean Race has died in an incident in a Spanish marina before the New Year. Metro.co.uk reports that the body of 37-year-old Zane Gills was found under the yacht he…

An angler from Blackpool learned he was the subject of a nine-hour search and rescue operation only after being told about the incident by an employee at a bait shop in the Lancashire town, as the Blackpool Gazette reports. It’s…

Waterways Ireland marks the New Year with a Special Marine Notice providing general information for boaters and users of Ireland’s inland waterways. Masters and owners are strongly recommended to check the Waterways Ireland website for general information about the waterways and…

A seal rarely sighted in Irish waters was among the first sightings of the New Year by eagle-eyed supporters of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG). The hooded seal was spotted by Helen Tilson of Schull Sea Safari on…

The owner of a fishing trawler that took part in a new TG4 documentary series has revealed that the vessel caught fire and sinking during filming. According to the Irish Examiner, the Susanne II was one of several vessels being…