Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

#RESCUE - Four people were rescued on Lough Erne yesterday after their motor cruiser ran aground in the second such incident in a week, the Belfast Telegraph reports. All on board were retrieved by RNLI lifeboat from the 29ft cruiser,…

#TITANIC - The Titanic memorial cruise was yesterday forced to turn back just 100 miles from the southwest coast of Ireland after a passenger fell ill, BBC News reports. The Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopter at Shannon was dispached to…

#TITANIC - The Irish Times has highlighted "one of the less well-known tales of the disaster" of the Titanic, regarding two tennis champions who went on to enter that sport's hall of fame. The story of Richard Williams and Lark…

#MARINE WILDLIFE - Sailors, fishermen and SCUBA divers in England's West Country could face "tough new restrictions" if plans for conservation zones in the Irish Sea and around the UK coast go ahead. According to This Is Cornwall, groups representing…

#MARINE WILDLIFE - This past weekend saw confirmation that two humpback whales have made an unseasonal visit to Irish waters. As previously noted on Afloat.ie, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) had received reports of a sighting of the…

#CANOEING - The Irish Times reports that Eoin Rheinisch and Ciarán Heurteau have secured their canoe slalom qualification spots for London 2012 after last weekend's selection races in Lucan. Three places were up for grabs in the men's K1, with…

#GALWAY HARBOUR - Galway Harbour management are looking forward to the prospect of Chinese investment in the port's redevelopment plans, the Galway Independent reports. “Chinese investors clearly recognise not only the massive potential of ocean tourism, but also the specific…

#IRISH HARBOURS - Yachts berthing at Ireland's main fishing harbours could see their charges hiked by an incredible 800 per cent. According to The Irish Times, Marine Minister Simon Coveney has announced a mere 21 days for comment and consultation on…

#LASER - A pair of British sailors are set to embark on an intrepid crossing of the Irish Sea using just two single-handed Laser dingies. David Summerville and Steve Cockerill had originally planned to make the crossing in September last…

#TALL SHIPS - Sail Training Ireland for Youth Development (STIYD) has announced a golden opportunity for the general public to sail on a tall ship. Hot on the heels of the Tall Ships Races visit to Dublin this August, a…

#SURFING - A young surfer from Lahinch in Co Clare is in the running for the 'biggest wave' prize in the 2012 Billabong XXL contest for his monster ride at Mullaghmore Head, The Irish Times reports. Ollie O'Flaherty, 24, is…

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - Organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race finale in Galway are appealing for 2,000 volunteers to help make the stopover a rousing success. The eight-day festival of the marine, sport, arts and culture, entertainment and food to celebrate…

#MARINE WILDLIFE - The mystery disappearance of an allegedly rare whale carcass from a Co Clare beach last week has been solved. As The Irish Times reports, Clare County Council admitted yesterday that the "badly decomposed whale" was removed from…

#MARINE WILDLIFE - At least two humpback whales have been spotted by birdwatchers off Galley Head in West Cork, according to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG). "This is the first time since the large whale project commenced in…

#MARINE WARNING - The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) advises on preliminary work on the East-West interconnector power cable in the Irish Sea between Ireland and Wales over the next few weeks. Briggs…

#SURFING - Irish surf classifieds website Surfseekers.ie has compiled some stunning images from March's world-class surfing conditions. From the biggest rollers in years off Mullaghmore Head in Co Sligo to the Cliffs of Moher and even as far south as…

#ANGLING - Minister for Natural Resources Fergus O’Dowd has confirmed that there is no proposal for the extension of the salmon draft netting season. In response to concerns expressed by the angling community and highlighted by Derek Evans in The…

#ANGLING - Journalists were angling for a different kind of story at Annamoe Trout Fisheries recently as they competed for the Dublin Crystal Perpetual Trophy, The Irish Times reports. The eighth annual event at the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains…

#TITANIC - A Belfast man who saw the Titanic launch from the Harland and Wolff shipyards more than 100 years ago was guest of honour at the opening of Titanic Belfast at the weekend. "It's like our Sydney Opera House,"…

#CANOEING - Irish canoe slalom paddler Matthew Sykes has secured a place on the Olympic torch relay this summer. “I am only one of only 8,000 people selected to carry the London 2012 Olympic torch relay," the Northern Irishman told…