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Belfast Lough
Royal North Of Ireland cadets launch for sailing lessons on Belfast Lough
Cadet Summer Sailing at the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club on Belfast Lough is proving popular with much interest in the scheme which starts on Monday next (13th July). Rear Commodore Sailing Jonny Millar, Cadet Officers John Driscoll and…
FunDay Fridays at Bangor Marina
Last Friday was the first of July’s FunDay Fridays on Belfast Lough, a three-way collaboration between Bangor Marina, SUP HubNI and Citizen Sea who are together providing a fabulously educational and active two-hour session where all the children will have…
Kevin Baird (Bangor Marina Manager and Harbour Master) with the Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Trevor Cummings
The Ards and North Down coastal area has done well by winning awards for excellence in facilities, environmental management, environmental education, accessibility and safety. Bangor Marina has been awarded the internationally renowned Blue Flag for the 2020 season. The Blue…
On Thursday evening the Coastguard and the Police Service investigated reports of concern for a kayaker seen the Ballywalter area of County Down
Last Thursday and Friday were busy days for Bangor Coastguard on Belfast Lough with an incident on both days. On Thursday evening the Coastguard and the Police Service investigated reports of concern for a kayaker seen the Ballywalter area in…
The Brompton Goose pictured centre with sea swimmers on Belfast Lough
Northern Ireland’s coastline is dotted with cold water swimmers who go out no matter what the weather or temperature. The group who swim near Jenny Watts Cave just past Wilson’s Point at Bangor on Belfast Lough are known as the…
As AFLOAT reported in March (see CruiseLiners) the MS Fridtjof Nansen (would become) the only cruiseship that called to Belfast Harbour this season. The hybrid-powered expedition cruise ship with a 500 passenger capacity is operated by Norwegian owners Hurtigruten which was promoting the 2019 newbuild which was scheduled next to call to Dublin Port but was cancelled as the Covid-19 scenario was increasingly becoming a major public health emergency. The industry has all but collapsed and is unlikely to recover until 2023.
Cruise fall-out as Belfast Harbour is anticipating that Covid-19 could hit revenues by as much as 20% this year, largely due to the collapse of its cruise, tourist and leisure business. Port bosses said they do not expect any of…
Royal Ulster Yacht Club on Belfast Lough
The opening up of Royal Ulster Yacht Club on Belfast Lough has been long-awaited and tomorrow (Friday 3rd July) is the big day. During the past week bar and waiting staff have undergone training on the new way of working.…
Bangor Coastguard at Donaghdee
The rescue services were so busy over the weekend that they have related several incidents together. A jetskier needed medical assistance after coming off his jetski. Donaghadee Lifeboat brought the casualty from Millisle into Donaghadee harbour and was met by…
Bangor Town Regatta Chairman, Gavin Watson
Bangor Town Regatta on Belfast Lough was a casualty of COVID-19 this year, (in fact the regatta would have been on the water last week), but a 2021 date has now been set for Thursday 24th till Sunday 27th June.…
Portrush Harbour in Northern Ireland
Kevin Baird, Harbour Master and Marina Manager in Bangor, has posted a substantial update to the state of harbour and marina opening dates in the North of Ireland and beyond. The situation continues to be fluid. Among the notable changes…
A new initiative at Ballyholme wants to give a voice to Stann Up Paddleboarders and other watersports at the club
Ballyholme Yacht Club is planning to form a Sub Committee to ensure members who are interested in Standup Paddleboarding, Sea Swimming, Kayaking and Windsurfing have a voice. Before the Lockdown the club had plans in place for a new Social…
Belfast to Build Zero Emissions Ferries Following £60m Funding Boost
A Belfast Lough Maritime Consortium led by Artemis Technologies has won a £33 million UK Government innovation grant to develop zero emissions ferries in the city, that will revolutionise the future of maritime transport. With further investment from consortium partners,…
The RNLI were able to return the three teenagers safely to the beach and hand them over to the Bangor Coastguard Rescue Team
Answering what was the Bangor Coastguard Rescue Team’s third shout of the day yesterday (Sat 20th), after a telephone call from former Lifeboat Operations Manager Kevin Byers, a volunteer RNLI crew was tasked with rescuing three kayakers in Ballyholme Bay…
Manufactured by Liebherr in Co. Kerry, the crane was delivered to Belfast Harbour’s D1 site (in Co. Down) in March. After a 12-week construction period, it was moved across the Victoria Channel by barge to VT3 (in Co. Antrim) in a complex 15-hour operation last weekend
A new £6.6M ship-to-shore container handling crane is Belfast Harbour’s largest-ever investment in a single piece of port equipment. The installation is part of a £40M upgrade of its Victoria Terminal 3 (VT3) container terminal. The new fully electric crane…
Bangor’s lifeboat comes alongside the stricken motorboat in Belfast Lough
Bangor's lifeboat rescued four people aboard a motorboat from Carrickfergus after the boat broke down off Whitehead, and the group risked drifting into a shipping lane in Belfast Lough in fading light. A volunteer crew from Bangor RNLI was requested…
An injured guillemot is cared for
Harbours by their nature attract a myriad of marine wildlife and Bangor on Belfast Lough is no exception. Most people would associate Bangor with the guillemots that make their nests in holes in the marina wall but there is so…